 Previous Messages |
Posted By
retroscener
on 2024-11-08
20:40:13
 |  Re: Keeping track of releases
@Waz
I enjoy the Mastertronic reviews. There just isn't enough of them on our platform, so happy to contribute any wherever I can. There's a few I never owned or really played much enough of to give a full rounded review though. Maybe in time I'll go back to them.
There's lots of C64 reviews. Lemon64 has a great review section where members can submit their own along with scores. Seeing how this website appears to work, and as there's already a game voting option here anyway, it shouldn't be too tricky to implement to add a member review section on each game, except time to implement it.
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Posted By
Waz
on 2024-11-08
04:32:29
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Ah, got it @Csabo - that makes more sense now. It's sensible once you find the "see only sale or trade".
I'll obviously double check to make sure they all work beforehand and then offer them for sale/trade if need be.
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Posted By
JimmyCoupe
on 2024-11-07
16:46:08
 | Re: Keeping track of releases
I have managed to add gremlins to my collection twice, how can I remove one? removing the owned value or setting it to zero doesn't do it and I can't seem to find a remove from collection option.
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2024-11-06
21:50:52
| Re: Keeping track of releases
@Waz I mentioned it here, but I guess it's not that easy to navigate to 
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Posted By
JimmyCoupe
on 2024-11-06
16:42:11
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Thanks Crown, appreciated.
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Posted By
Crown
on 2024-11-06
16:25:20
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Yes, you can add it if it is missing. I've added both the Cascade and Gamebusters Multiplatform disk releases, as both existed. We miss the Gamebusters Disk release cover scan.
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Posted By
JimmyCoupe
on 2024-11-06
14:56:15
| Re: Keeping track of releases
I am just adding my owned games and I am unable to add Ace +4 as owned on disk. I have the big box C64/plus4 release and would like to mark it correctly. Do I just click the "add release" link and then fill in as much details as possible? just thought I would ask before I do it all wrong
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Posted By
Waz
on 2024-11-05
06:20:54
| Re: Keeping track of releases
A couple of things:
Reviews section - I like this idea and thanks to @retroscener for all your constructive comments on my Mastertronic reviews over at the Mastertronic Collectors Archive. Happy to link those reviews in.
Releases for trade - I've got a few duplicates, so if I was to offer them for trade (which includes the Americana release of The Incredible Hulk if anyone is after it) how do other users look for what's available for trade?
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Posted By
retroscener
on 2024-04-18
15:56:17
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Talking of site enhancements, what I feel would be a brilliant idea is to have a members review section for every release.
The link could be added to the game page, and it takes you to the reviews of that particular game, which is added by registered members of which they'll also be able to edit. Their final score can be taken from the original game rating they gave it.
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2024-04-18
15:42:38
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Well, we have 1500+ entries with "release" as lowercase, and a handful with uppercase... I think the answer is clear (We don't have to capitalize the word "release".)
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-04-18
14:42:53
 | Re: Keeping track of releases
Umph, the usual mix between capitals or not. Please cast a decision between "Game (Original Release)" or "Game (Original release). I vote for the latter because they are like the tags that we add to the various downloads in a page:"Original release". But please let's do the same for all, whatever will win.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-22
05:30:58
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Recap: we individuate 18 general types of package.
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Posted By
C16 Chris
on 2024-03-22
05:20:44
 | Re: Keeping track of releases
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-22
05:06:34
| Re: Keeping track of releases
@C16 Chris this is the classic Butterfly case, right? Btw I didn't knew about this two games compilation before...
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Posted By
C16 Chris
on 2024-03-22
04:20:55
| Re: Keeping track of releases
And what about this?
    
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-21
19:48:54
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Ok, let's get back to the sub-topic here: we need to define some useful generic recognizable package types, exactly in order to avoid measuring every single release's box  For that reason, I moved in advance daring to propose some families of involved packages, and others are arrived.
