Prima Games shutting down

[Aussie2B]

https://www.pcgamesn.com/prima-games-shut-down

It's the end of an era. Prima already bought out BradyGames a while ago, so with Prima shutting down, we've now lost the two big players players in strategy guides. I'll be the first to admit that I've been poking fun at the quality of Prima for decades, since some of their guides have left much to be desired, and I can't remember the last time I bought a brand new Prima guide, but nevertheless, it was nice to know they were still around. If I'm not mistaken, the only companies still doing English print guides now are in Europe, so with this, the strategy guide market in the US is dead. I can't say I'm surprised, with how people are turning their noses up to print books in general, and with how people just turn to Youtube or what have you for help in games these days (which, personally, I find a lot more troublesome than looking something up in text), but it's still saddening.

[gbpxl]

Well on the plus side, it's reducing global warming and deforestation

[kupomogli]

I'm surprised it took this long. When people can read through a guide from Gamefaqs, most are going to do that over spending $20+ on a printed guide. I bought the Witcher 3 and Skyrim Complete Edition guides because they're practically bibles of the two games, but I've never once used them other than skimming through a few pages. I also bought the Final Fantasy 12 guide when I saw it for cheap, although I do hate the game and think it's by far the worst in the series, it was during this time that I still wasn't to really like the game so was still up to giving it another chance(because everything about the game it should be amazing, and I'll keep it short here because I don't want to write a book, but the gameplay and way it progresses, even with the updated PS4 version, the game is trash.) As a fan of Final Fantasy I'd purchase the Ultimania guides, not interested in the half assed 25th memorial release that's released as several different guides for those of us in the west.

*edit*

I get that the Final Fantasy guides are Japanese guides localized by Dark Horse, but these are some really pathetic guides, showing a bit of information about the characters, the maps, artwork from the game. You've got a 300 page book that spreads across six games with character pages taking around 4-6 pages per character, maps themselves are each on individual pages, and then art, so you really have barely any true content and it's little more than an artbook.

While we get the Ultimania 25th Anniversary guide released as several different guides rather than one big book like in Japan, making it even more half assed of a release in the west, Japan gets the full Ultimania guides with that are 700-1000+ pages depending on whether it has one or two volumes with every game released.

[Aussie2B]

Back in the day, the advantage of a print strategy guide over GameFAQs was that they were usually available at a game's launch, while it could've been weeks or more till a game got a GameFAQs guide (let alone a complete one).

It seems like GameFAQs is in decline too, as far as FAQs go. I see a lot of modern niche games, even ones that are multiplatform, go months or even years without receiving a guide. It seems like we're in an era where it's actually sometimes harder to find info on games than it was, on average, in the past. I don't know if it's because the volume of games coming out is greater, or because games are easier and less cryptic on average, or what.

[Pr3tty F1y]

Back in the day, the advantage of a print strategy guide over GameFAQs was that they were usually available at a game's launch, while it could've been weeks or more till a game got a GameFAQs guide (let alone a complete one).

It seems like GameFAQs is in decline too, as far as FAQs go. I see a lot of modern niche games, even ones that are multiplatform, go months or even years without receiving a guide. It seems like we're in an era where it's actually sometimes harder to find info on games than it was, on average, in the past. I don't know if it's because the volume of games coming out is greater, or because games are easier and less cryptic on average, or what.

It's social media and videos. Why type up a guide if you can put a "long play" up on YouTube (and probably monetize it, to boot, and make some cash).

[Aussie2B]

I hate trying to get game info that way myself. Jumping around in a video, trying to find the specific info I want, is usually more time-consuming than Ctrl+F and skimming a little bit of text, and I find videos a lot more spoiler-y than text guides. When I want help, I usually only want a nudge in the right direction, not to see exactly what needs to be done.

[Nz17]

This is a sad turn of events. While there are free guides and FAQ's and Long Plays online, they are usually of less usefulness, more time-consuming, and of lower quality than a professionally written guide. Yes, they are cheaper than a new guide, but in this case, you get what you pay for.

Speaking of which, I guess that's one less thing for GameStop to upsell to people at the register. Though at least there are still Game Informer subscriptions, DLC, season passes, game protection plans (https://www.reddit.com/r/GameStop/comments/2u1lun/what_is_the_insurance_from_gamestop_really_like/), and PowerUp Rewards subscription upgrades to sell.

