Wikipedia:WikiProject Computer and video games
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| Image:Evolution-tasks.png | WikiProject: Computer and video games |
| Template:Gamebox contents | |
This is WikiProject Computer and video games, a project created to set standards for the improvement and expansion of articles related to computer and video games. The guidelines herein have been developed by consensus and we advise that all computer and video game-related articles follow them, though articles are not obligated to do so. Mainly, we just want people to write articles!
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Information
Goal
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This WikiProject aims primarily to set a baseline for the improvement and expansion of articles related to computer and video games. Some users have complained that pop-culture topics, such as games, tend to lack standardization. This WikiProject provides a meeting place for improving articles on computer and video games.
Weekly collaboration
Each week a Gaming Collaboration of the week is voted upon as a focus for all participants involved in the project. Articles that qualify for the GCotW include ones that have yet to be created, stubs, and underdeveloped articles. In the same vein; for articles that already exist in non-stub form, but are not up to featured status, there is the weekly computer and video games improvement drive.
The aim of both collaborations is to improve the quality of Wikipedia's computer and video game articles through widespread cooperative editing.
Peer review
To improve the quality of computer and video game related articles there is a CVG Peer Review that users can use to nominate articles so that they may become featured articles. Please do not nominate articles that are stubs or articles that are underdeveloped. Please see Weekly collaboration for that.
Hierarchy
Wikiprojects
The following Wikiprojects are related to this page:
- WikiProject Games (parent project)
- WikiProject Computer and Video Games (this project)
Other pages
These pages also fall under this Wikiproject: Template:Portalpar
- Current computer and video games events
- To Fix - Listing articles that need to have an infobox added.
- Essential articles - Listing essential articles to be used to select candidates for Wikipedia 1.0, or perhaps even to create a CVG WikiReader.
- Noticeboard
Similar Wikiprojects
Similar WikiProjects include WikiProject Computing, WikiProject Entertainment and WikiProject Arcade games.
Participants
Template:Userboxtop Template:User WPCVG Template:Userboxbottom Anyone interested in joining and participating in this WikiProject is free to do so. You may indicate your participation by adding the userbox Template:Tl to your user page, shown on the right. This will add you to Category:WikiProject Computer and video games members. This section contains a commented list formerly used for participants. Once you have been added to the category, please remove your name from the list.
Recognition
Image:BarnstarCVG.png You can award the CVG Star to those users you feel have gone the extra mile to improve computer and video games-related articles. Here is an award template: {{subst:Barnstar_CVG|text on award}}
Computer and video games article guidelines
Template:FAPath Note that these are suggested guidelines established by consensus among Wikipedians. Please discuss them on the talk page if you have ideas.
Neutral point of view
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 in fact opinions, not incontrovertible facts.
Watch out for overly general and vague statements along the lines of "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 by references to magazines, websites, etc.
Content
Common elements
Each computer or video game article should include a minimum set of standard elements, as follows:
- An infobox, completed correctly and appropriately. See the infobox detail below.
- Appropriate categorization by genre, platform, and year. See Wikipedia:Categorization.
- The {{cvgproj}} template placed on the article's Talk page. This lets others know that the article is part of WikiProject Computer and video games.
Scope of information
Articles on computer and video games should give an encyclopedia overview of what the game is about, not a detailed description of how to play it. Such topics should be moved to Wikibooks computer and video games bookshelf. A general rule of thumb to follow if unsure: if the content only has value to people actually playing the game, it's unsuitable. Keep in mind that video game articles should be readable and interesting to non-gamers; remember the bigger picture. You can add a link to the Wikibooks article by adding {{wikibookspar||Name of article}} to the external links of the Wikipedia article.
Content that may be moved to Wikibooks:
- Specific moves and buttons used to execute them. While saying that a character can jump, punch, and pound the ground is OK, explaining how to execute them using the controller is not.
- Lists of mere statistics, items, or other minutiae. The HP or weight class of a character is not important to the article; neither are all the swords available in the game.
- Strategy guides. Basic strategy concepts are often essential to the understanding of a game, but avoid in-depth explanations.
