Style Discussion: Pack-in games from games

[tripredacus]

We are in discussion period for now, the thread will be around until the end of the week, then I will make the actual poll on Friday so you can vote. There still might be other ideas people have so we'll give it some more time.

[zappman]

I will vote Yes for "2. Allow pack-in games from games or game packs", as this gives users the most choice.

(Strike-out text on this post made only to keep this thread on topic.)

I also believe pack-in games, included with hardware should be allowed their own entry, under the game category.

People who don't like this type of entry (pack-in games from games or game packs) could just ignore them and not add them to "their" collections.

I buy mainly unboxed, used games and used items, I don't like being to be forced to add things I don't own into my online collection such as piece of hardware as a box set of games, just to be able to add the packed in game. Why should I be forced to add the hardware box set I don't own to my collection, and then put a note on that I don't own the hardware box set.

I understand some users only collect fully boxed 100% complete items and that's terrific for them.

However, I think that VGCollect should be as flexible as possible and allow users who don't collect fully boxed 100% complete items to easily track the items they own. I would like the option to show a picture of just the pack-in game if that is all I own, I could do this if the pack-in game was allowed to have its own stand alone entry.

We have entries titled like "6 in 1 Game Pack", with the six games on 6 different 3.5" discs, each just labeled with the name of the game, but not "6 in 1 Game Pack", as it is now it is very hard to track these type of games in the database. Sometimes I don't have the box, or all the games, but I would like to be able to track the games that I do own.

Being flexible, and allowing diverse types of game game collectors, to make use of the site, seems to be the proper thing and most inclusive thing to do.

[tripredacus]

I also believe pack-in games, included with hardware should be allowed their own entry, under the game category.

I buy mainly unboxed, used games and used items, I don't like being to be forced to add things I don't own into my online collection such as piece of hardware, just to be able to add the packed in game. Why should I be forced to add the hardware I don't to my collection, and then put a note on that I don't own the hardware.

This is and has been allowed for years. This topic is not about pack-in games for hardware or accessories.

[zappman]

This is and has been allowed for years. This topic is not about pack-in games for hardware or accessories.

Thank you for clarifying that entries for pack-in games for hardware or accessories are already allowed. I did not mean to take the thread off topic.  (I have edited my above post, to keep it on topic.)

As I said in my previous post; I will vote Yes for "2. Allow pack-in games from games or game packs", as this gives users the most choice." for the reasons I stated in that post.

[pzeke]

This sounds like an artificial way to boost collection numbers.

There's plenty of other ways to do that already. Who cares, really.

[...] A design for such a system has already been shown to the developers, but for now all we can do is best work with the system we have now. [...] In relation to what Flashback said, I also believe that the site should have "less clutter" but more importantly, be able to be viewed as people want. Because there are those who would just want to see 1 entry per game per platform, and also those who want to see the variations.

And who are these developers? Sloths?

In regards to the "clutter", that's a constant on these type of websites, especially seeing as this website in particular aims to be comprehensive covering multiple platforms while being as thorough as possible, and the fact it also covers related media, which I think helps it stand out. What I believe this website needs—and is severely lacking, really—is a way to enforce, or rather try to duly promote its users to submit good, quality entries instead of the half-assed ones we tend to get regularly.

However, I think that VGCollect should be as flexible as possible and allow users who don't collect fully boxed 100% complete items to easily track the items they own [...]

Being flexible shouldn't be confused with trying to establish and maintain a proper sense of organization. There's no need to have separate entries for both discs for games like the aforementioned Final Fantasy Chronicles; I mean, the name alone refers implicitly the second game—if, for instance, you only have the first disc, then use the notes section, as it has been suggested already.

The third option is the most logical and sensible one.

[dhaabi]

What I believe this website needs—and is severely lacking, really—is a way to enforce, or rather try to duly promote its users to submit good, quality entries instead of the half-assed ones we tend to get regularly.

This is ideal, but I can only imagine this being made possible if new entries were required to be approved by admins before being made live or if new entries required more than an item name and category before being created.

As far as promoting users to create quality entries, the only viable solution I can immediately think of is including a link to the style guide on the Submit New Item page. Well, never mind. A link to the style guide is already a part of the page, so a follow-up and more user-friendly solution would be to create a call-to-action button that is more visibly pronounced to attract attention.

[pzeke]

For consoles and video games, it could be made so that certain fields have to be filled out before submitting an entry, as in the user can't click on submit until any of those fields are properly filled. Aside from title, fields like release type, developer and/or publisher must be filled; and at the very least an image, front preferably and of standard quality, must be uploaded as well. It could also be made so that both rating and release date need to also be filled before submitting an entry, but adding a checkbox that allows the user to check if either of those two fields apply to their entry given there might still be games that aren't in the database that predate the ESRB, as well as there's the possibility a release date has conflicting information or outright is unknown. Since the user could circumvent those two by lying in the event the item does have a rating and/or release date, the user could be given a warning and if a repeat offender then not allowing that user to submit new entries for a set amount of time could be implemented. This could also be extended to the item number and barcode.

For Swag it would be pretty much the same, but make it so that the item number and/or the barcode has to be filled with the same checkbox option mentioned above to let the user check if any of the two apply to the item they're submitting with the same penalties as above.

I have already given my thoughts in regards to implementing an approval system.