Battlefront.com Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 I'm also one of those guys who prefers to look something up in a paper manual. Which is really... not very logical! I have a much harder time finding my printed manual on my cluttered desk than I do the PDF version Our intention is to keep up with the printed manuals as long as you customers keep it viable. But according to the trends, as reported today in Game Industry Biz, things may have to change (in some way) sooner rather than later: The sales gap between digital and boxed PC games narrowed during 2009 in the US, with digital downloads accounting for 48 per cent of unit sales and 36 per cent of revenue sales. This mirrors our own findings for many of the products we sell. This effectively reduces our purchasing power with the printer by half. For a big release like Normandy we can probably still make it work. For a Module, we can probably continue to do on demand printing because the manuals are small enough. But reprints of the primary Normandy manual once we've sold the last one of the first batch... not likely. Steve 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkhorn1x Posted July 21, 2010 Author Share Posted July 21, 2010 For a big release like Normandy we can probably still make it work. For a Module, we can probably continue to do on demand printing because the manuals are small enough. But reprints of the primary Normandy manual once we've sold the last one of the first batch... not likely. Steve I'm fine with this approach - as I plan to pre-order. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 Yes, Microprose was good. But...the most epic manual had to be for Falcon 4.0 - spiral bound and 100's of pages long. I haven't flown that sim in years - most likely never will again - but I will keep the manual. Actually I think we broke that record with our printed manual (spiral-bound) for Dangerous Waters back in 2005 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkhorn1x Posted July 21, 2010 Author Share Posted July 21, 2010 Actually I think we broke that record with our printed manual (spiral-bound) for Dangerous Waters back in 2005 (FIRST "the compliment") Damn Moon, that is impressive. And one can still get that manual for $9.00 US from Sonalysts. (THEN, "the nudge") ...so, ahh...when's that CM:N website rolling out there bud? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeatEtr Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 Ha, I was just reading about it and then came here, just posted today: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/29497/Analysis_Looking_Beyond_Retail_Numbers_For_US_Game_Industry_Growth.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+GamasutraNews+%28Gamasutra+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader and here: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/29528/NPD_FullGame_PC_Downloads_Reaching_Parity_With_Physical_Purchases.php I don't think it's much of a surprise for gamers to hear this. I myself use to shun buying games digitally. There's just something about holding that nice shiny box in your hand and having the manual to read. Not surprised to see the top two digital retailers to be Steam and Direc2drive. These two have really picked up the pace in terms of competing with each other. I've bought a lot more games in the past year then I would have normally. It's all because of their great sales and the counter matching sale within usually 24 hrs. Games that go for like $40-50 at retail can be had for $20 or less. With patience of course, the sales don't start to kick in until a few months after release. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 But...the most epic manual had to be for Falcon 4.0 - spiral bound and 100's of pages long. ISTR that F/A-18 v4.0 or whatever it was had a meaty spiral bound manual, but I don't recall it being 100 pages. Most likely two-thirds that length or thereabouts. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeatEtr Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 ISTR that F/A-18 v4.0 or whatever it was had a meaty spiral bound manual, but I don't recall it being 100 pages. Most likely two-thirds that length or thereabouts. Michael What game are you guys talking about? This one: or this one: I'm the proud owner of both, but it's been quite awhile since playing them though. For sh!ts & giggles I could check storage for them. IIRC they both had very hefty manuals. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Well, I wasn't talking about either of those, but this: http://www.flightsim.com/main/review/f18k.htm (That's not a commercial link SFAIK.) Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeatEtr Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Michael, I don't think I had that one, I remember it though. Speaking of old sim games, anybody else remember this one: From 1990, now twenty years ago, I still have fond memories of this one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-10_Tank_Killer 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmar Bijlsma Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Oh, yeah. Many fond memories. Was one of those sims that had sufficient realism but wasn't so ball grindingly difficult that I felt alienated. A lost art in flightsims these days, as RPS recently blogged. Though I do recall that I had the rather bad habit of purposely inviting enemy fighter attention and getting in to a gunfight with whomever turned up. Man, I loved arming my plane. I had to check the screenies to check if it was the right A-10 game and that was the one screen that triggered my synapses. You had to hang the weapons on the hardpoint yourself. Very simple but somehow very pleasing for such a boring chore. Beats the usual dropdown menu selection by a mile. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisND Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Michael, I don't think I had that one, I remember it though. Speaking of old sim games, anybody else remember this one: From 1990, now twenty years ago, I still have fond memories of this one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-10_Tank_Killer Oh yes. I moved to that sim after years and years of playing WW2 flight sims. On my first combat mission, I got a warning that a MiG had locked on to me. My first instinct was to go into a deep dive... I had about 2 seconds to ponder my terrible mistake. ETA: I'm not actually sure if I played this or the sequal. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Michael, I don't think I had that one, I remember it though. Speaking of old sim games, anybody else remember this one: I never had that one, but I had another two by a different company I guess. The first one was called A-10 Attack! and the second one A-10 Cuba!. Not terribly realistic and the graphics were a trifle primitive even 15 years ago, but it was a blast to play. Almost my favorite part was greasing it onto the runway at the end of the mission. I didn't always make a perfect landing, but I got to be pretty good and seldom bounced. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
born2lose Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Ah Microprose sims and manuals I still have the original manual for Falcon 4.0 and its over 250 pages long and I still use it with the updated version of the game released 2 years ago by a company i can't mention here 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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