The rise and fall of the instruction book

The rise and fall of the instruction book In my earliest gaming memories there wasn't much information in the included instruction books. Pretty basic stuff, as the Nintendo era took off the books became better and better. Upon buying the original Legend of Zelda, the instruction book was your companion in backstory, characters, weapons and enemies. A wealth of knowledge was at your fingertips. Long after I turned off the console and made my way to bed I could always read up on my favorite game and learn tips and tricks or explore the rich lore of whatever title I was currently playing. Sometimes large foldout maps were included which were awesome to study and gaze upon for hours. Over the years the books were a valuable commodity in finishing the games, there were just as important as anything in game. Through the cartridge era they were always included and usually the first piece of information you had to understand the ins and outs of your new game. On to the disc game era the same continued, the information included started to thin and more basic stuff was included like what buttons did what and which direction you moved. As the PS3/360 era came about the large rpg type games still included the coveted books and sometimes was the only way to learn the game. But as the last generation slowly comes to an end and the newest generation hits it stride, I've noticed the sad trend of small booklets if any at all. Digital guides have become more popular but don't have that same feel as the old thick books. Some games don't include anything nowadays . Cost is s huge factor and most relevant info is told in game with tutorials or on the pause menu. There have been a few recent releases like Shovel Knight that are classic throwbacks to the old days that include huge books with all the classic info people love. Some gamers don't care either way they just want to start the game, others feel my pain and love the wonderfully crafted books. But as the games get more advanced and costs go up, cutting costs anyway possible is a big issue. But as some companies realize the nostalgia in the books we may start to see them more and more, but on the flip side we will still see a decline . I'm personally a huge fan and would love to see them come back. The Champ @jsquyres33