And though you might argue that they "deserve it," I'm still saddened for the people that will be losing out on any digital guides which they purchased from these strategy guide companies. If they didn't download it already, or if the guide is DRM'd to a server that will be offline, then they will go without that guide now. Not trusting the way these things are usually set up, though, I've never dared to buy one so I can't say for sure if that's how it is with Prima and Brady Games' guides.

[RARusk]

There's also the nature of the games themselves these days. Many games are constantly being patched and updated with new stuff after launch. Very shortly after launch a book based guide can nearly become useless. This is why it took me more than two years to finish my Hitman guide at GameFAQs - the game was a constantly changing organism and that is something I hadn't encountered before as a writer.

[Gameguy]

I haven't bought new guides in ages, mainly because I'm not interested in any of the modern games they were written for. I'm sure they're just too expensive to make anymore as they've changed from slim magazine sized stuff to thick books. I prefer the look and size of old guides but I guess games are just different now from what I'm used to.

[Aussie2B]

I feel like a lot of the thick guides could've been slimmer had the publisher wanted them to be. Almost all of my pre-PS2 guides are pretty slim (the few that are thick tend to have smaller dimensions, like the Lunar guides), meanwhile nearly all my guides for PS2, DS, etc. RPGs are hulking things. It's not like all those more recent games are so much longer and more content-rich, so I feel like the guides could've been condensed easily. Those later guides seemed to have less text per page on average, and all the empty space was filled with art and screenshots. It seemed like an effort to charge more ($15 used to be the standard, but it wasn't uncommon for those thick guides to be more than that) and to also make them seem even more like an art book to be bought as a collector's piece rather than a utilitarian item, when more and more people were getting their game info online.

[gbpxl]

There's also the nature of the games themselves these days. Many games are constantly being patched and updated with new stuff after launch. Very shortly after launch a book based guide can nearly become useless. This is why it took me more than two years to finish my Hitman guide at GameFAQs - the game was a constantly changing organism and that is something I hadn't encountered before as a writer.

This post basically sums up the reason why I don't have any interest in anything post GameCube/Xbox

[DeputyMoniker]

This post basically sums up the reason why I don't have any interest in anything post GameCube/Xbox

You're missing out on some beautiful games, my man. Gears of War 2, Bloodborne...there is some really good stuff out there. I know what you're saying, though. I skip most blockbusters these days. There is nothing I hate more than traveling a long distance for seemingly no reason other than to create an "impressive" map, and that seems to be what gamers are looking for these days. Watching my daughter play Breath of the Wild puts me to sleep. The locations are interesting but good grief...the traveling between them is so boring. Just put the next location right there where the last location left off! They need to start releasing abridged versions of games. /old

[gbpxl]

You're missing out on some beautiful games, my man. Gears of War 2, Bloodborne...there is some really good stuff out there. I know what you're saying, though. I skip most blockbusters these days. There is nothing I hate more than traveling a long distance for seemingly no reason other than to create an "impressive" map, and that seems to be what gamers are looking for these days. Watching my daughter play Breath of the Wild puts me to sleep. The locations are interesting but good grief...the traveling between them is so boring. Just put the next location right there where the last location left off! They need to start releasing abridged versions of games. /old
I played Battletoads the other day and afterwards I realized why I'm not a fan of newer games. In Battletoads, there is an incentive to not die. Lose your high score. Not have to replay the previous levels you already beat. In new games like Halo, there is a checkpoint every couple minutes and unlimited continues. When there is no risk, there is no thrill. The only thrill that can be had is if you artificially tweak the difficulty. Reset the game and start at level 1 every time you run out of health. That's a manufactured difficulty setting, like tying ones hand behind his back in a fight with a much weaker opponent. I would rather fight an opponent who is a better match. My two cents.

[Aussie2B]

Modern games may be easier on average, but there are still plenty that put up a good challenge and make you lose progress if you screw up. I'd argue that losing real-life time is sometimes incentive enough, though. Most old school Castlevania games had unlimited continues, and they had checkpoints in the stages too. But I think few would argue that many weren't tough games.

