315:: For a game series article, there should be at least three games that are strongly related to one another. In most cases, these are because the games are set in the same universe, have the same characters, relate to the same intellectual property, and/or are part of the same overall storyline. A popular example is the Paper Mario series - the games all center around Mario, and specifically the papercraft version of Mario and the worlds he interacts in, although each game tells its own unique and independent story. Since there are so many factors in common between them (the papercraft style, gameplay mechanics, similarity in writing, etc.), it is proper to refer to them as a series.
390:: I think the requirements for making a video game series/franchise article are that there are sources talking about the series as a whole, rather than individual elements of it, or a lot of sources talking about how the games give context to each other. Sometimes we sling around ideas like "at least 3 games", but for a lot of series articles that just means that we end up with text copied from 3 articles and glued together, instead of an article that adds something on its own not found in the games' articles. It seems like often editors try to create series articles as a way to add "legitimacy" to the series, but don't actually have anything to say about the series as a
582:. The article should begin with a lede that focuses on the main series but also references all related media to show the scope of its penetration into culture. A brief portion of background for main characters and antagonists should come second, and then the main series should be given its own section to list all members of the list chronologically and to focus on plot. Side-branches of the main series should be covered next, and then perhaps cameos. Other media in the series should then be given proportional coverage as due per the sources.
734:"It is more likely to be a history article than necessarily a descriptive one - for example, in an article about the Mario franchise, I'd expect to see only a few details about Mario's typical controls in games, since that's more appropriate for either the series articles or in individual game articles. I'd turn to the franchise article to learn more about who designed Mario, why and how he became important as Nintendo's primary identity, how he became so popular and recognizable, etc.."
178:(as opposed to only individual games doing so), and is this the best way of presenting the information to our readers? A series might have a lot of coverage in reliable sources, but if it only consists of two games, a series article would likely largely duplicate those games' articles, and it might be better to just cover it within those individual articles. Another scenario, which goes against the classic "at least three games" guideline, would be something like the two-game series
297:
summary style split into its own article when there is an overabundance of qualified coverage that would threaten the proportion of the main article's coverage, i.e., wouldn't want the Legacy section to dwarf the
Development section if it's not the most important intrinsic aspect of the article topic. The "three entries in a series" rule is completely arbitrary and not backed by formal consensus, whereas summary style and due weight are foundational to WP.
719:"For development, there needs to be an ongoing story or development. Reboots or revivals of the series are also valid development information if they are bringing new titles (remakes and collections IMHO are their own individual titles if they have their own article, but if there is a remastered that doesn't have its own article, then it's not relevant). Even canceled or future releases would be enough."
367:
Mario franchise, I'd expect to see only a few details about Mario's typical controls in games, since that's more appropriate for either the series articles or in individual game articles. I'd turn to the franchise article to learn more about who designed Mario, why and how he became important as
Nintendo's primary identity, how he became so popular and recognizable, etc..
702:"The article should begin with a lede that focuses on the main series but also references all related media to show the scope of its penetration into culture. A brief portion of background for main characters and antagonists should come second, and then the main series should be given its own section to list all members of the list chronologically and to focus on plot."
307:: Are you asking if I view a series and franchise as two separate entities? If so, then I highly disagree with such a thing unless warranted by page size concerns. Otherwise my views on creating video game series articles aligns with the WP:VG policy on it, which is one should only be considered after three or more notable games for a series have been made.
151:
separate articles; instead, a series article will contain everything its franchise article would, with the addition of other media. If there's minimal outside content, such as expanding only to merchandise, this can be covered in the series article. In cases like these, the video game series and franchise should be treated as the same thing.
724:"That content only warrants a summary style split into its own article when there is an overabundance of qualified coverage that would threaten the proportion of the main article's coverage, i.e., wouldn't want the Legacy section to dwarf the Development section if it's not the most important intrinsic aspect of the article topic."
