Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Article guidelines
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This page is considered a guideline on Wikipedia. It is generally accepted among editors and is considered a standard that all users should follow. However, it is not set in stone and should be treated with common sense and the occasional exception. When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on this page's talk page. |
The following are guidelines about article content established by consensus among Wikipedians and members of the WikiProject Video games. Please discuss them on the talk page if you have ideas or questions. An informal guide geared towards editing video game articles to featured status can be found here. You should also be familiar with the guide to writing better articles.
Contents |
[edit] Neutral point of view
 WikiProject Video games |
|
|
|
|
| Main pages | |
| Main project | talk |
| Talk page archive | talk |
| Project category | talk |
| Portal | talk |
| Project cleanup | talk |
| Traffic statistics | talk |
| Manual of style | |
| Article guidelines | talk |
| Naming convention | talk |
| Templates | talk |
| Sources | talk |
| Departments | |
| Assessment | talk |
| Archive | talk |
| Bot log | talk |
| Cleanup | talk |
| Archive | talk |
| Peer review | talk |
| Archive | talk |
| Magazines | talk |
| New! Newsletter | talk |
| Draft | talk |
| Current issue | talk |
| Video Game Images | talk |
| Articles | |
| Articles for deletion | talk |
| Archive | talk |
| New articles | talk |
| Requests | talk |
| Essential articles | talk |
| Featured articles | talk |
| Good articles | talk |
| Task forces | |
| Atari | talk |
| Command & Conquer | talk |
| Devil May Cry | talk |
| New! Gears of War | talk |
| Grand Theft Auto | talk |
| Silent Hill | talk |
| Suikoden | talk |
| StarCraft | talk |
| New! Valve | talk |
| Visual novels | talk |
| Warcraft | talk |
Make sure to write from a neutral point of view. Wikipedia is not the place for writing reviews. If you can provide factual records of opinions, that is of course excellent. Magazine reviews, awards and quotes from game developers (except the developer's own advertising) can and should be used - those carry weight on their own. If there is more than one take on the subject, make sure to include all and to treat all as potentially true. For these, be sure to clarify that they are opinions, not incontrovertible facts.
Watch out for overly general and vague statements, such as "there are many who think Game X is great". Such weasel words are not particularly factual and usually nothing but the author's opinions in disguise. Try to provide more specific information, and back the statement up with references to magazines, websites, etc. In addition, avoid peacock terms; these pieces of fluff actually lower the prose to an unprofessional level.
[edit] Content
[edit] Overview: what content is appropriate for a game article?
Wikipedia is an encyclopedia. Articles on video games should give an encyclopedic overview of a game and its importance to the industry. Readers should be presented with a concise overview of the game's plot and gameplay. It is also important for readers to be able to learn how the game was developed and its commercial and critical reception. Because the encyclopedia will be read by gamers and non-gamers alike, it is important not to clutter an article with a detailed description of how to play it or an excessive amount of non-encyclopedic trivia. A general rule of thumb to follow if unsure: If the content only has value to people actually playing the game, it is unsuitable. Always remember the bigger picture: video game articles should be readable and interesting to non-gamers.
Content that is inappropriate for wikipedia may find a good home at gaming wikis: Encyclopedia Gamia for general info/trivia, StrategyWiki for walkthrough/strategy/gameplay content, and GamerWiki or Wikibooks Electronic games bookshelf. To propose that an article or section should be copied to a gaming wiki, use the {{Copy to gaming wiki}} tag. See Help:Transwiki on how to move information to other wikis. To simply tag such information for removal, please add the {{gameguide}} tag to the article in question.
[edit] Essential content
Each video game article should include a minimum set of standard elements:
- An infobox, completed correctly and appropriately. See the VG Templates for more instructions on how to use the different templates that are used in writing video game articles.
- The {{WikiProject Video games}} template placed on the article's Talk page. This lets others know that the article is part of WikiProject Video Games.
- A "Development" or "History" section. Specifically for articles about games, it is essential to explain how the game was made. This information is highly useful in constructing articles on fictional aspects within a game as well.
