The game manual has been shrinking over the last couple of years. Now, Electronic Arts is going one step further by doing away with the bothersome paper contraptions entirely for all of its upcoming retail-based games.
The reason has nothing to do with money, according to EA. No, the manual is getting canned for the fate of the world, as EA “goes green.” This is a similar excuse used by Ubisoft earlier in April 2010 when it announced that it was doing away with its own paper manuals.
The catch here is that you’ll still be able to get access to an EA manual if you really need it. All manuals from this point forward will be included on EA games' discs. Additionally, you’ll also be able to download the manual on the official EA Web site and then print it out if you so desire (you tree-killer, you).
According to a press release, EA will also start using those reduced-material DVD style cases that we all love. The publisher estimates that it's reducing the amount of material in its packaging by around 40 percent overall. That's a savings everyone can feel good about!