I always read them. New games without manuals p-ss me off almost as much as people who use the words "it's just a game". (And you just know people who use that phrase will always be the most hypercompetitive cheating as-holes in the game, whether it's CoD Deathmatch or Snakes and Ladders.)

I might flip through it before playing the game, I don't read in depth. I also read it when I've forgotten something that the in-game tutorial taught me. Then I discovered that sometimes the things in the in-game tutorial aren't covered in the manual and some things in the manual aren't covered in the tutorial, so half the time I just resort to random button mashing. I can't decide if that's bad game design or bad manual writing.

I used to never read the manuals, but after reading the manuals to many RPGs it's become a force of habit. That's for every genre mind, including the ones that have a 3-page-thick manual.

I NEED that manual man, reading Mass Effect's manual beforehand made everything much easier. The Manual for The Witcher is huge but that's good because if you are confused about something you don't need to go online, just look at table of contents and find out what you need.

Some games don't really need a manual, like say, Call of Duty, or God of War, but an in-game tutorial can't cover everything. Take GTA and it's 5 hour tutorial for instance.

Personally, no I never read the manual for a game... I just hit every button on the controls and interface till I know what it does.

I guess something as complex as an RPG needs one, but then an RPG is best played on a PC and a PC has access to PDF etc, but simple games like FPS, Racing, Fighting etc really do not need a manual, waste of paper if you ask me.

I read the manual when I'm on the trip back to my house to play the game (unless I'm driving, even then sometimes I do).

I don't, mainly because nine times out of ten there is an in game tutorial

I always read manuals to games before I play them, and I often read some manuals multiple times if they contain character biographies, weapon/unit statistics and the like. I was actually quite annoyed when I found out GameTap does not have manuals for the majority of its games, especially Deus Ex, and so I actually found a PDF of it online before playing the game, to make sure I was up to speed on how the inventory worked etc.

I'm amazed to see how many people actually read manuals. Crazy! The last time I read a manual for a video game was for Doom II, and I needed something to do during the car ride home. (I was like 10 years old, lol)

Kunzer:
I'm amazed to see how many people actually read manuals. Crazy! The last time I read a manual for a video game was for Doom II, and I needed something to do during the car ride home. (I was like 10 years old, lol)

Ye, I remember I used to read manuals cause installing the game was the hardest part. Going through those old menu's picking out every hardware device lol.

Now which sound card do I have... sound blaster... hmm.. video card..

i like them if there's backstory and weapon data. cool pictures of game art are welcome too.

Generally no, but if I open the case and the manual makes a thud noise on the floor. I realise reading it is probably necessary. Sometimes as people have said if a game has long load times or a complicated interface then I read it too.

i never read the manual, most of the time pressing each button to see what they do is quicker.

Sometimes I'll flip through the manual, but rarely. What I love is when I buy a used game and someone has left some crib notes on those back few blank pages you sometimes find in the manual. "I found the red key card in the 4th crate in the second warehouse on the left side of the complexe on FLOOR 3." Or if someone's left a button code for infinite health/weapons or something. Little hints to help out the next player so they don't have to go through the same frustration of searching for that key card, or that infinite health just takes the edge of off fighting that rediculous unbalanced boss fight.

Depends if its' a sequel to something or I'm familiar with the controls from elsewhere. I always need to know all the controls though.

I'm so glad I read the manual for MGS4 or I'd probably still be battling Vamp to this day. It restored my faith in manuals actually having useful information in them.

J'aen:
Reading the manual is the first thing I ever do.

Same here. I usually go get the game, and then have to wait for my parents to finish up whatever they originally came for, so I have ample time to kill. In this time, I read the manual and become comfortable with the controls. Did I mention it gives me something to do.

I always read the manual so i know what i have to do. I hate trying to charge into a game and and get frustrated at why an easy enemy would end up killing me.

I usually read them. Sometimes there's good jokes in them.

I often read the manuals during the walk from the shop back to my house.

EDIT: Post deleted.

stompy:

J'aen:
Reading the manual is the first thing I ever do.

Same here. I usually go get the game, and then have to wait for my parents to finish up whatever they originally came for, so I have ample time to kill. In this time, I read the manual and become comfortable with the controls. Did I mention it gives me something to do.

