Walkthrough sites are nice, I use them frequently to get uber secret stuff or when I'm plan stuck on where to go next. Usually I don't read the entire thing, just the part I need, close it, and move on with out the walkthrough.
It really depends on the user but for the most part, I would say no. I never use guides to beat the game unless I am stuck on a part for longer than 30-45 minutes. I am currently beating Zelda: Phantom Hourglass without a guide and so far it is proving to be fun. I bought the guide, but only to get the limited edition art with it ^^. The guide is still shrink-wrapped.
Only when I`m really desperate, or once I beat the game, I use cheat or wallthroughts. In most cases, like Final Fantasys or Rpgs for example, you can discover things that makes you replay a game.Other times, when you want, for example, unblock a character, this pages are also useful.
LOL no way! Walk throughs are there to help you out, not to spoil the fun... It depends on how you use it anyways... If you get stuck in a certain area, you can look up for walk throughs to help you out but if you start using the walk through since the start of the game than thats just cheating and plain boring if your only goal is to just complete the game... So, IMO walkthroughs are like a double-edged sword they help you while in the same time MIGHT ruin the fun for you...
Oh yea Danny, LOL at the display pic "Onee chan you cheated!"... Hoho, bikini in a church is that even aloud?! I would like to go to that church... And sorry for the second post
Unless it is an online game, I don't see how it can spoil the fun.
Does Nintendo publish guides or license the title for guides for that game? Maybe that's why. Otherwise, that seems quite stupid. Guides are essential for people who don't have lots of time to play, I think. Ever since I've been attendeding university, I've only had time to play through games once on my own, and then clear everything I can on my second try using a guide.
I have no problem with game walkthrough's at all! if i get impossibly stuck then they can come in handy. Back in the day when i was a wee nipper i remember phoning the Nintendo hotline which was i think 60p a minute, and spent about 20 mins trying to find what i was looking for. I think it was zelda on the snes and i got stuck quite a few times. I sure don't miss those days.
I think they're just trying to get people to buy walk-through magazines rather then look them up.
Mirai in a bikini is a great distraciton, which is good in a way to attract me into this post. Well, It does not spoil me in any way, undel they are too specific with it.
GameFAQs is one of my favorite sites on the interweb - not just for hlping with games but for all sorts of knowledge about them. I say nay to these sites being problems.
walkthrough sites exist not to spoil the fun for gamers but to help those who are stuck or needs help in getting through the game that they are stuck on ^^
i dont think they ruin things. i play the game through once with out a guide and then after that ill go back, using a guide and see if there were secrets or cool levels i missed.
I think game guides online are good to have once you've beaten the game or have such a hard time with a certain part that you would take a glance to proceed with the rest of the game. Personally I looked a few times when I am stuck but usually finish a game without aid from a guide. I look at guides afterwards to see what I missed and be on the look out for secrets/extras I missed from the first time.
I use walkthrough and guides and move/combo lists for just about every game I play, especially RPGs. The truth is, most of the games, particularly RPGs, *need* guides. I finished Final Fantasy XII in 103 hours and I still don't have everything. And I'll *never* have everything, because I opened chests I shouldn't have and now it will never work again, and there's a sword or shield or something I'll never get. Now how was I suppose to know that I wasn't supposed to open the chests? If I checked the guide early enough, I would have known. There's nothing wrong with using guides. I agree with Darkdam that the only thing it will hurt is magazine sales. And it's not like you can find those magazines just anywhere over here. I'll take online walkthrough sites anyday.
Same as 21st Century Boy, I promote GameFaqs for walkthroughs. I also used to go to a tips site called Gamewinners. Well, Nintendo blames people for creating walkthroughs? Been a bit late for some public declaration/witch hunt. Millions of FAQs exist for most games of every console. Why cheating then? - Laziness (Hey, force yourself a bit, will you! lol); - Obtaining secret characters (That could be obtained via strenuous alternate conditions/unreachable otherwise); - Replay value (especially 100% perfectionism); - Fun effect (To kill bad guys with a slap is fun while it lasts); - Making fun of your past self when you were suffering for months trying to get over this or that obstacle/impossible features; - Trying to get over this or that obstacle that drives you mad to the point you'd almost throw your game system/game over the window or tried every combination without succeeding (A.k.a. Thanks for the lack of tips, creators of the game!). Cheating is cool when you truly tried to complete the game. If you begin a game by cheating, you sure have no right to boast yourself (Unless the game is insanely difficult and weird, and one fine personal example is Megaman X6, when you want to save all of those baka-baka Reploids). I also never try to cheat in RPGs and Fighting games. Finally, as a closure, for me the worst cheat codes are not the ones that are pre-programmed and hidden, but features solely obtained via cheating devicesand other hex editors. They do kill the original spirit of the game (Unless you have become a High Master of it).
