Forums > Suggestions > physical release of download titles
wingi (4934) on 5/31/2020 7:57 PM · Permalink · Report
limitedrungames.com or superraregames.com brings digital releases as boxed games. Should the physical re-release of a normal download title be a new game entry?
e.g. System Shock - Enhanced Edition from 2015 get a BigBox release in 2019 with some extras in the box, but the game title and game is the same.
Or normal digital nintendo switch / PS4 games are published in the small keep case by strictlylimitedgames.com - is this a new game entry worth?
Cavalary (11445) on 6/1/2020 1:19 AM · Permalink · Report
If it's just the game, why would it be a new entry? It's just another release, just like the download release for games initially released physically is just another release. If it's like a special edition, with additional extras that do not match any existing entry for that game, then yes, it'd be a different release.
wingi (4934) on 6/1/2020 11:02 AM · Permalink · Report
OK, so will any game, that has started as digital release (with no extras) and is released as physical edition (with box, handbook, CD) , a new game entry, because the physical extras are additional entries which do not match with the download release?
Both are released 25 years after the initial release and have the original game. Is this correct?
The re-release is only a new game cover (scroll down): https://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy/star-wars_/cover-art
This is a new game entry: https://www.mobygames.com/game/gameboy/star-wars-premium-edition_/cover-art
MAT (240968) on 9/14/2020 11:45 PM · Permalink · Report
If you by "new release" mean new in term of WHEN it was released, then no, no new entry (e.g. many Steam or GOG games are simply releases of 20+ year old DOS games that don't get new entry).
If the new release has bonus content, like a soundtrack or artbook, still the answer is NO.
We have a weird policy to split editions with bonus content only. Otherwise, the extras need to be in-game or DLC.
Here's example if this is confusing...
If "Game Title (Collector's Edition)" has a bonus soundtrack, because of its title indicating it's a special edition, it is split from the base entry.
However, if the game includes soundtrack but isn't a special release of any kind (i.e. US release comes with soundtrack, European does not, etc.) then we don't split it because the bonus doesn't affect the game itself.
Now, if we have "Game Title" that later gets re-released under same title but includes a DLC or some bonus in-game item, because the game content is no longer identical (this does not apply to re-releases that simply have game patched to newer version), this will get a new entry.
Sometimes game is re-released with lots of bonuses some time after the base game but it still carries the same title. While this technically does not need to be split since it isn't called Special Edition or anything like that, it is still sort of presented like that and may be split in such case (check Witcher 3 for an example of this).
Okay, hope this clarified some things how things were handled here.