Pikipedia:New game policy

Shortcut: P:NEWGAME

When a new game is revealed, fans are eager to document the details, but doing so without organization can make things messier in the long run. To stop that from happening, the following policies exist. These policies apply to the sort of content that should be added before a game's release. For a list of steps to follow when a new game is announced, in order to make sure we document as much as possible, see this guide.

Article organization

When a new game is announced, an article for it should be created. In order to keep everything contained, no other new articles should be created until the game launches, unless there's a prerelease demo version, in which case articles can be created about topics in the demo. All information about that game (unless it's in the demo) should be placed inside the game's article, but clearly returning elements that already have an article on the wiki can have a section for the new game in their article, with the {{futuregame}} template at the top of the section.

The reason is because it is only after the game's release that fans can truly realize what's worth having an article and what isn't, so not having new articles before launch minimizes the potential mess. After the game launches, info that was exclusively in the new game's article can be moved, and info scattered around in existing articles (tip, see Special:WhatLinksHere/Template:Futuregame) can be organized.

Unknown content

If a new enemy, location, mechanic, etc. gets revealed, and users want to document it, they should use a name that reflects the fact that it is unknown, and avoids using numbers. Something like "Unknown red bird enemy" works, whereas names like "Winged Red Bulborb" (speculation) or "Unknown enemy 1" (meaningless) should be avoided.

If the game's official title is not known yet, the article's name should be the most officially given title so far. Redirects of fan-made popular titles can be created.

Development news

When news about the game's development are announced, without any content reveal, they should be documented in the game article's History section. That information will stay there even after the game's launch, serving as an interesting way to explain the course of the game's development over time. Updates that reveal content can also be pointed down in that section, but probably don't need much detail.

Level of detail

Because the content revealed before release is subject to change or misinterpretation, only basic information about revealed content should be documented. When the game releases, detail can be documented as normal, using the final game as the basis. For instance, specifying that an enemy returns is fine, but specifying that it can kill up to 10 Pikmin is too much – this value could be changed before the final release, and if it carries over into post-release articles, it could be documented on the wiki incorrectly for a long time until somebody notices.

That said, these sorts of small details can still be pointed down somewhere, and be used to compare against the final release. If they are different, that makes good material for the prerelease information articles.

Images

Images can be uploaded at will during a game's development. It is the staff's responsibility to make the necessary changes in order to allow users to upload images and categorize them according to when they were revealed. This organization will later help visually differentiate the points of the game's development. It is the user's responsibility to properly categorize the images.

In the excitement, a user may feel inclined to upload an image with a temporary name. This should be avoided, and the user should follow the unknown content policies.

Leaks

Any unconfirmed leaks are to be ignored. As for any real leaks, the information obtained from them should not be added to the wiki until the game's release, considering the leaks could spoil something important, show content subject to change in the final release, or end up not being that real after all. After the game has been released and one can compare and contrast the final game with the leaked content, it can then be added to the game article's history section.