Report poll Gamers reading manuals

Poll started by INtense! with 1,948 votes and 74 comments. Browse the poll archive.

 30%

I read before I install (583 votes)

 35%

I read after I install (687 votes)

 35%

I never read no matter how hard it is to install, I just keep trying and demand answers on forums (678 votes)

Comments  (0 - 50 of 74)
Ennui
Ennui Nov 25 2008, 12:07am says:

Who needs a manual to help them install?

+6 votes     reply to comment
Dragonlord
Dragonlord Nov 25 2008, 7:19am replied:

My thoughts too. If a game can't be installed easily it already failed. Mods are something else, there it's fine if this happens.

+8 votes     reply to comment
taxikiller
taxikiller Nov 26 2008, 5:19pm replied:

well i dont read them never and i'll never going to do that! and i'm also dont want a answer why! I just try every option and than go back to the store abd buy a new game! if you mean the game manaul i'll learn when i play!

-1 votes     reply to comment
Zedo_Mann
Zedo_Mann Nov 28 2008, 11:00am replied:

Yeah. If you can't figure it out just use the forums.

-3 votes     reply to comment
Gryx
Gryx Nov 25 2008, 12:31am says:

I usually read the manuals WHILE im installing, just to pass the time and savor the anticipation of sinking my teeth into a new game :D

If this poll is in reference to installing hardware, then nope, never read it :P

+19 votes     reply to comment
JangoFett21
JangoFett21 Nov 25 2008, 2:16am replied:

Same here ^^

+4 votes     reply to comment
Lucifer
Lucifer Nov 25 2008, 5:54am replied:

I get the feeling it's to install mods, not games...

+2 votes     reply to comment
Marxus
Marxus Nov 25 2008, 7:34am replied:

i just read them to pass the time while sitting in the train :P at home i dont need it anymore just to fix the bill in the cd-hull ;D

+3 votes     reply to comment
yayyap159
yayyap159 Nov 27 2008, 1:03am replied:

same here too! I only read it for the descriptions of the units and their abilities. If the manual does not have, then i won't read it.

+5 votes     reply to comment
Ennui
Ennui Nov 30 2008, 4:23pm replied:

and alas, good game manuals with extra story info / concept art / decent unit/building listings (like the original Age of Empires or Starcraft manuals) have pretty much gone the way of the dodo...

+4 votes     reply to comment
metatronstar
metatronstar Dec 3 2008, 7:20am replied:

unfortunately true!

+1 vote     reply to comment
mxmagic
mxmagic Nov 25 2008, 12:49am says:

hahahaahaha! well of course I can read it if i have problems, but I mostly use manuals to check out some part of the game lore xD

+3 votes     reply to comment
Kee715
Kee715 Nov 25 2008, 1:04am says:

I always read the manual,no matter what,and I hate it when games don't come with a manual. I would prefer it like it used to be, when you had a BIG manual, like with the earlier C&C games and Civ 3, I like big manuals.

+2 votes     reply to comment
leilei
leilei Nov 25 2008, 3:05am says:

the third option is soooo true lol

+1 vote     reply to comment
Bloodhound192
Bloodhound192 Nov 25 2008, 5:27am says:

i usually find myself shouting at the program if it's not installing

+3 votes     reply to comment
Bunnyjen
Bunnyjen Nov 25 2008, 5:36am says:

I never read it. I will look at the pictures if they are good though :P

+3 votes     reply to comment
Gongong
Gongong Nov 25 2008, 6:58am says:

Where's the "manuals and forums are for twats" option? ;P

+3 votes     reply to comment
=EMPEROR=
=EMPEROR= Nov 25 2008, 8:14am says:

Why would you read a manual???
If it dosent work you go on a Rage Attack and destroy your compuer with the keyboard......Doh

+5 votes     reply to comment
=EMPEROR=
=EMPEROR= Nov 25 2008, 8:16am replied:

I mean Computer.

+2 votes     reply to comment
BigSovietCommunist
BigSovietCommunist Nov 25 2008, 3:25pm replied:

Do you mean like this kid?
Youtube.com

+5 votes     reply to comment
sys2408
sys2408 Nov 25 2008, 8:22am says:

Reading it "During" Install.

+4 votes     reply to comment
ZeekyHBomb
ZeekyHBomb Nov 25 2008, 8:32am says:

If I think I need to read the manual because of some new game-element(s) I'm reading while it installs.
But nowerdays there are usually tutorials in the game...

+3 votes     reply to comment
bioweapon
bioweapon Nov 25 2008, 8:37am says:

I don't see any reason in even having manuals anymore. Installation should guide you step by step, and if you have trouble, the only way a manual can help is by directing you to their support, which Google can also do.

And as far as using a manual for the game itself, I really hate when games do this. You should not need a manual to tell you how to play the game, and you should NEVER need a manual to tell you the story of the game. Any developer who doesn't include an opening cinematic of some sorts (even text would work) and some sort of tutorial option is just plain idiotic.

-2 votes     reply to comment
TheHappyFriar
TheHappyFriar Nov 25 2008, 9:55am replied:

why not have manuals? Because then when people review Fallout 3 for PC & say it's silly there's no way to quick switch between weapons via the keyboard, you can say "RTFM!".

besides, you don't SAVE any $$ if you don't get a manual+packaging, why not have it? You can also avoid those completely retarded training levels. Only for people who RTFM though, anyone else can say "how do I fire? I don't know!"