*21st Century Digital Boy (Sorry for scratching your nick) I also wanted to say I just love those eroge-style pictures of Mirai-Chan. Any chance we can have all of them in her own page? If yes, much thanks in advance. ;)
This is stupid. WTF nintendo does that. If you dont want to spoil the fun out of your game. JUST DONT look at the walkthrough. if you need one then go ahead and read one Its as simple as that :-)
By the way, I feel game nowadays lack technical challenge. Infinite continues, frequent checkpoints, plenty of integrated save points (got to use that memory card!), etc. Games some decades ago left you quite bare in terms of continuing options. You were a bit like Naked Snake at the beginning of MGS3... With relatively nothing to boot. Unnerving, but you could see the true meat of the game. For me, now it is all about worldwide advertisement and supra-elaborated games, but some lack of challenge and originality -the latter since most ideas have been thought upon and applied already- (except for some gems like the MGS series, Fable, etc.).
The only thing walk through sites might ruin is the sales of "The Official Strategy Guide."
i think walk throughs help players when they are stuck on rediculously hard or dumb parts that are rigged... to take for ever... they really help people play through the whole game instead of what most people do when they cant do a part.. they quit leave it there and never play it again or continue to try to beat the game.
I have stopped playing games more then once before, simply because I was stumped and was about to uninstall them. The walkthroughs are yes a bit of a spoiler, but #1 not everyone uses them, in fact very few do, #2 people are going to figure it out anyways through message boards or emails anyways, either that or just say screw it and quit the game which HURTS their sales in the long run... So really, if anything it helps them. It sounds like they are adopting the big buisness idea of shoot first, ask questions later. Too bad, lots of sales lost even more now with gamers who will be pissed. I don't buy certani games out of spite, so maybe there are others who also don't?
Alas the days of me having infinate time are well behind me, so if I get stuck rather then spent 2-3 hours figuring out what to do I quickly refer to online guides. I can't see how they would harm the sales.
its either using the free online walkthrough, or purchasing the official guide for 20 or so bucks, i think the choice is obvious for most casual gamers. i usually try to beat a game myself and being the stubborn person i am, i would keep trying myself until i achieve my goals. but sometimes, this just doesn't work and i'm forced to look at a walkthrough. walthroughs also come in handy at times when you try to unlock easter eggs and get that 100% game completion. i think if you paid for the actual game, you should be allowed to play it any way you want to, so looking at walkthroughs isn't a major offence to me and i would think it actually boosts sales for the game industry. alas, i can't say the same thing for people that use cheat codes and gameshark right off the bat to beat the game, it takes the enjoyment out of the game
depends on what kind of games. for easy games, cheats and walkthrough spoils the fun. However for complicated games, walkthroughs and cheats helps. Instead of spoiling the fun, it actually adds on to the fun because walkthrough can help us obtain certain special items which we will not be able to obtain without reading it. stuffs like that haha...
Apple doesn't want people using their iPhone with any carrier except AT&T. Nintendo doesn't want people to access cool things in their games. Wasn't there a time when buying something meant you had a right to use everything that came with it?
Hmmm... it would make sense if nintendo plans to integrate unbeatable parts into the games that will need an official (expensive) gameguide to not get stuck.. like the crouching down in front of the wall while having an item selected in the inventory in Castlevania Simon's Quest on the NES...
This little thing isn't the half of it. There's tons of legal garbage that goes with consoles/games/gaming. A major gaming tournament in my area had all their console tournaments shut down because apparently it's illegal/copyright infringement or something to let other people play your console without you playing it at the same time. Ridiculous if you ask me, just like this thing with trying to ban walkthroughs. Maybe they want to reserve rights to those people who publish the magazine game guides?? Who knows.
