Are physical video game strategy guides dead?

[Hero of Legend]

Now that Prima Games has been sold to another company and (for now) is exclusively making digital-only content, they were really the last ones making strategy guides. BradyGames merged with them in 2015 after Penguin and Random House merged who owned each on their own IIRC.

Penguin Random House are seemingly specifically credited with the production of the Pokemon Let's Go guide, so maybe there's hope that they'll make a Sword and Shield guide.

What ever happened to Piggyback and Double Jump? They seemed to be more smaller, niche folks compared to Prima but haven't really stepped to the plate to take over from where Prima left off. I believe Nintendo worked with Piggyback on the BOTW guide oddly enough.

So what's the story regarding the future of physical strategy guides going forward? Anyone know?

(And a moment of silence for Versus Books who can never be topped IMO. :'( )

 

[TheDinoman]

Yeah?

Is there really a point to them considering you can just go online to find everything now?

 

[Hero of Legend]

Yeah?

Is there really a point to them considering you can just go online to find everything now?

Click to shrink...

I firmly believe there's something to physical guides. There's just a charm with having them in your hand with nice pictures and the like. Plus they're great reading material. Couldn't you ask the same of comics?

 

[Mekanos]

I haven't bought a print guide since 2005. It's a shame since I like the maps and concept art they usually come with.

 

[Deleted member 8860]

How Final Fantasy IX's Strategy Guide Turned Out So Horrible (And Other Answers From A Veteran Guide Writer)

“The thing about strategy guide publishing is that it’s a parasitic industry,” says Doug Walsh, who spent 18 years writing video game guides for the two biggest publishers, BradyGames and Prima. Perhaps that’s why the infamous Final Fantasy IX guide turned out the way it did.

kotaku.com

 

[Com_Raven]

Yes. For most games, they are only interesting to a tiny fraction of the hardcore fan base as collector's items. Everyone else is better served by free online resources, especially as games keep changing over time after release.

 

[Lagamorph]

Yes.

Hell, even when they weren't, some physical strategy guides just directed you to the website to access parts of the guide.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

 

[xendless]

Even though I don't feel like they're necessary in an age where cheat phone lines aren't a thing, they can still be nice merch.
I'm happy with my shiny Smash guide, although it inevitably went out of date the moment a balance patch was introduced.

 

[Hero of Legend]

Click to shrink...

Intriguing. It seems to be by Future (or is Future Press separate?):

https://www.amazon.com/Sekiro-Shadows-Twice-Official-Guide/dp/3869930942

Maybe Future will take over? I'm totally fine with them only going these kinds of beefy guides for collectors if that's what will make money.

 

[Future Gazer]

They've been dead for like 15 years.

 

[CRIMSON-XIII]

I think the only times i ever wanted a guide were for Final Fantasy X, XII, XV (didnt really need lol) and like Grandia 3 / Radiata Stories or somethin. They are nice for some big jrpgs but i dont see them really being successful for other genre of games.

 

[VariantX]

Yeah. Paperback guides exist as a fixed point in the modern-day game's life. Patches and free online resources make this a environment impossible for these things to live in. A day 1 patch can render some parts of a guide worthless.

 

[Rosebud]

Yes, everything is online for free.

But I didn't knew that LG has a guide, I may buy it because I'm a sucker for Pokemon.

 

[Tora]

OP you got me kinda wanting to buy the BOTW guide book just to read through it, haha.

 

[Absoludacrous]

RIP DoubleJump

 

[Deleted member 6215]

I've watched my son pour over the BotW strategy book like a religious text, so there must be some life in them still. I don't think a website would have resulted in the same engagement and interest.

 

[Dark Ninja]

Yes everything is online and games change after release often that strategies or tricks that are in those guides are outdated day 1. Artbooks are not dead though there are some really good ones out there.

 

[Deleted member 19702]

Yes. After the advent and popularization of internet, not only strategy guides but the whole print gaming media got obsolete real quick.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

I'm going to miss special edition physical guides with goodies, but I cant say I wont be happy to get stuff like the marked map as an easy to scroll pdf vs having a gigantic ass foldable paper on the couch next to me for my dog to come and sit right on top of. IT'S NOT EVEN COMFORTABLE.

 

[-Tetsuo-]

Every game has hours of video guides before the game is even out and once a game is out it has 3 patches week 1 and the guide is useless. Yes they are dead.

 

[RecRoulette]

How Final Fantasy IX's Strategy Guide Turned Out So Horrible (And Other Answers From A Veteran Guide Writer)

“The thing about strategy guide publishing is that it’s a parasitic industry,” says Doug Walsh, who spent 18 years writing video game guides for the two biggest publishers, BradyGames and Prima. Perhaps that’s why the infamous Final Fantasy IX guide turned out the way it did.

kotaku.com

Click to shrink...

Have to be honest, this guide probably contributed to me not liking FFIX as much as the other 2 PS1 Final Fantasy games.

 

[Zemst]

Click to shrink...

Yeah their guides are killer. Own every FS one they made and Horizon Zero Dawn's.

 

[Blayde]

I dont really feel like many games need guides any more. I don't want to say everything easy exactly, just that games seem to point you in the right direction a lot better than they used to. Maybe they are cool as a collectible or something.