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Wiki FAQ 2.0

By lordofultima April 12, 2010 17 Comments

Introduction

So Giant Bomb has this whole wiki thing. That's right, in the interest of being the largest and most comprehensive video game database on the internet, Giant Bomb accepts game-related content from its very own users (that means you!). With great power comes great responsibility, so with that said; there are some guidelines that Giant Bomb staff and moderators would ask that you adhere your submissions to. This will help to prevent nasty stuff from happening to your account -- such as warnings, suspensions, and mighty ban-hammers being struck down with vengeance.

So long story short, you must adhere to these rules and regulations while contributing to the bask of knowledge waffles we like to call Giant Bomb. We urge all users to read through this guide carefully before submitting content, and hope that you will return here for any questions you may have. If your questions can't be answered here, feel free to contact a moderator for assistance.

It is strongly suggested you acclimate yourself with the Forum FAQ, the Giant Bomb Terms & Conditions, and the General FAQ.

Guidelines

What We Encourage:

Well written original content: Articles exhibiting personal knowledge and research are gladly accepted.
Correct spelling & punctuation: Solid understanding of grammar is recommended, though this isn't a complete deal-breaker. (And the grammar natzees can come clean it up afterward anyway)
Epic articles: Interesting and detail-heavy articles are welcomed with open arms; however, grammar and correct structuring take precedence.
Good use of images: Inserting a thumbnail image properly, a.k.a. near a group of text that relates to the said image. This increases readability of the article, and makes it snazzy!
Articles that "nerd/geek out": Do you know the names and personal trates of all the koopa kids, as well as what game they originated in, and also what worlds / castles they inhabited? Good. That's what Giant Bomb wants.
New relevant pages: We always encourage the creation of new relevant pages about video games for this website, about video games.
Moderator comments: If you don't have a grudge against the moderators, you can make our job a little easier by detailing in the moderator comment exactly what it is that you've edited in an article. This will speed up the moderation process tenfold.

What We Deny:

Plagiarism: The big, obvious one, Giant Bomb is a unique database of video game knowledge: Copy/pasting a massive article from another source is only hurting you, the user. Please be aware that this includes content copied from official sources, such as game manuals and press releases.
Opinionated text: While everyone is free to have his or her own view on a subject, we like to keep things objective.
Short, poorly written edits: If an elaborate article exists and a user submits an irrelevant paragraph, it wastes everyone's time.

New pages with bad titles: Incorrect title case and punctuation, bad spelling, or unnecessary acronyms make page titles unattractive; taking time to submit correct information shows.
Lists: Though not every list is off-limits, character lists in body text are unnecessary; check the relationships sections!
Excessive use of images: Images out of context do not improve articles. The images section of a page is there for a reason.
Linking everything: Linking every item found in China is unnecessary, and it makes page navigation more difficult. Game-relevant items or characters are fine, broader links like Call of Duty 4 toEarth are a definite no-no, though.
Franchise games linked as Similar Games: Some games are linked together by being part of the same Franchise, these should not be linked as Similar Games.
Multiple names for the same thing: These can be hard to identify, but similar concepts are often submitted under different names. Make sure to do a thorough search on what it is you're trying to add, as it may already been on the site.
Subjective concepts: A concept should not be open to opinion. Truth, not thought.

Plagiarism

So what exactly constitutes plagiarism? Generally, anything that is not written by the user submitting the content is considered plagiarism, and in some rare instances content that may be written by the person submitting it may still not be approved (though that's not technically plagiarism). So what does that all mean, STOLEN STUFF. A good rule of thumb is to conduct yourself around these questions:

Was the material written by someone other than yourself?
Does the material exist on within another source or website?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, then your submission will be labeled as plagiarism and promptly denied. Here are the most common instances of plagiarism we find in submissions on Giant Bomb:

Stealing From Wikipedia

The most common occurrence of Wiki-related plagiarism on Giant Bomb is due to Wikipedia. It is indeed a vast resource of knowledge, but that doesn't make it ok to rip it off, or any other gaming-related wiki for that matter. The matter here is multi-faceted, let's think back to the code of conduct. A) You didn't write the material B) The material exists word for word on another website. Because of those two issues, you have to worry about C) The fact that honest users are spending hours of their own time writing original articles that are rich with knowledge, while you took no time to gain a similar amount of points. Not gonna happen, pal.

