Cheat sheets: there's a boom in computer game "hint" books, but many younger players are going online for help (Computer games are becoming so complex, that books are needed to help solve problems)

NEW TECHNOLOGIES such as CD-ROMs, faster processors, and better monitors mean that computer games are finally approaching cinema-quality graphics and sound. While just 15 years ago graphic-less "text adventures" were the ultimate in gaming, computer games today use full-motion video, stereo sound, and startlingly (and mostly bloodily) realistic graphics. As the quality of computer games increases, so does the number of eager consumers willing to pay $60+ for the latest chance to slay a dragon or whack some bad guys. Higher technology has also enabled these games to be much larger in breadth and scope, and thus more complex. The increasing complexity of these games has spawned a vast number of hint books for the more popular games, books that reveal secrets and solutions to problems and puzzles that players encounter.

The theory behind hint books is simple: if someone buys a game and after playing 10% of it cannot solve a puzzle or beat an enemy, they have effectively wasted 90% of their money. And many players (who are mostly male, and mostly under 20) refuse to admit they are unable to beat a game, and view these books as justifiable aids in their quest.

The main pitfall of these books is that too many of them say too much; they tell the player exactly what to do in order to finish the game in as short a time as possible. This takes much of the fun out of a game as the player becomes little more than a trained monkey following the book's instructions. The best books give hints to the player and only reveal the step-by-step solution when the player is completely stuck.

Return to Zork: The Official Guide to the Great Underground Empire by Peter Spear falls into the too-much-too-soon trap. Although it has an interesting introduction in which the history of the Zork games is given (the original Zork was...