Editing Rules: Games
Games pages are for individual video games. Each page should be formatted according to the rules set forth below. Also, not every game is eligible to be included in the Video Game Music Preservation Foundation. Check the rules in the Editing Rules: Recordings before adding a new game page. For an example of a game page that meets the VGMPF standards, see Bionic Commando (NES).
Contents
Sections
All of the following applicable sections should be included in a game's page.
Template
Each game page should begin with a Game template which will include some basic information about the game and set the page into the necessary categories.
General
The game's general description should briefly describe the game's genre and game play elements as well as a brief outline of the plot (if one exists). If you wish to comment on the game's quality, you should only make objective statements like, "It is highly ranked on MobyGames," as opposed to, "This game is the best!" You may compare the game to similar games in a shared genre or to ports of the game on other platforms, but be conservative. The objective of this section to to describe the game, not review it.
If an existing general description is too opinion-oriented, too short, or too long, use the Issue Content template.
Screenshots
There should be six screenshots for a game. The first screenshot should always be the title screen of the game (or equivalent). With the remaining five, try to get a good sampling of what the early portions of the game has to offer including menus, game play, dialog, etc., but avoid spoilers. For details about the graphic format and style, see the graphics rules.
If the game page doesn't have enough screenshots, use the Issue Screenshots template.
Music
The music section consists of the VGMPF album art, a description of the soundtrack, a digital recording of the soundtrack, the game's audio credits, a list of official soundtracks, the ripped soundtrack, and the audio devices used by the game. Each is described in more detail below.
General
The general music description is stored under the Music sub-header. It should pertain to the genres and styles used in the soundtrack, the process used by the composers and programmers to make the soundtrack (including any software, hardware, and instruments used), and any other game-specific soundtrack information. Information pertaining to a specific song should be written in the song's individual page.
Avoid personal comments and opinions in this section. If you want to make a statement about the quality of the music, you should report objective statements like, "this soundtrack sold a million copies," as opposed to, "I think this soundtrack is the best ever!" You may make comparisons between the sound of the audio on different devices, or on ports to other platforms.
If you have created album art for this soundtrack, include it at the top of the section.
If an existing general description is too opinion-oriented, too brief, or too long, use the Issue Content template.
Recording
The recording section should include a table of the recorded Vorbis soundtrack. The table should include the fields: # (Track number), Title, Composer, Arranger (if needed), Length, Listen, and Download. See the Editing Rules: Recordings for instructions on how to properly add a soundtrack to the Wiki.
If the recording is incomplete, use the Issue Recording template. If it doesn't have the correct timing, use the Issue Timing template.
If you have included screenshots of the song titles, they should be included after the recording table.
Credits
The credits section should list those VGMPF users who ripped and recorded the soundtrack, then the official game credits, and finally any non-credited audio personal. The order of the game credits should match those in the game.
If possible, include a screenshot of the game's audio credits as a source, and add it to the Game Credits listing. If you can't find a source for the music, use the Issue Source template. If you are confident the game doesn't have credits, include the Games Without Credits category.
If game credits for a game are found on more than one screen, the multiple screenshots should be merged into one .png file with a 1 pixel line separating each screenshots.
Albums
This section is optional. If one or more songs from the game's soundtrack has been published on a soundtrack album, add this section. Include each album that utilizes the game's music by using the Album template.
Game Rip
The Game Rip section should contain a download link for the ripped soundtrack using the Rips template. If the rip is incomplete or missing, use the Issue Rip template.
If known, you should also include the process for ripping the music from the game, and the process and software used to record the rip. If the process is extremely technical, give a brief explanation, and include the more technical details on the game's talk page.
Audio Devices
This section is optional. The audio devices section is used to give details about the various audio devices the game can utilize. This section may not be needed if the game only uses the expected output of the platform (SNES games, for example), but should be added if any of the following criteria are met:
- If the game has more than one audio output device (most 8 and 16-bit computer games).
- The platform tends to use unique hardware for each game (like arcade games).
- The game modifies the built-in audio device (NES games with additional audio hardware).
- If the game uses MIDI output, explain that it can be sent to any MIDI capable device.
If an audio devices section is needed, list each audio device the game can be configured to use for music and sound effects. Try to get screenshots of the audio setup program, and include them as sources, as well as in the Audio Setup section.
If an audio devices section should be made, but doesn't yet exist, use the Issue Devices template. If you have an audio devices section, but don't have a source, use the Issue Source template.
Releases
In order to keep the site friendly to non-American visitors, the Releases section should display the release information, cover art, and localized title for the game in each country the game was released. It is not necessary to include every single release for each country. Accurate release dates and publishers can be found at mobygames.com. Include the full publisher name (e.g., Nintendo should be listed as "Nintendo, Co., Ltd." or "Nintendo of America, Inc.", not just "Nintendo").
If a release is missing, use the Issue Releases template.
Links
Links to helpful pages covering the game should be included here especially to authorities like mobygames.com, gamefaqs.com, and Wikipedia.
Categories
There are several additional categories that can be added to a game page that are not covered in the templates. Add all that apply.
| Category | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Needed Song Descriptions | Used when one or more of the soundtrack's song pages have not yet been made. |
| Non-Game Soundtracks | Used for software that isn't a game, but comes with music (like music composer programs). |