- A "Reception" section. This shows the impact that the subject had on the game industry: commercially, artistically, and technologically.
- When writing about a game, be sure to categorize it by genre, platform, and year. See Wikipedia:Categorization.
If these essential pieces of information cannot be found in reliable sources, then it may be more appropriate to merge this topic into a parent article.
[edit] How to research essential content
Finding critical review for older games may be difficult as most publication was done in print gaming magazines before the explosive growth of the Internet. Several project members have kept old copies of certain video game publications. A list of users and notable data is kept at Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Magazines. If you find something relevant to your article on that page, contact an appropriate user to request referencing.
If you wish to contribute to the project, please add your username to issues you have or create new issue listings if none currently exist. Please be thorough when checking magazines, and be sure to wikify game titles. Follow the simple table format.
If you prefer, add {{User WPCVGm}} to your user page to generate interest in the project.
[edit] Inappropriate content
Below is a list of content that is generally considered beyond the scope of information of Wikipedia articles on video games.
- Non-notable articles and spinouts: Avoid creating new articles on non-notable topics. A notable topic must receive significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject. A smaller article should only be split from a larger topic if the new article would itself be notable.
- Numerous short articles: One large article usually provides better organization and context for a topic. Don't create multiple small articles when one larger compilation will do. The ideal article is neither too large nor too small.
- Based on: Wikipedia's guideline on article size
- Detailed instructions: Saying that a character can jump, shoot, and drop bombs is helpful to understand the game, but avoid explaining button combinations or cheat codes.
- Strategy guides and walkthroughs: Basic strategy concepts are helpful to understand the game, but avoid details about how to solve puzzles and defeat certain foes.
- Excessive fictional details: A concise plot summary is appropriate to cover a notable game, character, or setting. Information beyond that is unnecessary and should be removed.
- Lists of gameplay items, weapons, or concepts. Specific point values, achievements, time-limits, character moves, character weight classes, and so on are considered inappropriate. Sometimes a concise summary is appropriate if it is essential to understanding the game or its significance in the industry.
- Cost: The cost of games, products, or subscriptions in any form should not be included in articles. This includes point values in online stores. Wikipedia is not a sales catalog.
- Homebrew clones and remakes: These are generally included for self-promotion and may infringe on copyrighted works.
- Based on: Wikipedia is not a soapbox
- Rumors and speculation: Speculation about future games, or rumors about content within a game, should not be included.
These standards have been developed in accordance with fundamental Wikipedia policies and guidelines and reflect the consensus of the community. All editors should understand and follow these standards, though they should be treated with common sense and the occasional exception.
[edit] Exceptions
There are always exceptions to these rules. In general, anything can become suitable for coverage in Wikipedia if it is given significant attention by reliable sources. For example:
- It is usually inappropriate to explain strategies, but the "lurking" exploit in Asteroids is an exception because it changed the way developers test their games for exploits.[1]
- It is usually inappropriate to describe game items in detail. But describing the portal gun from Portal is necessary to understand the game, and has significant coverage in reliable game news reports.[2]
- It is usually inappropriate to include cost information, but the price of the PlayStation 3 is an exception because it has been criticized by reliable gaming news sites.[3] This should be included in the "Reception" section.
- It is usually inappropriate to mention or list homebrews and fan remakes of games. However, certain specific homebrew games, such as Grid Wars and Armagetron Advanced, have achieved notability because of their far-reaching impact on the game(s) they are based on.
- If a short article that has existed for some time is to be merged (per #2 above), merge the content first and only redirect the short article once consensus determines the merge is of sufficient quality.
[edit] Style
This is an encyclopedia, and articles should be written formally, not like FAQs, fansites, or player's guides. In addition to the Manual of Style, keep these video game-centric style tips in mind:
- Do not use second-person pronouns ("you"). In addition to being ambiguous, informal, and unencyclopedic, we cannot assume that the reader is planning on playing the game. Use "the player," the name of the player-controlled character, or put the sentence in the passive voice. Example: "You can fight the boss" becomes "the player can fight the boss," "the character can fight the boss," "Link can fight the boss," or "the boss can be fought." See also Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Avoid second-person pronouns.