"Borrowing" Official Release Info

This is the second most common offense regarding the plagiarism issue on Giant Bomb. Spewing the company line about the video game that they made, it's obvious that the text is going to be quite one-sided in its commentary. Not only is it very opinionated text (something Giant Bomb doesn't encourage), but it's also still stealing! I bet you forgot that whole thing didn't you? Did you write the press release that you found on Kotaku or the company website? My guess is probably not. And you know what, even if you did actually write the press release and do in fact work for the game company in question, we still can't accept your submission in that state. That's because Giant Bomb wants original content, as in content that doesn't already exist on a bunch of forums and websites outside of giant bomb. It once again goes in the face of all the users on Giant Bomb who actually devote a chunk of time to refining a game page.

Game Manuals, Lore, and Quotes

So here is where it gets a little sketchy for everyone. Taking content from game manuals and lore is generally not allowed, so to avoid this complex mess the short answer is "don't do it." However, sometimes a quote from a video game may be so significant that the wiki article cries for its inclusion. Provided that you have plenty of original written content to go along with the quote, and you properly identify the phrase being quoted (with the use of quotation marks and other notation), we're good to go. Keep in mind that plagiarism checks are done on all pending wiki submissions, so even though you quote something you feel should be in the article, the submission may still be denied due to plagiarism.

Ripping Info From Giant Bomb Pages

Unless the content you're cribbing from on said Giant Bomb wiki page was completely written by you, and offers significant value to the wiki page you'd be transplanting it into, this is still considered plagiarism. Even if the perfect storm of conditions are met, Giant Bomb still promotes original content and would recommend that you add additional unique information along with your recycled text. Because it's very tough to prove who has written what content on Giant Bomb and whether it has been modified since it's original edit, your submission may still be denied because of this.

Wiki Categories

There are several types of wiki submissions that can take place, so before you look up at the stars and blame the gods because your submission was denied and you were sent hateful messages from the moderators, you owe it to yourself to read this information.

Games

Being as this is a website about video games, game pages are the backbone of the wiki. Games pages are essentially a collection of releases, and they're useful for finding information about multiple releases of a game. The type of data gathered on this page varies from game summaries, general facts, reviews, previews, news, videos, screenshots, releases, and a bunch more. We encourage games of all regions, so we're calling you the readers to arms, to add any obscure titles from across the globe. Pinball machines will also be documented here.

Game articles containing spoilers are ok, this is sort of an encyclopedia for video games, so spoilers are unavoidable.

Achievements

Achievements are not added by the user, they are done completely on the back-end of the site, and tie directly into the achievement tracking system Giant Bomb uses. There is a section for achievements, and thus they are not listed on the main game page summary.

DLC Add-Ons

Unless a game gets a stand-alone or retail disc expansion pack, the type of add-on associated with it will generally be that of DLC (downloadable content). This includes but is not limited to: Songs (Albums/Packs/Individual), Multiplayer Add-ons, Singleplayer Add-ons, Equipment/Clothing, Cheats, Characters, and Stages. Simply add a name for the DLC content, the platform it appears on, the date of release, the price it sells for, and a short description of the content for download.

Releases

Game pages are organized by title, not by individual releases. As such, there is a release section to every game, which will allow you to document all the different regions the game has come out in, as well as the different platforms it has spanned, and compilations that it's been a part of. Note that gold, limited, collectors, GOTY (etc.) editions of games go under the release category, they do not get their own game page. This includes compilations of games which may feature several other games long with the title in question. There are specific exceptions to the rule with games that come bundled as one package and appear on a certain platform by only that means (such as The Orange Box), but generally these are all releases. If you're not sure if it should be a release or not, PM the mods and they'll give you an answer.

Images

Only images relevant to the game can be uploaded, and no duplicates. Screenshots that are too small will probably not be accepted, so that means no low-res emulation screen captures! If an image is offensive in any way, you better be damned sure it is an in-game screenshot or you're in trouble, duder! Yes, there is an adult category of games, so unfortunately there will be some images featuring nudity that are linked to those types of games.

Credits

This is where you list the people who made the game (by linking their "person" page). There are various descriptors from a drop-box menu that are used to describe that persons field of expertise, and also a notes section where you can detail something specific to their work. Fill these out, people!

Franchises

Franchises are collections of games with a unifying theme. This loose definition allows franchises to have more flexibility. For example, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 belongs to three separate franchises: Tom Clancy, Rainbow Six, and Rainbow Six Vegas. Remember that games within the same franchise are not supposed to be linked as similar games, since that sort of goes without saying and clutters up the list of similar games. So please, refrain. Franchises can be linked to characters, locations, objects, and concepts.

