About to make a game collection database in access...

[Yancakes]

Any suggestions? Here's what's going to go in to it currently:


CONSOLE
>drop down list

NAME
>open field

DEVELOPER
>open field, maybe figure out something for localization teams

PUBLISHER
>open field, only relevant for region I own (ie, I'm ignoring whoever published a game in japan if I own the NA version)

GENRE
>drop down list

YEAR
>open field

FORMAT
>drop down list: cartridge, CD, DVD, digital

DISC COUNT
>only really relevant to CD and DVD games, would just be a numeric entry

EDITION
>drop down list: standard, special, collectors

IMPORT
>just a check box to signify whether it is or isn't imported

COMPLETION
>check boxes for:
game (y/n)
box (y/n)
instructions (y/n)
extras y/NA (if y, specified in notes below)

CONDITION (refers to condition of packaging AND playability of game)
>drop down list: bad, good, mint

NOTES
>notes will cover whatever extras that came with the game if it's special, back ground info that I consider pertinent, where a game is imported from if it is imported, if it still has all of its original inserts, or whatever else I feel like putting in here...

[Cronozilla]

Franchise, would make sense. Also search field would make sense too. Most databases just search based off actual title, but it ends up mis-ordering things (especially because they lexicographically sort numbers, which is just stupid)

[mjmjr25]

yr doing this for each game o.O!

[Yancakes]

Franchise, would make sense. Also search field would make sense too. Most databases just search based off actual title, but it ends up mis-ordering things (especially because they lexicographically sort numbers, which is just stupid)

Franchise actually is a pretty cool idea. That way I'll be able to pull, say, every Zelda game or what have you. Access 2007 comes with built in search/sort/filter features that will let me search by literally any of the above fields. I will be able to sort by company, platform and what have you.

yr doing this for each game o.O!

I only have 250- about 300 if you include digital downloads on Steam. I wanna do it now before my collection gets any bigger lol

[casterofdreams]

Although not as extensive as yours, I did create a list on Excel. I did this mainly so I can keep track of what's going on. The columns were done on a system basis. Then Under each section I would do Hardware, Software, and Extras (art books and such). Works for me.

[J T]

I used to keep a bunch of variables like that in an Excel spreadsheet I use for cataloguing my collection. I ultimately found I didn't care about many variables other than title, genre, console, price I paid, and year of release. Actually, I don't really care much about genre either since I know the genre of my games already.

[Cronozilla]

I did spend some time awhile ago building something like this in a SQL database with a PHP front end. But it wasn't as robust as I wanted it to be.

I've been meaning to redo it. (I think there's fundamental issues with how places like CheapAssGamer and IGN have their databases set up. So there's room for something else to exist.)

[Yancakes]

Database is done! A friend came over and it took about 2 hours to set up, but now it's just down to data entry

I'm familiar with excel databases and they're just not quite what I'm looking for in terms of depth. Honestly I don't care all that much about year of release and shit like that- BUT the ability to have completeness as a check-box system is fantastic. If it has a box and manual, I click the box and manual check boxes.

I'll take a couple of screen shots once I'm back on the computer with the database. It's pretty cool.

[Curlypaul]

I used to have genre in mine but I dropped it as there are so many games that don't fit into 1 genre neatly, some games definetley need a sub genre category and deciding were to put Zelda could take some time lol.

[Yancakes]

Here's the game entry form:


Here's the table it poops out:


Pretty happy with it so far!