This looks like an acceptable compromise, given that even under the simple definition of "Cassette case", one can count dozens different type of them, nonetheless we're gonna consider all of them like cassette cases. But hey, the Notes field is all free for the owners and collectors, so I thing that there's enough free area to add any meticulous datum one wants to add. All in all, that's your collection, right? 
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Posted By
C16 Chris
on 2024-03-21
19:38:40
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Yes, that's why I included a ruler in my pictures
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-21
19:19:19
| Re: Keeping track of releases
The dimen...  Basic and simple, I meant!
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Posted By
C16 Chris
on 2024-03-21
17:30:02
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Then it would make sense if we just write the dimensions. Height / width / thickness so everyone can understand what release is meant.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-21
17:14:38
| Re: Keeping track of releases
@C16 Chris that's the reason why my suggestion is to keep it basic and simple: Infocom's packages open from the upper side and are basically boxes
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Posted By
C16 Chris
on 2024-03-21
17:09:00
| Re: Keeping track of releases
I think most of what I posted today are true to that. Most have some special features that make them unique.
At 3 cm wide, Superfile 16 Plus4 is twice as thick as others.
Brian Clought's Football Fortunes is unique because of the compartments for the game accessories, although it is the same size as the large release from quiwi and the box is identical to the one from the World Cup Carnival. That's about the size of VHS video cassettes.
And how do we classify the 10 Infocom? They are always cardboard boxes in which the accessories and the disk lie under a transparent plastic lid on the right side and the manual is firmly attached to the box on the left side.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-21
12:52:40
| Re: Keeping track of releases
All very good proposals, gonna update the éackage List once again.
@Crown Brian Clough and World Cup Carnival's cases: Microca se and Dualcase are expressly defined by the fact that there's a proprietary design, indicated by a basrelief word on them. If something is "similar" to those but not the same, we're falling into the "generic" Clamshel case, or at least into the brand new proposal Special clamshell.
Anyway, I see that they're different, the fomer looks like much more Microcase compliant, and there could be something written on it...
@C16 Chris if I followed your reasons, Special clamshell covers any other which doesn't fit into the general categories. Show us some examples.
EDIT: oh well, on a second thought, the material, design and most of all the dimension of non sogned similar Microcase can be easily equiparate with Microcase, in one of the many slight redesigns...
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Posted By
C16 Chris
on 2024-03-21
11:27:04
| Re: Keeping track of releases
How about a "special clamshell" if it's one that was only produced for one game?
I'm thinking of the two different ones from micrdeal (Commodore 16 & Plus 4 Super Hits and Cuthbert Enters the Tombs of Doom) they look the same on the outside but are different on the inside.
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Posted By
Crown
on 2024-03-21
10:36:09
| Re: Keeping track of releases
My opinion on the clam shell packages, that they vary very much, doesn't feels like a generic standard was there to be adopted, each of them feel different, sometimes like that it was uniquely made to order especially the very large boxes.
I think the differentiating factor is size, and what media is included (tape, disk, cart etc) as far as releases are concerned.
Clam shell, double clamshell, big clamshell might be enough
I would categorise the examples as following
Clam shell:
Zap-em
Double clamshell:
Hide and seek
Pixie pack
Zap-em Top 30
Big clamshell:
Maze Mania
Mindbenders
16 Computer games
Super File is Microcase
Brian Clough is in the Microcase category either Dualcase or Big Microcase
so is World Cup Carnival
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Posted By
Ulysses777
on 2024-03-21
10:32:54
| Re: Keeping track of releases
The Superfile 16 Plus 4 case is actually a Betamax cassette box with a removable insert holding the tape.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-21
07:44:53
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Double clamshell sounds pretty ok, but a general Big clamshell should be better, in order to include all those kinds of packages with no signs into them.
Your photos include several "clamshell" which seem to have something written on it, I also invoke @Crown about those packages. Stuff like Pixie Pack *might* be included in that general Big clamshell stuff.
