Since I know there will be people bringing up Steam: yes, digital distribution played a large role in lowering the need for PC game packaging in more recent years. But this video focuses on the first two decades or so of PC game packaging when games still came in "big boxes," and why _those_ died out before services like Steam were even commonplace! Digital distribution is a tale for another day ;)
The biggest boxes usually had multiple CDs or DVDs. I also haven't seen real "big box" releases in Russia. Last game I bought for PC in retail store was GTA V. It has a big box due to 7 DVDs(!) and map.
Lazy Game Reviews I can't see steam doing that much an impact on big box releases as a lot of people still rely on DSL connection as the only option in internet thousands unable to download most games on steam. While cable connectins are more commen these days as compaired to when steam startednot every cable user download big games like myself as an example. Also used games market probably take up more sales than new along with it unable to be mesured by market researchers meaning. plus ad in retailers adversion to copy protection preventing selling the same copy several times over adding to the maths. With all of that in mind I don't really see digital as big as people make it out to be. If I had to take a guess on how much of the market preowned games are takingup I would guess 30-40%. And PC games only castching up now due to the adoption of cable & fiber (thou Australias NBN sucks somehow.)
Steam in the beginning did not sell games at all, you had to activate the games you bought in the store via the key. Even when they started selling games it was only their own titles for quite a while. And when they finally did start selling other games, no huge titles were available because no company actually knew of Steam, and still relied on stuff like Gamespy. It took a good while before Steam became what it is now. It had no impact on big boxes ofcourse. And even little to none impact to the later jewel cases. Since most games you still had to go out and actually buy and only then activate it in steam for convenience. Or were simply not on Steam at all like the early CoD games
I actually miss buying physical copies of PC games and being able to hold that copy in my hand, admire the cover art, reading through the manuals and such. There's just something about it that was super magical (might sound odd, but the best way I can put it) about the excitement of actually going to the store (especially as a kid) and having that game in your hands. I remember going into Best Buy last year asking them where they kept their computer games and they told me they don't carry really any physical copies anymore because it's all digital. Going digital makes things more simple I guess but I still like having physical copies. I'm still getting used to it lol.
Completely agree. Weekly trips to a computer store were special. Find the new releases, get the imagination going by looking at the individual cover art and box blurbs etc. Then spend the bus ride home reading through a spiral-bound manual. It might just be nostalgia but the game experience seemed LARGER than what we have today, even if many of the games back then had worse game design.
Well, it's partly because one of the reasons that was mentioned in the video. Games were far mor primitive back then so they had to invent things to pull people in. Hence the case size. It's kind of odd that with current technics we are capable in far more things than back then yet the creatiedirection has gone down considerably when compared to the past. It's only indie games really that still hold the flames of creativity.
@Deenie Beenie and yet still no manual. I've been playing on a computer of one type or another since 1979 and i really really miss the manuals. Especially when they are well done. Hell i even still have an old copy of the star trek game (non computer) with the tiles and maps. I've kept all my old manuals. They are just worth that much to me.... Wow i just had two run on sentences... time for a nap. :P
It always bugged me how most big box games' contents rattled inside, as if they just throwed a bunch of things into a box that wasn't really designed for that.
Yeah, but that's how you knew all those things *were* inside! If you shook the box and didn't hear anything rattling, then either it was *very* well packed, or someone had already removed the contents.
I think most people would disagree with that. Shaking a box and hearing it rattle gives you an indication of what is inside. It's like how when every child sees a wrapped present under the christmas tree the first thing they do is pick it up and shake it.
I think it has more to do with having a very big box for things that don't need that size of a box; everything inside of it is much smaller, nothing fits snuggly, so it feels like an afterthough.
That's probably exactly what it was. I've always got a laugh out of things like VHS boxes and other materials that gave the idea that they just took whatever packaging was available.
Specially since the END USER License agreement no one reads you agree to says they can take it away at any time even though you paid full price like you would a physical copy you always have.
I printed off a list of the games I have installed and stuck it to my wall. It's an impressive wall of text, you're right, I couldn't fully appreciate this on my 27inch monitor. Especially with such a large font.
Hemi204 only issue is while id love to buy more of them the retro games near me don't sell them and the thrift stores rarely have any games made before 2000, still i keep my old dell insperion with the floppy & disc drive for when I inevitably by civ 4 on pc because i kinda wanted it and it was 3 dollars ok mom
As a kid, I loved games in big boxes. I'd stare at them at stores and when my parents would buy one, it felt truly like an adventure. Before you played the game, you would look at the work of art the box was, look inside, read the manuals, look at the CD/DVD. Nowadays, games are so abundant and all digital that when you play one it's just like meh, nothing particularly interesting. But maybe it's because I'm not a kid anymore and I grew out of gaming for the most part (I watch/read about retro games much more than I actually play them).
Keep in mind from a retailer's POV, oversized packaging for expensive media was popular in the later 80s and 90s as a deterrent to shoplifting, because the electronic sensors and other modern anti-theft measures weren't common then, if they existed at all (for the most part, they didn't, beyond bulky cameras.) So, you saw audio cassettes sold in packaging that made them twice the length, and rather large boxes for computer games and programmes.
I still kept all my boxed games, at least for PC. From the C64 era, I only kept Elite. It had the floppy disk, a keyboard overlay, quick reference guide, a novella (the Dark Wheel), a manual, and a poster of all the ships in it. Great little box. Stands next to my two PC Frontier boxes.
I always loved the proper cloth maps you got in Ultima games. I also have a "big box" upstairs for The Witcher 2 (2011), so you could still get them occasionally in the UK--mind you, it's got so much stuff in it that they needed the room!
I still remember the Ultima IX box with all the things inside (I also still have it somewhere). It's also why I like just Asian music albums so much more than the boring western counterparts. Especially in Kpop that actually put effort into the design of the cases and all the things you get with them. They're not just a jewel case with a disc or two in them.
Your high quality, intimate and funny docu-style videos on tech I never get to see anymore are SO COOL!! Thanks for this amazing content, I'll always be a fan of your fantastic production quality and love for the topic.
I'm always thrown off when I go buy a "physical copy" only to find it contains a digital code and no disc. If I have to use the internet to get the game why do I want an empty case??? There is no point. Steam is magic though. So, many games. So, many sales!
