TPX VGCOLLECT R&D LIST

[tripredacus]

Arcade section cleanup is done. See this thread in News for details:
https://vgcollect.com/forum/index.php/topic,10821.0.html

Now working on a bigger, better, style guide.

[tripredacus]

Moved all games with accessories and accessories with games out of Wii Accessories and into the appropriate games categories.

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De-duped Wii [NA] and Wii [JP]

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War, war never changes. The war on...

- "variant" is complete
- "bundle" is complete [1]
- "reissue" is complete
- "reprint" is complete
- "alternate" is complete

[1]There are a lot of duplicate entries, especially in PS4 section where people have created listings for online package deals. Mostly seem to be these "Soundtrack Editions" from LRG and SLG. If found that these are not actually different releases, and in-fact online "bundles" they will be merged. I am not going about and adding the CDs into the swag category, but I am noting in desc on the game entry that they were also sold with a CD. If we want to be able to track these actual bundles, that contain the game and CD (and whatever else), then we'd be adding entries for shipping boxes.

Also in this run, fixed the box art for Gris, and a shame since the box is entirely black. And you'd never know what it was if the label on the side with the game name wasn't present. https://vgcollect.com/item/170669

[tripredacus]

Taking a short break from working on the Advanced Style Guide to add my Steam games into my collection.
Which also means going through all 385 pages of the Steam category. x_x

[tripredacus]

Steam section gone through. This side-action was caused by the fact there was a bunch of games with Japanese titles on the last page. I didn't look at each individual entry, so there are still going to be a ton that are missing item numbers, have wrong box text or have box text in description. I only focused on entries that had missing or wrong picture, or incorrectly formatted titles. All in all, there are now 380 pages instead of 385, to illustrate how many dupes were in there.

Games that couldn't be confirmed via the Steam Store, SteamDB, GameFAQs or Mobygames were deleted.
Soundtracks were deleted
Physical releases were moved to their appopriate category
Term "DLC" removed from titles
Renamed games got merged, for example:
- Next Car Game -> Wreckfest
- H1Z1: King of the Kill -> Z1 Battle Royale
- All of the Train Simulator 20XX entries -> Train Simulator

The next phase of cleanup for this category that is required is the merging of Store packages with games. There are a lot of entries made for store packages and these should not be present in the db, only the entries for games. For example, there are entries with names like "complete edition" which are not actually games, rather they are store bundles that include games.

[tripredacus]

The Sega NAOMI carts and all Sega Dreamcast game categories have been updated.

NAOMI carts should be complete but may be missing item number variants.
https://vgcollect.com/browse/naomijp

DC [AU] has more but is still missing many releases due to no pictures or undocumented import versions.
https://vgcollect.com/browse/dcau

DC [BR ] should be complete.
https://vgcollect.com/browse/dreamcastbr

DC [EU] General releases should be complete, some import versions are still missing.
https://vgcollect.com/browse/dceu

DC [JP] Should be complete but missing some Repeat-ban and Dorikore versions.
https://vgcollect.com/browse/dcjp

DC [NA] should be complete
https://vgcollect.com/browse/dc

Still waiting on getting the forum theme fixed before I can continue work on the Advanced Style Guide.
Still waiting on feedback regarding VTech categories.

Will look at Dreamcast accessories next.

Also considering my "todo" list is gargantuan, will listen to ideas on whether or not you'd like to see a public todo list that people can use to know what needs work in the db.

[tripredacus]

Dreamcast accessories section updated. I really hate working on accessories...

Next I'll look at the SC-3000 games, but I think that it has finally gotten to the point where the Sega sections are done at least regarding official releases.

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Apparently I already did the SC-3000 games but didn't take it off my list.

Removed watermarked photos and corrected titles in Switch [NA]
Fixed names and images in Nintendo DS hardware section.

Now onto Amiga games.

[tripredacus]

After going through the Genesis/MD hardware category to make sure it complies with the Style Guide and to make sure that examples used in the ID post were as complete as possible, I found that there are 13 console releases missing. So I am going about and determining what is and what isn't the correct information for each of the US releases now, will do CA later. Also thinking of making a post that outlines which console came in which pack, to make it easier for people to determine which boxed entry to add to their collection if they just have a loose console.

I am open to suggestions on any ways we could handle adding loose consoles to the DB.

[dhaabi]

I am open to suggestions on any ways we could handle adding loose consoles to the DB.

Unique indicators such as FCC IDs?