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Posted By
C16 Chris
on 2024-03-21
07:41:48
| Re: Keeping track of releases
What about the double clamshell?
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Posted By
C16 Chris
on 2024-03-21
06:59:58
| Re: Keeping track of releases
A few years ago I converted audio cassettes to MP3, I'll have to see where I have the equipment for it.
and a little bit of work for Luca
Please see how you can sort and classify it.
 
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-21
05:19:32
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Wow, what a packages! The former looks like a Lid box, very similar to those used in the modern commercial releases. The latter actually is a folder into a Slide box, but I can say that the box itself fades into the backround, and we can use Folder for it.
Btw, we would need a TAP dump of that tape...which is gigantic, wow! Did you see how much tape is involved in that cassette? It's massive!
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Posted By
C16 Chris
on 2024-03-21
05:17:00
| Superbase
The Box
 
The box is original for C128. They are available with C64 and Plus/4 stickers.
The Folder
   
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-21
04:50:45
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Ah so both disk and cassete are included in one Dualcase. Ok. Meanwhile, I updated the little picture guide above.
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Posted By
C16 Chris
on 2024-03-21
03:57:24
| Re: Keeping track of releases
No, they are 2 different ones.
I meant that Crown's box isn't complete and I'm missing the disk in his picture.
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Posted By
George
on 2024-03-20
18:26:31
 | Re: Keeping track of releases
I would not overcomplicate things with the packaging.
The differention is only needed, if a program has more than 1 release.
Lets say two releases: Clamshell and Box.
In this case the specific type of clamshell or box is not of that importance.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-20
16:33:47
| Re: Keeping track of releases
@C16 Chris: this means that the Trojan Lightpen counts three different releases: cassette in Dualcase, disk in (sumthing)case and cassette in something that looks like a Sleeve box! Am I right?
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Posted By
Crown
on 2024-03-20
12:49:00
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Notes it is then.
New entry: meet Magnam Products Dualcase
I have a C64 release of Borrowed Time as well in a variant of this package.
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Posted By
Crown
on 2024-03-19
14:29:34
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Well, if we run into a case where we find that the same release exists in multiple MK variant or other, types then one possible solution is to set the Packaging to Microcase (which defines the form factor), and add the existing packaging variants into the notes field. Alternatively we might just do that now, and add the packaging variant detail into the notes field of the release.
I think either version works.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-19
13:16:40
| Re: Keeping track of releases
About the different versions of one single package, I tested it by adding it here and there, but I have some doubts about the risk to be too much specific: if we do this with ine type of packaging, why no differentiate all the various cassette cases, then, which can explosively multiply the possible entries?
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Posted By
Crown
on 2024-03-19
13:04:09
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Don't know yet, I haven't really had time today to recheck each and every item, it is likely that there will be more Eden cases.
I'll have to recheck and refine the entries where I did put in Microcase, at least adding MKI, MKII, MKIII and Eden where appropriate or anything new which might pop up. That box took like 3 hours to sort through, and I'm maybe at 10% or less at completing of my inventory.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-19
12:45:12
| Re: Keeping track of releases
This examination is pure gold, thank you @Crown! They are actually been reported in basrelief of the items, making the report of the precise model an easy task indeed. I have a MkIII too, which is the adaptation of a Microcase with cutted reelholders for the cartridge of Turbo Plus.
Microcase definitely must be reported in the list above. Eden case: how many can we count, after XCellor8?
List updated, btw.
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Posted By
Crown
on 2024-03-19
12:39:53
| Re: Keeping track of releases
So I made some pictures about the Magnam Products Microcase. It turns out that there is 3 different versions of it at least.
But first, lets see why I believe that it deserves its own category and just callig it 'clam shell' doesn't do it justice.
Here are 3 pictures of a standard case, a clam shell case and the category in question, arranged in an order so that we can compare all its dimensions to each other.