- Lists of cheats or codes. Some codes may be notable and suitable for articles, such as the famed Konami Code, but the method of performing a code that's confined to only a few games and has no special claim to fame is unsuitable for Wikipedia.
Other unsuitable content:
- Theories or speculation. You may think that the Chozo were actually cannibalistic, perhaps based on a sentence referencing their mysterious eating habits in an instruction booklet, but unless this has been stated explicitly in official literature, it does not belong in the article. This applies to theories that aren't your own, as well.
- Similarly, fan ideas about characters' lives or relationships are not appropriate for the encyclopedia.
- Obscure rumors. If the launch list of the Nintendo Revolution hasn't been announced yet, don't bother contributing that you heard a Metroid card battle game is in the works. If it's heavily rumored in several major media sources, that is fine.
- Rumored codenames. For example, don't refer to the "Game Boy Evolution," because that name is entirely made up.
Examples of articles that have been considered inappropriately detailed:
- Jumping in Quake (since merged to Quake and Rocketjumping); old version: Jumping in Quake)
- Super Mario 64 Glitches (since moved to Wikibooks:Super Mario 64)
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 CVG-centric style tips in mind:
- Don't use second-person pronouns ("you"). We can't assume that the reader is planning on playing the game. Use "one," "the player," the name of the player-controlled character, or put the sentence in the passive voice. Example: "You can fight the boss" becomes "one can fight the boss," "the character can fight the boss," "Link can fight the boss," or "the boss can be fought."
- Use italics for game titles, but not character names. Ninja Gaiden is OK, Ryu Hayabusa is not.
- Avoid confusing abbreviations, unless they're standard. PS2 is OK; LoZ:OoT is probably not. Instead, try shortening the title to a few key words: LoZ:OoT becomes Ocarina.
- Make sure to use the Template:Tl and Template:Tl tags when appropriate.
- 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 upon release for anyone who plays it on its intended gaming console.
- For external links, please use appropriate templates. Examples include Template:Tl, Template:Tl, and Template:Tl.
Example articles
The following articles (or prior versions thereof) are some examples of what we believe computer and video game related articles should ideally look like, although none of them are perfect or complete. Note the emphasis on describing general characteristics and history/culture and the avoidance of merely listing stats, items, or other topics geared specifically toward gamers. Stars denote computer and video game featured articles.
Disambiguating names of mods
Use the original name of the mod and only disambiguate the title if there is a naming conflict. In this case, there is no conflict with Forgotten Hope, so it can just use its name. If a mod's name clashes with the name of an existing article, then use "Mod Name (computer game)". Only use "Mod Name (mod)" if the name clashes with another computer/video game.
Screenshots and cover art
For information on adding pictures, see Wikipedia:Picture tutorial.
Wikipedians assert that both screenshots of video games and box or cover art usage is protected under the fair use provision of U.S. Copyright law. To notify others of the copyright status of such images, uploaded game cover art should include the tag Template:Tl. Screenshots of a game should include the tag Template:Tl. 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 aren't screenshots, use the general Template:Tl tag and provide information (See WP:Fair use for information on what the requirements are). Game company logos may use the Template:Tl tag. Do not upload screenshots that have been watermarked.
Screenshots are great for embellishing articles, and all computer and video game articles should have at least a few. Cover art should appear in the infobox (see below for more info on the infobox). If you have multiple cover art designs, usually an English one should appear in the infobox, and the others can appear in a separate image gallery. Sometimes it may be appropriate to put multiple cover art images in the infobox.
For video game consoles or other hardware, it is prefered 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.
Release dates
When putting in release dates please be sure that they are correct. Remember, point out if this is a release date for a specific region/console. To find a release date for a game it is best to check multiple sources for the same dates. Many games websites tell you the release dates of games (GameSpot, IGN etc.) and shopping sites such as Amazon. When adding wikilinks to the year the game was released, consider linking to the video game article of that year. For example, use [[2025 in video gaming|2025]] instead of simply [[2025]].
If a title has yet to be released, please put Template:Tl at the top of the page. This template takes the sortkey as an argument if needed. The game will then be listed in Category:Computer and video games under development.
