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SanTe
Admin

Posts: 31
Some game database cleanup work
on 9/22/2010 2:33:40 PM
Over the last decade many new arcade games were sequels, part of a long series of similar games with very similar and confusing names. Dance Dance Revolution, Beatmania, DrumMania, and GuitarFreaks all come to mind. In the case of each of these series half or more of the existing titles were not yet entered into the Aurcade database, and in some cases a specific game was entered twice under two different titles. Understandable when the industry is using titles like "DDRMAX2 Dance Dance Revolution 7thMix." That is actually the correct title. Now as you drill down through the very long pulldown list of games when adding a title to a location are you going to find that game in the list? Probably not, because it doesn't appear next to all of the DDR games whose titles begin with "Dance Dance Revolution."

I spent some time researching these four series of games and cleaning up the database. I've added in all missing arcade titles, corrected titles that were named incorrectly (with some exceptions for clarity), and added all available info such as year of release, genre, # of simultaneous players, and KLOV ID number if there was one. I deviated from correct titles only for purposes of consistency. For example, the aforementioned "DDRMAX2 Dance Dance Revolution 7thMix" was titled "Dance Dance Revolution 7th Mix DDRMAX2" to make it easier to find it in the games list. Are you going to look for "DDRMAX2" as you scroll though the list or are you going to skip straight to the "Dance Dance Revolution..." entries? Exactly. I carried this naming consistency through on every title in each series. If you're looking for a DDR game in the list, the titles in the games list all start with "Dance Dance Revolution." This same consistency in nomenclature will apply to the DrumMania and GuitarFreaks games and other long series like Beatmania and Taiko no Tatsujin.

Wikipedia was the source of much of this info; it has complete lists for each of these series. I included all arcade releases regardless of country of origin. This is because even Japanese exclusives often find their way to American shores. Hell my local GameWorks has a drumming game that is entirely in Japanese, including all artwork, and it took some legwork to determine that it is the ninth release in the "Taiko no Tatsujin" series. Oh yeah, I added the complete Taiko no Tatsujin series to the database as well. (There are 17 of them; only 2 were already in the database.)

In cases of duplicate titles I merged the location info before deleting the incorrect titles from the database. I might have inadvertently deleted Dance Dance Revolution Extreme from three locations where it was listed under the incorrect (and non-existent) title "Dance Dance Revolution Max 8" (which has since been deleted from the database). Hopefully the next time people inventory those locations they'll be picked up again, but I doubt anyone cares that much which DDR it is. But for us exacting types hopefully all of this will make it easier to inventory a lot of the more modern games that are on location these days. In my region I have to inventory locations at least every two months or the changes are dizzying. The local ops sure keep games on the move.

I have completed work for the Dance Dance Revolution, DrumMania, GuitarFreaks, and Taiko no Tatsujin series but I haven't done the Beatmania series yet (there are a lot of them). I will get to it soon.

Hopefully going forward as admins add new locations and populate them with titles from these series we'll get correct info and will no longer compound the duplication problem with confusing and incorrect titles.


 
Nashvillan
Admin

Posts: 666
RE: Some game database cleanup work
on 9/22/2010 5:10:07 PM
Great work on keeping the database in tip top shape.
I can relate to arcade owners changing out their games frequently.



 
Auric
Founder

Posts: 132
RE: Some game database cleanup work
on 9/24/2010 6:02:02 AM
Rock on. great work bud!

I drank WHAT!?! - Socrates
 
Robmcraf@hotmail.com
Member

Posts: 3
RE: Some game database cleanup work
on 2/3/2011 4:02:34 PM
I just inventoried the Flipper McCoy's in Virginia Beach. How do I help fix the database, It is about 30% out of date. Thanks!


 
Nashvillan
Admin

Posts: 666
RE: Some game database cleanup work
on 2/4/2011 3:36:27 AM
You say the database is out of date? One way you as a member you can help keep the database fresh is to revisit your popular arcades in the area that are in the database and submit it as a new location. Just make sure you mention that it is a current location. You can either say "They have added these games and taken these games away", or you can just say "This is everything they currently have" and the changes will be made.

I recently revisited a bowling alley that has a decent game room, but I swear they haven't changed any of the games around in about two years. They should at least update the floor layout to keep it fresh. On the flip side, my local arcade changes the floor layout MONTHLY at least!

