Template talk:GameInfobox
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- Please refer to Help:Template for Single-Format Games for an example of how to use this template.
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Multi-Platform template
I've noticed a problem where we have games on multiple platforms, and where this information is put in to the GameInfobox. What happens is that the GameLinkBar template that picks up the 'platform' variable, automatically creates a link at the top of the page. This link, when the 'platform' variable contains multiple platforms, is a dead link to a nonsensical page. This needs to be fixed, but needs a bit of thinking first. Any ideas?
Another WikiMedia site has templates that switch between one and two parts for a section, like should be implemented for the Platforms on this template, look at how the type and ability sections on that template work and see if you can make this work in the same way. - MTC 05:51, 1 May 2005 (UTC)
We could do that, or we could insist that each format has its own page, with a disambiguation page listing the formats, and the formats listed in the main body. Then there could be a template for each game where the story and gameplay is identical across formats for easy editing. So we'd have pages:
- Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (which just holds the text from Template:PrinceofPersiaSandsofTimeformats below)
- Template:PrinceofPersiaSandsofTime (which lists the story, gameplay, and trivia)
- Template:PrinceofPersiaSandsofTimeformats (which states that the game was released on PS2, GC, Xbox, GBA)
- Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (Gamecube) (which has the GameInfobox template specific to the GC, the PrinceofPersiaSandsofTime template, credits (some specific to the GC version probably, so not from a template), and under a subheading of "Alternative formats" the PrinceofPersiaSandsofTimeformats template text)
- And so on for each format ... Xevious
Dates
We ought to try and sort it so the template takes the date which is entered in the form "18/December/2003" and reformats it so it says "18 December, 2004" as it was previously.
We could also do with more simple intructions on how to use the template!
Items within the gameinfobox
I vote we ditch "Principal designer" and add the box for "Alternative Title", as found in a lot of entries already. It's rare that there is a single designer, and they can be listed in the credits section anyway. I've added in the alternative title, but not sure the best way to make that work - we want really to allow multiple alternative titles, and also have them linkable; currently the user would have to put into the template something like:
alternativetitle=Alt Game 1 Huzzah (JP), DEATH AND KILL (US)
which isn't very friendly. Any ideas?
- I am not a fan of the "Principle Designer" box, as this should be in the credits. It does, however, provide an easy way of seeing all games by a given industry personality. The alternative title section is sometimes useful, but generally not. Alternative box art would be a useful addition.
Games in a Series
I am really not convinced about the next game last game entries in the template. Games are generally not part of a series, so these fields will remain unused and clutter up the infobox. What I do think would be useful is a mechanism similar to disambiguation, where we can declare a game to be part of a series, and have a page that lists all games in that series. Perhaps we could even make it a single page, merged with the multi-format process we have? So, if a game is part of a series and/or it is multi-format, we could create a multi-format-style summary page, and have each entry listed on that page. The model for managing the data could be similar to the multi-format template we have, so each game in the series could include a template call that included a link back to the series/multi-format summary page, as well as providing links to the previous and next games in the series. Thoughts? -- tyagi 21:32, 3 Aug 2005 (UTC)
Okay, fair enough. The previous/next games in a series do have to be linked to each page, IMO, and I thought adding it to the GameInfobox would be an easy way of doing that. However, adding another template linking to the previous/next in the series and a page documenting the series in its entirity I do agree with and would probably be a more elegant way of doing things. I'll do a revert. - Halo 12:49, 4 Aug 2005 (UTC)
Superb idea. I like the overall idea of having details of the games in a series easily accessible. This will provide a consistent format for pages such as Gran Turismo (Series) as well. Xevious 16:20, 4 Aug 2005 (UTC)