It is clearly visible that it is larger than a normal case, but much smaller than what I call a clam shell case. That's one difference. The 2nd difference is that the side of clam shell case is always round, and this is flat. The 3rd difference is really about build quality, the clam shell case is usually hollow inside, the plastic of the cassette holder area is usually pressed to form, and it relatively easily breaks, while the insides of this is actually very stiff and hardened plastic.
While the opening mechanism is the same, to me this is distinctively different to have its own category name.
Now lets see how the differnt Magnam Products Microcase-s look like:
This is the first version, just plainly Magnam Products Microcase. (Lets call it MKI)
This is MKII
And this is MKIII
Here are closeup shot of MKI so the text in the case can be read:
Closeup shots of MKII:
Closeup shot of MKIII:
Now as it turns out Magnam Products was not the only maker of similar cases, I have also noname ones, and a few from Eden Packaging:
Xcellor8 is also Eden Packaging.
The uploaded images are in much larger resolution, open them up directly if you want to zoom in.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-19
03:26:08
| Re: Keeping track of releases
@Csabo ok for Cassette Case and Disk Sleeve then. What about the others, like Double case -> Cassette double case?
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2024-03-18
19:04:25
| Re: Keeping track of releases
I quite like "Disk Sleeve", that's pretty clear. No need to be brief, I don't think that was ever a goal
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-18
16:24:16
| Re: Keeping track of releases
@Csabo the idea here was to point toward briefness in favour of the traditional names. For example, even the Sleeve is a short term for the usual "Disk Sleeve", whereas the Case Sleeve is something not usual and to be clarified.
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2024-03-18
15:51:54
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Few things to add: Don't worry about the distribution field, just leave it as "Commercial". Glad to see the list of packaging formats! It will take a while to get a consensus on everything, so please don't go and edit a ton of records just because you see something that's unfamiliar to you - ask first. Perhaps those could be further clarified, e.g. for "Case" maybe "Cassette Case" would be clearer, and perhaps all the boxes could be "Box" vs "Box (slide)" vs "Box (lid)", etc.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-18
13:41:24
| Re: Keeping track of releases
@George do you mean the Releases I own, or those in the pictures, which are merely some practical example in order to standardize the package? Oh well, anyway, I' don't have a collection, I usually purchase several 264 softare only in order to scan their papers and dump cassettes and disks Once did, I promptly donate to whom can preserve'em in their – for real this time – collections. Probably, the weirder pieces which remained in my home are: Learner Pack Software, an Australian release; Educational Line N1, a very big clamshell release; Plus/4 Program Pack, the entry stuff which PLUG was used to send to their possible affiliates.
Also remember when I exchanged the super rare Death Or Glory with a fully working 1551 (don't remember the user, if you're reading this please refresh my memories!). But I see that Crown too boasts a copy of it into his collection! At the time, I've found it in Turin,dunno which other distributor had it in its lists...
Ah, I forgot to mention: our media are CASSETTE and DISK, no tape or diskette but: cassette, cartridge, disk.
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Posted By
George
on 2024-03-18
12:56:54
| Re: Keeping track of releases
@Luca Impressive collection. That boardgame looks interesting.
@Csabo I could not add Jack Attack over the game description site.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-18
10:09:24
| Re: Keeping track of releases
@Crown this is very interesting, thank you for sharing. You mean "Magnam Products Microcase", which was a precise design of a cassette case, generally reported on the cover due to copyright stuff. Have to say that I've never read about that on any C16 game's cover...
Moreover, didn't know that several software products did take advantage of the Magnam Products Microcase, but I've seen a good quantity of C16 games which have been tagged with Microcase by you. Do those packages look like Microcase's labeled stuff, or there's a straight confirmation of the commitment of MPM in the manifacture? In the former case, they eventually stay within the Clamshell's definition, which already includes all the different kind of the same package.
Is Microcase looking like in XCellor8?
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Posted By
Crown
on 2024-03-18
09:39:07
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Microcase is a real thing It is between case and clamshell case and actually it is printed inside the case that it is a microcase, I'll make a few photos tomorrow, a lot of english releases were released in that format.