- When writing about a game's story elements be sure to keep a real-world perspective. Simply put, do not describe fiction as fact. For example: "Link awakens after hearing a telepathic message from Zelda." This sentence talks about fiction from a perspective within its world. "The start of the game shows Link awaking after hearing a telepathic message from Zelda." This sentence talks about fiction from the perspective out of its world.
- Use italics for game titles, but not character names. Ninja Gaiden is okay; Ryu Hayabusa is not.
- Avoid confusing abbreviations, unless they are standard. PS2 is okay; LoZ:OoT is probably not. Instead, try shortening the title to a few key words: LoZ:OoT becomes Ocarina.
- When filling out the infobox for a downloadable game (for example, a game on Xbox Live Arcade), the media field should simply read "download" (no quotes).
- When filling out the infobox for a multi-platform game, the platforms in the platform field should be listed in chronological order; however, if the game was released on multiple platforms on the same day, then list those certain platforms in alphabetical order.
- Please use appropriate external link templates, such as {{Nintendo.com}}, {{Moby game}}, {{Hotu}} and {{GameFAQs}}. Only add templates when they provide additional, or corroborative, encyclopedic information to the article.
- Substandard and fluffy prose are unacceptable, even in underdeveloped articles. Ask for copyeditors to help enhance your article's prose, even if you are a solid writer. Avoid redundancies and misplaced formality, such as "in order to" and "upon". You may wish to read "How to satisfy Criterion 1a".
[edit] Verb tense
- When describing a video game or console itself in the abstract, use present tense unless a reliable source proves that no instances of the product exist or the product was never released.
- "The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console."
- "Star Fox 2 was a flying shooter game in development for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was canceled prior to the release of Star Fox 64."
- However, when describing a specific event related to a console or game, such as production, advertising, reviews, etc., use a tense appropriate for the time period in which the event occurred. Be careful to avoid phrasing that may confuse past and present tense.
- "The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console designed by Nintendo, which was released in 1985."
- "The PS3 is currently being sold worldwide."
- Similarly, use the present tense for describing things happening in the games (including gameplay), not the past tense. This is logical; even if a game was released decades ago, it still performs the same today as it did on release. Game plots should always be written in present tense, as they happen when the game is played and have not happened. An exception is when describing events that take place prior to the events of the game. For example,
- "Throughout the game, Pac-Man is chased by four ghosts."
- "At the beginning of the game, Niko Bellic arrives in Liberty City" as opposed to "At the beginning of the game, Niko Bellic arrived in Liberty City". This event is seen at the beginning of the game, therefore the latter would be incorrect.
- "Four hundred years prior to the start of the game, the Lefeinish watched their country decline as the Wind Orb went dark."
[edit] Japanese and other foreign titles
As the inclusion of Japanese titles can enhance an article on a video game by providing additional cultural context, when possible these titles should be provided as follows.
- Japanese titles should only be provided for games of Japanese origin whose official English name differs significantly from its Japanese name. Phonetic transcriptions are, as a rule, not considered to be significantly different and thus do not warrant the inclusion of Japanese titles. However, games known in English-speaking countries by their phonetic Japanese titles (e.g. Katamari Damacy) are an exception to this rule; these games should also have their Japanese titles included for clarity.
-
- In cases where the meaning of the Japanese title differs from the official English title, Japanese titles should be accompanied by English translations. These translations should be enclosed in quote marks to indicate their unofficial status.
- Although optional, phonetic transliterations of the Japanese titles are strongly recommended to aid Japanese speakers who are not familiar with kanji. Romanization should follow the Manual of Style guidelines on romanization.
- Japanese titles, transliterations, and translations should be added using the standard properties of the {{nihongo}} template. Only the English title should be placed in bold characters per the first sentence guidelines in the Manual of Style.
Similar guidelines apply to other games of non-English origin, such as Korean RPGs.
