Old Game Manuals

[TinCow]

I've been re-arranging my office this weekend, and in the process of doing so I've emptied out a cabinet in my desk which contains a hoard of old game manuals and materials. Manuals, quick reference charts, maps, etc., it's all in there. For whatever reason, I just cannot throw these things away. I toss boxes immediately and keep the discs in one pile, and the manuals and other materials get shoved into a cabinet. I buy all games online now, so everything in that pile is at least two years old, and some are much, much older. I have all the original documentation to games that originally came on floppy discs. I will never use this stuff again. Why do I need the Baldur's Gate manual and and map when I have the game memorized and all the information is online anyway?

So... why I can't I throw this stuff away? Does anyone else horde manuals and such?

[rajpoot]

I'm sure you mean hoard. :smile:
I actually don't do that since I don't have a horde of game manuals/boxes since earlier on I bought a lot of games second hand. However the ones I have, even the older ones, them I treasure a lot.
My reasons for saving them are purely nostalgic though. They were a part of my childhood, and whenever I see them it brings back fond memories.

[TinCow]

I'm sure you mean hoard. :smile:

:creep:

[Gregoshi]

I have tossed some game manuals, but it has never been done lightly. There has been much gnashing of teeth over the decision. And. alas, I wish there were some I still had, purely for nostalgia - from my Commodore 64 days in the 80s to my Amiga days in the 90s...the Golden Age of my gaming life.

[The Wizard]

Nostalgia (for a better age!), I'd say. When there were developers that put in the time and effort to write a 200-page manual with, tips, tricks, history, and background, all in one package. The Impressions manuals (Caesar III, Pharaoh, etc.) immediately come to mind :)

[Hooahguy]

My favorite memory of a game manual was Empire Earth. It was 200 pages, and as The Wizard said, it was full of tips, history, and facts about different units.
Really great manual, I miss those kind of things in games.

[Monk]

I have the Zelda: Link to the Past strategy guide floating around here somewhere. Man, you wanna talk incredible. Its filled with artwork, tips, and tidbits about Hyrule that help breathe the world you're running about in to life. I also have the Ocarina of Time book somewhere, not as thick as the LTTP one, but still incredibly cool. I haven't played those games in ages.. likely never will again.

But somehow when i pick up one of those books and get the scent of the aging paper, its like i'm a little monk again, frustrated because I can't find the hookshot.

[glyphz]

I keep the case and the manual of all games I've personally purchased. Since I don't get to buy a lot of games, and specifically purchase games that I've had an eye for quite a while, they go to my collection & are rarely sold back.

When I buy pre-owned games, I make sure it has the original case/cover & the manual. Will go to a farther branch just to make sure I have 'em.

[edyzmedieval]

Nostalgia and other factors.

Two game manuals are serious tomes of knowledge, both come from flight sim games (USNF 97 and Apache/Havoc). So why would I want to throw them away? They're still very entertaining and informative after these years.

[Vladimir]

It's hard for me to throw them away just like any book. A lot of work went into creating it. The information and artwork contained would be a shame to loose. They're not as important as Cold War era technical manuals I come across but very similar.

Throwing them out is almost like book burning; that horrifies me.