Characters

The stars of the games you play, characters are named specifically, and display unique gameplay or personality traits to warrant a page. Different versions of characters do not warrant separate pages; for example, Paper Mario is listed on the Mario page. A group of individuals or a race of creatures should be a Concept page, not a Character page (since we don't yet have a species or race category).

Pages for characters which also exist in a Person page should only consist of information relevant to their in-game persona - their special moves, how to defeat them, how to unlock them, etc. For example:

Tom Morello (character) - lists details about the games he's in, what he looks like in-game, any special moves he might have, how to defeat him, etc.
Tom Morello (person) - details the actual guitarist, could have a bit of a biography, his history with Rage Against The Machine, and how he got involved with the games he was credited in.

A character page can be associated to several types of pages, such as the games they appear in, locations related to them, concepts involving them, and objects they come in contact with or use. There are a couple unique links to a character page as well, which are "Friends" and "Enemies." This allows you to list some of their good friends and mortal enemies they have within the games they're in.

People

The individuals involved with the development and production of a title. A person must be credited in at least one game to merit a page. Jeff Gerstmann has a "person" page because he was credited in a video game. You cannot add random staff members who you think are cool "just because they are cool." You can write an overview summarizing that person's contributions to stuff, credit them to specific games, relate them to other people (who would preferably work with or have worked with them in the past), and add images of the dude/lady in question. In some instances a person can also have a character page, in the event that they actually appear in a video game.

Companies

These are the publishers and developers that put the games in your hot little hands. In the cases of publishers that have since been acquired and folded into other companies they will be credited as their most recent incarnation. There are exceptions to the rule that are dealt with on a case-by-case basis, especially if the history of the former company is very well documented, and features many different staff members. Discrete development studios that exist within larger organizations will retain their identity.

Within the company page you can: write a summary, link them to the games they developed or published, upload images relating to the company, link characters, link locations, link things (objects), link concepts, and list "loyal employees" a.k.a. the dudes that work there.

Objects

Like franchises, in-game objects can be very broad or very specific, allowing for object pages as general as Sword and as defined as Master Sword. The relationship should always be meaningful; Grass is only important in a few different titles, so don't list every game that has ever featured grass. Objects include vehicles, weapons, and basically any piece of technology that lacks sentience.

It's important to note that these are in-game objects, and do not include stuff existing only in the real world, such as peripherals/accessories for game systems, consoles, or anything like that. That said, you'll be hard-pressed to NOT find pretty much everything appearing in one game or another, for instance, the Gamecube console appears in Animal Crossing.

Object pages include an overview, games they appeared in, characters associated with, locations associated with, concepts involving, related objects, and images for the object.

Concepts

Concepts are the most loosely defined data type, serving as kind of a catch-all for pages and associations that don't currently fit into one of the other data types, such as a race of creatures, a specific in-game event, character abilities, game play characteristics, and even shady organizations involved in the storyline of a game. When submitting, try to think of what you'd like to see if you visit the concepts' page - is there going to be a really interesting list of things attached to this concept? Is there room for a great page on what this concept entails? Here's some quick concept guidelines:

Ideas Used In Games

These are great to have -- imagine a list of every game that's stolen this idea from somewhere, or how much detail a user might go into about the significance it has in gaming history.

In-Game events

A good example of this would be a war or a festival in a role-playing game. For instance, The Lion War is a series of conflicts that is tied directly to the back-story of Final Fantasy Tactics. It's referenced a lot while playing the game, and is a great topic to expand on in the form of a concept page. (this doesn't actually have a page, and it blows my mind, guess I'll have to make it later myself).

Species/Races/Enemy Types

Often times enemies and creatures are posted as a character page wrongfully (such as Pokemon, Pinata, or Chocobo) -- these belong listed as concepts and not actual characters. Unless there is a specific character that belongs to a species that merits their own page, keep all that stuff here.

In-Game Corporations/Organizations

Sometimes within a game you'll come across a company, militia, fictional government or whatever that exists in a game -- these belong as concept pages. A good example would be Shadaloo, which is the evil organization that M. Bison created in the Street Fighter Franchise of video games.

Grey Areas

Concepts that have little to no relevance in the actual workings of a game, typically memes created by the players themselves, i.e. tea-bagging. This is often the subjective nature of the concept that hangs your submission in the balance between being approved or denied. We don't really have a better way to document things of this nature at the moment, so as long as it has significance to a video game and the potential for a well-written article/other stuff to be linked to it, it's not necessarily a bad idea. That said, ridiculous stuff will of course be denied, and our official stance on hardware failure is a "no." I'm pretty sure Microsoft didn't come up with the amazing concept of mass-hardware failure.