Few examples I could find on the net, these are audio tapes, but the packaging is the same:
https://tape-mag.com/Redintegrate+Hafler_Trio+RELEASES-1-1-2858-8.html
https://tape-mag.com/Drowning_In_A_Sea_Of_Bliss+Nocturnal_Emissions+RELEASES-1-1-4916-8.html
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-18
07:37:47
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Thank you to all the contributors which have spent time to fulfill the Releases entries, we look forward for a massive growth of the available data, in order to offer new and better statistics in the near future!
At this point, it's time to have some basic guidelines, in order to have as much homogeneous data as we can. Let's try to stay into those lines as much as we can.
- differentiate the entries! Different entries per the same game can have different Product Codes, may be released in different dates, and on; enter the version you own.
- report the same Distribution. "Commercial" if the game is reported as commercial, "Commercial/PD" if the game is into our archive according to copyrights reasons, "Commercial/TA" if the game is here but who knows about rights (TA: temporary available); easy going, it's written directly in the game's data.
- check your English. At the moment, we've been flooded by CASETTES with one S only
The PACKAGE field is probably the one that most of all clears up doubts about how to use it. You're right, it's a bit cloudy, so the users have begun to invent fictitious names (like "microcase": what's a microcase, a cassette case for ants? ). So, here's a quick guide which tries to cover the largest number of cases possible.
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2024-03-13
18:51:29
| Re: Keeping track of releases
For serial number, see above (Las Vegas is the only one I saw that had these, but there might be others). Condition can be whatever you like, it's your collection Usually it's mint/excellent/good/fair, or could be "unopened package", etc. You could also include stuff like "missing box", "ripped manual" or whatever.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-13
18:36:43
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Serial Number is *NOT* the product code, right?
Can you give some fixed options for the Condition field?
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2024-03-13
18:01:48
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Okay, whew, I think it's mostly ready. Please try using this feature, by entering (or attempting to enter ) your own collection.
Things to keep in mind:
- the list of releases under each program are NOT set in stone, what's there now is just a start. If a release is missing, please add it (by clicking the [ Add release ] link). If what's there has a mistake, please click [ edit ] and correct it.
- there's no "delete" yet (as in, deleting something from your own collection).
If you see anything that doesn't look right, or you think could function or look better, PM me or post here.
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2024-03-12
21:14:41
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Perfect, thank you!
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Posted By
JamesC
on 2024-03-12
19:04:09
| Re: Keeping track of releases
I confirm that these had both cassette and disk in the package.
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2024-03-12
16:04:20
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Can anyone confirm (I assume someone has to own a copy ) if the boxes that are part of Kinder Koncepts contained both the cassettes and the disk?
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Posted By
George
on 2024-03-11
08:47:26
| Re: Keeping track of releases
@Waz There are some games/software on my wishlist. If you have a list would be cool
@Csabo I hope you are right. But the rarity infos will definitely affect prices as far as they leak out
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2024-03-11
06:58:42
| Re: Keeping track of releases
You jumped the gun a little - this is not done yet I have many things left to do, and will update this thread when it's ready. Hopefully the records you saved will be fine.
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Posted By
Waz
on 2024-03-11
05:08:12
| Re: Keeping track of releases
If different releases have different catalogue numbers, they should in theory be treated as two releases of the game. For example:
Fighting Warrior
Original Melbourne House release has different cover art and cat number MH415
Mastertronic + re-release has different cover art and cat number 2C 0309
The latter due to its very late re-release date is harder to find than the original release and makes sense in this case to list the two releases (as you did with the Commodore clamshell vs Plus/4 Pack releases, @Csabo)
I did try to use the "I own this" link to add an entry to the releases to say I own them, but not sure where they would show up...
