The GameEx Database Project

[greatflash]

Just a bit more info on the wildcard matching you can use either a * or a ? character in the search. Wildcards do not work on a normal search as that just matches any part of what you type (non case sensitive). The wildcard matching is case sensitive.

Let me know how the "Scan Folder" thing works, have you had a chance to test it yet?

Yes. I did use the Add dir on the commodore 64 and it appeaes to work a treat in the same fashion at the add missing command.

I will try it on the Naomi one when I get round to updating the images.

Thanks HK.

[Lawrence]

== GameEx Database Project ==

-: Database List :-

[Arcade] Sega Naomi

[Console] Atari 2600

[Console] Atari 5200

[Console] Atari 7800

[Console] Atari Jaguar

[Console] Coleco Vision

[Console] Commodore Amiga CD32

[Console] Fairchild Channel F

[Console] GCE Vectrex

[Console] Mattel Intellivision

[Console] Microsoft Xbox

[Console] NEC PC-FX

[Console] NEC SuperGrafx

[Console] NEC TurboGrafx CD

[Console] NEC TurboGrafx-16

[Console] Nintendo GameCube

[Console] Nintendo N64

[Console] Nintendo NES

[Console] Nintendo SNES

[Console] Panasonic 3DO

[Console] Philips CD-i

[Console] Philips Odyssey 2

[Console] Philips Odyssey

[Console] Sega 32X

[Console] Sega CD

[Console] Sega Dreamcast

[Console] Sega Genesis

[Console] Sega Master System

[Console] Sega Saturn

[Console] Sega SG-1000

[Console] SNK Neo-Geo CD

[Console] SNK Neo-Geo

[Console] Sony PlayStation 2

[Console] Sony Playstation

[Handheld] Atari Lynx

[Handheld] Bandai WonderSwan Color

[Handheld] Bandai WonderSwan

[Handheld] GamePark GP32

[Handheld] Nintendo DS

[Handheld] Nintendo Game Boy Advance

[Handheld] Nintendo Game Boy Color

[Handheld] Nintendo Game Boy

[Handheld] Nintendo Virtual Boy

[Handheld] Nokia N-Gage

[Handheld] Sega Game Gear

[Handheld] SNK Neo-Geo Pocket Color

[Handheld] SNK Neo-Geo Pocket

[Handheld] Sony PSP

[Handheld] Tiger Electronics Game.com

[Handheld] Tiger Telematics Gizmondo

[Handheld] VTech V.Smile

[Handheld] Watara Supervision

[Mobile] BREW

[Mobile] DoJa

[Mobile] Mophun

[Mobile] Symbian

[Mobile] Zodiac

[PC] Acorn Archimedes

[PC] Acorn BBC Micro

[PC] Acorn Electron

[PC] Amstrad CPC

[PC] Apple II

[PC] Atari 8-bit

[PC] Atari ST

[PC] Commodore 128

[PC] Commodore 64

[PC] Commodore Amiga

[PC] Commodore PET_CBM

[PC] Commodore VIC-20

[PC] Dragon 32-64

[PC] MGT Sam Coupe

[PC] Microsoft MSX 2

[PC] Microsoft MSX

[PC] Microsoft Windows

[PC] PC Booter

[PC] ScummVM

[PC] Sinclair ZX Spectrum

[PC] Sinclair ZX-81

[PC] Tandy TRS-80 CoCo

[PC] Tandy TRS-80

[PC] TI-99_4A

[Pinball] Future Pinball

[Pinball] Visual Pinball

[Pinball] Visual PinMAME

May I participate? I would like to do the Atari 8-bit and Mattel Aquarius (the two systems I grew up with).

[Lawrence]

Actually, the Atari Jaguar too. I even bought two of them back in the day to do two player Doom.

[bkenobi]

I was just looking at the data in these databases and noticed the 'Configuration' table. I don't know what it's used for in GameEx, but at least for the NES and N64 the 'Name' Field says 'Atari 2600'. I didn't review all databases, but I figured I would report this in case it needs updating. My guess is that the DBM tool doesn't update it and GameEx probably doesn't use it. It's probably not used so perhaps it should be removed. Either that or updated to be correct

[headkaze]

I was just looking at the data in these databases and noticed the 'Configuration' table. I don't know what it's used for in GameEx, but at least for the NES and N64 the 'Name' Field says 'Atari 2600'. I didn't review all databases, but I figured I would report this in case it needs updating. My guess is that the DBM tool doesn't update it and GameEx probably doesn't use it. It's probably not used so perhaps it should be removed. Either that or updated to be correct

Yes we do use those fields and they are important, thanks for reporting the bug I'm fixing it now. It seems to occur when exporting multiple mdb's at once.