Yeah, this is what kept me from buying the PC version of "The Evil Within" for example >_> I think companies like Bethesda do not quite get the concept of "PHYSICAL COPY". It's not a physical Copy because the download code comes in a plastic box you can touch. *groans*
NerdyChat it's even worse when you buy a physical copy and it has the CDs for install and then it turns out you need online to even INSTALL THE FUCKER (God damn you Diablo 3)
Found out about this the fun way... Saw a game at the goodwill that I had some interest in, figured I'd buy it even though I typically like digital games, and then found out that I can't play it because someone else owned it... :/
It's just a way of getting the customers who might not shop online. I prefer the disc, simply because it's effectively a local copy/backup for me, and with a little help from the net, I can play it offline. I buy most of my games from GOG anyway for that reason. Not everyone has access to fast internet, and it just seems practical to me to have a local copy I can install on other computers, or reinstall if needed. I think physical media may disappear from shops anyway. The PC section is certainly shrinking. I would never buy a second hand online game - far too risky.
Because sadly history channel is all about reality TV shows that are fake. But I agree with you. Why has some channel witch actualy deals with history not contact Clint?
+jaman585 Not *completely* about reality TV shows. But yeah, it 'jumped the shark' along with a lot of other channels because 'reality' shows are so much cheaper to make.
I remember the good old days when I first got into computers in 1995/1996/1997 when you could go to Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, and other stores and there would be endless rows and rows of big boxed software. As a kid, it was such a fun and amazing experience to look at all the titles. I was at Best Buy last week and the software aisle was just a tiny little shelf with just crappy titles that look like they could easily turn your computer into a billboard. Amazing what 20 years can change.
At least back then you knew the box art was an "artist's interpretation" of the game's contents; nowadays they try to pass off cinematic trailers on custom builds of the game as "actual gameplay". I know what you mean though, so many worlds to explore at your fingertips; those were the days...
Oh boy, you haven't seen the software section in places like Rite-Aid and Walgreens in the early 2000s. Those games would actually turn your computer into a billboard. The new ones would most likely have you install steam before you could even use them.
I'm sure LGR remembers better than me, but I have a different memory of software box sizes. Back then, the market was very fragmented, and packaging reflected norms for the platform as much as anything else. I DO recall the large box software of the 80s, but here's the thing: I remember it being mostly a PC-compatibles phenomenon, that probably goes back to IBM and their rediculous binder-based software. When I went to game stores, the software on the shelves benefitted from uniformity in size, and games were shelved together by system. This is why, even though EA might have shaped their packaging differently, it was all kind of the same height as the "regular" boxed stuff to fit on the shelf.
I don't really miss the boxes, but I do miss the mammoth instruction manuals PC games used to have. I still read through the old SimCity 2000, Fallout 2 and Warcraft 2 manuals, among others for a nice whiff of nostalgia.
I have tons of Commodore 64 games from England that are on tape, and only 2 of them are big box(Defender of the Crown and a pack of sports games) with the vast majority being simply tape jewel cases and the higher budget titles being like that Back to the Future box shown. The "mid-cases" were about 4 inch wide and high, and about 3/4 inch deep.
I remember feeling that it cheapened the game's appeal when it went smaller box. I rationally knew it shouldn't matter but it affected my impulse buying at the store. Picking up Warcraft 2 in all of it's big box glory, it just really felt like I was in for something good waiting in line to checkout.
My favorite part of the older style packaging isn't necessarily the box itself, but rather the little physical items that usually came inside. Pieces of lore or items from the game's universe, maps, etc. Nowadays you don't even get the full game HEUGH.
Yeah, more so than collectibles, I loved the physical items that were part of the game world, and my favorites among those were the kind actually used during gameplay. I still have the physical maps from Sierra On-line's _Aces_ series! CDPR's Cyberpunk 2077 seems to be doing a classic-style release, but it still remains to be seen if it will come with the full game on disc.
EA as it is today would be unrecognizable to those around at it's beginnings. They were one of the first (if not the very first) publishers to treat their developers as talented artists, rather than just 'employees'. It's amazing how there always seems to be a correlation between the growth of a company and the decline of their morality. Just look at Google's, now laughable, motto: 'Don't Be Evil'.
4:10 A unique combination of feelie and copy protection could be found in the NES game StarTropics. Early in the game, you are told to dip a physical, plot-relevant letter in water to reveal the code 747, which must be inputted to progress. (Remember that this was before walkthroughs were easily accessible through the Internet.) The Wii and Wii U Virtual Console versions of the game include this information in their respective virtual manuals, but anyone using the Nintendo Switch Online version (as well as unofficial emulations) is on their own.
I miss big boxes.. sure they're a hassle today when it comes to collecting, but there is something about that cardboard box... something magical... I don't know where I got my original copy of Quake 1, never got the box, but I remember fondly when I bought Diablo 1 and Postal 1 in big boxes... don't have Diablos box anymore because my parents at the time would've thrown a major fit, but I still got Postal 1 in its original box, heh, they didn't know what "going postal" meant (I don't live in the US) XP but still, my big box Fallout 1 and 2, and Planescape Torment are proudly displayed at my "alter" of gaming in the corner :)
Such a wonderful video. Much like the Hitchiker's Guide, you provide not only the answers, but the questions to ask as well. ;) Seriously, this was great information, things I only generally wondered about. As an aside, that stuff in the Hitchiker's Guide game was really awesome. I paused to read all the goodies as you flipped through and look at the "feelies" included. Awesome stuff, Thanks man.
I love the 3d maze screensaver you had running at the end of the video. I had almost forgot about that. It seemed so amazing and futuristic when I was a kid.
Went to the bathroom to take a dump, decided to check subscription feed. Saw new LGR video, watched while taking care of business. Made the time fly right by and gave me something really cool to watch. So thank you Clint, thanks for entertaining me, my bowels and I thank you.
This episode of tech tales is my favourite. I started pc gaming again a ciuple of years ago and I was wondering where all the physical copies of pcgames went. This explains so much!
You also need to take into consideration, that a lot of game devs lack a lengthy QA process. Games used to be released, and you got the full, end product with the medium. Now they pump them out so fast and they are not fully complete. They figure that they get it out, get people playing it (instead of the competitors) and patch in the rest later. Quantity over quality. You also have to take into effect that there are a wider range of system builds to make a game compatible to. People are running Intel chipset's, with AMD GPU's, and on board, RealTek sound. Tie that in with the overclocking, knock off brand hardware. You can have a GTX960 from a few different brands. The same card, but with different specs. I love PC gaming. I wish that hard copies would still be plausible. It would be nice to have finished, polished games in case the internet went down when the shit hits the fan :P LGR, you are set. We will be hunting your house down like DayZ. Scrounging those games up.