Walkthrough sites won't spoil anything IMO when you're using them in case you cannot progress. I used some walkthrough sites as well when I couldn't find all of the tags, oysters, horse shoes and unique jumps in GTA San Andreas. ^^" Cheats on the other hand spoil the fun in most cases.
It simply depends whether you do use it to pick up on a small place that you're stuck, or if you just use it to complete the game. I know a couple of my friends that get stuck in a game, and then just walkthough the rest with cheats/walkthoughs, thats just ruining the game. But to get through somewhere that you've been stuck on for hours I can understand it. There is a thin line between challenging and frustrating, and very few games can get it perfect.
When I'm stuck I need to get help. And walkthroughs are always there. I think that they are essentials because no one would advance in games if they end up stuck and nowhere to go to for help.
hell no, I play game for fun, not for serious business. I know few people feel its such a huge accomplishment whenever they finish the game without walkthrough, but for me, I just don't feel like playing 3-4 times for an RPG just to pick up abit of weapon here or armor there.
dude i remember WAAAAAAAY back in the day when "Golden Eye" came out on Nintendo 64 and the very last part of the game there is a trick that you have to walk on certain squares in this room or else it sets off automatic guns and slaughters you... long story short there is no way i could've ever figured that out with out looking at one of those site and I'm still grateful for that site to this day otherwise I'd probably still be sitting in that room trying to figure it out
I would think that publishing cheat code and walkthrus for games up on the web would help boost sales. in fact, game companies should pay these guys advertising fees for promoting their games. btw Danny, you still playing Contra 4 on the DS. a friend of mine told me konami changed the last buttons to y,b rather than b,a on the 30 lives. ^^
Nintendo, WTF.
I only use them as a last resort. I've been playing games since text adventures were all the rage and some of those puzzles were just mind blowing. However now I generally just look to make sure I'm trying to do the right thing such as when I've spent two days trying to batter open a door when it wont open and you have to go through the window. That sort of stuff
Wah~ Big Boobs O_o ... mirai: onii-chan, You cheated! You're not supposed to put "Touch" command! My boobs will get smaller!
Opps.. Your mirai caught all of my attention XD. I don't think using walkthrough will spoil any fun. You can spend less time to complete games (using walkthrough) and more time to play other good games ;)
I think you guys are too stuck on the idea that FAQs spoil games. They're just about essential if you're in it for rare items that you'd otherwise not want to waste time slaving over to find. Really, there is NOTHING wrong with FAQs. You either read it yourself or you don't. Most games really are not worth 'spoiling' anyway. It's a not a f'n novel, folks.
IMO, a well-designed Walking-through never hurt the fun and sales of a game, it's up to the player to choose the way they playing. for me, those online guide help me a lot when I meet troubles in some certain checkpoint, besides, in many RPGs, you can not experience every hidden scenarios only by yourself, the guide will help you exploit the game thoroughly, and the sites often provide a way to communicate with other players, it help you solve your very specific troubles. however, the guide does not always work especially for those action game like Prince of Persia or Tombraider, you will sometimes be misled by a poor worded walking-through.
Online walkthroughs should be the new thing now. So forget buying guides. These guys should post guides online and for free too! There's really no point in selling guides anymore, is there? The only difference is backstories, pictures, and other exclusive stuff that don't pertain to the gameplay. lol, getting selfish much, Nintendo?
Walkthroughs are essentials in some games, specially on RPGs like Final Fantasy, without it you can't find some real goodies hidden in the game. I always go to walkthroughs in almost every game I play apart from FPS and RTS types
No harm in checking out an FAQ if you're stuck. In fact I think it keeps the game entertaining instead of frustrating the crap out of you. Especially when the game contains some obscure tactic that you'd probably never see otherwise. Check away.
I know Nintendo wants to make more money by selling their guidebooks, but i feel that online guides have something that they don't. It's like a gamer-to-gamer Q&A session.