474:, though I intend to work on plenty of others in due course. I'm sure many others have mentioned this already, but it's a general heuristic that a series needs three games before an article should be considered—though it's important to note that this isn't a rule. Three games in a series does not warrant an article; several
98:
At its most simple terms, most video game series articles are created due to the consideration that three distinct videos games count as a "series". The majority of the
Wikiproject follows this rule when it comes to declaring a set of video games a "series", as one game is considered a one-off title,
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For development, there needs to be an ongoing story or development. Reboots or revivals of the series are also valid development information if they are bringing new titles (remakes and collections IMHO are their own individual titles if they have their own article, but if there is a remastered that
403:
aren't part of the same series even if they have narrative and/or thematic connections to other titles. #2 is sources talking about the series as a whole, i.e. commentary on its history or references to it when talking about individual entries. #3 is a question related to subseries, since there can
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Roberth
Martinez (KGRAMR): What i would consider the requirements of making a video game series article? Hmmm... i would say only one and that would be your knowledge and/or interest you have in a particular series. If you're doing it without any passion or knowledge for that particular series then
354:
The main difference between a series and a franchise, as I understand it, is that a franchise includes more than just games. I referred to Paper Mario earlier. That's a series of games that resides within the Mario franchise, one of the best known in the world. The franchise spans many game series,
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has a development between titles and some reception that covers the series as a whole as well such as sales of the series. Supplemental media such as TV series and comics also help justify an article if they don't fit in any specific entry as well. if credible sources are anticipating a revival or
750:
has a development between titles and some reception that covers the series as a whole as well such as sales of the series. Supplemental media such as TV series and comics also help justify an article if they don't fit in any specific entry as well. if credible sources are anticipating a revival or
585:
I suppose some of what I'm saying here generally would equate series and franchises, but I think that for smaller articles they can be treated similarly. For very large franchises, series may be separated from the franchise article in the interest of both comprehensiveness and readability, but the
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and its successors; is it possible to talk about a series on its own if it's spun-off from something else, or are they to intertwined to be separated? #4 is relevance and enough interest in the series as a whole to merit the article, and that doesn't mean niche series can't have them; as examples,
366:
A good franchise article covers not only the various series of games within the IP, but also talks in more depth about the relationship between the I.P. and its creators and owners. It is more likely to be a history article than necessarily a descriptive one - for example, in an article about the
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is the most forgotten organizing principle of
Knowledge. Most "series" or franchise articles are really just a list of items in the series, which is a matter of list notability criteria. For an article, there are obviously sources for each item in the series, so what justifies a separate article?
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has commentary generally limited to the titles. #5 is that for a series it must have at least three games counting spin-offs, while franchises must have an appreciable amount of additional media and merchandise attached to them. #6 is a little odd, since you have to consider whether a series is
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that discuss the series as a whole or being more than a sum of its parts. My stance is that all of that stuff fits within the Legacy section of the first item in the series, if the rest of the series was borne of the original entry. Then we're back to summary style: That content only warrants a
150:
Franchise articles in comparison should only be considered if there's is a large and notable amount of non-video game media that have grown far outside the barriers of the original series of games. Most users agree that a series and franchise are not too distinct from each and should not have
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Axem
Titanium: I don't treat "series" and "franchise" articles differently from each other. Primarily I look for coverage of the series as a series rather than a collection of individual titles. Development info is a must and influence/legacy goes a long way to convincing me a series page is
525:: In cases where a series has three or more major entries, I think a series article is permissible (but not required) for navigation and general overview. In cases where there are only two entries, series articles should be assessed on a case-by-case basis. For example, there are two
370:
There's never any single cut-and-dry rule for writing any of these kinds of articles, of course, but in general I find that series and franchise articles tend to follow somewhat of a common template, since their purposes are usually pretty clear and they convey the same spectrum of
537:
which, while also only having two major entries, has several articles on expansions, a major esports scene, as well as non-gaming media. This makes the argument for a series article much stronger. As for franchise articles, well, they are just series articles but you can call it a
638:"Sometimes we sling around ideas like "at least 3 games", but for a lot of series articles that just means that we end up with text copied from 3 articles and glued together, instead of an article that adds something on its own not found in the games' articles."
813:"For very large franchises, series may be separated from the franchise article in the interest of both comprehensiveness and readability, but the differences between articles on series vs articles on franchises may be trivial for smaller franchised series."
670:"I think the requirements for making a video game series/franchise article are that there are sources talking about the series as a whole, rather than individual elements of it, or a lot of sources talking about how the games give context to each other."