[edit] Gaming jargon
Gaming jargon is often used in reviews, internet forums and casual conversation about video games. It usually functions as a shorthand, for example, writing "stats" instead of "properties" or "statistics". This is in contrast to other jargon like medical and legal jargon, where the specialist language is most of a technical nature, and knowledge of the terms is required to understand a topic. Because of this 'unnecessary' nature of gaming jargon, it is best to avoid using it altogether. Another reason is that this sets apart Wikipedia as an encyclopedia when dealing with video games, rather than a fan-written article. Finally, all the reasons put forward in WP:Explain jargon apply here as well. A non-exhaustive list of common gaming jargon to be avoided:
- -able suffix
- Playable, usable, viewable. The relevance of something being 'playable' rather than static is contained within the word 'playable': this notion will escape someone unfamiliar with the term.
- stat, combo, slot
- Abbreviations mostly associated with internet culture and sometimes incorrect in regular English. For example, "stats" may refer to "properties" rather than "statistics".
- tank, buff, aggro, rush
- Multiplayer culture words.
- XP, HP, RPG, RTS, MMO
- Introduce the abbreviations only when the term is used often; if mentioned only once or twice, the terms should be written in full ("hit points"). If the term is extensively used, the first occurance should have the full term with a note on the abbreviation; for example: "hit points (HP)".
- Experience points, spells, dungeons, level
- Though not bad in themselves, all of these imply certain things that a reader unfamiliar with the terms may not know. Consider if there are other terms available, and whether the game explicitly mentions these terms: many places in role playing games are called "dungeons" while not referred to as dungeons in the game, for example.
- Blogosphere
- General internet buzzwords that should be avoided in an encyclopedia.
[edit] Naming convention
This section is a complement to Wikipedia's naming conventions, not a replacement. Always consider Wikipedia:Naming conventions when naming a page.
[edit] General
- If conventions conflict, prefer the most specific convention (e.g., WikiProject Final Fantasy's naming convention for articles related to the Final Fantasy universe).
- Do not capitalize second and subsequent words unless the title is a proper noun (such as a name) or is otherwise almost always capitalized (e.g. "Cloud Strife", but "Buster sword").
- In general, use page names with singular nouns (e.g., "Key item", not "Key items").
- Except for titles of works or official names, avoid the definite ("the") and indefinite ("a"/"an") articles at the beginning of a page name. This applies even if the subject of the page is usually preceded by the definite article "the" in speech or writing (e.g. "City of the Ancients" is preferred over "The City of the Ancients").
- Use standard English for titles, even if trademarks encourage otherwise (e.g. "Invader Zim" is preferred over "Invader ZIM").
- Consider creating redirects to the correct page from pages with names similar to the correct one and from pages with names which are discouraged per this convention. Also consider adding hatnotes linking between articles with similar names.
[edit] Games
- Always use the original official title of the game, English titles are preferred over foreign ones except in cases where an official English title does not exist. Unofficial titles (e.g. "Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn") are not acceptable. Subtitles and pre-titles are allowed if deemed appropriate but are not necessary. Usage of taglines in titles is not permitted.
- For the purpose of naming, modifications (mods) are considered stand-alone video games (e.g., "Counter-Strike" is preferred over "Half-life Counter-Strike").
- For series that use either Arabic numerals or Roman numerals to denote the order of games in the series, use the numerals in the official titles for the games, even if their types vary from game to game. For example, Final Fantasy IV instead of "Final Fantasy 4", and Quake 4 instead of "Quake IV". When Roman numerals are used, consider providing a redirect that uses Arabic numerals (for example, "Final Fantasy 4" should redirect to Final Fantasy IV); a similar redirect is not necessary for Roman numeral equivalents.
[edit] Lists
- A list article's title should accurately describe its content.
- Lists should be named "List of..." (e.g. "List of Final Fantasy titles").
[edit] Disambiguation
- Do not disambiguate unless a naming conflict exists.
- Never make a disambiguation tag longer than necessary.
- For original video games: If not unambiguous already, disambiguate using numerics and subtitles when part of the official title (e.g. "Need for Speed: ProStreet"). Further disambiguation can be made by appending "(video game)" or "(YEAR video game)". The former is preferable. Using "(video game)" is prefered over "(computer game)", "(arcade game)" or similar. Using only "(game)" is discouraged.