I never can fathom the falling of the ploy of physical media. I still remember to this day the Tandy Coco game 'Witness'..not just because it was a great 'text adventure' game, but because it came with a 'moonrock' in the box, an object 'in game' that was very vital to plot and winning. I kid you not I can still smell the plastic glow-in-the-dark blob that it was. In this age of FunKo Pop why cant they use a little bigger "special edition" boxes with cloth maps like Ultima, newspapers, ect.. If you sold games like Pokemon cards with different collectibles... I just enjoy the old times of opening a Wing Commander box and reading newsletters and blueprints.. in my hands.. sigh
It comes down to "money, dear boy". All those lovely, wonderful "feelies" that you and I loved so much, cost money to make. Back in the day, a lot of people thought "oh, a CD only costs a couple cents. Surely the game companies are making money hand-over-fist." Um... no. There were expenses at every step. They had to pay advertisers. They had to pay the artists who designed the box art and the art for the manual. They had to pay someone to print and bind the manual. They had to pay someone to press the CDs. They had to pay someone to make the boxes. They had to pay someone to deliver the boxes to stores. They had to pay all the artists and musicians and programmers who worked on the game. They even had to pay for shelf space (especially if they wanted an end cap)... and if all the copies didn't sell, they had to pay the store to return all the copies that didn't sell! By the time they were done, they made at most 5-10% of the sale price in profits (so a $40 game = $2-$4 profit.) They were probably happy when high-speed Internet and digital distribution came along. It saves them from having to pay so many middlemen that they make a bigger profit, even after the 30% that Steam keeps as payment. And even then, they have to sell hundreds of thousands of copies to make their money back.
SpearM3064. Game companies in the past were making games for the lulz? Honestly, they were out to make a profit and most of the inclusions were gimmicky junk. Most people here are feeling nostalgic is all - getting excited over junk mail in you packaging? Now days everyone would be pissed. The reason it stopped is because it doesn't work as a marketing gimmick, except in special editions for a small percentage of the games.
I start LGR and hear that ominous music I know it's Tech Tales time and I just wait for Clint's majestic voice and writing to take me away awash in a sea of tech history and just sheer entertainment. Thanks for your content as always man; it's somehow still always getting better.
It makes me a little sad to think of all the big boxes I threw away over the years. Even back in the early 90s though they were a pretty poor solution to packaging because keeping the games inside them was so inconvenient. You got your game home, took the two floppies out and kept them in your floppy disk box. You got the manual out and put it on your bookshelf. Usually the box was then empty and it lingered around the house until your parents made you tidy your room, and you threw it out. I'm amazed that as many have survived as there are.
IIRC, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 from Westwood Studios/Electronic Arts is one of the earliest PC games that distributed with DVD case instead of any sort of box.
I worked at Software Etc in the late 90s and into 2000. I remember one of the major pushes to small box was large retailers (Like Walmart) threatening to drop games that came in large boxes. Stores that didn't specialize in games didn't like the amount of shelf space they required. I stopped working there in 2001 and we had already started seeing small box titles before that.
I miss those days. Just outside the local mall there was a store called 'Revolution CD' that bought and sold used Games and music CD's. Whilst my parents were in the supermarket shopping I'd walk over to the store and just inspect as many PC games as there were, thinking about and planning which one to save up for. I especially loved the cases that opened up like a book with a bit of velcro sticking the cover and inside together, if they did that then you knew they meant business, it was a serious game, they had SO much to show off that the back of the box wouldn't cover it. It was almost better than Steam in some ways I reckon. Steam I can have every game from every era at my immediate disposal. But back then I had to debate and weigh my options and compare, each game felt special as a result. And it shaped the sort of gamer you become, that's how I ended up being into RTS, City Building and Racing game fan, as oppossed to RPG, FPS, Sports, etc games.
It's sad to see that boxed games aren't selling anymore... I think that boxed games are the way to go, besides who doesn't love having a shelf filled with games.
Why are boxed games the way to go? They're wasteful (ink, paper, plastic), they take up space, they can get lost, they can get dirty or broken... And besides, buying games from the comfort of your chair is a lot more convenient. I don't hate boxed games and I fully agree that they have a certain charm, but they're not the way to go.
Originally I thought it a shame that the big boxes were gone. They looked better and companies packed cool extra stuff into them. But over the years I got glad they were gone. They are taking up so much space it's ridiculous.
It's amazing how 10 minute flies by when I'm watching LGR. I like big boxes but I don't want to start collecting them. Yet I found myself looking for more and more old games with big boxes that I'm never going to play, mainly because it's so old I don't have a machine that can run it.
I had resisted going straight digital download for a long time with my games as I still, even to this day, prefer having a physical disk... But when every "physical" game I bought started becoming nothing more than an auto-launcher for a digital download, I simply gave up and now only bother with physical releases when I'm buying a Collector's Edition...
Thanks, I love your channel. We grew up in the same PC era. I started with a used Commodore 64, and remember when 4 megs of ram was an expensive upgrade. Also remember L2 upgrades as a pile of chips. I made a big jump from C64 to a i386 (store bought, maybe used, can't recall). It included the horrible bios battery problem back then, had to replace with a AA battery holder "fix". My first "build" was a i486, so I loved your i486 build (woodgrain for the win!) Earth was shattered when the cyrix DX4 multipliers came out (or was it, not all that fast). IRQ/DMA conflicts anyone? Duke3d was a big deal. I was always excited & irritated to go drop mad $ on a new box game. I could go on forever, I'm so mad I threw away my super old ibm machines I was given along the way (if I only knew). Ever want some old hardware? (ISA stuff, no original boxes), I still have some. Also Eff steam!
I dislike that boxes are produced because they pollute the environment and waste resources, so I vouch that online distribution should be a standard way of buying games. Alongside with maybe some kind of physical proof of purchase, a laminated card of sorts that gives you the right to re-download the game time and time again no matter the platform, or if the distribution service goes down under. If I buy Super Mario Bros. 3 from Nintendo, for example, I want to be able to download it again from Steam or Origin, or at least not get busted if I download it from a ROM site. On the other hand, I quite like physical boxes as luxury items, and I think there is still a place for them. Only make them a premium option next to the downloadable release, but make SURE the feelies they include be absolutely worth the price; 100-page fully coloured manual, game soundtrack, making-of DVD documentary, etc. It HAS to be packed with stuff.
Was the environmental impact ever a thing for these big boxes? I wasn't around when big boxes were still a thing but surely the amount of cardboard or plastic needed was a concern. From what I can gather,manuals have faded out due to a combination of the paper they use and the ability to use manuals digitally
It was certainly brought up here and there, but from my research here it didn't seem to be the driving factor in this particular extinction as it really was about shelf space versus profits. I've actually seen more of a focus on the environmental impact of game packaging over the past ten years, with the rise of "eco friendly" cases that use less plastic and more biodegradable materials.