[gbpxl]

Modern games may be easier on average, but there are still plenty that put up a good challenge and make you lose progress if you screw up. I'd argue that losing real-life time is sometimes incentive enough, though. Most old school Castlevania games had unlimited continues, and they had checkpoints in the stages too. But I think few would argue that many weren't tough games.
Game difficulty is something that has always been a challenge it seems like for developers. In my opinion even though Castlevania offers unlimited continues, I think your character is a little outmatched for the hordes of bad guys you face in the game. The developers knew this and I think they thought they'd balance it by giving you unlimited continues. I'm not a fan of this type of balancing act but some would disagree I am sure

[jb143]

I played Battletoads the other day and afterwards I realized why I'm not a fan of newer games.

Speaking of Battletoads. Didn't it have a game breaking bug that made it impossible to beat in 2 player mode? Something like that would be patched in a modern game.

[gbpxl]

Speaking of Battletoads. Didn't it have a game breaking bug that made it impossible to beat in 2 player mode? Something like that would be patched in a modern game.
I'm not familiar with that but patching shouldn't even be a thing. The game should be rigorously tested through and through before it even comes out of the gate. If there are glitches that are minor, it has never stopped a game like Super Mario 64 from being a legend, and its glitches are now part of its lore. Major glitches that prevent a game from being completed by anyone regardless of their skills should have been caught by testers.

[Aussie2B]

The bug was fixed in the European and Japanese versions of Battletoads: https://tcrf.net/Battletoads_(NES)/Regional_Differences

The only fixed US release of it is in Rare Replay. So +1 for modern games?

Patches are sort of a necessary evil. Is it best if the game is "perfect" from day one, with that content on the disc/card? Yes, of course, but to make mistakes is human. Even the best QA efforts sometimes miss something. There are a lot of retro games I wish could've been patched. Some of my favorite old school games have some pretty nasty bugs, like Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore, and Lufia II. And even setting bugs aside, it would've been great to have some things improved in retro games. Imagine if games with horrible Engrish localizations could've been redone into smooth, proper English.

Even these days, there are games I wish could be patched. There are tons of niche games being localized that would've been Japan-only in the past. Because they're so niche, the publishers can't afford to patch them, and they also can't afford to do super rigorous QA that would catch every last mistake. If either were required, these games wouldn't be localized to begin with.

[gbpxl]

The bug was fixed in the European and Japanese versions of Battletoads: https://tcrf.net/Battletoads_(NES)/Regional_Differences

The only fixed US release of it is in Rare Replay. So +1 for modern games?

Patches are sort of a necessary evil. Is it best if the game is "perfect" from day one, with that content on the disc/card? Yes, of course, but to make mistakes is human. Even the best QA efforts sometimes miss something. There are a lot of retro games I wish could've been patched. Some of my favorite old school games have some pretty nasty bugs, like Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore, and Lufia II. And even setting bugs aside, it would've been great to have some things improved in retro games. Imagine if games with horrible Engrish localizations could've been redone into smooth, proper English.

Even these days, there are games I wish could be patched. There are tons of niche games being localized that would've been Japan-only in the past. Because they're so niche, the publishers can't afford to patch them, and they also can't afford to do super rigorous QA that would catch every last mistake. If either were required, these games wouldn't be localized to begin with.
Here are my two main arguments against patching: 1) a game can always be rereleased. I believe Dragon Warrior has multiple versions and I am sure there are others too. 2) allowing patching allows developers to partially shift the burden of quality testing from the company to the consumer, since they know most people will put up with the downloading crap, updates, etc. I think it just allows the developers to put out broken games that stay broken unless they are downloaded onto a console and then have had multiple updates to it. Not everyone has WiFi at home (i dont) and people want to be able to play the same disc us and years to come, not having to hope that their console with the updated game on it doesn't crash. Too much reliance of internet connection today for games to function.

[Aussie2B]

Most games aren't popular enough to warrant a re-release. Dragon Quest is literally the most popular series in Japan. Even if a game is popular enough to be re-released, the re-release is probably on a different platform. I'd rather download a patch and play a game on a system I prefer or already own than drop hundreds to get a new system to play a fixed version of a game. Re-releases aren't guarantees of a better performing version either. The SNES release of Secret of Mana is very glitchy, but when the game was remade for modern platforms, that version was just as glitchy, if not more so. It's only thanks to patches that the latter is now less glitchy than the original.

Any game that's broken at release deserves criticism. The vast majority of patches aren't so major that the game can't function without. If patches are no longer available in the future, it'll suck that many games won't be the best they can be, but most will still be playable, no different from all the glitchy retro games mentioned thus far in this topic.

