I hope noone uses them to play through games. It saddens me that MGS 4 guides were available on the first day it was  released. Game guides should only be available two to three weeks after the game has been released. Game guides spoil games. They are only needed for reviewers to rush through a game to post a review. Real gamers do not need game guides.

^Discuss. Your view on game Guides? Do you use them to walkthrough games?

Well, I completed MGS on the day of release (I received it one day early). I was so impressed, I immediately went out to buy a guide to find out about secrets, and to help with some perfect play throughs at a later date. Unsurprisingly, there were tons of secrets I'd have never found out without the guide, so I'm happy with my purchase.

Now, I could have waited for the internet to catch up. Or I could hav just played the game until I was sick of it looking for secrets, but I didn't want to. Thus: game guide = good thing.

That said, I don't normally buy guides at all. I find them a waste of money when I can normally just get all the stuff off the net; but, MGS4 was a special case.

:)

Game guides are free on the net. Some people are paying like 20 pounds for MGS 4 guide. 20 Euros or $20 US for a game guide.

When I'm stuck in a place for a long time,
I look on Gamefaqs or Ign sometimes, that's when I use them, nothing else.

I don't see a problem with them or the people that use them.

Why do you care so much the people use them?

The only guide I've ever used on my first play through was for Kingdom Hearts, because I could not stand to think of missing a chest with 3 puppies in it. Once I found all 99, I stopped playing since I was not interested in the game in the least. I might finish it someday.

I just check Gamefaqs after I've beaten a game to see if I missed a secret...

game guides are for n00bs, lol!

I don't mind if game guides come out or not. There are those who will probably never finish a game or unlock everything without their help and if they need a game guide, well that's up to them. If it helps them enjoy the game more, more power to them that is why we're playing isn't it, to have fun? No one is forcing anybody to buy game guides or to look up spoilers so if you don't like them, just avoid them.

Besides I like collecting the guides once I've finished the game for the additional art that often comes in them. The Perfect Dark on the N64 guide was awesome in that respect - so much additional art. I didn't use it so much as stare at it in wonder.

What's funny is that in Australia the guide for Brawl is already out but the game isn't out for two weeks. LOL.