No Manual for Half-Life 2?

[Quipp]

Looks that way...

Not sure how I feel about this considering how little I actually look at the manuals for FPS. Would've been nice to have though considering the status of the game.

[Blackhawk]

Frome the interview linked:

There is a quick reference card included to guide folks through installation and set up.

That is all most FPS manuals are anyway - just add four pages of credits, two of copyright information, and one of siezure warnings, put it in a CD insert and you have a full FPS manual.

[CeeKay]

but there'a going to be a strategy guide

On the bright side, like you said it is an FPS so I don't see there being much in the way of confusion. I just love it when store employees try to sell me the strategy guide.

'Would you like to buy the Strategy guide?'
'no'
'It will help you play the game. We're recommending it.'
<stunned silence> 'It's Doom 3.'
'Are you sure you don't want to get it?'
'I can get the same info for free off the internet.'
'Downloading is ill-'
'It's called GameFAQ's'

[Ripstar]

It's obviously an ongoing plot of the octopus overlords.

It goes so far back that its almost lost in the mists of time.

First we had to give up the huge shiny boxes crammed with a 100 lbs of maps, manuals, key cards, and freebees because stores needed the shelf space.

So we accepted the small tiny little boxes and were told it was obvious due to size, that the manuals as other stuff would have to be reduced in size or left out.

Now we are being convinced we don't need anything other than the cd usually ill wrapped in paper sleeves.

Of course there is no reduction in cost to the consumer. If Half Life gets away with it then soon there will be others. After all its all about making money, right.

I like a manual, a little back story, and to know ahead how configurable a game is. I don't want to get part way into a game and have to search the net for hours for a solution that should be in a manual.

Anyways, it's not in our hands. It's in the huge slimy tentacles of the of the corporate money grubbing octopus overlords.

Future games will likely just come in a zip lock bag, with a card that says,
"Bend over and take one for the team."

[Kraken]

Of course there is no reduction in cost to the consumer. If Half Life gets away with it then soon there will be others. After all its all about making money, right.

Now wait a minute. Reality check. When I started buying games in 1986, they cost me $40-50, which was serious money. How much do games cost in 2004? The same. I don't know what 18 years of inflation add up to, but it must be at least 50%, if not closer to 100%. If prices had remained steady, we'd be paying at least $60-75 for new games now, and perhaps much more. $40-50 just isn't serious money anymore.

You're damned straight it's about making money. But they're doing that by selling far more units at lower price points. Why should a game that doesn't need any explanation include a manual that only raises the production cost?

[Greg Wak]

I can't see any reason a fps needs a manual-and don't get me wrong, I love manuals. Fps games have become very standardized. Plus HL2 dosen't even have a backstrory outside of HL. Now sims and rts's better have one.

[knob]

It doesn't really bother me, although I always like it when a box passes The Lift Test.

I like looking through manuals, but FPS manuals rarely have anything useful in them.

If it were any other genre, I'd probably be a little more annoyed.

[Vesper]

No manual just reinforces my decision to buy from Steam. It is now readily apparent that there is NO difference between the retail/Steam versions. You get a CD with the Steam preload burned on it with an installer in a box. If you don't have broadband, it'd make sense. If you do, why not just download it ahead of time online?

[Eduardo X]

This makes me even more angry about the game.
Maybe HL2 is like the election: you're either going to buy it or not, and there is hardly any middle ground.

[AttAdude]

not really impressed. I cant really see why you need a manual for a game like HL2. Must be the principal of the matter huh?

[Windows95]

Of course there is no reduction in cost to the consumer. If Half Life gets away with it then soon there will be others. After all its all about making money, right.

Now wait a minute. Reality check. When I started buying games in 1986, they cost me $40-50, which was serious money. How much do games cost in 2004? The same. I don't know what 18 years of inflation add up to, but it must be at least 50%, if not closer to 100%. If prices had remained steady, we'd be paying at least $60-75 for new games now, and perhaps much more. $40-50 just isn't serious money anymore.

You're damned straight it's about making money. But they're doing that by selling far more units at lower price points. Why should a game that doesn't need any explanation include a manual that only raises the production cost?

Exactly! I was just looking through my old Space Quest manual. To order the games direct from Sierra was $59 US plus shipping. It's been quite a few years since I've spent that much on any game. So yes a lack of manuals does suck, but we are seeing cheaper games because of it and other factors.

[Greggy_D]

Get ready to crap in your pants.......

Dangerous Waters will have a 500 page manual!!

Yes....FIVE HUNDRED pages. It's gonna feel like Falcon 4.0 all over again.

[morlac]

I dont have a problem with this particualr FPS not having one but a more tactical one not having one would be bad. Take Joint Opps, that manual was awful. There were all sorts of important info missing.

[LawBeefaroni]

Steam sucks. I hate Steam but as a PC gamer I will be forced to register and use it to play HL2. I think HL2 will be worth the dirty feeling I'll get but I can still hate steam. Steam sucks.

[Kagath]

but there'a going to be a strategy guide

On the bright side, like you said it is an FPS so I don't see there being much in the way of confusion. I just love it when store employees try to sell me the strategy guide.

'Would you like to buy the Strategy guide?'
'no'
'It will help you play the game. We're recommending it.'
<stunned silence> 'It's Doom 3.'
'Are you sure you don't want to get it?'
'I can get the same info for free off the internet.'
'Downloading is ill-'
'It's called GameFAQ's'

When I worked at Funcoland a couple years ago we often told the customers about Gamefaqs and Gamewinners. True we did ask if they were interested in the guides, but when we knew them or they were obviously not interested we would mention the sites. I guess it depends on what store you are at for the pushy people. We felt it was better to have the repeated business than to get in the peoples faces about a guide.

[Two Sheds]

I love Steam. It's . . . incredible.

Just to cancel out LB

And every time I read this thread title, I see "no Manuel for Half Life 2." And then I think, "not even a Bat-Manuel?" And then I laugh to myself. For hours.

[Quipp]

And every time I read this thread title, I see "no Manuel for Half Life 2." And then I think, "not even a Bat-Manuel?" And then I laugh to myself. For hours.

LOL

For extra entertainment value I could always change the topic title to ¿Ningún manual para la Media-Vida 2?

Of course, then we might have to put you in a rubber room so you don't hurt yourself.

BTW, my favorite Bat-Manuel line:

"Batmanuel has finished his big gulp, and now he must water the bushes."

[Al]

Steam rules. It's easy to use, it's stable, it keeps the games on it up to date and they're putting in a backup option at the request of users.

[Greg Wak]

Okay, I'm now definatly up fo dangerous waters!!

[Eduardo X]

Okay, I'm now definatly up fo dangerous waters!!

What is Dangerous Waters?

[Greg Wak]

My typing appears to be going to hell. Anyway, Dangerous Waters is a modern Naval sim in which you can control several boats and planes.You can go to www.subsim.com and on the left side they have a preview.

[Eduardo X]

My typing appears to be going to hell. Anyway, Dangerous Waters is a modern Naval sim in which you can control several boats and planes.You can go to www.subsim.com and on the left side they have a preview.

Thanks!
I'm getting Pacific Fighters tomorrow, and I'll let you know about the tutorials. My guess is it has them, but it is just a video of somebody else flying.

[martindemon]

That will seem weird to many people but I often use game manuals to change my ideas when I go dropping boats and subways. I have a full drawer of them; best distracting readings evar!