Duplicate Concepts

Because of the subjective nature of concepts, we run into duplicate pages every day. All we ask is that you do a "proper" search for the concept you're thinking of submitting, because chances are there's already a concept that covers what you're trying to detail -- it's just under a different, equally goofy name. What we mean by proper search, is that you don't just type what your concept is into the search bar, but you click the browse button on the navigation bar on the top of the website, look through the concepts, and see if there's anything in the ballpark of what you're aiming for.

Locations

A named location is one with either strong aspects persisting through iterations or a unique area that has distinctive features separating it from others. In cases where one location encapsulates another, the association should be made to the more specific location. For example, Resident Evil 2 would be attached to the Raccoon City page, rather than the Earth page. While it's possible to have a mobile location, if its primary role is that of transportation, it should be an object.

Location pages include an overview, games it appears in, characters associated with, other locations relevant to, concepts involving, objects that appear at the location, and images detailing the location itself.

Platforms

Platforms are one of the two less-editable types of pages on Giant Bomb. Since platforms are easy to keep track of, only Staff has permissions to add a page in this category. Users can still associate different types of pages to platforms, link game releases to a specific platform, tie game developers to said platform, as well as write a detailed overview about the system itself. Please do not add a platform as an object unless it appears as an actual in-game object. Platforms are limited to real-world stuff, and objects are limited to in-game stuff.

Accessories

Accessories pages are handled pretty much the same way as platform pages. Accessories typically include video game controllers, peripherals, console-add-ons and the like. Since that is a fairly closed market it is easy to keep track of, only Staff has the privilege of adding accessory pages. Users can still edit the overview of the accessory and add images detailing it, but that's pretty much it. Again, don't add a console add-on/peripheral as an object unless it appears in an actual video game. Accessories are limited to real-world stuff, and objects are limited to in-game stuff.

Wiki Tasks

What are tasks?

Tasks are simply a way for the moderators and staff of Giant Bomb to highlight pages that need help in the wiki portion of the site. Sometimes this means correcting the grammar or objectivity of an article but other times we just need a way to call out pages that are weirdly empty or need to be updated post-release. As a means of encouraging our members to take on these tasks the moderators can assign extra bounty points (in addition to your normal wiki scoring) to each individual task. Once a moderator closes a task you earn the bounty and more importantly giantbomb is now a better place.

How the system works:

A moderator or staff member creates a task and assigns a bounty to its completion.
One or more members decide to take on the task and it is marked as "in progress".
After the requested changes have been made, one of those users closes the task, leaving a comment if they worked on it in concert with another.
The moderator, seeing the changes can either close the task, or re-open it if changes still need to be made.
When closing the task, the moderator assigns the bounty to all members who deserve points based on their desecration.

Frequently Asked Questions

This is where your questions and stuff go, yay! Want an answer to a question that gets asked all the time? Leave a comment and we will answer your burning queries below.

Why was my submission rejected?

Like that delicious banana pudding that tastes just a little off, not all submissions that are made belong on the site. While moderators try their best, sometimes your effort doesn't meet the expectations. In these instances, the moderator will leave a message stating the reason of the rejection.

Why can't I add platforms or accessories?

Platforms and Accessories have been locked since these categories only need updating periodically.

I've discovered plagiarized content from another website / source, what should I do?

Please PM a moderator from the list below as soon as possible. Do not edit the page. This will help us search for the individual that submitted the content. At this point you should run and hide. We will send a message back after the user has been "dealt with."

Can I become a moderator?

You know the secret handshake? Yeah, didn't think so. But seriously, new moderators are chosen through a collaboration between site staff and current moderators. There is no specific criteria, and we only go looking for a new mod or two on a blue moon, so I wouldn't my hopes up if I was you. If you're the kind of person that continuously begs to become a moderator, chances are the job is not for you.

Moderators

Behold, a list of moderators! Please send all your complaints to MB, he LOVES complaints!

We're here to help, so if you have any problems or questions either contact us individually or...

PM all the community moderators!

*There's also a couple "sort-of" moderators, but they don't matter so let's move along now! (Just kidding Jared, love you)

Important Stuff

Here are some suggestions for pages or forum posts regarding the wiki that might put you on the path of righteousness!

Delete & Combine

Editing & Tools

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