8 Coolest Things Gaming Doesn’t Do Anymore
2. Instruction Manuals
Before the digital era, buying and playing a new video game was an entirely different and tactile process. There was the weight of the case in your hand as you queued to pay, excited to finally get the release you'd been waiting for. There was unwrapping of plastic and the snapping open of the case to reveal its contents. And, for a long time, the first thing most people would do is reach inside and leaf through the manual.
Spending the car ride back home familiarising oneself with the controls, the enemy roster and advice from the developers was an experience that heightened your anticipation. It also made sure that gaming was a wider part of your life. It wasn't just committed to the screen - it was something in your hands.
Especially those manuals with gorgeous artwork, character and story lore that wasn't expressed in the game and trips and tricks.
Now, the dissolution of instruction manuals in physical games is a shame but truly it can be quite fairly argued that it saves a lot of time and money on production as well as being better for the environment. Ergo, we may well just have to live with our memories and desires. "Instruction manuals are awesome" and "we don't actually need them" can both be true.