Author Topic: Should All Text on the Back of the Box Be Included?  (Read 714 times)

Should All Text on the Back of the Box Be Included?
« on: July 06, 2020, 11:05:00 pm »
I transcribed the the back of the Famicom Tetris box (https://vgcollect.com/item/25475) before thoroughly reading the style guide (my bad; I've read it now and will be sure to adhere to its standards). When I did the transcription I included the copyright and address text in addition to the synopsis. My question is: is this too much? Going by the exact wording on the style guide, it would seem to be, but I wanted to ask as I wasn't sure if this additional text was considered when the guide was made.

Below is the relevant excerpt from the style guide:
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Descriptions and Box Text:
  • The Box Text is the synopses that is on the back of the game packaging. This should be written into this field, and no other notes, or descriptions.

tripredacus

Re: Should All Text on the Back of the Box Be Included?
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2020, 09:35:08 am »
Copyright text is not required unless it is required due to a variation being present. For the Tetris entry you made, that copyright block isn't required but it isn't forbidden either.

We are fine with just the story related elements of box text. If you want to put in all the legal mumbo-jumbo, then have at it.

Also:

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When transcribing foreign languages such as Japanese or Korean, verify that the symbols are correct. Be aware that translation apps like Google may attempt to correct the symbols used. The text should be exactly as it appears on the item.

As I have found with my own transcribing work, the words used on game boxes may not always be correct grammatically, or are not in common usage among native speakers. So transcribing programs may try to change characters or you may find search results in those languages using different characters or arrangements. As far as we are concerned, we do not want what is "correct" rather we want what can actually be seen on the item itself. We are also not interested in trying to teach anyone to read foreign languages, as a result translations are not permitted in box text field either.

This is to note that while I did accept your edit to put in that box text, I did not verify that all of the characters were correct, just that they appeared correct.

Re: Should All Text on the Back of the Box Be Included?
« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2020, 11:56:18 pm »
Thank you for your feedback. I will keep it in mind for future transcriptions.

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I did not verify that all of the characters were correct, just that they appeared correct.
I do the transcription by hand. While I am not fluent in Japanese, I am generally able to accurately look up kanji that I am unfamiliar with.
« Last Edit: July 08, 2020, 12:29:30 am by grandta13 »