Fellow gamers, there is an epidemic currently plaguing the pre-owned game market. Indeed, it has been running rampant ever since the pre-owned game market has existed. I am of course talking about games missing their manuals and/or not being packaged in their original case. Is it too much to ask when buying a pre-owned game for it to include the original case and instruction manual? This is nothing new that I have been noticing when perusing both online retailers and brick and mortar shops, and I am genuinely curious why so many pre-owned games always seem to be missing their original case and manual.

Now let's be honest, for most gamers we don't even bother with reading the manual when it comes to how to play a game since we're all generally familiar with how they work, etc. Not to mention any questions about controls can usually be accessed within the game itself in the "Options" menu. So other than throwing in a passing mention of the game's overarching story and maybe some more supplemental info on the weapons and enemy types encountered in the game, and unless you happen to be an epileptic who also suffers from short-term memory loss so that you have to be constantly reminded of the dangers that the game can cause you to undergo a seizure, the manual is overall a very unnecessary item when you think about it. And therein lies the paradox: If nobody really bothers to read them then why are they always missing?

Why am I bothering to dedicate an entire blog ranting about this problem with the vast majority of pre-owned games out there? One word: Value. Because when it comes to GameStop buying back your "unplayed" game(s) they don't discriminate between a game that comes with all its original packaging and materials versus just the disc. They charge you the same price for just a disc and a generic case as they would a game with its original case and manual.

The question I ask is if they don't have a problem discriminating that doesn't mean we shouldn't as well. Why should we have to pay the same price for a pre-owned game that includes all the original material versus one that doesn't? As an experiment the next time you are in a GameStop see if you can find two of the exact same games; one that does have the original manual and case and one that doesn't. Walk up to the employee ask them for a discount on the game that doesn't have the manual or case and see what they tell you. Make sure to take note of the reason they give you as well. Who knows, it might turn out to be a good story to recount for some laughs.

With the recent bust of a U.S. Postal employee getting caught having stolen 2,200 games through the popular game delivery service GameFly while working as a mail sorter, and then sold them to the tune of $86,000 it becomes clear now why so many games residing on the shelves of GameStop don't come with all their original packaging and manuals. It makes one stop and wonder how many other games sold to GameStop have been acquired under other such dubious means. One also has to wonder with the horrible trade-in values GameStop offers its customers for anything but a brand, spankin' new game it's a miracle this guy was able to swindle so much cash at all. I keep referencing GameStop, and while the above linked article makes no mention of where exactly this thief unloaded his merchandise, GameStop's practice of accepting games in any condition remains the most egregious and suspect.

But for the remaining legitimate games my question remains: What happens to the manuals of these games? I was online tonight looking to buy a PS3 game from Amazon.com. This particular game has been out for two years already so it was relatively cheap for a brand new copy, however, a quick look at the pre-owned copies prompted even cheaper prices so I took a gander there first. For the majority of the listings they all had one common theme in the item description: No manual.

"What the hell?" I think. How is it possible that all these games don't have the manual? What happens to all the manuals? Are there some invisible manual fairies that come during the night and steal them? What's going on here? Now if only a few games had no manual I could understand, but not damn near every single listing! It's downright absurd! A regular epidemic!

Now I'm sorry, I'm the type of gamer that likes to get everything that originally came with the game had I bought it new. I don't understand how so many games can be consistently missing their manuals. At best a game's manual provides something to occupy your mind while you're in the bathroom doing your business. You know the type, when you're going to be in there long enough that warrants taking some reading material but not necessarily long enough to complete a novel sort of thing. So you want to pick something that doesn't require too much cerebral investment and is more apropos as a time killer while you're sitting there on the can rather than simply twiddling your thumbs whistling Dixie.

But more to the point, what are people doing with game manuals? Is there some kind of underground Black Market for them? And if you are a person that reads the manual why wouldn't you put it back in the case directly after reading it? Would it kill you to take an extra five seconds to tuck it nice and secure back in the case under those two prongs so you don't lose or damage it? I really don't get it. I'm the type of gamer that likes to preserve their games in the original case with everything it came with to the best of my ability. That way when/if I ever did resell the game the person buying it doesn't feel they're getting less than what they should. The moral of this rant is please put the instruction manuals back inside the case after you're done with them. Afterall, it's only common courtesy to do so, right?