Style Discussion: Multi-platform Accessory Release Category Placement

[tripredacus]

This thread is to discuss what possible options there can be for an upcoming Style Guide Update poll in relation to what categories Accessories should go when the are branded for multiple different platforms. This primarily comes up for concern regarding modern Xbox branded items, which also extends to the games. Microsoft uses unified marketing for Xbox which relates to anything gaming related, be it on an Xbox console, Windows, or a mobile platform. There is a larger situation here and we will discuss creating sorting rules for all accessories and if a different choice is wanted for Xbox items, then that will be voted on in the future. Sony has done so as well with PlayStation in recent years.

Reminder, this is for over-arching rule and not a per-system discussion. That can be handled in the future if the poll choice

Currently, category placements for these accessories are handled in a "whatever" situation, where the item can be in any accessory category but dupes should not exist.

There are two things to consider here: branding and compatibility. Branding is typically found on first party or licensed accessories and used to match up with consoles but in recent years does not, as mentioned above. Compatibility is relating to "works with" or system requirements that are present on the packaging and is not being used to referenced real world compatibility such as Sega Genesis controllers working on Atari 2600.

Examples:
Atari Standard Joystick Controller
branding: Atari 2600
compatibility: Atari 2600, Atari 400, Atari 800

Konami Hyper Shot
branding: N/A
compatibility: MSX, Atari 2800, Sega SC3000, SG1000, NEC PC-6001, PC-6001MKII

Sony AV Cable SCPH-10030 U
branding: PlayStation
compatibility: PlayStation, PSone, PlayStation 2

PDP Disney Epic Mickey: The Power of Two Clicker
branding: Wii
compatibility: Wii, Wii U

Seagate Game Drive 5TB HDD
branding: PlayStation
compatibility: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5

Sony Pulse Explore Wireless Earbuds CFI-ZWE1 [US]
branding: PlayStation
compatibility: PlayStation 5, PC, Mobile

Microsoft Wireless Controller 1914 (Carbon Black / M1143888-001)
branding: Xbox
compatibility: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows, Android, iOS

8Bitdo NES30 Pro Game Controller
branding: N/A
compatibility: Android, iOS, PC

My Arcade Extender Cable
brading: N/A
compatibility: NES Classic & SNES Classic, Wii, Wii U

Since Xbox and PlayStation branding has been adopted as umbrella brand, they cannot be considered to be "consoles" or console branding in regards to this discussion and options. While PlayStation usage matched Atari 2600 in the 90s, it no longer does in the current day. Since the XBox logo used on the Xbox Series X/S accessories was introduced in 2010 during the XBox 360 era (and originally applied to Windows APK-based platforms) it also cannot be used to signify any particular system either.

There are a few different ways to go about it:
1. use the current method as for games: oldest system first. This would put many accessories into the PC Accessory category
2. use newest system first: the opposite of games, but would put the modern PlayStation items into PS5 and the XBox Series X controllers into XBox Series X Accessory category
3. Use primary branding first (if it exists) except for PlayStation (of any era), Xbox (of any era) and then oldest system first (for items without branding)
4. Use primary branding first (if it exists) except for PlayStation (of any era), Xbox (of any era) and then newest system first (for items without branding)
5. Change the site to allow an accessory to be listed in multiple categories: There is a plan for this, but dev time is low and I can't promise that this would get done in a timely fashion or ever.
6. Keep it as "wherever" placement as long as there isn't any dupes.

For the above, any accessory with a system that has no accessory category would be put into Other Accessory.

And for reference, there is a post I created in the Adv Guide to help determine where games end up, which is helpful for at least Micros, but any rules adopted based on release of a system would use this as reference as well:
https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10837.msg200323.html#msg200323

Please post any additional ideas or options you think would work. And remember this is for the overall rule for accessories and a future poll may be requires for unified branded items like Xbox or PlayStation if people believe that the overall rule does not properly apply to those, but also keep in mind these two examples for this rule as well.

[dhaabi]

After six weeks without discussion, I'll begin.

There are a few different ways to go about it:
5. Change the site to allow an accessory to be listed in multiple categories: There is a plan for this, but dev time is low and I can't promise that this would get done in a timely fashion or ever.
6. Keep it as "wherever" placement as long as there isn't any dupes.

Does the choice for either of the above options need to exist? Option 5 is the ideal solution the site needs to use for multiplatform items, whether those items be accessories or games. The other options only exist as a temporary answer until that preferred solution is—if ever—developed.

At the same time, I don't think option 6 is a valid choice to consider, as there needs to be a formal rule of some sort. Otherwise, there is nothing to stop members from repeatedly changing an existing entry's category from one to the other and for possibility for a lot of category discrepancies to open up. For instance, should choice 6 gain the popular vote, the Sony AV Cable entries could be placed in either PlayStation or PlayStation 2 categories, and both would be correct. Or, a worse example could be a new entry for an Xbox-branded Series X / One controller is submitted to Other Accessory, based on its compatibility with Android and iOS. While that ultimately may not matter in the long run so long as there is still only one entry present to represent the singular item, it makes tracking these entries and maintaining a category more difficult.

With options 1-4, there is at least some objectivity as to how these sorts of items are to be categorized.

[tripredacus]

It is a "no change" option. It already seems like this isn't a pressing enough issue to bother with, since no one has voiced any opinion on the matter. As it stands, option 6 is winning without a poll.

Option 5 would put a directive to dev as an official feature request. But eventually this should be done anyways as it would resolve this question entirely, as well as the multi-platform games situation which is not ideal.

[ignition365]

I'll voice that I'd go with 6 at the moment.

My only concern with the current state of the examples is that Xbox controller is branded primarily as a Series X controller.  My concern being that oldest/newest might not be best as opposed to what the primary intent is.  I would need to find a good example of something like the above xbox/ps examples but where the primary intent is an older platform that works on the newer platform.  Like I think DS4 controllers now say they work on ps5 (only for ps4 games) but that doesnt mean it should go under ps5. The mickey controller could be a good example in that it is primarily branded for wii (and should be under wii) despite it saying also works on wii u.  Its not a wii u controller, they are just clarifying for customers that it will work on both.

[dhaabi]

I would need to find a good example of something like the above xbox/ps examples but where the primary intent is an older platform that works on the newer platform.  Like I think DS4 controllers now say they work on ps5 (only for ps4 games) but that doesnt mean it should go under ps5.

After searching through eBay results for a short while, I've found no instances where PlayStation 5 compatibility is mentioned on DualShock 4 packaging. It may exist, though—I just didn't find anything to corroborate that recollection.

A better example would be the Stepper Controllers for PlayStation which mention compatibility for PlayStation, PS one, and PlayStation 2, which makes sense considering the items released after the PlayStation 2's launch. The peripherals are played with PlayStation exclusive games such as Happy Jogging in Hawaii and Happy Diet.