Author Topic: Need Help Naming Cover Variants  (Read 1887 times)

aliensstudios

Need Help Naming Cover Variants
« on: June 21, 2018, 08:19:53 pm »
With Limited Run Games now releasing pretty much all of its games with two covers and randomizing the cover you get under the seal, it has gotten tough to name the variants for our database. At first I was classifying them as "default" and "alternate" but that isn't distinct or descriptive enough and doesn't fall in with the style guide, so, on the suggestion of Tripredacus I'm looking for some suggestions on what these games should be titled in the database. I'll post both covers for each title and if you'd like, just give some suggestions on what you think the parenthetical dentition after the game's name should be:

Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut
Cover 1 - Cover 2 -

Flinthook
Cover 1 - Cover 2 -

Kingdom: New Lands (Both almost identical)
Cover 1 - Cover 2-

Saturday Morning RPG
Cover 1 - Cover 2 -

Slime-san: Superslime Edition
Cover 1 - Cover 2 -
"I collect vidya games and vidya game accessories, I tell you what."

alkaid

Re: Need Help Naming Cover Variants
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2018, 03:56:43 am »
Maybe short descriptors?
Like "Top Logo"/"Lower Logo", "Tribute Logo"/"No Tribute Logo", "Limited Run Logo"/"No Limited Run Logo", "Realistic"/"Cartoon", "Bubbly"/"Painted", "Winking"/"Pointing", "Open Eyes"/"Closed Eyes".

I wouldn't complain about an arbitrary "Variant 1" "Variant 2" though.
No, really.

Flashback2012

Re: Need Help Naming Cover Variants
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2018, 08:49:08 am »
Here's the current wording on the style guide...

Quote
Games with variants to Box Art, Cart Art or Discs: Parenthesis "( )" are used to denote variations. So if a NES game was released with both a 5 screw cart or a 3 screw cart, it would be listed something like Burgertime (3 Screw Cartridge) or Burgertime (5 Screw Cartridge), or if a game has variant cart or disc labeling, like a lot of Atari games... such as Adventure (Sears Picture Label) and Adventure (Sears Text Label). Of course Atari games can have up to 5 or so variations, which means a separate listing for each one.

Paperboy (Oval Seal)
Paperboy (Round Seal)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (Bros over Mario's Head)
Super Mario Bros. 3 (Bros on Mario's hand)
Ridge Racer (Not For Resale)

Maybe just do something simple like "Flint Hook (Variant Release)" for the 2nd cover? I think for games that LRG put out that were already published by another company like the SRG games maybe it could be "Ruiner (Alternate Release)" or something to that effect?

rayne315

Re: Need Help Naming Cover Variants
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2018, 09:44:18 am »
Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut (WayForward cover), Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut


Flinthook, Flinthook (tribute cover)


Kingdom: New Lands (new lands below horse), Kingdom: New Lands (new lands above horse)


Saturday Morning RPG (white Limited run logo), Saturday Morning RPG (Red Limited run logo)


Slime-san: Superslime Edition (limited run cover), Slime-san: Superslime Edition

my personal idea

EDIT removed the quotes as it was confusing
« Last Edit: June 22, 2018, 10:20:15 am by rayne315 »
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tripredacus

Re: Need Help Naming Cover Variants
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2018, 10:01:39 am »
Maybe just do something simple like "Flint Hook (Variant Release)" for the 2nd cover?

An item has to stand on its own, so a title should have something that you can see on the actual item. A term like "variant" refers to something else, that you can't see because it isn't that item. Such terms "Variant" or "alternate" or anything like that should not be used in an item title, unless that term is on the item itself.

Is there really nothing different between say, the two Shantae covers, besides the front artwork? Is there no item number somewhere on the spine or the back that is different?

Here is an example of an item title that normally wouldn't be something you'd do, but you have to do because there is no other way to do it. Transformers The Game on PSP (Greatest Hits) has two versions, and the only thing different about them is a number on the back.
https://vgcollect.com/item/130626
I had consulted with Silverbow about how to handle an item like this, as he was working on the PSP section at the time.

Another situation with a game that has 3 covers in Sega Saturn Japan, Lupin the 3rd: Chronicles, fortunately these three have different item numbers:
https://vgcollect.com/item/144847
https://vgcollect.com/item/144848
https://vgcollect.com/item/67950

The only thing then, is if you have to put some descriptor into the item title, if it is not obvious (for example, this is not needed for the Saturn example because the item number field matches) then you should put into description field about that number, as you see in the TF PSP example.

For any of these LRG games that have a retail/online name, you can put that into the description also. Such as "This item was sold as "Game name (variant artwork) on Limited Run Games' website." or something like that. Same thing you would do for consoles that were sold as "Bundle" but various retailers, but the term bundle does not appear on their packaging, as in Xbox holiday bundles and the like.

tripredacus

Re: Need Help Naming Cover Variants
« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2018, 10:09:00 am »
Shantae cover 1 vs cover 2
- Cover 1 has Wayforward logo on front

Flinthook
- Cover 2 has Tribute logo on front

Slime-san
- Cover 1 has ESRB rating

Flashback2012

Re: Need Help Naming Cover Variants
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2018, 10:44:13 am »
Quote
Is there really nothing different between say, the two Shantae covers, besides the front artwork? Is there no item number somewhere on the spine or the back that is different?

As far as I'm aware (and someone feel free to correct me), there's no difference in any of the LRG stuff aside from artwork. All item numbers, UPCs, and the like are the same regardless of which cover they decided to have facing when they packaged it.

Me personally, as far as the LRG/SRG/PA releases go, I'm fine with a bullet point in the description field pointing out things like a reversible cover art. Hell, I think things like the whole 3-Screw/5-Screw and Oval/Round Seal NES listings are a bit much but some people on here are adamant over the tiniest of details/releases. I get why they exist but I've got NES games with Oval seals on the carts and Round seals on the boxes from Frankenstein-ing complete copies together.  :P

At any rate, tripredacus did a good job explaining why my suggestion wouldn't fly so we're back to square one I guess?  ;)

tripredacus

Re: Need Help Naming Cover Variants
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2018, 10:52:42 am »
As far as I'm aware (and someone feel free to correct me), there's no difference in any of the LRG stuff aside from artwork. All item numbers, UPCs, and the like are the same regardless of which cover they decided to have facing when they packaged it.

I did see that when I looked up some of these. I could only put what I saw on those three I posted before you. The other two, the Kingdom and Saturday Morning RPG, I could not find any pictures of those actual releases, just stock photos.