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[Wario64]

Cause I don't, and I could care less if the manual is black and white or in color

 

[Dead]

B&W manuals fucking suck. I dont read em and I still hate B&W ones

 

[SantaC]

I did back in the nes and snes days when video game manuals were interesting.

I do not anymore though.

 

[Justin Bailey]

Last one I read was the Metroid Prime one, just to get the story from it.

 

[teepo]

Cause I don't, and I could care less if the manual is black and white or in color

 

[Solid]

I do. Often when I take a shit.

 

[Fifty]

I do, and I much prefer color manuals.

 

[Prince of Space]

Only when I first open a new game. Or to look over the credits if they're listed.

 

[Kobun Heat]

I used to. Nowadays I rarely do - games pretty much all have tutorial modes and such built in so it's no longer necessary. I'll generally read through the manual if it's a game I'm anticipating though.

 

[MoxManiac]

I thumb through them briefly when I get a new game, and typically never read them again.

Despite that, I'm ultra anal about all my games having the original manuals and boxes/cases intact. Go figure.

 

[SantaC]

many nes manuals had spoilers though. Like listing all the items and weapons you could get

 

[Kudie]

B&W manuals fucking suck. I dont read em and I still hate B&W ones

Same here, although I do read the manuals for the backstrory of the game.

 

[dark10x]

I tend to glance through them and read over any unique content. I appreciate full color manuals as well simply due to the fact that it suggests a game of quality (not always, of course).

 

[TekunoRobby]

I do and I enjoy it when companies take the time to make them in color.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

I do. I get the game, read the manual, then play it.

 

[explodet]

I still can't get over Disgaea's crappy manual.

 

[belgurdo]

Only when the manual has an interesting quirk (mini strategy guides in FF games, R&C GC vertical instructions, any manual with a comic book, etc.), as most games have in-game tutorials

 

[Vargas]

I used to read them but I just don't care anymore. It usually leads to me screaming my head off because I didn't bother reading the in-game tutorial and end up getting stuck because I didn't do something that was listed on page 4.

 

[Fixed2BeBroken]

hmmm...im kinda wierd with manuals.

when I get a new game, i usually Never read the manual first. I just play.

Now after playing the game a day or a couple days, If I find the game Very Good/Intruiging/awesome/etc, then il go and read through the whole manual. If after playing, I could careless about the game, or the game is just average, il probably end up never reading the manual.

and when I end up reading manuals, i love the color ones cause yes, B and W ones suck.

peace

 

[El Papa]

I do. Often when I take a shit.

 

[Drexon]

I neeever read manuals, never never ever. Might read the Halo 2 manual, as they've managed to (somehow) get me hyped for it.

 

[Baron Aloha]

 

[SpoonyBard]

Hardly ever nowadays. RPG and adventure game manuals often have spoilers, and you really don't need manuals for most action games.

 

[Tellaerin]

I neeever read manuals, never never ever. Might read the Halo 2 manual, as they've managed to (somehow) get me hyped for it.

Used to, but I try to avoid it now. Too many companies stupidly include spoilers (character bios that foreshadow story events, etc.) in their manuals, particularly RPG's, and I like to be surprised when I play a game.

 

[Naked Snake]

I usually insist on reading the whole manual before even playing the game.

 

[Discharger]

Not usually - depends on when I get the game. If I get a new game during a break at work or somewhere I can't immeadiately play it, I'll usually read it during some free time to get an idea what it's going to be like. If I get the game and have a chance to play it right away, I'll normally only read it afterwards to get the backstory or if I want to see something specific about the controls that doesn't seem to be explained in the game.

And yes, B&W manuals are suck.

 

[Bishman]

I only read them in the car.

 

[bobbyconover]

I almost never read them cover to cover, but I do think of them as cool little mini art books, so I greatly prefer them in color.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

I always read the whole thing, part of my ritual, that and watching all the startup/intro screens.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

I really don't care about them. I look at them once maybe. As long as they have the information I want, I'm fine with it. That said, I do notice fine ones even on games I don't particularly care for (ie. Manhunt, Indiana Jones).

[side-comment]I love the art on the actual DVD discs of games. I like when their really sharp or intriguing or colorful. I admire that more than cover art, partly because cover art is mostly horrendous here. I like the trend of designing overlays on the discs, minus the GC ones which are ugly.[/side-comment]

 

[Naked Snake]

I always read the whole thing, part of my ritual, that and watching all the startup/intro screens.

