Quite often Special Editions of modern games contain just a few DLCs and some game-related stuff thrown into the package. For some reason we list them as separate entries, but the credits for such special editions very often are just the duplicate of the "basic game".

So, are credits for Special Editions accepted, welcome and needed?

Special editions yes, compilations no. Of course those rules (along with the whole database structure) were made long, long before the age of DLC, and it shows. Everything regarding DLC is a bit wonky. Technically a special edition with a separately available DLC would be a compilation, but we still treat them as special edition as long as they are marketed as such.

I see. Should we expect any change in rules regarding this matter?

Cause these special editions credits are worth large amount of fairly easy points.

And also, usually main game is required for a dlc to launch, so I doubt that even technically these editions are compilations.

No. Complete credits treatment for special editions is a fundamental decision by the leadership.


A compilation is a release which bundles two or more separately released games. If they are add-ons is irrelevant.

But I too mean complete credits. It's just that you can copy them from ones already approved if you've got a proof that special edition credits are not different. Let's say, for example, DiRT 3: Complete Edition. Do we need credits for this?

No, I just meant that special editions are handled exactly the same as regular game entries when it comes to credits. However, what you have here is clearly a compilation and not a special edition and therefore gets no credits (unless they are special compilation credits).

Just to be clear on terms: Special editions are something like a "premium package" and includes additional content to the game, e.g. soundtrack, making of, better packaging and nowadays also DLC and digital stuff. Mostly released alongside the regular version. Compilations on the other hand just bundle games together. This can be either a collection of totally unrelated games, all games of a franchise or a game with DLCs respectively add-ons. Tend to be appear towards the end of the game's life circle. Compare Dragon Age: Origins (Collector's Edition) and Dragon Age: Origins (Ultimate Edition).

The problems specified in my previous post come from two MobyGames policies: 1) We document releases and not games, 2) DLC are treated like traditional add-ons. So the publishers of modern special editions treat DLC like extra material while we treat them as games - and so almost every modern special edition would be a compilation ("bundles together two games with their own game entry") in the MobyGames sense. However, as said, when we identify a release as "Special Edition", we tend to ignore it.

To make a long story short, compilations only get credits when they are special (differ from the regular credits, etc.) and with special editions there is no restriction.

Thanks for making things clear.

There's a completely different issue I'd like to bring up here. The question of priority. If we already have credits for both standard edition and DLC, combining them together in special edition sounds a bit like a waste of time. Surely this could be done someday (best when the system will allow copying credit lists to save repetitive work), but in the meantime, wouldn't it be better to dedicate contributor/approver time to games we're missing completely?

Point taken. However with modern games, many DLC are integrated into games so well (and sometimes even before the game is released) that it's impossible to get credits for DLCs solely.

I had this problem with IL-2 Sturmovik - Aces Expansion Pack, ahem ;)