You know all those awesome extras that came with games in years gone by? Those were really great. If only there were some comprehensive game database where you could find them...

A long-awaited announcement: now, our contributors can submit images of anything that is in game boxes, instead of only the box cover art and media. From maps and posters and reference cards to order forms and box spines and registration cards, you can submit them all. The full details can be found on our lovely Standards and Practices page (and you really should look them over if you're planning to contribute), but the short version is: if it's in or on the game box, we want to see it. Just one caveat: we only want images of the outside of the items, so please don't try to submit scans of each page of the game manual--just the front and back covers will do. Think of it more like a museum than a library, and you'll be set.

There have been a number of other changes since last time, too. Here's a taste:

• Top games by genre display now makes sense
• No more duplicated games on the 'Just Added' list
• Developer rap sheets now show the year for the platform release they're credited on, rather than the earliest release on any platform
• Better excerpts when you share links on social media
• New mobygoal: 3000 ZX Spectrum games

That's it for now, but as always you can look forward to more in coming weeks. Thanks as always to our contributors, and especially the approvers who helped hammer out the guidelines that made this update possible. Until next time, happy gaming!

The past few months tweaks to the genre classification system have been implemented. This is work approvers have been discussing for years and is now being worked into the site in small steps. So far, there has been an overhaul of the Basic Genres, Gameplay and the Perspectives. New genre categories added include Visual Presentation, Art Style, Pacing and Narrative Theme/Topic. Others are still coming or half only been implemented in part so far, such as Vehicular Themes and Setting. A full overview of the genre definitions (also available when adding a new game) can be read here. While new game entries need to pick up the new genres right away, it may take years until all existing game entries have been edited manually with the updated genres.

For this update, I'd like to highlight the addition of the genre categories Interface/Control and DLC/Add-on.

Interface/Control describes how users interact with the majority of game with the options Direct Control, Multiple Units/Characters Control, Voice Control, Menu Structures, Point and Select, Motion Control and Text Parser.

DLC/Add-on was added to structure the content of DLC, expansions and add-ons in a logical and relative way in addition to the description. However, it also brings about some other changes because the influx of DLC has been affecting the database. DLC/Add-ons already no longer go into specific game groups except for the main series, but they were also adding a lot of noise to the gameographies of development studios on the company pages and the other genres in general. Therefore, from now on:

• DLC/Add-ons have become a main genre and do not receive any other genres. If it adds a new genre element to the game (a new perspective, a new theme, a new gameplay element), only then can an additional genre be added. In all other cases the genres of the base game are assumed. Compilations of DLC/Add-ons only receive the Compilation genre.


• DLC/Add-ons only have a publisher/distributor and no developer or any other company roles in release info items, unless they are unique to that DLC/Add-on. In all other cases the developer is assumed to be identical to the main game.


• DLC/Add-ons now have a separate DLC/Add-ons genre category where the content is selected, next to the overview in the description: Currency, Customization / Outfit / Skin, Enemy, Extras, Game Mode, Item, Map / Level, Other, Player Unit and Story / Mission

In the future, the 'noise' created by special editions will most likely be handled in the same way.

It's been a while since we talked about site updates, but that doesn't mean there's been nothing to report. We've had a steady stream of small improvements, and one big ongoing project: a long-awaited genre overhaul.

We're in the process of replacing our creaky, old 1999 genres with shiny, new 2016 genres, making it easier both to find the games you're looking for and to contribute new games. The overhaul is based on work by vedder and much of the legwork is being done by the tireless Sciere, so thanks very much to both of them for their hard work, and to everyone for helping and being patient with any incongruities while the overhaul is underway.

To see what else has been happening, you can take a look at the changelog, but here are a few highlights:

• Fixes for two long-standing credits bugs
• Improvements to image display
• Several tweaks and improvements for approvers

As always, work is ongoing, so look forward to future updates!