- For platform-specific remakes: Disambiguate by appending "([platform])" to the title (e.g. "Final Fantasy IV (Nintendo DS)").
- For modifications: Disambiguate by appending "(video game)", or, if necessary, "(video game mod") or "([Title of original game] mod)". The former is preferable.
- For video game series: Disambiguate by appending "(series)", or, if necessary, "(video game series)". The former is preferable.
- For characters: Disambiguate by appending "([Title of the game])" after the character's name (e.g. "Lulu (Final Fantasy X)"). If the subject appears across several titles in a series, then use "([Title of the series])" (e.g., "Cid (Final Fantasy)"). If the subject's name is the same as of the game, then use "(character)" (e.g. "Rayman (character)").
Use hatnotes and disambiguation pages when disambiguation in naming is used. Disambiguation pages are not required if the only disambiguation exists between similarly named articles related to the same video game series, but hatnotes are strongly encouraged to point between these items on their individual pages. Hatnotes should always be used to provide pointers to a disambiguation page or article if the other topics are not directly to the video game, series, or other related topics.
[edit] Pop culture citations
Video games have been around long enough to have made their mark in influencing pop culture. Likewise, recognizing a subject's influence on popular culture can enhance an entry subject's notability on Wikipedia. WikiProject Video games recognizes this, and has allowed for the inclusion of pop culture related material with the placement of an In pop culture in Wikipedia video game related entries, along with its subheaders In Film/Television and In Music. However, material included in this section must still adhere to Manual of Style guidelines on trivia as well as suggested guidelines on In Popular Culture appearances.
The following guidelines are to be used for judging if content is notable enough to be included in a pop culture section:
- All entries must be directly related to the brand and/or character.
- Worth mention: A licensed TV show based on the game Pac-Man.
- Not worth mention: A sports figure who has adopted the nickname "Pac-Man" because of perceived similarities between the person and the character.
- In references to film or television, an appearance is worth inclusion when the game or character in question plays a significant part of the storyline, dialogue, or scene. With very few exceptions, the film, television show, novel, or other work should meet the relevant Wikipedia:Notability criteria for the appearance to be worth mention. Examples of different types of appearance include:
- Worth mention: The game or related subject is a literal character in the film. The game is integral to the plot of the work (e.g. it would be named in a well-written plot summary). For example, World of Warcraft is significantly featured in the South Park episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft", and should be mentioned within the Warcraft article.
- Consensus needed: The game or related subject is being played by the major character(s) and is the major subject of the dialog in at least one scene. The game is being played and the game events are an illustration, counterpoint, or ironic commentary on the subject of the discussion—note this must be obvious or sourced to a reliable secondary source, or it will likely be labeled original research. Consider the importance of the dialog or scene to the work as a whole. The second segment of Futurama's "Anthology of Interest II" contains numerous video game references and parodies, some which are more integral to the plot than others. The inclusion of this episode on the specific video game articles would need to be determined by editor consensus.
- Not worth mention: The game or related subject is only mentioned in passing, or is just a source of occasional interruptions of the real conversation. The game is being played only because the playing of any game is needed for the scene, for example to give the characters something to do or to be distracted by, even if the game is specifically named. The game appears as a background prop. For example, Gears of War is briefly shown in the first few minutes of the movie Live Free or Die Hard but is never referred to by name or appears later; this would not warrant a mention.
- In references to music, the appearance is worth inclusion when the game or character is integral to the artist, album, or song itself. Examples of worthiness would be where the game or character is part of the song presentation (artwork), song title, album title, or the subject of the song itself. Having a brief mention in the midst of the song does not constitute notability.
- If there are multiple notable appearances in a specific medium, they should be combined and summarized. For example, multiple notable appearances of Pac-Man in the TV show "Family Guy" can be summarized in a single paragraph.
- All instances must be documented and follow Wikipedia policies on citing sources and verifiability. Specifically in regards to television citations, a citation to the specific episode using {{cite episode}} should be used. Any entries not following these guidelines will be marked {{fact}} and eventually removed if suitable reference is not found.