That was the impression I was given as well, that the motivating factor was shelf space versus profits. More profits for the game publisher, because smaller boxes are less expensive to manufacture, and more profits for the game seller, because smaller boxes allow them to put more product on the shelves. The fact that smaller boxes were more "eco friendly" was just a byproduct.
Man i remember when my dad came home one day with Janes WW2 Fighters for Pc. I was awestruck. It was a total surprise. I was eyeing it at best buy but couldn't get it being a dumb kid with no money. It barely worked on our pc. I could run free flight for a while but it would eventually crash. I didn't know what ram or graphics cards were back then but I still had fun when it worked
I spent ages a kid at the game stores looking a the boxes, it was such a great time! Civilisation was immense in the box, the manual, the tech tree poster, the smell of the box and the manuals, almost like buying an album. So glad I got to game in the 90s.
I love how many products came inside random items like VHS cases and whatever that thing was at the end of the video, like the publisher just had a warehouse full of junk that they needed to get rid of.
Few more years and a sequel to this video called "Why PC Game Boxes Disappeared" :( They're pretty much already gone, Overwatch is one of the last few games I know of that has a phyiscal PC version.
While my steam library has expanded to a quiet impressive lot, I miss the days of going to a store and picking out a new game, heading home and reorganizing the game shelf to reflect the new addition then loading it up and jumping in. The same way I miss going to blockbuster on a Friday night to grab a ton of movies for the weekend. These habits became rituals that you cannot replicate anymore.
i miss the boxes , and the great colourful manuals that even had comic strips in them for games that were an excellent prologue , Sierra had the best box art and comic manuals
I am so so so jealous of your collection of original Infocom games with their Feelies intact. I had most of those when I was a kid but, of course, they ended up getting thrown away or destroyed or whatever. (Although strangely, I used the pen from AMFV for, like, a decade. That pen never disappeared and took forever to die.)
I'll never forget when my dad came back home with a big box edition of Little Big Adventure 2 back around 1999-2000, the big box always equals warm memories for me
This video gave me such strong, raw nostalgia of playing Flight Simulator 98 with my dad, to the point I - believe it or not -, started recalling the night we bought it, as well as the copious frustrations of trying to make it run on our then-already outdated PC. Memory is such a fantastic phenomenon, isn't it.
As always, top notch research! I loved big box games as a kid. I would go to computer shows with my dad when he would get new parts for the computers he was building and look at the big box games. Getting computer games was so exciting, even if they were kind of crappy games. I remember one of the big box games I got was the amazing titanic game, Adventure Out of Time. Loved that game.
![The Life & Death of Mad Catz [LGR Tech Tales]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NGJrUWWvDWs/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Life & Death of Mad Catz [LGR Tech Tales]](/img/tr.png)
Since I know there will be people bringing up Steam: yes, digital distribution played a large role in lowering the need for PC game packaging in more recent years. But this video focuses on the first two decades or so of PC game packaging when games still came in "big boxes," and why _those_ died out before services like Steam were even commonplace!
Digital distribution is a tale for another day ;)
LGR in Russia I NEVER saw games in big boxes ONLY little packages with cds
The biggest boxes usually had multiple CDs or DVDs. I also haven't seen real "big box" releases in Russia. Last game I bought for PC in retail store was GTA V. It has a big box due to 7 DVDs(!) and map.
In Soviet Russia, big boxes collects you
Lazy Game Reviews I can't see steam doing that much an impact on big box releases as a lot of people still rely on DSL connection as the only option in internet thousands unable to download most games on steam.
While cable connectins are more commen these days as compaired to when steam startednot every cable user download big games like myself as an example.
Also used games market probably take up more sales than new along with it unable to be mesured by market researchers meaning.
plus ad in retailers adversion to copy protection preventing selling the same copy several times over adding to the maths.
With all of that in mind I don't really see digital as big as people make it out to be.
If I had to take a guess on how much of the market preowned games are takingup I would guess 30-40%.
And PC games only castching up now due to the adoption of cable & fiber (thou Australias NBN sucks somehow.)
Steam in the beginning did not sell games at all, you had to activate the games you bought in the store via the key. Even when they started selling games it was only their own titles for quite a while. And when they finally did start selling other games, no huge titles were available because no company actually knew of Steam, and still relied on stuff like Gamespy.
It took a good while before Steam became what it is now. It had no impact on big boxes ofcourse. And even little to none impact to the later jewel cases. Since most games you still had to go out and actually buy and only then activate it in steam for convenience. Or were simply not on Steam at all like the early CoD games
I actually miss buying physical copies of PC games and being able to hold that copy in my hand, admire the cover art, reading through the manuals and such. There's just something about it that was super magical (might sound odd, but the best way I can put it) about the excitement of actually going to the store (especially as a kid) and having that game in your hands. I remember going into Best Buy last year asking them where they kept their computer games and they told me they don't carry really any physical copies anymore because it's all digital. Going digital makes things more simple I guess but I still like having physical copies. I'm still getting used to it lol.
Yes! I loved hyping myself up by reading the game manuals while waiting for the game to install.
Completely agree. Weekly trips to a computer store were special. Find the new releases, get the imagination going by looking at the individual cover art and box blurbs etc. Then spend the bus ride home reading through a spiral-bound manual. It might just be nostalgia but the game experience seemed LARGER than what we have today, even if many of the games back then had worse game design.
Well, it's partly because one of the reasons that was mentioned in the video. Games were far mor primitive back then so they had to invent things to pull people in. Hence the case size. It's kind of odd that with current technics we are capable in far more things than back then yet the creatiedirection has gone down considerably when compared to the past. It's only indie games really that still hold the flames of creativity.
@Deenie Beenie and yet still no manual. I've been playing on a computer of one type or another since 1979 and i really really miss the manuals. Especially when they are well done. Hell i even still have an old copy of the star trek game (non computer) with the tiles and maps. I've kept all my old manuals. They are just worth that much to me.... Wow i just had two run on sentences... time for a nap. :P
It always bugged me how most big box games' contents rattled inside, as if they just throwed a bunch of things into a box that wasn't really designed for that.
Yeah, but that's how you knew all those things *were* inside! If you shook the box and didn't hear anything rattling, then either it was *very* well packed, or someone had already removed the contents.
I think most people would disagree with that. Shaking a box and hearing it rattle gives you an indication of what is inside. It's like how when every child sees a wrapped present under the christmas tree the first thing they do is pick it up and shake it.
I think it has more to do with having a very big box for things that don't need that size of a box; everything inside of it is much smaller, nothing fits snuggly, so it feels like an afterthough.
