Last week I ordered a used copy of the Final Fantasy X BradyGames guide and it came in the mail two days ago. As I was flipping through it I noticed something on the last page that is unlike any other strategy guide I own. The "printing code" indicates that this is the 13th printing of the guide, which occurred in 2005. I can't imagine that this guide was reprinted thirteen times when every other used guide I have says it's from the first printing. It still has Squaresoft's logo on the front, unlike the greatest hits version of the game, which has a Square Enix logo. Here's the printing code on the last page:
I don't understand why anyone buys strategy guides at all. This is an industry that should have been decimated by the internet long ago.
Some people collect them, and you could get your tips...maybe like day before the Internet does. Other than that, no idea.
And that pretty much explains why a strategy guide can get through so many reprints, no one buys them so they print them in small limited numbers. FFX fans clearly hadn't heard of GameFAQs and bought them by the truck load leading to many reprints.
That makes sense, but I still enjoy having a physical book in my hand when I need a guide. I don't understand why FAQ writers on GameFAQs insist on making very 90's-like text-only walkthroughs. HTML doesn't bite, people. I use GameFAQs walkthroughs more than official guides, but it still bugs me.
Games like Fallout 3 and New Vegas really need the full written strategy guides as theres so many side quests and items. The Final Fantasy games are similar in that the written guides have all the boss and enemy information that you can quickly thumb too. On a text faq you'd have to constantly scroll to that information which would be a pain. Besides RPGs they're not really needed unless you like the artwork that they usually put in the guides.
Game like Fallout and Skyrim are so bugged when released that I would never buy a guide for them. Nothing like putting in a hundred plus hours and losing it by following a guide that didn't know or didn't tell about some major glitch that screws you. Way better to go to updatable wiki sites for games like those. As for text docs... I bet I can find what I need just as fast with CTRL F than you can thumbing through a guide book.