[gbpxl]

Well if a game has a big enough glitch, the manufacturer should have to allow a recall on the game and compensate the buyer just like new cars with faulty brakes or floor mats

[Aussie2B]

Most car recalls involve the owner bringing the car into the dealership where the faulty part is replaced for free and then the owner leaves with the same car, not turning over the car and getting a refund for the purchase price or a brand-new car. It's actually pretty similar to the process of games getting patched.

[WulfeLuer]

Comparing a glitchy game to a serious safety hazard is akin to hyperbole, and demanding compensation concurrent with a patch? Ironic; an attitude usually found among those modern FPS kiddies you hate so much.

In any case, back to the original subject. I'm not particularly pleased that Prima passed on, but I can't really say I've thought much of their modern guides, as well, they're not guides. They're mostly artbooks with lore snippets and some badly done walkthrough and play tips scattered through. The only time I even crack one open is when I feel like nerding out at work and I between tearing though novels. Prima has always been all over the place with their guide quality, even in the old days. The Tactics Ogre is a 'favorite' of mine. A few screenshots and very vague tips for each battlefield, no reference to any of the optional content, not even hints for finding rare equipment or spells, no class tables, the list goes on. Make the obvious comparison to the guides for Final Fantasy Tactics and Ogre Battle, that gave you maps, equipment lists, and guidance to find pretty much all the extra stuff (hell the OB guide bothered to tell you differences for high-reputation and low-reputation playthrough encounters and options). All three? Prima.

I just...really I like being able to leaf through guides. GameFAQs can be helpful or even indispensable, but the stuff for modern games are getting worse and worse. I'm expecting that within five years any new content from there will be five or six pages of copy/pasted chatlogs in garbled leetspeak that amount to "get good noob." I don't like those kiddies either. Video walkthroughs? They probably have some utility, but unless somebody is doing some sort of QC and archiving the good ones, it's probably more efficient to do trial-and-error in your own playthrough.

[Aussie2B]

I think the saddest death of a strategy guide line will always be Nintendo Power's for me. I just love those things, and they were almost always very skinny, so they don't eat up a lot of shelf space. Sometimes I entertain the idea of collecting the entire line (but I have to remind myself that I'm already drowning in game-related books and magazines, haha). Double Jump was also really good during its relatively short run.

My strategy guide collection is pretty funny because not only do I have a bunch of guides for games I've never played (because they're still in my backlog) but I also have lots for games I don't even own. I rarely hit thrifts anymore, but for many years when I still did, I'd almost never find any good games to buy. If I did leave with something, it probably came out of the book section. It's a pretty fun challenge to visually scan the shelves and try to spot any game guides. I'm sure I missed some, since I'm not about to go through the books one by one, but I think I got pretty good at finding them, even ones without the telltale white and yellow/orange spines of BradyGames or the black and red of Prima. It's sad to imagine a future when strategy guides may be no longer a fairly common find at thrifts. I suppose now that the US strategy guide market is effectively dead, I should buy and play more of the games I have guides for so that I can actually put the guides to use, even if only as something to read for fun after I've already cleared each part of a game.

[gbpxl]

I don't demand compensation for anything. I accept a glitch as just being a part of the game. I was speaking on behalf of people who seems distraught if a game is imperfect and need a patch or a new version of a game

[eskobar]

Consumer consumption habits have changed a lot in this decade. Now people prefer watching another person play the game over playing it themselves but the games actually are very user friendly and easier to play. The strategy guide consumer has always had the choice of getting that information for free, maybe those consumers no longer play video games and new customers spend their money on more important stuff.

I have only bought a few guides as a collector item and only 2 with the purpose of reading it after finishing my first run: Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. I had to buy the Deluxe Edition of Demon's Souls because I loved the game and obviously felt that I left many mysteries on the first play, the game deserved a strategy guide and I enjoyed reading it and getting all that missing information that I maybe had never got to discover it by myself.

[Aussie2B]

One thing I'll really miss now that pro guides are dying out is game maps. If you just watch somebody else playing, you'll only see whatever the game will show you at any given time. If you search a game on GameFAQs, you either don't get maps at all or they're often lacking. I remember buying the Super Mario Sunshine guide specifically to get some decent maps. I was working toward getting all 120 shines, and I only had a handful of blue coins left to find. Trying to get that info from GameFAQs was getting me nowhere, so I bought the guide, and in no time I found what I was missing. I can't even imagine how much time I would waste on videos if I was trying to get the info that way.