Matrix Games Forums

 Forums  Register  Login  Photo Gallery  Member List  Search  Calendars  FAQ 

My Profile  Inbox  Address Book  My Subscription  My Forums  Log Out

Game manuals – why can’t we have them ?

 
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest
Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
All Forums >> [General] >> General Discussion >> Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? Page: [1]
Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? - 9/27/2011 2:43:28 PM   
sterckxe


Posts: 4605
Joined: 3/30/2004
From: Flanders
Status: offline 		Hi,

In the boardgame world practically every new game has a downloadable manual so prospective customers can take a look at what the game covers, mechanics etc.

Anyone know a good reason why this is not the case in the pc wargame world ?

Greetz,

Eddy Sterckx
Post #: 1
RE: Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? - 9/27/2011 2:51:57 PM   
Terminus


Posts: 41459
Joined: 4/23/2005
From: Denmark
Status: offline 		Probably something to do with torrents...

_____________________________

We are all dreams of the Giant Space Butterfly.

(in reply to sterckxe)
Post #: 2
RE: Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? - 9/27/2011 3:30:00 PM   
Lieste

 

Posts: 1823
Joined: 11/1/2008
Status: offline 		How does that make sense?
If the distribution contains a pdf manual (most do with the demise of paper versions), then presumably a torrent of the distribution (cracked) would also contain the same manual...



(in reply to Terminus)
Post #: 3
RE: Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? - 9/27/2011 3:38:53 PM   
Terminus


Posts: 41459
Joined: 4/23/2005
From: Denmark
Status: offline 		Didn't say it made sense.

_____________________________

We are all dreams of the Giant Space Butterfly.

(in reply to Lieste)
Post #: 4
RE: Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? - 9/27/2011 4:19:41 PM   
planner 3

 

Posts: 616
Joined: 3/7/2008
Status: offline 		I would suspect that cost of printing a manual would be the main reason. The additional cost would also be passed on to the buyer ....you...a pdf manual can be printed by Kinko or Office depot, again at your expense, either way, you pay....

_____________________________

"As Pogo said, 'We have met the enemy and he is us' "

(in reply to Terminus)
Post #: 5
RE: Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? - 9/27/2011 5:42:17 PM   
dougb

 

Posts: 144
Joined: 4/5/2009
Status: offline 		I think you may be misintepreting what Eddy was asking. Many board wargame publishers will post pdf's of the rules (GMT in particular) for games that are upcoming. This allows prospective buyers to check the game out and helps to build interest and anticipation in the game (and also provides an opportunity for a wider audience to identify any potential rules problems). I guess the question is why pc wargame publishers don't follow the same policy and post downloadable rules for upcoming games or event games that have already been published. In the absence of a demo that and screenshots would provide an opportunity to further assess a potential purchase.

I can't see cost as being an issue since the dowloader would determine if they wanted to print a hard copy.

Doug

< Message edited by dougb -- 9/27/2011 5:43:26 PM >

(in reply to planner 3)
Post #: 6
RE: Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? - 9/27/2011 5:43:33 PM   
IainMcNeil


Posts: 2804
Joined: 10/26/2004
From: London
Status: offline 		I don't see a big problem with it. We have done it in the past. E.g. For Panzer Corps the manual was released.

One other issue is the timeline. The manuals are often one of the last things to be ready so getting them out in advance is often a logistical impossibility.

With baord games the whole thing goes to manufacture which can take 3 months and the manual must be ready then so you have a pdf manual at least 3 months before release. Sometimes we have the pdf manual the day before release and often teh manual is the limiting factor in releasing!



_____________________________

Iain McNeil
Director
Matrix Games

(in reply to planner 3)
Post #: 7
RE: Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? - 9/27/2011 5:51:19 PM   
Lieste

 

Posts: 1823
Joined: 11/1/2008
Status: offline 		Some games have demos - here the manuals are usually included.
Some have manual previews (WITE) released prior to launch, but the completed manual has never been separately released (instead being bundled with the installer.exe which requires a purchase & serial no. to unpack).

Others are black-holes with no manual (even limited preview) or demo available.

(in reply to IainMcNeil)
Post #: 8
RE: Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? - 9/28/2011 10:20:54 AM   
sterckxe


Posts: 4605
Joined: 3/30/2004
From: Flanders
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: dougb

I think you may be misintepreting what Eddy was asking. Many board wargame publishers will post pdf's of the rules (GMT in particular) for games that are upcoming. This allows prospective buyers to check the game out and helps to build interest and anticipation in the game (and also provides an opportunity for a wider audience to identify any potential rules problems). I guess the question is why pc wargame publishers don't follow the same policy and post downloadable rules for upcoming games or event games that have already been published. In the absence of a demo that and screenshots would provide an opportunity to further assess a potential purchase.

I can't see cost as being an issue since the dowloader would determine if they wanted to print a hard copy.

Doug


Yeah, what he said :)

In the boardgame world it's become pretty much routine for me : I hear about a new game, I surf over to BGG and download the manual. 5-10 minutes of browsing and I can tell whether or not it's a game for me. If producers of cardboard can manage releasing a pdf, surely this cannot be a problem for pc wargame publishers. The pdf manuals exist, just put them on the ftp server together with the patches and demos.

Greetz,

Eddy Sterckx

(in reply to dougb)
Post #: 9
RE: Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? - 9/28/2011 1:59:46 PM   
JudgeDredd


Posts: 8573
Joined: 11/14/2003
From: Scotland
Status: offline 		Iain

Timescale isn't really an issue. I mean, it is in so far as it cannot be done before you release the game (concurring with your example of boardgames going to print) - however, the manuals could be made available just before, on or just after release...so the fact that it cannot be done in a similar fashion to the boardgame world doesn't mean it can't be done.

as you've pointed out, it was done for Panzer Corps - but there are so many more (even backlog) games it could be done for. It may spur me on to buy one or two here or there...

_____________________________

Alba gu' brath

(in reply to sterckxe)
Post #: 10
RE: Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? - 10/5/2011 4:36:11 PM   
Hanal

 

Posts: 2312
Joined: 11/1/2003
Status: offline 		Deleted as spammer was removed.....

< Message edited by J P Falcon -- 10/6/2011 12:26:18 AM >
Post #: 11
RE: Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? - 10/5/2011 6:15:42 PM   
IainMcNeil


Posts: 2804
Joined: 10/26/2004
From: London
Status: offline 		As I asy I'm not against it - it is just another job to do :)

I'll add it to the discussion list and see what others think :)

_____________________________

Iain McNeil
Director
Matrix Games

(in reply to Hanal)
Post #: 12
Page:   [1]
All Forums >> [General] >> General Discussion >> Game manuals – why can’t we have them ? Page: [1]
Jump to:





New Messages No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages Locked w/o New Messages
 Post New Thread
 Reply to Message
 Post New Poll
 Submit Vote
 Delete My Own Post
 Delete My Own Thread
 Rate Posts


Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.4.5 ANSI

0.984