The people at Matrix Games think video game instruction manuals are cool. Forgive them for not knowing any better.
They didnât get the memo that instruction manuals are over. I think Sony sent that memo. Or maybe Nintendo did. Or was it Ubisoft?
https://lastchance.cc/report-the-ps-vita-is-killing-off-the-instruction-book-5868704%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
âSlitherine, Matrix Games, and Wastelands Interactive are thrilled to release a sneak peek at the Time of Fury manual to give gamers a feel for the intuitive yet realistic and engaging game mechanics that power this WWII grand strategy powerhouse!â
Man, it looks like Slitherine and Wastelands Interactive didnât get the memo either that instruction manuals are not worth getting excited about. Theyâre offering people a sneak peek at their gameâs instruction manual
The manual for Matrix Gamesâ Time of Fury is 79 pages long. At least itâs digital, thoughâdownload-only. These people arenât completely out of touch with the idea that video game manuals are a thing of the past.
Hereâs their manual teaser.
Oh, but whatâs this?
A Matrix Games public relations person named Sean tells me that their customers like instruction manuals. âItâs actually a major selling point in our niche market,â he told me, when I asked him if he realized how unusual it is for a video game company to be proud of their manuals.
He pointed me to this other manual for the Admiral Edition of a game called War in the Pacific. He told me that the game ships with a giant full-color manual.
âYes you pay a premium for the title but that tactile satisfaction from touching and flipping through a beautiful glossy manual is some serious value-added for many of our customers who come from board gaming backgrounds. For these guys, seeing the board on the table and moving the pieces around are a significant component to the enjoyment. A game this complex typically attracts the old school boardgamers who are not scared of a multi-100 page manual to begin with.â
So people have to pay âa premiumâ for these fancy manuals, huh? One manâs premium is another manâs $64. Not too bad.
Video game instruction manuals are not dead yet.