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2024-03-09
16:55:07
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Oh yeah, we have both covers listed under Vox. I honestly have no idea is this should be separate
Edit: although, on second thought, this is exactly why we have the whole releases hoopla... Seems like those are from different production runs, and the fact that the white/black spine is on different sides of the cover makes me thing that collectors would count these as distinct entities.
Edit #2: I just thought of one more thing: "serial number" is probably a good addition to "MemberReleases". Las Vegas is one of the known releases where the cassettes had serial numbers on them, and we even started collecting these... Well, only ever collected two, but hey, it's the perfect place to store this info.
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Posted By
C64Mark
on 2024-03-09
07:29:01
| Re: Keeping track of releases
yeah release is a tough one. I guess most will be straightforward and just a handful of 'odd' ones to figure out.
I have two copies of Vox, for example, one with a white spine and one with a black spine. Different releases? I could be convinced either way...
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2024-03-08
18:16:52
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Thanks for the feedback so far. @C64Mark 30 copies is much higher than I though, it would not be user friendly to have you create 30 records I added these to the "MemberRelease" table:
- Number of copies (assuming it will usually be 1)
- For Trade (flag)
- For Sale (flag)
@George I don't think anything we do here will cause a price explosion Rarity will have to be community edited.
No objections so far, that's good, so naming will be mostly what I outlined above. "What a release" is another big question, please use your best judgment
I'll be slowly rolling this out in the coming days and I'll update this topic when there's news.
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Posted By
C64Mark
on 2024-03-08
15:13:04
| Re: Keeping track of releases
This sounds a great idea, and I like the idea of being able to list number of copies/for sale.
I have about 30 copies of Treasure Island if anyone wants one
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Posted By
Crown
on 2024-03-07
16:26:16
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Sounds great. Being able to add the same record twice if you own multiple copies is fine. A for trade/for sale flag would be welcome.
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Posted By
Waz
on 2024-03-07
07:24:52
| Re: Keeping track of releases
@George - I'd be happy to trade with you if you needed anything too that I find on my travels, or if you have a particular wishlist, drop us a PM also.
I know what you mean about the potential rarity value, if published, forcing prices up. However in the UK that's already happening if you look at some of the games shops out there - with some perceiving games as rare more than others. It's the old adage of something being only worth what someone else is willing to pay for.
As a general rule of sorts, final releases amongst the original software era, due to low numbers and shops not stocking items, would traditionally be hard to find. I've seen that on the C64 too with the final Codemasters releases around 1992-93 being hard to find due to lower sales and scarcity of purchase options.
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Posted By
George
on 2024-03-07
06:10:48
| Re: Keeping track of releases
I think this is a good idea. I am into collecting i would also like to trade my doubles with others.
The rarity property could lead into exploding prices. Since C16/Plus4 games are still affordable, i would like to keep it this way. I personally would keep this information kind of difficult to get.
My personal vision would also be a 3D scan of every relleas made, but this is of course far far wish thinking
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Posted By
Waz
on 2024-03-07
05:34:36
| Re: Keeping track of releases
All of this sounds like a really good idea for enhancement, and that definitely will help those of us who love our original releases.
In terms of the releases side, would different packaging (for example, Exorcist, Mayhem) count as the different release, or would cassette label variations count? I'm thinking of Mastertronic here where often multiple label types were used for the same game on the cassette tape. Similarly, do we differentiate slow / Novaload versions, or do we say that a release of the game is just that based on packaging? Definitley worthy of consideration.
I know Lemon64 has an option to add to collection for games, but this is normally defined at a game level, but for releases here that may work even better. So - case in point, I have the large double cassette box and single cassette box versions of Football Manager, in theory counting as two releases.
In terms of any rarity, I can tell you when getting the standard Mastertronic series of games Fighting Warrior was by far the most difficult, and now we know the sales figures, this isn't a surprise why (only 1,850 copies sold). Other low selling games may be a reasoning for being hard to find it not distributed as well.
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Posted By
Luca
on 2024-03-07
05:25:07
| Re: Keeping track of releases
Another fine step toward, in order to improve our beloved homepage (where home should be actually marked anytime we refer to that!), let's try this too and see what happens.
