How to Use the Guide
From Styleguide
Contents |
[edit] Background
This style guide is a suggested approach to videogame journalism. It is, and always will be, a work in progress. Future generations of media experts, journalists, teachers and editors will amend the guide as they see fit.We recognize that many publications will have their own in-house standards. As such, The Videogame Style Guide and Reference Manual may function best as an appendix to your publication's own editorial guidelines.
The definitions and direction provided herein are meant to help the working journalist and editor accurately and consistently report on the videogame industry. All definitions and rules are meant to clarify usage and increase reader understanding.We therefore encourage you to think of the book as an all-purpose map that was written to guide you through the forever-growing tangle of game-related terms and jargon.
[edit] Terms
The preferred usage of a term, including correct capitalization, spelling and punctuation, is found in the bold title for each entry. Interchangeable terms, related terms or abbreviations that might potentially be used in certain situations are also noted in the entry text in bold.
[edit] Jargon and Technical Terms
Terms marked as "Jargon" will be familiar to an avid gaming audience but unfamiliar to a general mainstream readership. Terms marked as "Technical" won't be familiar to those without extensive experience in computers and games. Use of jargon and technical terms in mainstream contexts is discouraged. If use of such a term is absolutely required, writers should explain the term after the first use with a supporting parenthetical or definition.
[edit] Definitions
Most terms have a short definition included in their entries. All definitions are intended to clarify the meaning of the term for writers and editors unfamiliar with gaming or game-specific rhetoric. These definitions are by no means comprehensive, but are provided to focus on and illuminate core meanings of terms. They are intended to help writers employ the correct word in the correct context routinely and consistently.
Writers and editors should always keep in mind that certain terms can have very different connotations depending on the context in which the term is employed. For example, the term "background" would likely have a very different meaning for a game developer than it would have for a traditional gamer.
[edit] Examples
Many entries have examples of correct usage listed after any usage rules and definitions. Some entries also have further examples listed in italics within the text of the entry.
[edit] On Incorrect Usage
Where common mistakes are anticipated, examples of incorrect usage have also been provided under the heading "Wrong." Always refer to the term's title and text for the correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation and usage.
[edit] On "Also See"
Terms listed under the "Also See" heading provide additional context or guidance for a particular usage question. These secondary references aren't crucial to comprehending the primary term's proper usage, but may offer additional insight.
[edit] Errors, Omissions and Suggestions
Just as the videogame business continues to grow exponentially each and every year, so too does the body of terms used to describe, critique and catalog the medium.
We have made every attempt to include in this volume what we consider the most important terms and concepts, especially those we feel are most likely to cause reader confusion or unnecessary ambiguity due to frequent inconsistency or incorrect usage.
That said, it would be foolish to think every issue has been addressed: Please send us your comments and suggestions at IGJA.org and authors@gamestyleguide.com.
