I See Green Wagon Wheels
Got three games recently that’ve come in Microsoft’s new Wagon Wheel 360 keepcases – DJ Hero, LEGO Rock Band and now Modern Warfare 2. And it got me thinking about packaging. Basically how at least on Microsoft’s side it’s done nothing but deteriorate over the years. Multi-disc games on one spindle, now we get a keepcase with gaping holes making the whole thing feel less solid or protective. I can appreciate so-called “Green” packaging. But I think the Wagon Wheel keepcases just feel cheap.
And of course on the publisher side you get a game like Modern Warfare 2 which is an assured hit/million-seller/what-have-you and the manual is six pages, black & white, with just two images….one a stock photo of the 360 controller and the other a crude wireframe of the in-game HUD. Thank you for providing me the absolute minimum experience for my $60. I understand that no one reads manuals anymore and what have you but MW2 is a game in a million-selling franchise. I’ll have to check but I think Oneechanbara, one of the worst 360 games I own, got a better manual that this.
What the hell man?
Am I alone in my dislike for the Wagon Wheel? And could the impetus for the new packaging actually be to be “environmentally conscious” or is it just cheapening out?
And while I was surprised at the black and white manual for MW2, I was also shocked that Activision hadn’t sold ad space on every corner of the manual as they do in some of their games. Anyway…thoughts? Just me?
We’re also discussing this in the forum…
“I understand that no one reads manuals anymore and what have you but”
Stop right there. There is no but. No one reads the manuals any more. There’s absolutely no need for one to even be included, let alone more than six pages.
Wagon wheel is stupid though, agreed.
Precisely. Why spend money on someone to write, proof, lay out, and manufacture something no one is going to read?
Actually – YES but. It depends on the game. You’ll be missing out if you don’t read the DAO manual.
@Greg Sewart
So don’t bother creating a great package (including manual) because no one is going to look at it. The Metroid Trilogy, the New Super Mario Bros. Wii packaging and full-color manual… not important because you’re going to toss it aside anyway. Working Designs back in the day, they were just flushing money down the drain while not adding onto anyone’s enjoyment of their product.
Having the packaging recyclable should be enough to be green. They really should ditch this wagon wheel nonsense.
Also – I guess I’m in the minority, but I look at my manuals. I don’t read them, but I do flip through the pages.
Besides an actual physical strategy guide, is there anything dumber than a game manual?
Yeah, Working Designs is a great example to use
Just because some companies choose to print colour manuals doesn’t mean others are somehow required to.
Shouldn’t the holes be *not* where the game disc is?
Doesn’t really bother me – less packaging is better as far as I am concerned. I do miss good manuals but in-game tutorials have really made them redundant.
I hated it when I opened up my copy of MW2 and saw the cheap eco box packaging. The game was also harder to get out of the spindle thing because the whole box bends when you push on it. I found an extra case I had and transferred the game to it. I don’t mind less packaging but I want them to at least function. I bet Activision loved these new cases they weigh less and that makes it cheaper for them to ship the millions of copies of MW2 around the world.
Then I got frustrated when I 10 minutes later I bought Monsters inc & UP Blu Ray’s for $25 & $22 Canadian at Shop of the Future with a steelbook package, 4 disk-2 Blu Rays 1 DVD and digital copy. I must say Disney is doing an awesome job lately in in value added products with their Blu Ray. From Activision for $64.99 all I got was a case full of holes.
You should really take that case full of holes back to where you got it from and tell them to please sell you a case that includes the actual game
But then the EB employee will ask me “Did you get the game guarantee for only $3. If not your not covered”.
So far I’ve enjoyed the snowmobiling in the game but it’s not life like at all. I can drive right through the trees.
Even though I’m sure Microsoft’s true incentive was to save money, I guess I can’t complain if the “green wheel” packaging means that there will be less plastic out there, since some people just dump the packaging.
That said, as long as “Collector’s Editions” of games feature snazzy packaging and full color manuals (I doubt anyone who shells out the extra dough for these editions will toss the packaging, I’ll be happy. I typically only care about a game’s manual if it features artwork or character bios.
I’m a manual lover, since the old days when you needed one to tell what the sprites were supposed to be. I think a good manual adds to the pregame excitement.
Ewwww, I hope they don’t release these over in the UK else I’ll be on eBay buying bulk of the proper dvd cases, them wagon wheel things look nasty!