Same here. I also look forward to seeing what type of manual it is. For example, the Killzone manual was like a magazine etc...etc...

What, I'm the only one who reads them on the can? I find they make awesome bathroom reading.

I'm offended by strategy guides. The way I figure, the game should provide everything you need to complete the game, though I make an exception for sims/strategy games. I would like to see more designers' notes and game histories though. I live for that sort of thing.

And a related question:

Does anybody ever write notes in the notes sections of game manuals? They've been included since the days of the the 2600, and I've never written anything in any manual ever.

thebobmaster:
I do. Gives me something to do during load times.

Exactly.
I want to know what kind of shuriken cannon awaits me in the later level, or what kind of structure builds Nargle Riders, or what key I press to release IRCM and chaff.
That said, I applaud the sort of ingame tutorials that most games offer these days- HL2's was seamlessly integrated, most RTS's do alright, and Oblivion's wasn't bad either.

Always, there's often some backstory in there or a decent joke or two.

Yup, always, well, almost, if it's full of info on units, characters, lore, plot etc. etc. then yes, if it's just some gloryified key sheet with nothing more then some technical specs and controls, then no.

I remember some of the manuals for games by Troika actually had recipies for cookies and cakes and things at the back, tying into the lore of whatever game of course. I think the one for Arcanum had a Halfling recipe for 'Chocolate Chip Cookies of the Gods'...or that might of been in the Temple of Elemental Evil manual...and the Arcanum one had a banana bread recipe, not sure. Damn fun either way :D

For the most part, I read the manual. Just a habit I suppose and it's part of the "new game" feeling for me. (I even like the smell of it...yup i'm a freak, what can i say). I like the art work and graphics in some, but I always admire the japanese manuals more...I think they do a better job with presentation. They have nice art and most of the time are in color! :D

There are certain games where I am so anxious to get the damn game started that I don't even look at it...until hours later.

bkd69:
What, I'm the only one who reads them on the can? I find they make awesome bathroom reading.

I'm offended by strategy guides. The way I figure, the game should provide everything you need to complete the game, though I make an exception for sims/strategy games. I would like to see more designers' notes and game histories though. I live for that sort of thing.

And a related question:

Does anybody ever write notes in the notes sections of game manuals? They've been included since the days of the the 2600, and I've never written anything in any manual ever.

I have a huge stack of manuals in my bathroom. Some, like ones for racing games, are meaningless, but others are awe-inspiring. I've read the WarCraft II manual more times than I can count. And the Myth: The Fallen Lords manual was one of the most inspired pieces of Dark Fantasy ever written. There was a game called Dragon Lore for the PC, the game sucked monkey-balls, but the manual was an epic encyclopedia of a world of gods and dragons.

As for the "notes" in the back of the manual, the only time I'd ever write anything in them was back when I was a kid renting games for my SNES. I'd write swears and draw penises and naked ladies in the manual so the next guy who rented the game would get to see my art. I only did this a few times before I got scared that the video-store would catch me and tell my parents. Ahh... good times.

Pastey Old Greg:
I I may have to start doing it again, after I found out that right bumper fires a cannon in Mass Effect's vehicles. I went almost the entire game (sidequests too) using only the machine gun on that thing.

I may be suffering from some internal bleeding, I pity you knowing how underpowered that machine gun thing was

i always read the gta manuels, can always get a laugh out of them, other than that, i'll read the manuels if stuck or during loading times.

The_Heretic:
I read the manual mainly for the history of the game or info on the units in the game

Same

I suppose the other side to the coin of this question would be do you watch all the start up movies of a game, especially the first time you play it. I dont think i've ever not watched the start up movies of a new game, if I dont I just feel dirty ¬_¬

I just take a quick glimpse at it before playing it and often that'll be the only time I look at it. It's rare that I actually need to refer to it at all.

Short answer: no.

Long answer: No I do not.

And then there's things like the 200 page thick wow manuel which is almost completely obsolete by now because how much the game changed.

Good toilet literature... ;)
And besides, there is usually some ultra-useful hint hidden in the manual somewhere (Mega Drive version of Altered Beast Level Select being a prime example!)