It was just for frontage. I'm sure some people associated a bigger box with a better game. I suppose it allowed more artwork too.
That's probably exactly what it was. I've always got a laugh out of things like VHS boxes and other materials that gave the idea that they just took whatever packaging was available.
A wall of physical media will always look more impressive than a list of installed games on a screen.
exactly! I rather have my physical copy more then anything
Specially since the END USER License agreement no one reads you agree to says they can take it away at any time even though you paid full price like you would a physical copy you always have.
I printed off a list of the games I have installed and stuck it to my wall.
It's an impressive wall of text, you're right, I couldn't fully appreciate this on my 27inch monitor. Especially with such a large font.
Honestly, I’m used to steam but I still want a physical copy of a PC game someday.
Hemi204 only issue is while id love to buy more of them the retro games near me don't sell them and the thrift stores rarely have any games made before 2000, still i keep my old dell insperion with the floppy & disc drive for when I inevitably by civ 4 on pc because i kinda wanted it and it was 3 dollars ok mom
I miss the days when EA was still called Electronic Arts. Such a different company compared to what it is now.
I know, right? Talk about a company that _NEEDS_ to go back to its roots ASAP!
You either die a hero, or live long enough to become a AAA sellout.
Probably cuz they're not interested in the "art" anymore.
@@andrewortiz1703 Their only interest is the $$$.
Pretty sure Yahtzee is right and they quietly changed their name to "Extruding Arseholes" at some point, dropping the arts moniker entirely.
As a kid, I loved games in big boxes. I'd stare at them at stores and when my parents would buy one, it felt truly like an adventure. Before you played the game, you would look at the work of art the box was, look inside, read the manuals, look at the CD/DVD. Nowadays, games are so abundant and all digital that when you play one it's just like meh, nothing particularly interesting. But maybe it's because I'm not a kid anymore and I grew out of gaming for the most part (I watch/read about retro games much more than I actually play them).
Today kids download the game and complain in the forums because it stutters at 4K.
Tech Tales is the best series on TH-cam! Everything Clint does is gold. His knowledge of computer history blows my mind and is super interesting.
Thank you!
His knowledge is just research and hard work ~~ But yes he is talented.
"Electronic Artists"
Oh EA how much have you changed...
I wish they would change back! I wonder how much money it would take to buy them out...
I love tracking down big box games, so grand and beautiful.
Thanks for the eye candy clint!
Keep in mind from a retailer's POV, oversized packaging for expensive media was popular in the later 80s and 90s as a deterrent to shoplifting, because the electronic sensors and other modern anti-theft measures weren't common then, if they existed at all (for the most part, they didn't, beyond bulky cameras.) So, you saw audio cassettes sold in packaging that made them twice the length, and rather large boxes for computer games and programmes.
I remember the manual of Empire Earth almost being a proper history book
I still kept all my boxed games, at least for PC. From the C64 era, I only kept Elite. It had the floppy disk, a keyboard overlay, quick reference guide, a novella (the Dark Wheel), a manual, and a poster of all the ships in it. Great little box. Stands next to my two PC Frontier boxes.
Great! When possible, please make a video about the best "goodies" PC Games of old had inside their big boxes.
I plan to eventually! Still trying to track down some more examples of those.
I always loved the proper cloth maps you got in Ultima games. I also have a "big box" upstairs for The Witcher 2 (2011), so you could still get them occasionally in the UK--mind you, it's got so much stuff in it that they needed the room!
I still remember the Ultima IX box with all the things inside (I also still have it somewhere). It's also why I like just Asian music albums so much more than the boring western counterparts. Especially in Kpop that actually put effort into the design of the cases and all the things you get with them.
They're not just a jewel case with a disc or two in them.
Your high quality, intimate and funny docu-style videos on tech I never get to see anymore are SO COOL!! Thanks for this amazing content, I'll always be a fan of your fantastic production quality and love for the topic.
I'm always thrown off when I go buy a "physical copy" only to find it contains a digital code and no disc. If I have to use the internet to get the game why do I want an empty case??? There is no point. Steam is magic though. So, many games. So, many sales!
Yeah, this is what kept me from buying the PC version of "The Evil Within" for example >_> I think companies like Bethesda do not quite get the concept of "PHYSICAL COPY". It's not a physical Copy because the download code comes in a plastic box you can touch. *groans*
NerdyChat it's even worse when you buy a physical copy and it has the CDs for install and then it turns out you need online to even INSTALL THE FUCKER (God damn you Diablo 3)
or you buy a physical copy only to find it the disc has been turned into glitter.
Found out about this the fun way... Saw a game at the goodwill that I had some interest in, figured I'd buy it even though I typically like digital games, and then found out that I can't play it because someone else owned it... :/
It's just a way of getting the customers who might not shop online.
I prefer the disc, simply because it's effectively a local copy/backup for me, and with a little help from the net, I can play it offline. I buy most of my games from GOG anyway for that reason.
Not everyone has access to fast internet, and it just seems practical to me to have a local copy I can install on other computers, or reinstall if needed.
I think physical media may disappear from shops anyway. The PC section is certainly shrinking.
I would never buy a second hand online game - far too risky.
Why haven't you been contacted by the history channel? The tech tales are awesome.
Because sadly history channel is all about reality TV shows that are fake. But I agree with you. Why has some channel witch actualy deals with history not contact Clint?
Clint is better off not being constrained to the demands of a TV channel
Well I also agree with you. What have I done?
Because he hasn't talked about aliens yet.
+jaman585 Not *completely* about reality TV shows. But yeah, it 'jumped the shark' along with a lot of other channels because 'reality' shows are so much cheaper to make.
I remember the good old days when I first got into computers in 1995/1996/1997 when you could go to Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, and other stores and there would be endless rows and rows of big boxed software. As a kid, it was such a fun and amazing experience to look at all the titles. I was at Best Buy last week and the software aisle was just a tiny little shelf with just crappy titles that look like they could easily turn your computer into a billboard. Amazing what 20 years can change.
Yeah. I remember it could take an hour or two at best buy to go through the rows of games
At least back then you knew the box art was an "artist's interpretation" of the game's contents; nowadays they try to pass off cinematic trailers on custom builds of the game as "actual gameplay".
I know what you mean though, so many worlds to explore at your fingertips; those were the days...
Oh boy, you haven't seen the software section in places like Rite-Aid and Walgreens in the early 2000s. Those games would actually turn your computer into a billboard. The new ones would most likely have you install steam before you could even use them.
As a teenager, I wish I could do that.
I miss big boxes on PC games (but my shelves don't).
To me, PC big boxes are like vinyl record sleeves. Such beautiful artwork, and a joy to keep together on a shelf.