[edit] Sources
Articles related to video games must follow the requirements for verification and use appropriate reliable sources with inline citations to support the article. A description of what are considered to be reliable sources for video game-related articles and other specific sourcing issues may be found at Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Sources.
There are several considerations for video game-related articles in regards to sourcing:
- Using sites like Gamespot and IGN as reliable sources for older games (pre-2000) should be carefully considered. While such sites are considered to be reliable sources today, prior to around the turn of the century, they did not necessarily possess this same credibility. Most video games with content pre-dating 2000 should include content from print journals for information released during that time.
- Gameplay sections should be sourced. This can be sourced using the user's manual for the game, in addition to reviews for the game and other reliable sources.
- Similarly, plot sections should also be sourced; again, the user's manual and reviews may help here, but one may also find sufficient information contained within strategy guides or FAQs.
[edit] External links
External links in video game articles should follow the same convention for external links on Wikipedia in general. Certain links are recommended for video game articles, while other links should be avoided. Specifically, external links should provide information that, barring copyright and technical restrictions, would be part of a Featured Article on Wikipedia. Restricting the type of external links to be added to video game articles helps to avoid the section from becoming a link farm. Additionally, Wikipedia is not a game guide - external links should not be added to include material that explicitly defines the gameplay on certain aspects of the video game.
Appropriate external links - These links should be present if possible in a video game article
- A video game's official home page (provided by the developer or publisher). Only the English version of the page should be included if there are multiple languages. If no English version exists, then the official page in the language of the country of first publication should be provided, but indicate that the site is in a foreign language. If the developer and publisher each offer a different site, include both.
- The developers' and publishers' home pages. If, however, the official game site is housed on the developer or publishers pages that allows for obvious navigation to the main developer/publisher site, these may not be necessary.
- A download source for games that are freely downloadable (such as in freeware or shareware), if such links are completely separate from the game's home page
- If the page contains substantial information that is relevant but not necessarily encyclopedic in nature, a video game's page at MobyGames or the Internet Movie Database may be added on a case by case basis.
Inappropriate external links - These links should be avoided in video game articles, though if determined by consensus to be valuable, they may be included
- The video game's page at 1up, GameSpot, IGN, GameSpy and other commercial video game news and reviews sites - Such links can be seen as promotion of the associated commercial sites.
- Fan-based sites, including those that may extend from the commercial sites listed above (for example, PlanetQuake) - These tend to be self-published venues and are not appropriate for verifiability within Wikipedia.
- Forums, even if official forums provided by the developer/publisher of the game - Again, these are self-published forums and are not appropriate
- Links to modern remakes (homebrew clones) - these are generally included for self-promotion and may infringe on copyrighted works
Unacceptable external links - These links are never allowed in video game articles and should be deleted without discussion if found
- Links to sites that offer complete downloads of video games, ROM or ISO images, or other copyright-infringing works. This includes materials that may be considered abandonware - while the copyright of these works may be in question, Wikipedia's policy forbids even questionable links.
[edit] Screenshots and cover art
- See also: the Video game images department
For information on adding pictures, see Wikipedia:Picture tutorial.
Wikipedians assert that screenshots of video games and box or cover art usage are protected under the fair use provision of U.S. Copyright law (but see exceptions below). To notify others of the copyright status of such images, uploaded game cover art should include the tag {{Non-free game cover}}. Screenshots of a game should include the tag {{Non-free game screenshot}}. Some screenshots or box covers may be categorized elsewhere, in which case the uploader is still required to provide valid information on the image's source and copyright status. For rendered art or other official graphics that are not screenshots, use the general {{Non-free character}}, {{Non-free promotional}}, or {{Non-free fair use in}} tag and provide information (See Wikipedia:Non-free content for information on what the requirements are). Game company logos may use the {{Non-free logo}} tag. Do not upload screenshots that have been watermarked.