355:
but also includes
Nintendo's main identity, a definite and recurring cast of characters, its marketing campaigns, a large part of its history, and many other factors that are not strictly video-game related. More to the point, it encompasses the Mario
567:
Thibbs: For both series and franchises, I think (1) the historical origins and (2) the size of the media should be given primary significance in determining the orientation of the article. If the article is primarily about video games then per
653:"A series might have a lot of coverage in reliable sources, but if it only consists of two games, a series article would likely largely duplicate those games' articles, and it might be better to just cover it within those individual articles."
103:
an article about the series on
Knowledge; if this were the only rule warranting a series article, most users believe this would merely be a copy-paste scenario about the game's individual content. The project believes there needs to be more.
140:
There should be content that describes the series' real-world impact. What do critics think of the series as a whole? How did it help the company that made it? Did it go off to be larger than video games itself with other forms of media and
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not only a collection of each game individually. In a more general standard, if the article has the possibility of including information beyond the other games in the series, a series article would be of use. This includes the following:
351:), since at the time there were eight games in the series that all played identically. Having a series article can allow you to go into detail about the common rules, and then describe them more briefly in each individual article.
49:
Hello! I'm Panini. Today, I bring you another issue of
Wikiproject Video Game Surveys, where I conduct a poll to determine consensus on burning unanswered questions, to help avoid future debates. The question is as follows:
572:
the main portion of the body of the article should highlight the video games. Likewise if the the article is primarily about films then media like video games, books, music, etc. should represent a lesser portion of the
506:
the individual games), and at least 4 games or 3 games and a spinoff/other media. A franchise article is the same thing but when the topics includes non-video game media. (This is a pretty abritrary line I'm drawing of
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with its line of films, books, and comics. The game series and franchise can be maintained within the same article. There is no need to separate the two unless we're talking about something massive (e.g.
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515:: So, in my opinion, it requires at least 3 titles (if it's only 2, most info can just be place in either game article) and have some reliably sourced commentary that applies to the games collectively.
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games and I do not think we need a series article today. The games have largely been discussed independently of each other, and there are almost no other creative works in the series. Compare this to
134:
As in, the article gives information on how the series came to be, why it continued, and where it plans on going is vital information that individual titles can't necessarily describe on their own.
399:
ProtoDrake: I think there are six ingredients that come together to make a VG series/franchise article. #1 is that it's acknowledged as a series at all, as some series such as many projects from
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hone in on individual games, and should speak in broad terms, more specifically what the games have in common. They should describe general gameplay and recurring elements that span across them.
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818:"I find that series and franchise articles tend to follow somewhat of a common template, since their purposes are usually pretty clear and they convey the same spectrum of information."
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Once the necessary parts to verify it's been covered as a proper series, I believe the development and reception of the individual games can be summarized in the article as well.
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In some cases, a series article can alleviate some of the burden of repeating the same common details in multiple game articles. I recall at one point that we did this with the
260:
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is both a series AND a franchise - the games comprise the series, but there are many other things related to the I.P. that Square is very proud of and guards jealously.
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Talk about what the games within the series have in common. This is a good place to describe common controls, common design elements (e.g. Mario's cutout design), etc..
468:: This is an interesting question, but one that I may not be fully qualified to answer; the only video game series/franchise article I've ever thoroughly worked on is
665:"...does the series meet the GNG as a series (as opposed to only individual games doing so), and is this the best way of presenting the information to our readers?"
783:"Are you asking if I view a series and franchise as two separate entities? If so, then I highly disagree with such a thing unless warranted by page size concerns."
377:
don't try doing it. For franchise articles, try to throw everything at a wall and see what sticks. I would also apply the same logic i described earlier as well...
800:"The game series and franchise can be maintained within the same article. There is no need to separate the two unless we're talking about something massive (e.g.
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761:"The article should begin with a lede that focuses on the main series but also references all related media to show the scope of its penetration into culture."
648:"The "three entries in a series" rule is completely arbitrary and not backed by formal consensus, whereas summary style and due weight are foundational to WP."
643:"Three games in a series does not warrant an article; several reliable sources need to demonstrate the importance of the series, not just some of the games."
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still fine, because the series page is in place of articles for the individual games, and was determined to be the best way of presenting that information.
611:"In cases where a series has three or more major entries, I think a series article is permissible (but not required) for navigation and general overview."
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788:"As for franchises, the franchise must have a major multi-media presence, such as Pokémon or Final Fantasy, with a separate game series article."
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692:"Talk about what the games within the series have in common. This is a good place to describe common controls, common design element, etc."