EDIT: I just realised this is a really important bug you've found! It means there are databases that don't have any Biography info because of this.

EDIT2: I've fixed the bug

[404notfound]

I added my current set of GameBase64 version 5 to GameEx by following the configuration setup posted by greatflash. However, it used an older version of GoodTools and I didn't find a newer release for version 5 so I wrote my own script to do the renaming of the files and the images. Each archive contains a text file with information such as name, publisher, year, genre, etc. I don't know where everyone is in the C64 database but I figured if anyone wants it I could pull all the information out of those files into a database file or CSV/Tab delimited format. Let me know if anyone can find this useful.

[DJoneK]

To whoever is doing/working the PSX database, can I recommend you to add the naming used by the redump.org guys? They have a nice database set up and they do a really nice job. IMO, they are the "no-intro" of disc based games. I took a peek inside the gameex PSX db and noticed 3 columns (GoodName, No-Intro, TOSEC), but they are mostly blank. Just a heads up, before anyone fills that up with anything.

I could offer a hand but I only have Open Office installed and I can't get to modify any fields without some sort of error. Plus, I have 0 experience working with db. But how hard can typing be?

[greatflash]

To whoever is doing/working the PSX database, can I recommend you to add the naming used by the redump.org guys? They have a nice database set up and they do a really nice job. IMO, they are the "no-intro" of disc based games. I took a peek inside the gameex PSX db and noticed 3 columns (GoodName, No-Intro, TOSEC), but they are mostly blank. Just a heads up, before anyone fills that up with anything.

I could offer a hand but I only have Open Office installed and I can't get to modify any fields without some sort of error. Plus, I have 0 experience working with db. But how hard can typing be?

The PSX db has not really been worked on yet, but thanks and when I get on to that I will certainly add the redump.org names - thanks!

HK:

Can you add the "tick" to mark pd descriptions in the editor?

I can remember most of the latest descriptions and it will help for later use in "games Database".

Sorry to all that the db's have taken a bit of a back seat at the mo! Have been working on a DS version of the original Warhawk, and this has taken a toll on my time! I am still working on them and have been doing the odd update here and there - but I will get back in full swing soon! Sorry!!!

[headkaze]

Can you add the "tick" to mark pd descriptions in the editor?

I can remember most of the latest descriptions and it will help for later use in "games Database".

GameExDBM v1.81 adds a "CustomDesc" field

Tom: You may want to add support for this field, it's a "Boolean" field called "CustomDesc".

[Lawrence]

Here's my first contribution. The Sega 32X -- I completed the entries for all commercial games. I didn't bother writing descriptions for the Public Domain demos, as I don't think they're worth the trouble.

Can you look this over Flash to see if it meets your standards. I've started work on the Atari 8-bit one as well -- I love that machine.

I think I'll do the Wonderswans next.

I enjoy this immensely btw.

[Lawrence]

I have a suggestion for your program as well, Headkaze. There is some information in the sets themselves (particularly the Goodtools set) which could easily be culled, and make things faster and simpler. The Goodtools sets often contain in the brackets if the rom is Public Domain or a Hack. That could be culled and placed into the publisher area. Particularly for the hacks that would save an enormous amount of time as I would have to trace down a game that doesn't really exist. Also some sets include the year in the brackets. That could be culled as well -- when applicable.

Also, here's an idea for both Tom and Headkaze... How about adding a controller field to the databases. Why? Take the SNES for example -- it has game pads, four player adapter, mouse, light gun. If that information were in the database, then via a new option in the advance config the user could set things up to send different command line parameters (or swap config files) for the emulator. The end result would be that every game would work seemlessly with the appropriate controller. Another possible application could be for systems like the Atari 8-bit, where it could contain whether the rom is basic or not (which actually can be culled from the brackets in the TOSEC set). The Atari 8-bit required the option key to be held when booting for anything not in BASIC (most games) and without holding option for BASIC games. The end result is that currently my BASIC games don't work properly as I have the emulator set to simulate holding option when booting. This arrangement could even work for the Sega Saturn where SSF doesn't detect regions. It would be a little extra work but not much since the new fields could be left blank as default and only filled in for the special games. Just an idea, but it would seriously kick ass to be able to just load any game and have it work appropriately.

[Cabirus]

Good to see further improvements to the databases. To me, they're one of the best features of GameEx. I would really like to have Amiga and Playstation databases, but both systems have thousands of games and would thus require loads of work. I'd like to help out, but Real Life interferes too much, I'm afraid. Hats off to Greatflash for all his great work so far!