All non-free images must be accompanied by a fair use rationale for each article they appear in, explaining why the image is being used in that article. Any such images that do not contain a proper rationale may be deleted in accordance with Wikipedia's deletion policy. See {{vgrationale}} for a simple template that can help in adding rationales to the most common types of images.
If the video game itself uses a free license (for example GPL), that license extends to screenshots produced by the game. In such cases, use the appropriate free software tag instead. In addition, Ubisoft has also granted Wikipedia free licenses for screenshots of games produced by them. (See {{Ubisoft-screenshot}}). Free images do not need a fair use rationale.
Screenshots are great for enhancing the comprehensiveness of articles, and all computer and video game articles should have at least a couple. Do not go overboard, because excessive placement of fair use images has been known to spark controversy and objection, especially with Featured Article candidates. Cover art should appear in the infobox (see below for more info on the infobox), and ideally, the most recognizable English-language cover should be used to illustrate the subject.
For video game consoles or other hardware, it is preferred that users take their own pictures and upload them. Whenever possible, replace copyrighted images with free (public domain or GNUFDL) alternatives.
For captions, try to conform to the guidelines set forth in Wikipedia:Captions and Wikipedia:WikiProject Writing Captions.
[edit] Image file formats
For box art, JPEG will work fine. PNG or SVG are preferred for logos.
Now with the easy stuff out of the way, the file format used for screenshots depends entirely on what type of image it is. JPEGs are fine for most 3D games and some 2D games. Games with a strong emphasis on pixel art/sprites should use PNG. GIFs should only be used for animated images.
[edit] Release dates
Release dates should be provided for video game releases in the {{Infobox VG}} template as well as summarized in the article's lead. Release dates should be provided from primarily English-speaking regions, including North America, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand. If the video game is first released in a non-English country, commonly in Japan, then that should also be stated. Region releases (North America, Europe, or even PAL region) are preferred to specific country releases unless there are significant differences in release dates. Releases in non-English countries should not be included in the infobox (unless it is first released in a non-English country), but if determined to be necessary to include, can be discussed further in the article's body.
Care should be taken in stating release dates. Many commercial gaming sites, such as GameSpot, IGN, and 1UP.com, supply accurate dates, as well as vendor sites such as Amazon.com or GameStop. Dates should be provided in the form [[September 13]], [[2006]] as to allow user date preference formatting to work properly while also allowing those without such preference to see the date as, for example, "September 13, 2006".
Sites lacking exact information may list the game as being released on January 1 or December 31 of a given year, as to fit into a database format, though neither date is a likely video game release date. If other sources cannot confirm the day of the release, simply leave the release date as the year of release by using {{vgy|2008}}, which produces [[2008 in video gaming|2008]].
For unreleased games, vendor sites should not be used as verifiable sources since their date is likely based on their best estimate of when the game is to be out; always look for corroborating statements from reliable sources to confirm these dates. If no exact day is given, insert the year of release as {{vgy|2008}}. If a general timeframe ("first quarter", "early") or even month is provided, include this before the year, but do not link these terms (see date formatting in the Manual of Style). Avoid the use of seasonal estimate release dates ("winter", "summer") as these have different meanings in different parts of the world. If the game is announced but no release date is given, state this as [[TBD]]. Additionally, unreleased games should include the {{future game}} template at the start of the article to inform the reader that the game is yet unreleased. This template should be removed once the game is released in any part of the world.
Keep in mind that some publishers may advertise a "release date", while some may advertise an "in-store date", and some may advertise both. (See Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for an example of both.) Usually, but not always, the "release date" is the date on which the publisher ships the game to retailers, resulting in an in-store date of between one and three days later. In general, a video game article should use the official release date and not the in-store date, if two separate dates are announced.
Within the infobox, release dates should be provided using the {{vgrelease}} template. Even if this format is not used, do not use flag icons in the infobox, instead, state the region/country by name or by their 2 or 3-letter country codes.
If the game is available for multiple platforms, group release dates first by platform, then by country. Thus, a game that may come out for the Xbox 360 then later for the PlayStation 3, group all the Xbox 360 release dates under one heading, then all the PlayStation 3 releases under a second. If a remake is covered within the same article as its original game, further group release dates by original and remakes, then by console, then by country.