Edit 1: From a quick inspection of some of my own consoles, not every console category could easily rely on other ID numbers besides the model number—which already is the database standard—such as PlayStation 2. For example, the PlayStation 2 has three separate ID sequences on the back of the console: a serial number, a barcode sequence, and an unspecified ID chain following a 0-000-000-00 format. However, only the third ID could be considered, as the former two are unique to each console. This ID chain differs only to determine where the hardware was manufactured in addition to what kind of data code the system has.

Example 1. Example 2. Example 3. These are but three examples of SCPH-39001 manufactured in China. That being said, my own SCPH-39001 was manufactured in Japan, so I'm sure there are plenty of variances within this specific manufactured model variant as well.

There are a lot of variables to consider for entries specific to loose consoles.

Edit 2: After looking at more eBay listings, I actually don't know what the third ID chain sequence is related to, as I've now found differing data codes with the same sequence as the ones in the above examples. At the same time, I've found another 2C data code console which is instead manufactured in Japan which, of course, has its own unique ID chain sequence.

With situations like this, it seems like allowing separate entries just for loose consoles would create not only a huge mess but a difficult challenge to correctly catalog.

[tripredacus]

Nothing so complicated as to using FCC IDs.

Using US Sega Genesis for example, where there are (at least) 55 different boxed releases, there are only 11 consoles:
1601 China
1601 Japan
1601 Taiwan
MK-1631 China
MK-1631 Indonesia
MK-1631 Japan
MK-1631 Malayasia
MK-1631 Taiwan
MK-1631 Thailand
MK-1631A China
MK-1641 Mexico

I myself only have 1 boxed console, but have 5 loose consoles. They are model 1 and all 3 model 1 were available in a Core System pack. But the model 2 consoles were not all available in a Core System pack. Especially the Chinese Model 2 which is only in game packs like Garfield Caught in the Act. We can consider rarity of game packs, whereas Vectorman is slightly common vs Garfield. We can know this by the amount of NFR carts that are on the secondary market. Even Vectorman is "uncommon" IMO and is available in qualities 2-3x that of Garfield on average.

So it is one thing to expect people to add a core system pack to their collection if they have a loose console, but not a specific game pack, especially if it is rather rare. Gamecube probably will have a similar situation (telly would know better) since there are a butt-ton of releases but not a butt-ton of individual consoles.

Anyways, at this time this request for ideas is to be limited to within our current framework of the site and not about changing how things currently work. Perhaps we can even call a vote as to whether people would like to either see loose console entries in Hardware cats, or creating new cats just for loose consoles.

[tripredacus]

Here's another thing, using the Genesis - 6-Pak release
There are actually 2 releases, but currently the description is "merged" on the entry.
https://vgcollect.com/item/113580

Where it has includes "Sega Genesis MK-1631 (Made in China) or MK-1631A (Made in Thailand)"
Each of these releases are exactly the same besides what console is inside, with one exception. The barcode label totally covers the original barcode on the box (because it is using a Core System or Sonic 2 system box like many of the game packs) for the one that has the MK-1631A console in it. And for the one with the MK-1631 console, the barcode covers the original except for the part that says Made in China.

Here is a graphic I made regarding this


Should the entry be left as is (except to note the label situation in the description) or create a new entry so that there is a Made in China and Made in Thailand variation present? We would do this for games, should we also do it for consoles?

[dhaabi]

Should the entry be left as is (except to note the label situation in the description) or create a new entry so that there is a Made in China and Made in Thailand variation present? We would do this for games, should we also do it for consoles?

If separate entries like this were to be accepted, would this also mean that entries could be created for slight variances within an item such as other additional stickers that may or may not be present on an item's packaging?

[tripredacus]

It is already allowed, but the stickers must be official in some capacity.

And it is allowed for games also to have separate entries based on what is included in them, even if it is impossible to discern a difference between releases in sealed form, such as Travis Strikes Again on Switch where one comes with an autograph inside and the other doesn't.
https://vgcollect.com/item/159429
https://vgcollect.com/item/160839

And back on the Genesis console examples, there are 2 boxes for US release of Altered Beast pack. including 1 additional for "Value Pak" label. But disregarding the Value Pak (because we only know it exists due to a picture, but no details about what is inside), there are two boxes, one Made in Taiwan and one Made in Japan. But of these 2 boxes, there are 5 consoles of two types:
- No TMSS: Made in Taiwan, Made in Japan, Made in China
- TMSS: Made in Taiwan, Made in Japan
Currently unknown what box the no TMSS Made in China console came in, but it is accepted knowledge that the Altered Beast pack is the only one where you could get a non-TMSS console. The two Taiwan and Japan consoles are also in unknown, as while the old "match the country" does work out, it is not confirmed that they were sold this way or if they just put in whatever.