Right, tried to have a go at creating a Chronology-type thing at Template:Chronology, however I'm having problems getting it to work with GameInfoBox. Care to have a look at it? Thanks :) -Halo 17:13, 4 Aug 2005 (UTC)
I'm happy with having the information linked in some sort of template. Like I said above, we just need to be careful that we don't duplicate similar information to that stored in the disambiguation page for multi-format. What I had in mind was something similar to the Project Zero page, where different formats and the series chronology are stored on the same page. We do really want a one-stop-shop for game series and multi-format information. I like the idea of a link in the footer of an article. Is there an existing component that is added (such as the footer added by a gameinfobox template call) that we could extend, or create an alternative call for multi-format or multi-edition (i.e. series) games? I'm just trying to think of a neat solution for this.. -- tyagi 19:59, 4 Aug 2005 (UTC)
Yeah, I agree there should be pages like that. My current idea is that there is a template where it tells you next/prev game in series for easy navigation), and also link you up to the Project Zero/Gran Turismo (Series) pages. I'm trying to do this using the Chronology template, which would _only_ be added for games as part of a series. Some information would be duplicated, but I believe that this would make it much easier to navigate Halo 21:28, 4 Aug 2005 (UTC)
The idea of an easy navigation template is fine. What I would like to start specifying is the single page that people are taken to when they search for, let's say, Project Zero. If a user keys in Project Zero, they should be taken to a single page, which enables them to easily navigate to any edition of Project Zero on any platform. So, in the navigation template, there needs to be a link back to the central "hub" for that particular game. I would like to see this kind of template used in two scenarios. Firstly, when a game is part of a series, so that the reader can navigate between editions. Secondly, when a game is part of a multi-format group, so that the user can navigate between editions of the game on different platforms. It may not be exactly the same template, but it should look and feel similar. In some cases, Burnout for example, there may be two navigation bars at the bottom of the page. One to move between editions of the game (Burnout, Burnout 2 etc.) and another to move between formats (Burnout 3 on XBox, Burnout 3 on PS2) etc. These shouldn't take up much room, and should "fit together" well. Both navigation bars may have a link back to the game's "central hub". The "hub" idea is really important (I think), so that there's a one-stop-shop for a given game's or game series's information. We only want one page for this stuff. -- tyagi 01:14, 5 Aug 2005 (UTC)
I don't think the second of these is needed - we've already got the "Formats" bit in the body of the game page to switch between formats. As for the single page overseeing the series, I think the page should be structured as follows:
Burnout is available on the following platforms:
{{Games/Burnoutformats}}
Other games in the Burnout series are:
* [[Burnout 2]]
* [[Burnout 3]]
Xevious 11:43, 5 Aug 2005 (UTC)
I've added the Chronology idea to the Burnout 2: Point of Impact page. It seems to add something to these otherwise bare series pages, IMO. Worthwhile keeping? --Barthax 23:47, 21 March 2006 (UTC)
- I like it, provided it's not too much hassle to use? -- tyagi 00:03, 22 March 2006 (UTC)
- I've used it on the other titles in the Burnout series, and it's easy to use. The standard for the end and start of a series? (i.e when there's not another 'next' or 'previous' game?) I've used N/A. -- tyagi 00:09, 22 March 2006 (UTC)
- It certainly works for the smaller series & N/A seems perfectly appropriate. The next level for this that I see is the Street Fighter series - not an easy one to decipher, let alone order. There are series within series here & that's after I've learned my lession :D --Barthax 08:58, 22 March 2006 (UTC)
- I don't like it, but I'm in the minority! I can just see massive problems in lots of series trying to force a chronology. For example, Prince of Persia. Where does Prince of Persia: Revelations (PSP) fit into the series? It's a remake of Prince of Persia: Warrior Within but was released after Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones ... Xevious 09:53, 22 March 2006 (UTC)
- Is it the word Chronology at fault then, would a better word correct your dislike for it or there is there something more fundamental? --Barthax 11:24, 22 March 2006 (UTC)
- I think it's just the idea of trying to put things in a set order when often there is no set order ... Xevious 12:12, 22 March 2006 (UTC)
Publisher
What should be entered when there are different publishers for different regions?