I'm sure LGR remembers better than me, but I have a different memory of software box sizes. Back then, the market was very fragmented, and packaging reflected norms for the platform as much as anything else. I DO recall the large box software of the 80s, but here's the thing: I remember it being mostly a PC-compatibles phenomenon, that probably goes back to IBM and their rediculous binder-based software. When I went to game stores, the software on the shelves benefitted from uniformity in size, and games were shelved together by system. This is why, even though EA might have shaped their packaging differently, it was all kind of the same height as the "regular" boxed stuff to fit on the shelf.
Aww I miss big box PC games..this Chanel is such a blast from the past at times love your work!
Big Box PC Games will live on... on our shelves! Mostly your shelves though! Love that collection! :D
I don't really miss the boxes, but I do miss the mammoth instruction manuals PC games used to have. I still read through the old SimCity 2000, Fallout 2 and Warcraft 2 manuals, among others for a nice whiff of nostalgia.
I have tons of Commodore 64 games from England that are on tape, and only 2 of them are big box(Defender of the Crown and a pack of sports games) with the vast majority being simply tape jewel cases and the higher budget titles being like that Back to the Future box shown. The "mid-cases" were about 4 inch wide and high, and about 3/4 inch deep.
I remember feeling that it cheapened the game's appeal when it went smaller box. I rationally knew it shouldn't matter but it affected my impulse buying at the store. Picking up Warcraft 2 in all of it's big box glory, it just really felt like I was in for something good waiting in line to checkout.
What a rare treat to see those late 70s/very early 80s game packages!!! Thank you, LGR!
My favorite part of the older style packaging isn't necessarily the box itself, but rather the little physical items that usually came inside. Pieces of lore or items from the game's universe, maps, etc.
Nowadays you don't even get the full game HEUGH.
Yeah, more so than collectibles, I loved the physical items that were part of the game world, and my favorites among those were the kind actually used during gameplay. I still have the physical maps from Sierra On-line's _Aces_ series! CDPR's Cyberpunk 2077 seems to be doing a classic-style release, but it still remains to be seen if it will come with the full game on disc.
Love the avatar ...
Your documentary series "Tech Tales" should win an award. If I could, I'd make you an award and put it on a Big Box some sweet graphics.
wait, EA actually cared about their devs?!?!
EA as it is today would be unrecognizable to those around at it's beginnings. They were one of the first (if not the very first) publishers to treat their developers as talented artists, rather than just 'employees'.
It's amazing how there always seems to be a correlation between the growth of a company and the decline of their morality. Just look at Google's, now laughable, motto: 'Don't Be Evil'.
They used to be EA: Electronic Arts, now they are EF: Electronic FArts.
Most people act normal before they are tempted too much by greed and other follies. It is later, AFTER the temptation, that bad folks start acted bad.
That was when nerds owned the company. The moment they went public trading everything went to shit and still is going to shit.
rip Will Wright - hero of my childhood !
4:10 A unique combination of feelie and copy protection could be found in the NES game StarTropics. Early in the game, you are told to dip a physical, plot-relevant letter in water to reveal the code 747, which must be inputted to progress. (Remember that this was before walkthroughs were easily accessible through the Internet.)
The Wii and Wii U Virtual Console versions of the game include this information in their respective virtual manuals, but anyone using the Nintendo Switch Online version (as well as unofficial emulations) is on their own.
I miss big boxes.. sure they're a hassle today when it comes to collecting, but there is something about that cardboard box... something magical... I don't know where I got my original copy of Quake 1, never got the box, but I remember fondly when I bought Diablo 1 and Postal 1 in big boxes... don't have Diablos box anymore because my parents at the time would've thrown a major fit, but I still got Postal 1 in its original box, heh, they didn't know what "going postal" meant (I don't live in the US) XP but still, my big box Fallout 1 and 2, and Planescape Torment are proudly displayed at my "alter" of gaming in the corner :)
I hate that I missed the PC box craze, but I definitely want to make it an effort to collect any boxes now.
Nothing better than LGR on my birthday
Happy birthday!
Lazy Game Reviews Thanks man, never stop doing what you and your fans enjoy.
happy birthday mate
Happy birthday!!
Pogun happy birthday!
I love all the old SSI games. Glad you mentioned them in the video.
That segment about EA.
Oh how the mighty have fallen.
the first box that caught my eye in the start of the video is the syndicate box. My love for Bullfrog lives to this day!
Hah, Armed and Delirous @ 5:44. Have you ever beaten it Clint? Accursed Farms did a great play-through of it.
Theodore Doudak Might be the only game weirder than Ninja Nanny!
Not yet, but I bought it specifically because of his video!
Lazy Game Reviews you should do an "oddware" about it!
I knew he showed it to us only to make us suffer. I had just forgotten about that fever dream of a game. Thanks, Clint.
Lazy Game Reviews you'll lose your sanity, I felt lost for a couple of days after watching those videos
I miss tech tales. Here's to hoping it makes a return.
I'm more used to big box Amiga games, they looked good, but they were a pain, forever treading on them and splitting the corners >.>
Larry Bundy Jr look who it is it’s Larry ”I comment on every video” Bundy Jr. Nice seeing you here
Such a wonderful video. Much like the Hitchiker's Guide, you provide not only the answers, but the questions to ask as well. ;)
Seriously, this was great information, things I only generally wondered about.
As an aside, that stuff in the Hitchiker's Guide game was really awesome. I paused to read all the goodies as you flipped through and look at the "feelies" included. Awesome stuff, Thanks man.
I still love to play old games on PC and console. Thanks for another great episode of LGR!
I love the 3d maze screensaver you had running at the end of the video. I had almost forgot about that. It seemed so amazing and futuristic when I was a kid.
Everytime I hear you say "what happened" all I can see with my mind is Link from Zelda CD-i
One of the best memories I have is buying the big box Planescape: Torment. Wish I still had it
6:52 I generally like reading manuals... but THIS looks intimidating
I actually had that game. And could never play it. I was way too young to try that level of crap, and was way over my head.
Went to the bathroom to take a dump, decided to check subscription feed. Saw new LGR video, watched while taking care of business. Made the time fly right by and gave me something really cool to watch. So thank you Clint, thanks for entertaining me, my bowels and I thank you.
My favorite were the trapezoid boxes Eidos put out.
who dislikes a video like this? people who hate boxes? people who love boxes?
6:10
Darn...Simsville...I still wish Maxis finished that game.
