Do you think strategy guides are a waste of money?

[Metal Jesus]

I think you would completely phase out printed Strategy Guides if GameFaqs allowed you to included screenshots and maps in the document. That's what I miss about printed guides.

That said, I often have my iPad sitting next to me with either GameFaqs or the actual guide on it in PDF form while playing. Love it!

[ejamer]

Strategy guides aren't necessarily a waste of money, but are better viewed as a "collector's item" for games you really enjoy than for gleaning any actual strategy in my opinion.

[Flake]

It depends on the strategy guide in question.

Final Fantasy IX was infamous for having a strategy guide that was almost completely worthless - Square was experimenting with Play Online and a lot of the information that SHOULD have been in the book was instead on their quirky and slow network.

Glad they let that thing die after Final Fantasy X.

[Erik_Twice]

Have to say that most strategy guides offer little value to me. I would buy a book detailing strategy on some games, kind of like those books about beating classic arcade games that were released back in the day, but I see very little interest in guides for, say, a JRPG.

[Godot102]

Strategy guides have definitely lost their value. but they can be fun to read at times or at least to look at the artwork.

[lisalover1]

I collect strategy guides, and I always find them a valuable resource for many games, especially games in which visual maps would be helpful, since that's something you can't get in most online FAQs.

[Flake]

Oh, one thing worth mentioning: Sometimes strategy guides are worth the price of admission just for the poster that is often included. I have been looking for a complete Phantasy Star Online guide for years just to get that poster.

[BurningDoom]

I think you would completely phase out printed Strategy Guides if GameFaqs allowed you to included screenshots and maps in the document. That's what I miss about printed guides.

That wouldn't be hard to do, if people that wrote them just wrote them on normal, HTML webpages, or even on a message board. But they insist on using an archaic method, instead.

[zaclee]

i don't think so, it is helpful for me!

[MrNash]

I like them more for the art than anything else (assuming they have good art). More often than not, though, I just hit up a guide online if I'm stumped on something.