Ubisoft have announced that they will be waving goodbye to paper manuals.
Those little staple-bound booklets which we always found tucked inside video game boxes, are being ‘binned’ in favor of in-game digital guides for all Ubisoft future PS3 and Xbox 360 titles starting this fall. The first title that will incorporate an all-digital manual will be the holiday release, Shaun White Skateboarding.
“Eco-friendly initiatives are important to the global community and introducing in-game digital manuals on Xbox 360 and PS3 is just the latest example of Ubisoft’s ongoing commitment to being a more environmentally conscious company,” said Laurent Detoc, president of Ubisoft North America.
They will also be introducing an eco-friendly case made of 100% recycled materials. Ubisoft has gone green with its logo, too.
A spokesperson said that these in-game digital manuals will provide “multiple benefits” for the player, including “easier and more intuitive access” to game information as well as providing a “more robust manual.”
They stated also, that “While the company will save money on paper, it’s unclear if these costs will be offset by the labor of the development team to create a more robust game manual within the game.”
They also said they will not be offering downloadable versions of the manuals for players to print out and also did not clarify if older titles will be “upgraded” to include digital manuals.
Statistics show that most people don’t bother to read the manuals these days, with all the tutorials and beginner levels included in games. It has been found that if you need help, you are more likely to consult Games FAQ’s than the paper instruction booklet.
The way we learn to play video games has drastically changed since home gaming began.
(PS: If you are feeling nostalgic, Vimm.net has a growing archive of old video game instruction manuals.)
Will you miss the paper manuals? Would you go to the manual or Games FAQ’s ?
Let me know below…
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