Walkthroughs doesn't really hurt. But cheats, thats another story. It'll depend on why did you cheat in the first place. Personally speaking, I do think that such things like Gameshark, Pro-Action Replay and CodeBreaker mainly spoils the fun out of some genres such as Strategy and RPG.
i agree with ya danny.. i 'm not that great a game player and sometimes i use a walkthrough to continue with the game instead of giving up on it... but thats only with some games.. most i don't have to use a walkthrough.. but it helps if i need it :D
i don't mind walkthroughs danny. like you, i get stuck on a game and if i try too many times and can't get pass that stage, i'll be super pissed and dump that game aside ^^" so walkthrough from time to time is a good thing. cheats is a nono imho. but i do use it sometimes ^^"
These days, games are so easy and hold you by the hand so you don't really need to cheat. But then again, some poor level designs or unclear signposts can make looking at a walkthrough neccessary. Not sure if I would call that cheating tho. Now back in the NES and SNES days, that was when I cheated a fair bit, Using the konami code to get a level select and infinite lives. Using the warp zones in super mario bros... That's proper cheating, and it's something which really isn't neccessary in more recent games.
Personally I don't find those online walk through will influence the sales nor detriment the enjoyment of the puzzle games. I think Nintendo is just a bit uptight about their exclusive titles here and there... but its not such a big deal. I used to write FAQs and walk through for a couple of Japanese games, and through polling those people who uses my guide are those who are looking for 100% completion or stuck in some spots. I guess, Nintendo is just worry about the spoiler-full walk through!?
That would be crazy for Nintendo. I go to walkthrough sites either after I finish a game to unlock extra modes in the game or when I get stuck and and can't figure out what to do next. So yah, walkthroughs have helped me in the past but only when I look for them.
i agree in certain way with you danny i sometimes get stuck on one game and that guide won't spoil my fun
when i was playing hitman blood monwy, i look at walkthrough sites once or twice to find out what other creative ways are there to kill the target. not only that, i also go to youtube to watch how others clear a particular stage as well.
Almost everyone I know glances at the walk-through if they are stuck. Most of the time, people dont want to ruin it. They just want some help when the puzzle/goal gets over complicated and abstract. Plus, its not cheating if you dont get caught.
More info will never spoil the fun... Everyone know how much they want to spend time solving a problem on a game. I used walkthroughs 2 times on the Zelda DS title. Maybe I could`ve solved them if I spent some more time trying, but I just didn`t want to. If there were no walkthroughs readily available on the Internet (Google!), I would probably have abandoned the game and started playing something else. Now, on cheats, I`m all for banning them from online games. Cheating as in having an unfair advantage against other real players couldn`t be an option.
i only go to walkthrough's if im stuck in a game. although sometimes when im playing a ff game i have a miss able items guide up as well
Honestly, some of the secrets you find in RPGs, there is no way you'd ever just randomly happen across them without already knowing about them. You really have to have walkthroughs for people that want to get full completion.
Nintendo seems to be doing a lot of stuff that to me seems questionable these days. I remember their announcement about going after anyone who uses or shows their characters the way they weren't intended for. Such as the Robot Chicken GTA Mario skit. To me I used walk throughs and guides for my import games seeing as I don't understand Japanese and I can get stuck on a part. It doesn't hurt the gameplay at all. They're just mad that their game guides aren't selling enough thanks to online ones as I see it. What would you choose a $15 guide or a free one?
Oh, yeah, forgot to say that once I finish one of my games, I look at walkthroughs so I can obtain more items next time. Then I let some time pass by before actually replaying it and trying to obtain everything by memory. The only exception to that is for multi-ending games. You don't want to spend lots of hours, energy and passion to see a 5-minute scene with the gruesome murder of your character and "The End" as some reward.
Personally I find using cheats really deflates the experience, but then again, the existence of those sites doesn't mean I have to use them.
It seems pretty obvious to me that this is just an attempt at protecting what has traditionally been a very lucrative revenue stream - guidebooks. The internet has put the power in the hands of consumers when it comes to sharing information, and the video game industry has been affected just like everyone else. On one hand, I think it's a futile endeavor - the Pandora's box has been opened and there's no way to stuff everything back in and go back to how things were. On the other hand, however, I understand the business logic. For a minimal investment, they can potentially discourage the "competition" and try to protect their income in the short term. Ah well, business is business.
WHAT?!?!?!?! not at all i mean when i buy a videogame and i need help i use these sites to help me out and i even tell my friends to buy that same videogame cuz it's cool
