http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103765-Kids-Cant-Handle-Old-School-RPGs-Anymore

This is the article I discussed on my show: a prof teaching game history has noted today's generation of gamers just can't handle Ultima 4.

Now, I totally disagree with the Escapist's take on it (which is rather fanboyish towards old-school games: 'Stupid kids can't take playing a REAL game', essentially)....but it is food for thought.

Many of today's gamers have been trained into not needing manuals: the game trains them in how to play the game (which is actually something I LIKE)...and the fact the game manual has been in decline over the years.

Your opinions.

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Ultima 4 wasn't that easy the first time around. There's a lot of people back then that I knew that found it beyond their ken.

Having said that, the dearth of user manuals is definitely a trend as you say. I prefer a game teach me how to play it. I like tutorials.

At the same time, there are games I think the manual should make a resurgence in. The manual for FF14 for instance, is a joke. And the in game tutorials are hard to find, and don't cover much. I have no idea how to basically play a thaumaturge, let alone play one well. It's up to a bunch of unofficial wikis out there to teach me. And man, that ain't right.

I could probably say the same about COH, but I'm too close to it to judge.

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Case in point FALCON 3.0 Manual was 250 pages.... FALCON 4.0 579 pages

Also found this as interesting news blurb

Ubisoft Going Greener by Ditching Game Manuals

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