[Lawrence]

Some minor updates for several systems: Atari 8-bit, Apple II, Nintendo DS, Sony Playstation, Playstation 2, PSP, MSX

Just wanted to make sure everything has been associated with the various naming conventions.

[headkaze]

Thanks Lawrence I have downloaded them all. I will remove them as I get them so I don't lose track of what has been updated. So all the latest data files should be there when I do the next update to DBM.

I'm also looking at implementing some of your ideas for DBM in the next release which shouldn't be too far away

[Lawrence]

Here's a nice big update for the databases.

I went through the Publisher and Developer fields across all the databases to make them consistent. Merged multiple naming variations into one single name. This should improve GameEx's Publisher and Developer matching by a fair bit.

All XMLs are included in the attachment, as this kind of affects everything.

[Edit: Seems to be too big to upload here. Will email instead.]

[headkaze]

JellyBelly, you might as well e-mail your changes in the future that way I can make sure they are all kept in one place.

PS I'm working on some of those updates you requested for DBM today

[starbuck]

Does GamexEX databases update when GameEx updates or do I need to manually update the databases.

Thanks Guys for all the work you do.

[Tom Speirs]

You need to do a manual update. However, although there is some nice new activity here, the published databases for GameEx have not updated in a little while. They will be in due cause.

[Lawrence]

Finished off the Atari Lynx database this morning. Still working on the PSX.

[starbuck]

Tom said the databases needed to be updated manually where do we get them.

[Lawrence]

Did a fair bit of work over the last few days. The Atari Jaguar, Nintendo Virtual Boy, and Sega Game Gear are completely done.

Also (thanks to the tools made by Ben) have gone over ALL the databases to fill in missing years, publishers, marking hacks, public domain, unlicensed and so on.

The years and publishers should work much better now across all systems

[Tempest]

Keep up the good work!

[Lawrence]

The WonderSwan Color and NeoGeo Pocket are now completely finished.

The WonderSwan Color was quite the pain in the ass -- couldn't find any "number of players" lists anywhere, so had to play most of them. And since most of the titles are Japanese, I found that many of the set names were incorrect and a fair bit of the data as well. I translated many of the Japanese titles into English as well.

I had a few ideas for the database project today as well. Would require a few changes both by Tom and Headkaze, but I think these are some really bloody cool ideas though.

I want to go through all the game names and clean them up and make them consistent like I did for the Publishers and Developers. This would help in matching games across systems a lot. Looking at the master game name list now shows many problems. Arkanoid 2 is listed under numerous different names, for example. Even if I clean the names up, there would still be some problems, though. Some examples:

1942 and 1942 Advance wouldn't match but should.

Final Fantasy II (NES) and Final Fantasty II (SNES) would match but shouldn't.

Final Fantasy II (SNES) and Final Fantasy IV (WonderSwan Color) wouldn't match but should.

I think the database strongly needs another column: "Matching Name". Take the first example above. The game names would still be 1942 and 1942 Advance respectively but in the Matching Name column both would be listed as just "1942". Thus, the GBA port would show in the other systems list for 1942. For the Final Fantasy examples, Final Fantasy II for the SNES would listed under matching name as "Final Fantasy IV". Would be useful for a lot of games, and with that I'd be able to get the matching for the databases for the game names near perfect.

The other column I'd like to see introduced would be "series." In that column a short form of the name would be listed. Ie., all Final Fantasy games would be listed as just "Final Fantasy." ...and with that a cross platform list of any series of games could very easily (I'm guessing not much coding). That would be an incredibly cool feature for GameEx to have. I'm willing to do the painful part of this (going through all the game names). What do you guys think?

[Tom Speirs]

I really like the series idea.

[Lawrence]

I thought you would.

I estimate -- given the amount of time it took me to go through all the Publishers and Developers and the larger number of game names, that I could do a clean up of the names in 5 days. The matching names (based on the cleaned names) would be much easier and only a day or two. The series names would be the easiest (as I would use the simpler matching names to make the series names) would take a day. So about a week for me to do this. And it would really make GameEx stand out -- no one else has this.

What I would need from Headkaze to do this is to open up the search and replace -- right now the name list only shows 'cached' names, games that have been set to yellow or green. I need the red ones too. So I need a way to make the database program to cache everything for the names. Then I can easily clean up all the names -- and since I speak Japanese I can clean up the Japanese titles a lot (NONE of the naming conventions are consistent in how they romanize the Japanese titles). Then after I've finished going through all the names and cleaning them up, I would need something in the program to take all the names across all the xml files and dump them as they are into the matching name column. Then I could clean that up. Then the same process for the series name column -- take everything from the matching column and dump it into the series column. I think that shouldn't be too complicated.