Aaron Webber is asking us to vote on Sonic Mania manuals potential online sale

[Sonikko]

As the title says, Aaron is asking us to vote:

Would you guys buy the Mania manual if it was sold online?

Vote here!

[A super No.1 washedupgamer]

If it means sales will help make more mania games in the future, I vote yes.

[Blue Blood]

"Let's release everything but physical copies of the game."

[Sonikko]

Actually, I would've liked to get one with that 100€ collector's I bought, but yeah I'll shill out more money for you guys

[Blue Blood]

I'll honestly buy it. I absolutely hate that it was made as event/press exclusive merchandise - that practice is not exclusive to SEGA and is horrible all-round. Just let me pay you money for Mania related goods, SEGA.

[Detective Kaito]

Spending money for the manual alone is a bit weird, but if it came with something else then sure.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Ok... this sounds great in theory but... I have some problems with it.

1: How much does Sega consider fair for This?

2: How will they be sold online? Bulk eBay listings are a VERY BAD idea. A store is better... but... and this brings me onto.

3: Which region? Because you know if the store is US based. Somehow they'll decide it costs $30 to ship to Europe when it really only costs $5.

[Sonikko]

Fair point. But, unlike the Collector's Edition, producing those in Europe would be fairly easy. They'd just need to send the digital blueprint and print it here. Producing the Collector's in Europe would have been more difficult so they imported it and the price was inflated. 

I think there's a fair chance we'd see those appear on Amazon.co.uk for example, since they specifically mentioned online stores.

Also... about price. I'd like it to be less than 10€, anything more than that and it'll really not be worth it. The sweet spot would be 5€ or less actually.

[PaddyFancy]

Should have been a physical copy of the game with the manual. It doesn't sound unlike those guys at Comcept giving Kickstarter backers the retro box, with no actual game in it.

[Cornelius Fudge]

I'd personally buy it as long as I'm aware that a future physical release will not include the manual.

[Milo]

I'd buy the manual if it came with a retail release of the game.

42 minutes ago, Blue Blood said:

"Let's release everything but physical copies of the game."

When the freaking new Bubsy game can get a (limited) retail release and Sonic Mania can't...

This is either Sega's ineptitude at its worst or someone up the corporate ladder is specifically stonewalling a physical release of this game. It's either one of these two reasons and nothing will convince me otherwise.

[Tails spin]

7 minutes ago, Yeow said:

I'd buy the manual if it came with a retail release of the game.

When the freaking new Bubsy game can get a (limited) retail release and Sonic Mania can't...

This is either Sega's ineptitude at its worst or someone up the corporate ladder is specifically stonewalling a physical release of this game. It's either one of these two reasons and nothing will convince me otherwise.

Maybex just maybe Sega was going to have Christian incure the debt of producing physical copies.

[Milo]

2 minutes ago, Tails spin said:

Maybex just maybe Sega was going to have Christian incure the debt of producing physical copies.

Why? Sega's the publisher of the game, it's their job to handle the costs of the distributing the games (both physical or digital), not the developer.

[Blue Blood]

9 minutes ago, Tails spin said:

Maybex just maybe Sega was going to have Christian incure the debt of producing physical copies.

You actually don't have a clue what you're even talking about, do you?

[Tails spin]

17 minutes ago, Blue Blood said:

You actually don't have a clue what you're even talking about, do you?

Dude calm your pants down. Damn everyone here lately is over the edge 

[Blue Blood]

7 hours ago, Tails spin said:

Dude calm your pants down. Damn everyone here lately is over the edge 

I'd like you to have another look at my post and tell me which part of it gave the impression of me being "over the edge". Now look at your reaction to it and calm your own pants down.

I was asking a question. Your suggestion doesn't actually make any sense, and I can only guess that it came from a lack of knowledge on the subject; i.e. "you don't have a clue what you're talking about". Mania is a game developed by a group outside SEGA using a SEGA IP. SEGA funded the game's entire production from development and publishing; publishing includes distribution and marketing of the game. The group that SEGA contracted to make make the game is very small, the vast majority of their published work also being SEGA games. Publishing the game has nothing to do with the group developing it, and it's only SEGA who would have anything to gain or loose from publishing it at retail as well as digitally. The development teams wouldn't have the means nor the money to publish the game themselves, or even just to fund SEGA to produce and sell physical copies (which also makes no sense as a practice). SEGA wouldn't expect, nor want, the publishing to handled by anyone else - especially not an indie team that they funded to make the game. The game is SEGA's. 

The developer doesn't have a role in publishing, unless the publisher IS the developer. If you want another related example, Sonic Team doesn't publish games - SEGA does. SEGA is the company in charge. 

[Maxtiis]

Well since Aaron is asking us, why don't we just tell him we'll consider it only if its part of a physical release of the game. 

[Salamander]

I had imagined that part of the reason why the physical versions never materialised was simply because development was still continuing even up until the release date.  I'm put in mind of Iizuka's statement that they considered cutting material from the middle of the game at one point.  Would not physical versions have required either a later release date, or for the development team to finish early?

[BlueFlare]

If it came with a physical game case, maybe with something little extra (art book etc.) I would pay money for that.

[Pawn]

Honestly? No. It should have been included in the collector's edition. I also don't really trust Sega to price this reasonably or, as Hogfather rightly pointed out, for there to be reasonable shipping charges for those of us overseas.

If it's priced appropriately, then fair enough. People should be able to buy it if they want to. I think I'm good though.

[Jango]

Just give us a physical release of the game with said manual inside bro...

And while you're at it, add the remastered versions of Sonic 1, 2 and CD, plus a gallery with art and music.

Call it Sonic Mania GOTY Edition, I'll have 3 copies sir, good day.

[expansivelovestories]

I do think it is possible that the absence of a physical release, and also a full classic style manual (digital or otherwise) is interesting.  Reading recently that the Blue Spheres stages were placeholders to original bonus stages; and other aspects lead one to wonder just slightly about some type of future director's cut style edition, which would have a physical release and full manual.  This does seem unlikely, but so did Sonic Mania itself until it was announced so we will see what happens in a year or two!  

[doctorbenMD]

As others have said, this should have been included in the collector's edition. I have yet to see one good reason why it wasn't. Me voting to buy it separately just endorses this to happen again--I am certainly not okay with that. 

Fuck this dumb proposal. 

[Tenko]

I would pay out for Mania again if they released some kind of physical collection to make use of the room on most formats media. Sonic, Sonic CD, Sonic 2, Sonic 3K (all remaster versions, let them do 3K Sega come on) and Mania with manual/manuals, reproduction artwork etc throw in some bonus fluff....hell make it Sonic Jam 2. I'm sure Limited Run Games would be interested even if Sega for whatever daft reason didn't want to bankroll it. 

[CleverSonicUsername]

On 8/26/2017 at 6:52 AM, doctorbenMD said:

As others have said, this should have been included in the collector's edition. I have yet to see one good reason why it wasn't. Me voting to buy it separately just endorses this to happen again--I am certainly not okay with that. 

Fuck this dumb proposal. 

Aaron stated that CEs went into production prior to them conceptualizing a manual in the first place, so it was already too far along the process to include.

Edit: I would like a manual but also have concerns over the cost. Ideally they'd finally announce a physical edition of the game with this included, and if you sell that at 20 or 30 bucks a pop I might dip again, but otherwise the price on that manual needs to be cheap. I've already sank an insane amount of money into this game, and as much as I want to speak loudly with my cash that this is what I want more of, there hits a point where it becomes unreasonable.