The Lost Art of the Video Game Manual
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One of the most enduring features of game manuals is its position as an RPG-aide. Games like Fallout and Pokémon are so large and offer so many features that a booklet can answer simple questions like (Why can't I catch another trainer's Pokémon?) Increasingly though, these questions are more frequently answered on the internet, either on forums or fan-made wikis. There probably isn't a single question about Fallout 3 that can't be answered on The Vault Fallout's own wiki.
I think game companies have taken notice as well. Indeed, in just two years, from Fallout 3 to Fallout: New Vegas, the manual went from a 39-page (Vault Dweller's Survival Guide) to a slimmer (Game Manual.) Even finding locations isn't dependent upon a map anymore. Rockstar's full-sized fold-out maps are intended to help gamers figure out the city, but one can find a map (with all notable points) on the internet in seconds.
It's a dying art, like so many things in video games, but I can't say I don't understand the reasoning. We're paying $60 for a disc and plastic case that cost fractions of a cent, so cutting a few more pennies off cost by cutting down on an unused stack of paper is a good business move. Just ask EA, who recently announced that they were getting rid of all game manuals. And just to feed the hippie-trolls; yes I'm sure that's good for the environment as well. This isn't to imply that I revel losing what was such an intricate part of gaming.
