Game databases look simple: a title, a cover, a few lines of facts. Then you try to add a game to your own list and run into questions. Is this the same game as the one on the other console? Why does it have a different name in Japan? Is the developer the company on the box? Which release date is the real one?
This guide walks through the fields you see in most game databases and store listings, what they actually mean, and how to use them when you track your own games. It uses two of the game files on this site as examples.
Title: one game, several names
A game can have an official title, a regional title, a subtitle that changes between editions, and an informal name everyone uses. Good databases store all of them and pick one as the main title.
The Japanese 3DS game in game file 2852 is a clear case. Its official title is 世界樹と不思議のダンジョン2, romanized as Sekaiju to Fushigi no Dungeon 2. In English it is usually called Etrian Mystery Dungeon 2, after the first game, which was released in the West under that name. Since the sequel was never released outside Japan, the English name is a translation, not a product title. If you search only one of those names, you will miss half the information about it.
For your own list: use the name you will recognize, and keep the official or original title in a note. For Japanese games, store the romanized title too, because that is what most international databases and collectors use.
Developer and publisher
These two fields are the most often confused. The developer is the studio that made the game. The publisher is the company that financed, marketed and released it. Sometimes they are the same company, often they are not.
- Sekaiju to Fushigi no Dungeon 2 was developed by Spike Chunsoft and published by Atlus. The game sits in Atlus' Etrian Odyssey world but uses Spike Chunsoft's Mystery Dungeon gameplay.
- Grand Theft Auto V was developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. Both are part of the same group, but they are different roles. Its game file shows how that looks in practice.
Publishers can also change by region. The first Etrian Mystery Dungeon was published by Atlus in Japan, Atlus USA in North America and NIS America in Europe. A database that shows a single publisher is simplifying.
Platform, port and remaster
The platform field tells you where a game runs. It gets complicated when a game is released on several systems over many years. It helps to know the vocabulary:
| Term | Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Multiplatform release | The same game launches on several systems at once | A game released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on one day |
| Port | An existing game moved to a new system, often later | GTA V coming to PC in 2015, two years after consoles |
| Enhanced or expanded version | A port with real improvements | GTA V on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2022 |
| Remaster | An older game updated with new assets, same design | The GTA Trilogy Definitive Edition in 2021 |
| Remake | A game rebuilt largely from scratch | A modern version of an older game with new engine and design |
Some databases treat each platform release as its own entry, others group them under one game. Old VideoGameTRACK pages on this domain did the former: their GTA V page said it was about the PlayStation 4 version and listed the other platforms separately. Neither approach is wrong. What matters is that you are consistent in your own list.
Release dates and regions
A database entry often lists several dates: one per region, sometimes one per platform. Older games in particular were released months apart in Japan, North America and Europe, and some never left their home market. When you see a single date, it is usually the first worldwide release.
Region also affects whether you can play a physical copy. Some systems, like the Nintendo 3DS, are region locked, so a game from one region only runs on a console from the same region. Before buying an import, check the console's region rules. The guide on tracking release dates explains regional launches in more detail.
Genre, franchise and series
Genres in databases are tags, not strict categories. A game can be an open world game, an action adventure and a shooter at the same time. Use them to find similar games, not to decide whether a game "counts".
Franchise and series fields group games that share a name or world. They get fuzzy around spin-offs and crossovers: Etrian Mystery Dungeon belongs to both the Etrian Odyssey and the Mystery Dungeon families. The Grand Theft Auto timeline shows how one franchise can include numbered games, named games, handheld spin-offs and expansions.
Editions and versions
Standard, deluxe, collector's, game of the year, complete, definitive: editions differ in what is included, not in the core game. For collectors, the edition and region of a physical copy matter as much as the title. For players, the main question is whether the edition includes expansions you want.
Using these fields in your own tracking
- Pick your unit. Decide whether an entry in your list is a game or a game on a specific platform, and stay with it.
- Store the names you need. Your preferred name, plus the original title for imports.
- Record platform and region for physical copies. It decides where the game will run.
- Note the edition only if it matters. For example, if it includes the expansion you want to play.
- Link to a source. The publisher's page or a reliable reference, so you can check details later.
The backlog tracker keeps a name, a platform and a status for each game, which is enough for most players.
A note on your own footage
The same habits help if you record gameplay. Naming recordings with the game, platform and date makes them easy to find years later, and makes it easier to cut highlights. If you clip long sessions with an AI tool such as ViceForge, from the team behind this site, picking the right game in the upload settings helps the AI know what kind of moments to look for. The guide on recording and clipping your best moments has the details.
Checklist
- Do I know the developer and the publisher, and are they different?
- Does the game have a different title in another region?
- Is this the original release, a port, a remaster or a remake?
- For a physical copy, which region is it and will it run on my console?
- Is my list consistent about one entry per game or per platform?