I've used strategy guides on occasion. They can be real helpful with the Lego games if you miss something. It's up to you how much into the guides you wish to read.

Diabolus in Musica wrote on May 21, 2010, 08:38:
Yeah because there's a really intricate game where you NEED a strategy guide.

Anyone that pays for anything like this, for any game, is an idiot.

You really have trouble seeing how a game with a ton of easily missed collectibles could benefit from a strategy guide? The rolleyes should be mirrored. Some people don't like FAQs by the way with the bizarro personalities of the author, poor translations, shitty ascii art and lack of in-game graphical representation of notes.

Eh, it's not a bad idea. I'll buy the occasional guide, mostly because I like seeing everything a game has to offer, and I no longer have the time to play 300 hours to find everything. So it's usually for things like GTA and Final Fantasy that I get a guide.

And sure, gamefaqs may make guides irrelevant, but it takes a few weeks for the good guides to start popping up on gamefaqs. The authors need time to write them after all. So if you want some help right after a game's come out, a guide's your friend.

That said, I'm not sure what benefit this really offers over having a hard copy. (except that they're currently on sale.)

Still, it's a way in which Steam is trying to improve itself, which is laudable.

Creston

Yeah because there's a really intricate game where you NEED a strategy guide.

A game where there are well-hidden bonus levels and DKCoins on every level? Yeah that's pretty much the definition of game that could use a strategy guide.

Sepharo wrote on May 20, 2010, 23:35:
A lot of people don't realize that the Steam overlay has featured a navigable browser for a while now. So while the overlay guide is a great idea, you can already overlay any website or even youtube video guides.

There are people that don't realize that?

PHJF wrote on May 20, 2010, 22:25:
The last strategy guide I bought was for Donkey Kong Country 3.

Yeah because there's a really intricate game where you NEED a strategy guide.

Anyone that pays for anything like this, for any game, is an idiot.

creates more flotsam to wade through... looks tacky to see all the guides on the front page...

first and last guide I purchased was for DOW1 via D2D, waste of money, plus was a pain because of the DRM involved.

http://www.gamefaqs.com and it's free!

Seriously though, why do people even need these guides, 90% of modern games treat you like a lobotomised moron and hold your hand most of the way through anyway.

Mostly agreed. I sometimes overthink the situation SO MUCH, that when I look online, it is a true forehead slap momeny. Then I realise that I need to quit thinking......

If they are releasing these guides digitally then cam we expect them to get updated along with the games to stop them being so hopelessly out of date like the print versions?

Seriously though, why do people even need these guides, 90% of modern games treat you like a lobotomised moron and hold your hand most of the way through anyway.

I think I bought a Final Fantasy 7 Strategy guide for the PS1 once...

Sepharo wrote on May 20, 2010, 23:35:
A lot of people don't realize that the Steam overlay has featured a navigable browser for a while now. So while the overlay guide is a great idea, you can already overlay any website or even youtube video guides.

Hax!

A lot of people don't realize that the Steam overlay has featured a navigable browser for a while now. So while the overlay guide is a great idea, you can already overlay any website or even youtube video guides.

It's a neat idea but nothing I'll make use of.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2001/02/26/

The overlay functionality is actually pretty clever. I don't need the convenience of not alt-tabbing to Gamefaqs when I need a guide so much that I'll pay for it, but I imagine some will find it worth it. It's about time strategy guides have actually innovated; I can't imagine how they've still sold as more and more people have gotten easier Internet access.

Also, Prima is dildos. Anyone remember Versus Books? Those were some damn nice guides; many laughs over the Resident Evil Happy Fun Land alone.

Steam now offers a selection of Prima strategy guides that can be read from within games using the Steam overlay (the guides are also available out of game).

Actually that's pretty good! Guide overlays sounds like a winner.

I used to buy them for the GTA games as the online forums didn't used to be what they are. Now you can find anything you want for free on gamefaqs, etc.

Cool idea, but a little slow to the market.
And this is something that you defenitly need in hard copy format if you are going to have them.

I used to buy them for the GTA games also, so as to hopefully catch stuff I'd normally miss. The problem with a lot of these was they seemed to be out of date (or have incorrect info) by thew time the game went gold.

What I'm more curious about these is the format they are being sold in, and what sort of copy protection is used. It's my understand that in the past, when digital copies of guides like this were sold, they were using something that bound them to the first computer they were downloaded to.

And as usual, Steam mentions noting about this (from what I scanned).

But these days gamefaqs has rendered them useless anyway...

The last strategy guide I bought was for Donkey Kong Country 3.

I laughed at loud at this. Genuine LOL.

I used to buy them for the GTA games as the online forums didn't used to be what they are. Now you can find anything you want for free on gamefaqs, etc.

Cool idea, but a little slow to the market.
And this is something that you defenitly need in hard copy format if you are going to have them.