Physical vs Digital Platforms

The database currently has separate digital platforms set up for systems through the PS Vita.

But starting with the Wii U, it no longer does. So Wii U, XBox One, Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch all have one single platform in the Wiki for both Physical and Digital releases.

Whereas prior generations have things like Playstation 3 and Playstation Network (PS3) or Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS eShop.

I think we need to have digital platforms created for the new generations OR the prior generations should have the digital platforms combined under the primary system platform. Considering digital releases are just that - releases - I think it is more appropriate to combine the older platforms rather than creating new ones. Ultimately, I just want consistency on it.

Thoughts? Or has this already be brought up and addressed somewhere?

Thanks.

I have no thoughts but I swear I've seen this thread before and the answer was something along the lines of "it's kind of a big task".

@royalape: As you pointed out, the decision was made around 2012 that having digital platform pages was redundant. So, we stopped creating new ones. Getting rid of the old ones is a job that will take a lot of time and effort to do correctly. With an ever looming promise of a remodel of the entire wiki, doing all that work now may be pointless.

So, for now, we deal with the way it is.

I appreciate that it is a big task, particularly if we were to combine the older generation platforms.

But is it any bigger of a task than creating the worlds best game database already is?

If admins wanted to keep the digital/physical platforms separate, that is a relatively easy task. Just create digital platforms for the new generation. It just isn't likely the preferred solution considering the stance on "releases". A stance that I happen to agree with anyhow.

We don't want to keep them separate.

@marino: thanks. Wasn't aware of a remodel being discussed. I can accept that.

A think a good potential feature would be some sort of sub-catagory where users could specify if a game was released on the digital store/physical, or both.

yea, the releases page is quite useless if that isn't possible or we'd always have to specify in the title field. games simply don't always come out on day X and that's that. you get a digital release on March 3, then a physical release on July 27, then there's a licensing issue, the game gets delisted, licenses get sorted, the game gets re-released in tandem with a content update called The Rereleasening that also is digital only but then gets released physically again half a year later. You can't list all of these as just "Game, platform X." The oversimplified and static nature of the wiki is really working against it and still feels very 2008 "wouldn't it be cool if we had a cute little wiki on our site." Sorry for always being so harsh with wiki comments in recent times but theoretically like this wiki more than others but it's so frustrating dealing with anything.

@def: I agree with you, and now with early access being a common thing that also muddies it up.