Rarity might be splitted in two separate fields: Expected Rarity would basically be a guess, let's find some terms like Common, Rare, Extremely Rare, Uncommon to define it; Statistical Rarity would be a percentage calculated as ratio counting in all the entered releases Vs. that particular one, and should appear only when a certain number of that particular release has been claimed (like e.g. we do for the Top List, where a release enters the charts having up to 5 votes), in order to be decently valid.
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Posted By
Csabo
on 2024-03-06
16:50:07
| Keeping track of releases
Nearly 20 years ago we are already talking about this... It never got done, because the task is just too daunting (and a bunch of other reasons). However, I think we can get this done in small steps, and there will be some overlap/mess regarding the data, which we can live with.
The basic idea is this: some people own the single release of Exorcist (the one with the colorful artwork), some people own the bundle release (the one with the white cover, it was bundled with the Commodore Plus/4 Plus Pack). Some people own both. I could have added a feature long ago that lets members mark a Program as owned, but then... which release is it? (Add that as a qualifier to notes? Would have worked, but it's bad data design, and if we ever wanted to go back and fix it, it's an even bigger mess.)
My reluctance stems from the fact that this is not the only problem with the current way the database is set up, and I kept thinking of solutions that would solve several things at once. Anyway, I digress, the point is this:
I'm adding the concept of "Releases". First, all of this is with the express purpose of solving the "member inventory" issue, that is, folks who are members on this site, and have a collection of C16/Plus4 software can mark which ones they have. With that out of the way - a "Release" is distinct from a "Program", because (as demonstrated above), one Program can have two (or more) Releases. Sometimes the format is different, e.g. some games were sold on cassette and on disk (for different prices, mind you!)
These are the fields for a Release:
- a unique id
- the program the release belongs to
- the name of the release (which we make up ourselves)
- the company that released it
- release date (will be just the year mostly)
- distribution (will be commercial, this is sort of redundant/unnecessary, but it's there)
- product code (if there is one)
- retail price
- format (cassette, disk, cartridge, etc)
- package (box, clamshell, I dunno)
- rarity
- notes
You can already see there's overlap with the program record (though it is necessary, since most of these fields can vary between releases). We can live with that, I think. Naming them is going to be tricky, since we have to make them up. However, we've already been doing this via the covers (e.g. some covers are marked Elite Release or Encode Re-release, etc). Rarity is subjective, but people asked for it, so it's there. Also, just deciding what is a release and what isn't might be tricky. Hoppit was released in German as "Sprungbereit", that's two distinct releases for sure. However, the original Tynesoft release seems to have black and red cassette labels. IMHO those shouldn't count as separate releases, it could be just something that's added to the notes. Right?
Anything else you can think of?
If we can nail this down, and start building a database of releases, then step 2 becomes possible, which is (similarly to Member owned Hardware) will be Member owned Release. These are the fields I'm thinking:
- a unique id
- member id (who owns it)
- release id (links to the above table)
- current condition
- notes
Anything else? One thing I mulled over but decided against was "number_of_copies"; here's why. I don't think there are folks who have like 10+ copies of some program. If they do, each of those would have to be added a separate record, but I'm thinking that is better that way. My assumption that the use case will be something like: "I own two of these, but one has a misprint, or one has a special sticker" or something along those lines. In that case, the two separate record would be warranted. I can be convinced otherwise. Perhaps a flag for "For Sale", if folks want to sell some programs.
(Later, I think I could add a "MemberHardwareWanted" and "MemberReleaseWanted" section, if the demand is there. Basically members can trade.)
Whew, that's (the beginning of) it. I know this is a lot to read and think about, and I'm not expecting a whole lot of feedback - I know a lot of folks here aren't into collecting software at all. But some of you are, and I want to be transparent, so if you have ideas... speak now. Basically, if you wanted to make your own list, what would you put on it?
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