Should the number of consoles or remakes become excessively large, consider stating only the first release or primary console within the infobox and summarizing the other release dates within the article body.
[edit] Organization
Here are a few ideas for how to organize articles. These do not necessarily have to correspond to the actual section headers and divisions, and they are no more than suggestions. Do not try to conform to them if they are not helping to improve the article.
For games:
- Lead section: The name of the game in bold italics, release date, platform, and other identifying information go first. Then, a brief summary of the article. Finally, why the game is notable and important; this is the key part of the lead section, because it establishes the main idea that will be carried throughout the article.
- Infobox: see below for more information.
- Gameplay: going over the significant parts of how the game works. Remember not to include player's guide or walkthrough material.
- Plot: if the plot is not too complex, it can be lumped in with the gameplay; otherwise, put it in its own section. If necessary, the section should have subheadings for the story's setting, characters, and story. Avoid trivial details.
- History: discuss development, release, impact, critical acclaim, etc. This can easily be several different sections.
- Trivia: Such information should be integrated into appropriate areas of the article.
- External links and references. Cite sources! If you are unsure what to include for references, game instruction booklets, guides, reviews, and interviews are all good candidates.
For characters:
- Lead section: The name of the character or series (if a group of characters) in bold italics, name of the company and/or designers that developed them, and other identifying information go first. Then, a brief summary of the article. Finally, why the character(s) is notable and important; this is the key part of the lead section, because it establishes the main idea that will be carried throughout the article.
- Infobox: Articles on a single character should have a character infobox. Articles on a group of characters should have an infobox omitted.
- Concept and design: going over the process in which the character(s) was created and designed.
- Appearances: This should list any games or related media that the character appeared in and briefly discuss their role in the game. This section should normally be integrated into the rest of the character section if in a list or article on a group of characters.
- Merchandise: This section should be included if the likeness of the character(s) has been used extensively on merchandise and marketing material. Types of merchandise should be include and if possible release dates and regions of the merchandise
- Reception: This should detail how the character(s) was received by critics. Criticism about the game itself should generally be omitted as the character(s) is the subject of the article.
- Trivia: Such information should be integrated into appropriate areas of the article.
- External links and references. Cite sources! If you are unsure what to include for references, game instruction booklets, guides, reviews, and interviews are all good candidates.
For settings:
- Lead section: The name of the setting or fictional world in bold italics, name of the company and/or designers that developed them, and other identifying information go first. Then, a brief summary of the article. Finally, why the setting is notable and important; this is the key part of the lead section, because it establishes the main idea that will be carried throughout the article.
- Infobox: Most articles on a setting should have an infobox omitted. There are exceptions though.
- Concept and design: going over the process in which the setting was created and designed.
- In-game content: This should section should be include information about the setting as it applies to the game. Briefly discuss the role in the game and any aspects of the in-game world that is notable and/or an important fact to the game. This section should not contain excessive detail about the game's plot, descriptions about the setting, or game guide information.
- Reception: This should detail how the setting or aspects of the setting were received by critics. Criticism about the game itself should generally be omitted as the setting is the subject of the article.
- Trivia: Such information should be integrated into appropriate areas of the article.
- External links and references. Cite sources! If you are unsure what to include for references, game instruction booklets, guides, reviews, and interviews are all good candidates.
[edit] Other guidelines
As per a very lengthy debate, full names should be used for video game character article namespaces when they appear in-game. Otherwise the common name should be used.
[edit] Example articles
[edit] Featured Articles
The featured articles are what Wikipedia editors believe are the best articles in Wikipedia. Before being listed here, articles are reviewed at Wikipedia:Featured article candidates for accuracy, neutrality, completeness, and style according to our featured article criteria. Bold article names have been featured on the Main Page on "Today's featured article".
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Esquire, February 1981
- ^ Bramwell, Tom (2007-05-15). Portal: First Impressions. Eurogamer. Retrieved on 2007-10-05.
- ^ Riyad Emeran (2007-03-23). Sony PlayStation 3. Trustedreviews.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-10.