This episode of tech tales is my favourite. I started pc gaming again a ciuple of years ago and I was wondering where all the physical copies of pcgames went. This explains so much!
only LGR could tell the tale of cardboard boxes and make it completely interesting. another fantastic video
That SimEarth manual is legendary. If I wasn't already a nerd before I got that game, I certainly was by the time I finished reading the manual.
You also need to take into consideration, that a lot of game devs lack a lengthy QA process. Games used to be released, and you got the full, end product with the medium. Now they pump them out so fast and they are not fully complete. They figure that they get it out, get people playing it (instead of the competitors) and patch in the rest later. Quantity over quality. You also have to take into effect that there are a wider range of system builds to make a game compatible to. People are running Intel chipset's, with AMD GPU's, and on board, RealTek sound. Tie that in with the overclocking, knock off brand hardware. You can have a GTX960 from a few different brands. The same card, but with different specs.
I love PC gaming. I wish that hard copies would still be plausible. It would be nice to have finished, polished games in case the internet went down when the shit hits the fan :P LGR, you are set. We will be hunting your house down like DayZ. Scrounging those games up.
Rip big boxes, gone are the days of browsing stores for new games in pretty boxes.
May your love be remembered and it too return some day.
I never can fathom the falling of the ploy of physical media. I still remember to this day the Tandy Coco game 'Witness'..not just because it was a great 'text adventure' game, but because it came with a 'moonrock' in the box, an object 'in game' that was very vital to plot and winning. I kid you not I can still smell the plastic glow-in-the-dark blob that it was. In this age of FunKo Pop why cant they use a little bigger "special edition" boxes with cloth maps like Ultima, newspapers, ect.. If you sold games like Pokemon cards with different collectibles... I just enjoy the old times of opening a Wing Commander box and reading newsletters and blueprints.. in my hands.. sigh
It comes down to "money, dear boy". All those lovely, wonderful "feelies" that you and I loved so much, cost money to make. Back in the day, a lot of people thought "oh, a CD only costs a couple cents. Surely the game companies are making money hand-over-fist." Um... no.
There were expenses at every step. They had to pay advertisers. They had to pay the artists who designed the box art and the art for the manual. They had to pay someone to print and bind the manual. They had to pay someone to press the CDs. They had to pay someone to make the boxes. They had to pay someone to deliver the boxes to stores. They had to pay all the artists and musicians and programmers who worked on the game. They even had to pay for shelf space (especially if they wanted an end cap)... and if all the copies didn't sell, they had to pay the store to return all the copies that didn't sell! By the time they were done, they made at most 5-10% of the sale price in profits (so a $40 game = $2-$4 profit.)
They were probably happy when high-speed Internet and digital distribution came along. It saves them from having to pay so many middlemen that they make a bigger profit, even after the 30% that Steam keeps as payment. And even then, they have to sell hundreds of thousands of copies to make their money back.
SpearM3064. Game companies in the past were making games for the lulz?
Honestly, they were out to make a profit and most of the inclusions were gimmicky junk.
Most people here are feeling nostalgic is all - getting excited over junk mail in you packaging? Now days everyone would be pissed.
The reason it stopped is because it doesn't work as a marketing gimmick, except in special editions for a small percentage of the games.
I start LGR and hear that ominous music I know it's Tech Tales time and I just wait for Clint's majestic voice and writing to take me away awash in a sea of tech history and just sheer entertainment.
Thanks for your content as always man; it's somehow still always getting better.
Too bad I threw all my old boxes out back in the days.
It makes me a little sad to think of all the big boxes I threw away over the years. Even back in the early 90s though they were a pretty poor solution to packaging because keeping the games inside them was so inconvenient. You got your game home, took the two floppies out and kept them in your floppy disk box. You got the manual out and put it on your bookshelf. Usually the box was then empty and it lingered around the house until your parents made you tidy your room, and you threw it out. I'm amazed that as many have survived as there are.
IIRC, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 from Westwood Studios/Electronic Arts is one of the earliest PC games that distributed with DVD case instead of any sort of box.
I worked at Software Etc in the late 90s and into 2000. I remember one of the major pushes to small box was large retailers (Like Walmart) threatening to drop games that came in large boxes. Stores that didn't specialize in games didn't like the amount of shelf space they required. I stopped working there in 2001 and we had already started seeing small box titles before that.
Can someone tell me the name of the game that belongs to the white box at 9:19? I've seen that icon before, but don't remember the name of the game...
GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH TO THE RESCUE! It should be "Hotline Miami: Special edition"... CLint even did a video about it some time ago
I believe it's Hotline Miami Special Edition.
Thanks for the answers, guys! I don't know, but I remember seeing a box with a similar pattern in my cousin's room... that was in the early 2000's.
Wartinald Maybe a white label rerelease ? Like the one for Screamer, or Resident Evil, or Broken Sword...
I miss those days. Just outside the local mall there was a store called 'Revolution CD' that bought and sold used Games and music CD's. Whilst my parents were in the supermarket shopping I'd walk over to the store and just inspect as many PC games as there were, thinking about and planning which one to save up for.
I especially loved the cases that opened up like a book with a bit of velcro sticking the cover and inside together, if they did that then you knew they meant business, it was a serious game, they had SO much to show off that the back of the box wouldn't cover it.
It was almost better than Steam in some ways I reckon. Steam I can have every game from every era at my immediate disposal. But back then I had to debate and weigh my options and compare, each game felt special as a result. And it shaped the sort of gamer you become, that's how I ended up being into RTS, City Building and Racing game fan, as oppossed to RPG, FPS, Sports, etc games.
It's sad to see that boxed games aren't selling anymore...
I think that boxed games are the way to go, besides who doesn't love having a shelf filled with games.
who? actually most people.
Consoles still seem to sell some physical copies, unlike PC games
Why are boxed games the way to go? They're wasteful (ink, paper, plastic), they take up space, they can get lost, they can get dirty or broken... And besides, buying games from the comfort of your chair is a lot more convenient. I don't hate boxed games and I fully agree that they have a certain charm, but they're not the way to go.
The boxes are cool, but why would I go out and buy a box when I can just get the game online instantly.
Queen Clementine
Due of you can sell the game, give it away or keep it for collecting.
LGR tech tales is one of the best series(if not the best) of it's kind on youtube.
Originally I thought it a shame that the big boxes were gone. They looked better and companies packed cool extra stuff into them. But over the years I got glad they were gone. They are taking up so much space it's ridiculous.
It's amazing how 10 minute flies by when I'm watching LGR.
I like big boxes but I don't want to start collecting them. Yet I found myself looking for more and more old games with big boxes that I'm never going to play, mainly because it's so old I don't have a machine that can run it.
I'm surprised you didn't showcase the Pyst box :(
I don't own it!