+3 votes     reply to comment
Gongong
Gongong Nov 25 2008, 1:10pm replied:

Well, a manual costs paper, ink, metal and the process of writing and printing it.
And considering that the rest of the items are a plastic box, a plastic disc and a paper cover disc, in the long run, you'd get a non-neglectable fee.
On the other hand, the effort put into the game to be competent enough without a manual might cost a lot more...

The Half-Life series has done well, the games only include a small sheet of paper, the rest is learned in-game.
(Ok, Since the HL series are FPS games they don't need to use so many keys, but still, no Gravity Gun instructions.)

But I have to say, I agree on that some people don't have general computer knowledge and might need the manuals.

+6 votes     reply to comment
WoeKitten
WoeKitten Nov 25 2008, 10:20am says:

Why do these polls keep posting three options where two are reasonable answers and the third is rediculously extreme? I can almost never click on an answer in these polls that wouldn't be a lie. The idea when making polls is to cover all possible situations (or at least all reasonable ones).

+3 votes     reply to comment
ST25L
ST25L Nov 25 2008, 11:19am says:

Sometimes I read before and sometimes I read after.

+4 votes     reply to comment
Smonocco
Smonocco Nov 25 2008, 11:29am says:

I don't read the maunuals that much but when i do I read them after I install the game

+3 votes     reply to comment
Peter12378
Peter12378 Nov 25 2008, 11:41am says:

I just read them to keep me occupied while installing. It also gives a bit of a quick-start, as I already have a basic grasp of the controls, story, weapons etc.

+3 votes     reply to comment
Chabs
Chabs Nov 25 2008, 11:58am says:

I read the manual just as I leave the shop. I love reading or looking at it.

+1 vote     reply to comment
Mr.Kadish
Mr.Kadish Nov 25 2008, 1:08pm says:

what the fuck is a manual?

-3 votes     reply to comment
Ziorich
Ziorich Nov 25 2008, 1:31pm says:

Me myself only read the manual as a past-time during installation. Except if there's some nice material in it(story notes, extra info, etc), then I'll probably read it some time later if I can't finish it before completion...

I've never seen myself needing the manual though.

+3 votes     reply to comment
Hanzie
Hanzie Nov 25 2008, 2:00pm replied:

Agreed, same here.

+1 vote     reply to comment
geokes
geokes Nov 25 2008, 2:22pm says:

I just read it to pass time when i'm bored

+4 votes     reply to comment
phipe
phipe Nov 25 2008, 2:38pm says:

"If you need instructions, check out the enclosed instructions book!"

+3 votes     reply to comment
dremth
dremth Nov 25 2008, 2:45pm says:

i never read the manual... it doesnt have ctrl+f

+4 votes     reply to comment
awesomepossum
awesomepossum Nov 25 2008, 3:16pm says:

manuals are for noobs!

-1 votes     reply to comment
AlCool
AlCool Nov 25 2008, 4:07pm says:

I only read them as a sort of picture book (if there is any) or to see some of the descriptions or explanations of a few key features the game includes IE: Weaponry :D (both games and mods).

Reading a manual to install is garbage (Some mods I might make exceptions like UT3 :P).

+1 vote     reply to comment
Krieg_91
Krieg_91 Nov 25 2008, 4:51pm says:

i would like to see the "I read while installing" option.....

+4 votes     reply to comment
AlCool
AlCool Nov 26 2008, 3:09am replied:

But that would make life too easy :D

+3 votes     reply to comment
shadow-killer
shadow-killer Nov 25 2008, 5:04pm says:

i never read the manual, NEVER!

I installed XP for the first time recently, manual? yea right

i usually just hope it works and then re-try

+1 vote     reply to comment
Tycoon-Master
Tycoon-Master Nov 25 2008, 7:10pm says:

I had to Google what "manual" was.

I read a definition, looked at images, and I can respectively say that killing trees to tell people how to do something that is common sense is just unethical.

But in all seriousness, I admit that if all else fails, a good read usually points out something that your computer monitor did not display.

+2 votes     reply to comment
toxagen
toxagen Nov 26 2008, 12:34am says:

I almost didn't read.

+2 votes     reply to comment
ApornasPlanet
ApornasPlanet Nov 26 2008, 3:44am says:

I read on my way home from the video game store and during the installation. Some manuals, like the Tiberian Sun one, is so good that I read it once a year or something.

+2 votes     reply to comment
luch174
luch174 Nov 26 2008, 5:04am says:

i just don't read them or ask help, installing isn't exactly hard lol

+2 votes     reply to comment
stonecold23
stonecold23 Nov 26 2008, 6:15am says:

i will not read the manual for an fps. however if i have never played a genre of game before or i dont play many of them, then i may glance at the manual during instalation.
some games have awfull menu systems and dont let you see all the controls from the ingame menu. so occasionally i will whack out a manual just to find that elusive button.

+1 vote     reply to comment
jacksonj04
jacksonj04 Nov 26 2008, 7:39am says:

It depends. RTS I'll usually read the manual, because that way you tend to get to know all the useful keyboard shortcuts for things like waypoints, group control and so on.

FPS, never to my memory.

+3 votes     reply to comment
CKYRules
CKYRules Nov 26 2008, 7:58am says:

Im like most people here. I start the install process, then read the manual to pass the time.

+2 votes     reply to comment
smoochy666
smoochy666 Nov 26 2008, 11:38am says:

I never read manuals, until I'm stuck on something for more than 15 minutes.

+2 votes     reply to comment
Admiral-165
Admiral-165 Nov 26 2008, 2:44pm says:

i actualy read during the installation, cuz i mean its not hard to install u install every game the same: put disk in, enter code, select where u want to install, sometimes select what u want to install(TFD), then i installs. there no problem there

+1 vote     reply to comment
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