Videogame Comics/Manga/Books, what do you think?

[gaiages]

This is less a 'suggestion' and more of me grabbing opinions on the matter.  I'm hoping this is the right forum for this, if not I'm sorry in advance.

Anyway, there are some officially licensed video game comics, manga, and books out in the world (The Legend of Zelda mangas and the Mass Effect books are the ones that readily come to my mind)... do you think they can or should be added to the database?  If so, is 'swag' the appropriate category to put them in?  Maybe a 'publication' category would be helpful in getting more accurate data, but I'm not sure, really.

What does everyone else think? 

[jobocan]

I think a publication category for novels and manga would work separate from swag, I'm sure there's a lot of different stuff that could fit in that specific category.

That reminds me that I have a few... French versions of Link to the Past and the 2 Ocarina of Time mangas, and a Disgaea 2 manga.

[soera]

Speaking of, I have some board games (Zelda, SMB, 2 pac man ones) ... where would those fall?

[jcalder8]

I think unless it was released with the game or as a preorder that it should not be entered, the exception for me comes from art books that are released apart from the game but cover the game.

[disgaeniac]

Seems like "swag" is a pretty loose, catch-all category if, indidually, people decide to enter/track stuff like that...that's what I'd do at least.

Also, agree w/ jcalder8 about the art books.

[gaiages]

I think unless it was released with the game or as a preorder that it should not be entered, the exception for me comes from art books that are released apart from the game but cover the game.

Hmm, I would agree with that in relation to books and whatnot if that was the general consensus, however... what about other objects, such as the stuff you can get from Club Nintendo, or stuff you can buy from stores such as the Pokemon Center and Slime Smile?  Or even official artbooks you buy, like the Persona 3 or the Okami ones?

I guess what I'm asking mainly is the line between 'swag' and 'going too far out of collection bounds'.  xD

[foxhack]

Well, currently we're okay with strategy guides, art books, plush toys of various sizes and dimensions, calendars, figurines, preorder items, and soundtrack CDs.

In my very personal opinion, fiction books (novelizations or original stories based on games), video game code books, comics in single issue or collected formats (adaptations [IDW's Metal Gear comics], tie-in stories, or original stories based on the characters [Valiant's Nintendo Comics System series]), movies based on video games (DVD / Blu-Ray / VHS, and other formats), strategy guides on video (like GamePRO's stuff), speed play videos (like those released in Japan), DVD games, Gamest videos (tapes or laserdiscs that showed combos and other information on games), books that deal with video games as a subject (the history of the medium, etc.), artbooks... should ALL be allowed.

But, I'm just one guy and that's not enough to institute policy.

[scott]

I'm cool with adding what foxhack said. I think we may need to splinter the swag category into subcategories though to help organize it all.

[gaiages]

I'm cool with adding what foxhack said. I think we may need to splinter the swag category into subcategories though to help organize it all.

Yeah... I already find it difficult to add some swag entries, since some items really don't have all the information that the form asks for... and I hate seeing the 'NA' even if I can't help it!  xD  Subcategories might help a little with that, even if the other items are considered not collection worthy.

[disgaeniac]

Another vote for Swag sub-categories.

Also...do ost's have their own category...or are they just listed as swag now?
(haven't started adding mine yet, so I'm not sure)

If they don't have their own category - I think that they should as they'd probably/possibly/potentially have as many entries/submissions as strategy-guides...

[foxhack]

OSTs don't have entries yet.

I think swag subcategories are just not a priority right now. We can get to those later.

[soera]

I think if we get into too many swag categories, it will be insane to try to figure out which ones we are missing and where everything else goes, etc. Maybe limit it to company names (Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, etc).

[gaiages]

I think if we get into too many swag categories, it will be insane to try to figure out which ones we are missing and where everything else goes, etc. Maybe limit it to company names (Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, etc).

Hmm, you do have a point... If we had a category for all the major companies, and a 'catch-all' for the smaller ones, that might make organization easier... Of course, there's the question of which companies to add, and which to not.  I guess that'd decide on opinions, and whatnot.  :p

Oh, and I didn't think something like this would be implemented anytime soon, but it's good to talk about it so we don't have to later!  :3

(I'm wondering if I should rename the thread, though... xD)

[jcalder8]

If we start adding comics and whatnot when will it end?

Should I add my Street Fighter 2 dvds?
What about the plush Sonics or Mario figures from Wal-Mart?

I think there needs to be a guideline about how far we want to take this site. It doesn't matter to me I just don't want it to get too cluttered, when a user just wants to add a mario game and they have to scroll through 16 pages of swag first.

[soera]

That was kind of my point. I cant imagine some of the stuff that would pop up once we start going deep into swag cause that alone could outnumber every game on every system. Ive added a few Dragon Quest items to my collection but thats it.