I own and run a few gaming websites (example: RevoGaming). While I am happy with my decision to use XOOPS as a CMS, I am frustrated that there is no apparent software that will allow me to have a game database similar to the one seen at Cubed3, below:

Cubed3 Games DB

Although the main page for the section etc. would be nice, I am mainly interested in the individual GamePages such as the ones at the link above. This would include an easy screenshots method, a review page, a preview page etc.

My current method is to post them via the Sections module, however this is very inefficient and cumbersome.

If anyone knows of a module that could at least improve on the functionality offered by Sections, it would be much appreciated. A dedicated database module would be wonderful.

~TCMTCM

Hi

Did you tried some of the reviews modules?
Maybe they can help you.
Give a try to lykosReviews.

hope that helps a bit

You might try using one of these.

News 1.3.1 along with the Spotlight module
Any of Marcans Smart mods (smart section, faq, partners) etc might give you the look and feel you want.

don (el paso)

While the reviews modules I've seen are otherwise fine, they do not provide a full database, which is what I'm really looking for: one page for every game that automatically allows screenshots, reviews, previews etc. to be added and displayed on that particular page.

~TCMTCM

I'm seriously planning to develop this.

Its a mighty big project actually. Its actually like 9 modules in one, all integrated together around the gDB.


Basic database structure which would also need and admin and several display views for each seaction.

> Genre Database
>> RTS, RPG, Adventure, Action, [exactly what else? (hard to define)]

> Publisher Database
> Developer Database

> Game Database
>> ID, Release Date, Title, Genre, Platform, Developer, Publisher, Desc

> Reviews
>> gdbID, UserID, title, review, ratings

> Screenshots
>> gdbID, Caption, ImgURL

> Cheats
>> gdbID, title, cheat_text

> Downloads
>> gdbID, title, filename, desc

> Links (sites related to game title)
>> gdbID, title, desc, URL


> Many different blocks to pull data from these DBs.


The admin will be able to choose the platforms he wants to build a database for. for example, only PSP games, etc...

Also, I thought it would be cool to create some sort of shared database where any XOOPS site that installs this module can share its database with all other sites using this module system... not sure if thres a need, but could be efficient to build a master video games database.


This is a huge project even without some of the features mentioned above. The screenshots manager is a complete gallery script, and using an existing module is not feasible in this case, imho, unless an easy hack can be found, but most of the gallery scripts i think have to many features than needed in this case.


Like I mentioned, Im seriously planning this, but still need to find time beyond work to spend on this project.

Maybe if we could get a pool together from all the videogame sites that want this, I could start development on it.

We also need a complete design requirements list commonly agreed upon by the investors, which will affect the total time it takes.


Just some ideas, lets brainstorm!

Best Regards,

tcmtcm,
I forgot to mention smartmedia. You can check out each of the smart products at smartfactory

don (el paso)

hyperpod, that is exactly what I am thinking about. While I have no actual coding knowledge, I could work on any graphical or layout work. I know a number of large gaming sites whose webmasters I am friends with; all use XOOPS and would very much appreciate this.

I think it would be an easier system if it was like the following:

> Genre Database
>> User can add genres similar to adding topics in News module

> Publisher Database
>> Lists all games by publisher, subdivided into genres. Users add publishers as they do genres.

> Developer Database
>> See Publisher DB

> Game Database
>> ID, release date across categories: Japan/Europe/US, Developer, Publisher, Genre, Decription

> Reviews
>> gdbID, UserID, title, review, ratings

> Screenshots
>> gdbID, thumbnails, I don't think the screenshot DB would require captions, as many webmasters can receive as many as 200 screenshots in batches from publishers/developers

> Cheats
>> Cheats might not be needed, as dedicated cheats sites are often much more accessible. Adding cheats for every game while also worrying about reviews, previews and gaming news can be very time-consuming.

> Downloads
>> The only files that really need to be downloaded are perhaps in-game or promotional videos, nothing else. The type of site that is likely to use this will probably not have the largest bandwidth capacity in the world.

> Links (sites related to game title)
>> This might not even be needed at all, but is always a bonus.

If you're to begin work, you should forget about the last 3 intergrated things, at least for initial releases. They might be integrated into future ones, but they are the sections that would be used the least.

Until this mighty module comes to fruition, if it ever does, is there anything else that could help?

The next version of WF-Sections will do more or less all of this.

Excellent John - as I can use this for a discography & biography in that case

Ideal for my needs!

Quote:

It looks to me like this is primarily a custom database application, which would have some data-entry pages, and then a lot of customized presentation pages and blocks which spit out data in pretty ways. It is possible to build such a thing fairly simply using the current version of our Formulize module.

I have just posted a news story about the current version, and added some screenshots, on dev.xoops.org. If it's not on the front page yet, just look for Formulize in the list of projects.

We are planning on releasing the current version in the next few weeks, there are some rough edges to polish yet. But it is working and functional now and I can imagine ways it could be used to accomplish what you're describing here without having to do the coding required for the data-entry side and the accessing of the information in the DB. You would just have to write the presentation side, which is the part that is unique to your (and every) application. All the grunt work of managing the data-entry, storage and access is handled by Formulize.

I would be happy to go into more detail. Feel free to post a followup in the Formulize area on dev.xoops.org if you like.

--Julian