Organization
Here are a few ideas for how to organize articles. These don't necessarily have to correspond to the actual section headers and divisions, and they are no more than suggestions. Don't try to conform to them if it isn't helping improve the article in question.
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. If the plot isn't too complex, it can be lumped in with the gameplay; otherwise, put it in its own section.
- History: discuss development, release, impact, critical acclaim, etc. This can easily be several different sections.
- Trivia: Notable bugs, cameos, rumors, fan activity, etc. This stuff should be kept to a minimum in most cases, but of course a game like Zero Wing could have a massive trivia section.
- Image gallery: If there are a lot of images, a gallery may sometimes be helpful.
- External links and references. Cite sources! If you're unsure what to include for references, game instruction booklets, guides, reviews, and interviews are all good candidates. Make sure to include a link to Wikibooks ({{wikibookspar||Name of article}}) if there's a relevant Wikibooks article.
Requested articles
Template:Wikipedia:WikiProject Computer and video games/Requests
Stubs
For a generic stub about computer and video games, use Template:Tl. This will put the article into the Computer and video game stubs category.
For a more specific stub by genre, use:
- Template:Tl (action or exercise computer/video game)
- Template:Tl (adventure or roleplaying computer/video game)
- Template:Tl} (games based on anime and/or manga properties)
- Template:Tl (2D or 3D shooter computer/video game)
- Template:Tl (simulation computer/video game)
- Template:Tl (sports or racing computer/video game)
- Template:Tl (strategy or puzzle computer/video game)
- Template:Tl (educational game)
- Template:Tl (fighting game)
Or for stubs by company, use:
Other stub types include:
- Template:Tl (computer/video game corporation or company)
- Template:Tl (computer/video game culture)
- Template:Tl (computer/video game designer or specialist)
- Template:Tl (computer/video game character)
- Template:Tl (computer/video game fictional element)
- Template:Tl (computer/video game website)
- Template:Tl (computer/video game hardware element, such as an arcade board or a gamepad)
- Template:Tl (computer/video game software element, such as a 3d engine or an gameplay editor)
Our daughter projects have also created the Template:Tl (Pokémon) and Template:Tl templates. These will also put articles into the corresponding stub categories. There is also Template:Tl for arcade games as well.
Infobox
| Grim Fandango {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | LucasArts {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | September 30, 1998 (NA) |
| Genre(s) | Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single player {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | Windows {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
At right is an infobox which can be used for articles on games that have been released or will be released for single or multiple platforms.
For console games, the fields, engine, media, input and requirements can and in some cases should be omitted. For games with a version developed for the computer it is preferable that you fill in fields for input, engine, and requirements.
If the game has ever been released in arcade form, use Template:Infobox Arcade Game instead, as it includes additional arcade-only fields.
The infobox was created and modified by Mrwojo and K1Bond007 and is based on a previous infobox initially modified by ŵŞ, which was based on one created by Frecklefoot, which was based on one developed with input from many members of the project.
Though no one is required to follow this WikiProject, consensus of its members is that this infobox should be used. Additionally, consensus is that the image shown should be game box art. With the exception of the box art image, avoid using fair use images in the infobox.
See also: Infobox discussion, Project template discussion, Template project, Template project discussion, Andrevan's To fix listing for infoboxes.
Infobox code
Copy and paste the following code into an article and simply fill out the fields.
- Note: All fields must be present—regardless if they're used or not—for the template to function properly. Optional fields, however, may be omitted, but should probably be listed anyway. These are: designer, engine, version, media, requirements and input.
{{Infobox CVG
|title =
|image =
|developer =
|publisher =
|distributor =
|designer =
|engine =
|version =
|released = Release Date 1 (Country)<br />Release Date 2 (Country)<br /> ...
|genre =
|modes =
|ratings =
|platforms =
|media =
|requirements =
|input =
|preceded by =
|followed by =
}}
Sister Project links
Template:Commons Template:Commonscat Template:Wikibooks Template:Wikinewsde:Wikipedia:WikiProjekt Computerspiel es:Wikiproyecto:Videojuegos fr:Wikipédia:Projet/Jeu vidéo pl:Wikipedia:WikiProjekt Gry Komputerowe pt:Wikipedia:Projetos/Games