I like this guy.

 

[Mr. Lemming]

I do. I usually page through them during the ride home and while watching the intros/demos to the game.

 

[Screaming_Gremlin]

I use to when I was still little. Now a days it is rare that I even open a manual.

 

[akascream]

I hardly ever do.. but I still feel ripped off if the manual isn't well done.

 

[Neutron Night]

I don't neccessarily read every word, but they are part of the packaging that I collect, so I want them to be as thick, colorful, and high-quality as possible. Working Designs produces the best manuals, obviously.

 

[Ranger X]

I read manuals in the bus going back home with a new game. Makes the wait to play look shorter

 

[Ristamar]

I always read the whole thing, part of my ritual, that and watching all the startup/intro screens.

Yeah, same here. Well, I often don't read all of it. I skim and focus on certain areas (usually backstory and controls). And yes, B&W manuals suck.

 

[bobbyconover]

Working Designs produces the best manuals, obviously.

I disagree. They come across to me as pale imitations of classy Japanese manuals, going way over the top with their ultra-gloss covers, gold foil and raised lettering, not to mention the lousy internal layouts that reek of "trying to cram as much color and art into one place." I'm looking through the Silhouette Mirage manual right now, and despite the nice character art it's ugly as sin with its gradiant colored writing and use of blown-up/blurred art as background images for every page.

Of course I respect the effort, but ideally a great manual combines full color (or even gimmicks like gold foil) with some semblance of style, class, or originality to go along with it.

Examples of truly great manuals include everything NanaOn-Sha has ever put out (Parappa 1 and 2, Um Jammer Lammy, Vib Ribbon, Mojib Ribbon, etc - and yeah, I'm referring solely to the Japanese versions here), and even some US stuff like Ratchet and Clank 2, not to mention most first-party Nintendo manuals.

 

[FoneBone]

I always read through manuals when I get a game, but I rarely look at them afterwards.

 

[ruffles]

I always read through manuals when I get a game, but I rarely look at them afterwards.

Same here.

 

[Matlock]

Blizzard manuals are good for the shitter, that's for sure.

 

[Kumiko Nikaido]

I read the manuals before I play the games. I mean, why wouldn't you? They're provided so you can understand the gist of the game before the get-go. I'd rather be familiar with the game (like the controls and what) than going into unfamiliar territory and being pissed off because I didn't know the nuances of the game.

And besides, you spent money to purchase the game. Get the most out of you money and read its literature.

People are lazy to READ nowadays.

Edit: Just noticed my tag. Me like! Teehee!

 

[Kalren]

I used to all the time.

Now I just jump into the game. If I fnd that I have the game and it will be a couple of hours till I head for home, I may glace at it.

 

[drohne]

almost never - in-game tutorials have made them redundant. i'll usually flip through them to look at the art, though. when i was a kid, i'd read manuals on the car ride home. in anticipation of the game. that was nice.

 

[Semjaza Azazel]

If I'm on the train or getting a ride home, I read some of the manual.

Otherwise I skip it, play the game for awhile and then randomly go back and flip through the manual. I've never read a manual to figure out how to play a game.

 

[The Faceless Master]

i always read the manual either right after i buy the game or it is delivered, or on rare occasions, after i play the game the first time...

i also like to let the game loop in demo more until i see them all...

 

[swoon]

fallout 2's was the only manual worth reading

 

[User 406]

I always read the manual. There may be some tidbit that isn't covered in the game tutorial, or other useful information. At the very least, I'll know what it contains in case I get to a point in the game where I think I need to know more or refer to a table or list.

One thing that always infurated me when I was a kid was the tendency for people to not read game manuals. People would come over to my house, plop down in front of the Intellivision, start a game, and then start nagging me with questions. "How do I do this? How do I do that? What can I do here?" I'd reply, "There's a manual right there, READ IT." "Oh, that's too much trouble, I can just ask you." AGRGARGHSGHSDGHSDHGSDGFWEGJBDFHQERGHWEFSJBDVBWEFGK DIE

 

[Kon Tiki]

I did. I would now if more developers put art in them.

 

[human5892]

I always read the whole thing, part of my ritual, that and watching all the startup/intro screens.

This is the correct answer.