I've got four new locations lined up ready to be added to the database when I get to them. Thanx for your help in keeping this database up to date!


 
Robmcraf@hotmail.com
Member

Posts: 3
RE: Some game database cleanup work
on 2/4/2011 7:03:21 AM
OK. How about an arcade that has closed permanently. The Flipper McCoy's in Norfolk Virginia is no more, and never will be. There is a new buisness in that location.


 
Nashvillan
Admin

Posts: 666
RE: Some game database cleanup work
on 2/4/2011 7:46:26 AM
I added some games to the VA beach location.
Norfolk location is no more? Ok, the location will be archived. We won't delete the location, we'll just word it saying the location is no longer there.
Thanx for the heads up. I noticed that other location said it was "closed for remodeling" from two years ago... I guess it never recovered.

Thanx again.


 
Nashvillan
Admin

Posts: 666
New games in the database
on 4/3/2011 6:22:14 AM
Games are constantly added to the database. Check back often to see if there's a game in the database you remember playing years ago that you thought got lost in time never to be seen again, or perhaps the latest and greatest games are added to this list.

Today, Beatmania IIDX 18: Resort Anthem is added to the list. You think your local arcade has it? Would you play it if they were to get it? Find out! Get on the horn and let them know.


 
Nashvillan
Admin

Posts: 666
New game in the database
on 4/7/2011 5:02:12 PM
The Rolling Stones pinball game has been added. Expect this title to reach an amusement center or arcade near you!
I also added a Guilty Gear title called Iskura.


 
Nashvillan
Admin

Posts: 666
New games added to database
on 4/13/2011 7:30:49 AM
Some brand new games have been added to the database.
Friction by Friction Amusement has been released.
Fruit Ninja by Adrenaline Amusement.
Frightmareland by Global VR/Taito

Some games that have been added to the database that haven't been sited yet:
Sega's Golden Gun (House of the Dead type shooter)
Let's Go Island (sequel to Let's Go Jungle)


 
Robmcraf@hotmail.com
Member

Posts: 3
RE: Some game database cleanup work
on 5/5/2012 8:53:38 AM
Nashvillan Wrote:
I added some games to the VA beach location.
Norfolk location is no more? Ok, the location will be archived. We won't delete the location, we'll just word it saying the location is no longer there.
Thanx for the heads up. I noticed that other location said it was "closed for remodeling" from two years ago... I guess it never recovered.

Thanx again.


Also, the Fun-n-Games listed for Chesapeake, VA has been gone for a while.

I don't understand the archiving-vice-deleting decision. Is the website a shrine? If so, then there could be a whole seperate section for deleted arcades. A memorial of sorts. That would be kinda cool because we could share our memories of the places. Just a thought.


 
Nashvillan
Admin

Posts: 666
My story on archiving locations
on 5/11/2012 10:48:00 PM
Fun n Games is gone? Man... :(
That one had a rare Star Wars game in it. Legend has it there's only 12 in North America and that location was one of them.

I was hoping Dave would chime in on this topic, but I guess he is busy prepping for the upcoming tournament at Funspot, so I'll answer this.

Regarding archiving locations... in a way, these are locations that were once popular places for us to hang out, drop a few quarters, and play games with our friends. These are the places that were a piece of our history growing up. These were the places that once dominated every mall, every shopping center, and every plaza. These places are now either almost totally gone, or they've been replaced by amusement centers that favor redemption games. Some of the reasons why locations are archived is for the community to remember these locations and the games they once had so that we as consumers can make an effort to ensure the existing locations do not suffer the same fate. "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it."

My personal reason for locations being archived is in the hopes that the location can someday be resurrected. In my three years of being a member/admin of this site, I have witnessed two locations reopen after being archived. The most recent was an arcade in NYC called Chinatown Fair. I'm sure I share that same desire with many other gamers here. They all hope their favorite hangout spot stays around for generations to come or at least returns with a new drive and determination to serve the community proudly.


 
Nashvillan
Admin

Posts: 666
RE: Some game database cleanup work
on 8/21/2013 3:44:31 PM
I have noticed the site is taking a little longer to load than usual lately.
I am not sure if this will help or not, but it can't hurt.

I call out to all the members of the Aurcade site to make a continuing effort to delete as much of your old private message mail as you can.
Think of it as taking out the trash that's been piling up for a long time. :)


 
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