I'll buy you one! It's John Goodman's magnum opus!
Two Words:
*John Goodman*
I had resisted going straight digital download for a long time with my games as I still, even to this day, prefer having a physical disk... But when every "physical" game I bought started becoming nothing more than an auto-launcher for a digital download, I simply gave up and now only bother with physical releases when I'm buying a Collector's Edition...
Mmm Feelies...
Thanks, I love your channel. We grew up in the same PC era. I started with a used Commodore 64, and remember when 4 megs of ram was an expensive upgrade. Also remember L2 upgrades as a pile of chips. I made a big jump from C64 to a i386 (store bought, maybe used, can't recall). It included the horrible bios battery problem back then, had to replace with a AA battery holder "fix". My first "build" was a i486, so I loved your i486 build (woodgrain for the win!) Earth was shattered when the cyrix DX4 multipliers came out (or was it, not all that fast). IRQ/DMA conflicts anyone? Duke3d was a big deal. I was always excited & irritated to go drop mad $ on a new box game. I could go on forever, I'm so mad I threw away my super old ibm machines I was given along the way (if I only knew). Ever want some old hardware? (ISA stuff, no original boxes), I still have some.
Also Eff steam!
haven't watched it yet, like it aleady.
More Tech Tales please. You do a great job with these videos.
I dislike that boxes are produced because they pollute the environment and waste resources, so I vouch that online distribution should be a standard way of buying games. Alongside with maybe some kind of physical proof of purchase, a laminated card of sorts that gives you the right to re-download the game time and time again no matter the platform, or if the distribution service goes down under. If I buy Super Mario Bros. 3 from Nintendo, for example, I want to be able to download it again from Steam or Origin, or at least not get busted if I download it from a ROM site.
On the other hand, I quite like physical boxes as luxury items, and I think there is still a place for them. Only make them a premium option next to the downloadable release, but make SURE the feelies they include be absolutely worth the price; 100-page fully coloured manual, game soundtrack, making-of DVD documentary, etc. It HAS to be packed with stuff.
Sweeet!! I LOVE Tech Tales! My fav series of yours! You do such amazing work on this, as with all your vids of course.
69696969
You're blowing my mind with these cassette tape video games. That needs to to be a whole video unto itself.
Was the environmental impact ever a thing for these big boxes? I wasn't around when big boxes were still a thing but surely the amount of cardboard or plastic needed was a concern. From what I can gather,manuals have faded out due to a combination of the paper they use and the ability to use manuals digitally
It was certainly brought up here and there, but from my research here it didn't seem to be the driving factor in this particular extinction as it really was about shelf space versus profits. I've actually seen more of a focus on the environmental impact of game packaging over the past ten years, with the rise of "eco friendly" cases that use less plastic and more biodegradable materials.
Thank you for your reply! I appreciate it
That was the impression I was given as well, that the motivating factor was shelf space versus profits. More profits for the game publisher, because smaller boxes are less expensive to manufacture, and more profits for the game seller, because smaller boxes allow them to put more product on the shelves. The fact that smaller boxes were more "eco friendly" was just a byproduct.
Ugh...environmentalists...
Ugh... People thinking about the diminishing availability of resources and of ways to counteract this problem...
They say you learn something every day....and I have learned that I need to look into Avalon games. Thank you Clint :)
I for one embrace our all digital overlords
ALL HAIL LORD GABEN!
Man i remember when my dad came home one day with Janes WW2 Fighters for Pc. I was awestruck. It was a total surprise. I was eyeing it at best buy but couldn't get it being a dumb kid with no money.
It barely worked on our pc. I could run free flight for a while but it would eventually crash. I didn't know what ram or graphics cards were back then but I still had fun when it worked
A very nice behind the scenes look of something seemingly as simple as a box, nice work.
In the early 90s Amiga community in England we used "Big box game" to refer to the original release over the rerelease.
I love LGR! This chanel helps me relax from the clickbait and drama on TH-cam. Keep up the work!
I spent ages a kid at the game stores looking a the boxes, it was such a great time! Civilisation was immense in the box, the manual, the tech tree poster, the smell of the box and the manuals, almost like buying an album. So glad I got to game in the 90s.
I love how many products came inside random items like VHS cases and whatever that thing was at the end of the video, like the publisher just had a warehouse full of junk that they needed to get rid of.
Few more years and a sequel to this video called "Why PC Game Boxes Disappeared" :(
They're pretty much already gone, Overwatch is one of the last few games I know of that has a phyiscal PC version.
While my steam library has expanded to a quiet impressive lot, I miss the days of going to a store and picking out a new game, heading home and reorganizing the game shelf to reflect the new addition then loading it up and jumping in. The same way I miss going to blockbuster on a Friday night to grab a ton of movies for the weekend. These habits became rituals that you cannot replicate anymore.
This was an excellent video! I have a fair collection and neglected them for a while, thanks for rekindling my passion for these gems!
The death of big boxes and magazines, honestly, still hurts.
i miss the boxes , and the great colourful manuals that even had comic strips in them for games that were an excellent prologue , Sierra had the best box art and comic manuals
I live for these videos.
Thank you for another week added to my life support.
I am so so so jealous of your collection of original Infocom games with their Feelies intact. I had most of those when I was a kid but, of course, they ended up getting thrown away or destroyed or whatever. (Although strangely, I used the pen from AMFV for, like, a decade. That pen never disappeared and took forever to die.)
I love these history style videos with your speculation on top.
Plus dat voice over. Buttery smooth.
You're a great historian man. Tech Tales is easily one of my favorite series of yours. Keep it up!
Thank you!
I'll never forget when my dad came back home with a big box edition of Little Big Adventure 2 back around 1999-2000, the big box always equals warm memories for me
Out of all the games I bought from when these were a thing, Menzobarranzan is the one that stands out the most. Awesome blast from the past video.
It's funny to think that games once came in a plastic bag. That's one reason I love your videos, I always learn something new :)
This video gave me such strong, raw nostalgia of playing Flight Simulator 98 with my dad, to the point I - believe it or not -, started recalling the night we bought it, as well as the copious frustrations of trying to make it run on our then-already outdated PC. Memory is such a fantastic phenomenon, isn't it.
Good old times mate I still can remember those days so clearly as if they happened yesterday
Oh man sure i miss those boxes!
My favorite thing about them was the hand drawn box art!
As always, top notch research! I loved big box games as a kid. I would go to computer shows with my dad when he would get new parts for the computers he was building and look at the big box games. Getting computer games was so exciting, even if they were kind of crappy games. I remember one of the big box games I got was the amazing titanic game, Adventure Out of Time. Loved that game.