675:"...sources talking about the series as a whole, i.e. commentary on its history or references to it when talking about individual entries."
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193:(Oinkers42): For series articles, three games, or two games with other media or major crossover appearances works. For an example
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multiverse and the two are often mentioned together when talking about the series as a whole. (There, that's the whole answer.)
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are pretty relevant here. The same can be said for franchise articles too, with the same rules applying to different mediums.
626:"So, in my opinion, it requires at least 3 titles (if it's only 2, most info can just be placed in either game article)..."
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information of the separate entries, it needs to be
Reception and/or Development that addresses the series as a whole.
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What would you consider the requirements for making an article about video game series? What about franchise articles?
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Blue Pumpkin Pie: Three titles are enough to identify a series but to verify if it's notable on its own without
756:"Development info is a must and influence/legacy goes a long way to convincing me a series page is warranted."
729:"Development info is a must and influence/legacy goes a long way to convincing me a series page is warranted."
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differences between articles on series vs articles on franchises may be trivial for smaller franchised series.
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warranted. I don't have a particular minimum cutoff for number of entries but it's certainly greater than two.
606:"For a game series article, there should be at least three games that are strongly related to one another."
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doesn't have its own article, then it's not relevant). Even canceled or future releases would be enough.
697:"Series article needs SIGCOV in RS'es that is about the series (and not about the individual games)..."
680:"Series article needs SIGCOV in RS'es that is about the series (and not about the individual games)..."
601:"...it's a general heuristic that a series needs three games before an article should be considered..."
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778:"...franchises must have an appreciable amount of additional media and merchandise attached to them."
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Talk about how the series as a whole came about - what prompted it in the first place? For example,
746:"For Reception, is just reviewing the series or verified sales of the series overall. For example,
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For Reception, is just reviewing the series or verified sales of the series overall. For example,
616:"...one should only be considered after three or more notable games for a series have been made."
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and two is merely a one-off title with a sequel. This rule, however, is shunned when it comes to
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To create a series article, there need to be situations where the series is discussed as a
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I've received 15 answers from top editors in the Wikiproject. Here's what they concluded:
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773:"A franchise article is the same thing but when the topics include non-video game media."
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wishing for it to be continued or remastered, that could be something worth mentioning."
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is a series but doesn't have enough commentary to merit individual game articles, while
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wishing for it to be continued or remastered, that could be something worth mentioning.
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is a series with wide-ranging commentary about it and so it merits a series, while
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211:. As for franchises, the franchise must have a major multi-media presence, such as
707:"...have some reliably sourced commentary that applies to the games collectively."
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better represented by either a series article, individual game articles, or both;
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In terms of the structure, the best would be to treat the article as a modified
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if there is an abundance of notable non-gaming content. A good example would be
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Survey: What are the requirements for series and franchise articles?
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Alexandra: I would mainly consider: does the series meet the
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You can view each user's full response in the table below.
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Everyone else is going to say the GNG, that there are
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How many games do we need to make a series article?
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Notability of the concept of a video game franchise
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261:20:20, 28 June 2021 (UTC)
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432:Zero Escape
401:Goichi Suda
327:Paper Mario
313:KieferSkunk
304:Dissident93
205:series and
184:: that one
176:as a series
494:Salvidrim!
471:Ni no Kuni
454:Drakengard
419:Drakengard
89:Franchise?
22:Newsletter
806:Star Wars
802:Star Wars
798:TarkusAB:
609:TarkusAB:
558:Star Wars
552:Star Wars
540:franchise
534:StarCraft
438:Bayonetta
422:spawning
196:Bayonetta
573:article.
522:TarkusAB
507:course).
484:WP:SPLIT
283:reliable
141:content?
101:creating
26:20230225
24: |
20: |
811:Thibbs:
759:Thibbs:
748:Lumines
700:Thibbs:
407:Persona
245:Lumines
213:Pokémon
43:Panini!
668:PresN:
641:Rhain:
636:PresN:
599:Rhain:
570:WP:DUE
480:series
392:series
722:Czar:
646:Czar:
504:about
500:about
464:Rhain
114:whole
16:<
804:vs.
555:vs.
450:Nier
425:Nier
384:Pres
269:czar
257:talk
416:or
215:or
173:GNG
126:not
562:).
285:,
259:)
186:is
394:.
387:N
294:)
292:?
290:(
255:(
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