Blog Entry: Game and Release I - A Look Outside

After the humongous blog post regarding Oregami's gaming environment model, I will try a different approach regarding the next issue to tackle: in a series of bite-sized blog posts I want to outline what we have planned for the problems that come with documenting game releases. This first part of the series shall describe the basic problems we are facing, and I want to take a look outside how others are solving them, if they do.

Basic problems of documenting game releases

Since the beginning of commercial video game publishing, the companies behind the games have been very creative when it came to making the most money of their game releases. It's always been the case that our beloved games have been sold in a myriad of ways, that besides their initial release they've been re-released, localized, ported, remade, bundled together, added to, and what not. And the publishers won't stop, so it is about time to discuss the basic cases of game publishing we've seen until now:

1. Initial Release
   
   The initial release shall be defined as the first release of the game for the gaming environment it was developed at.
   Example: Diablo
   
   
2. Budget Release
   
   The game sees another release for the gaming environment it was developed at, typically with lower quality packaging and for a cheaper price.
   Example : Diablo - BestSeller Series
   
   
3. Localized Release
   
   The game gets released again for the gaming environment it was developed at, but this time in a different language than the initial release.
   Example: Diablo - German version
   
   
4. Port
   
   The game's source code is ported to a different gaming environment and released there.
   Example: Diablo - PlayStation release
   
   
5. Enhanced Release
   
   After its initial release, the developers continue working on their game, and release a subsequent, better version. This may occur due to a buggy initial release, or due to real enhancements for the game. Please note that I'm not talking about patches here, but about full releases.
   Example: The Witcher - Enhanced Edition
   
   
6. Remake
   
   Successful games from the past are sometimes completely remade to bring their gaming experience to the current times. These releases typically happen on a newer gaming environment than the initial release was published for, but are not ports, as the game is re-coded from the ground up.
   Example: The Secret of Monkey Island - Special Edition
   
   
7. Compilation
   
   Two or more games are bundled together, and re-released as a new package for the gaming environment they were developed at.
   Example: Gold Games
   
   
8. Add-on
   
   The developers release additional content for their game which cannot be played without the original release. Downloadable content (DLC) and patches are, at their core, also add-ons.
   Example: Diablo - Hellfire
   
   
9. Episodic Game
   
   A game gets released in, more or less, short episodes. Subsequent releases of all episodes of a season together are typically seen.
   Example: Tales of Monkey Island
   
   

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