MarioWiki:Upcoming content
The Mario series is always adding to its portfolio, meaning we on the Super Mario Wiki have to know how to handle information about upcoming games and other media. Please note that for the sake of simplicity, we will use "games" or "appearances" in our explanations here, rather than constantly specifying the various types of media we can expect to see coming down the pipes.
Released vs. unreleased games
The official release date is what is used when determining when a new game is released, regardless of when retailers start selling the product. If a game is released in a non-English speaking region first (typically Japan), please be aware that many changes may occur in the translation process, and understand that we may be unable to provide exhaustive coverage until an English version is released. {{Upcoming}} should be placed at the top of all pages that have been created for upcoming appearances.
New articles pertaining to upcoming games
Generally, new articles on subjects in upcoming games are only allowed if the articles have sufficient amounts of information backed up by reliable references. Articles that only mention the future appearance of the subject, potentially with some other minor details (i.e. a description of the subject's appearance, etc.) will be deleted. Longer articles that are not deleted should instead be marked with {{new subject}} to let readers know that the page will be subject to major changes as more information is revealed. Once the game is released and the article has been sufficiently rewritten and expanded, the template may be removed.
Sections pertaining to upcoming games in preexisting articles
Information about upcoming games is allowed on subjects that have already appeared in the Mario series and thus, already have complete articles. However, this information must not be speculation, and must be accompanied by solid references, including screenshots or official artwork. Statements like "[subject] may make an appearance in [future project]" are not allowed. Separate sections should be made for the upcoming appearance, but unlike articles pertaining to upcoming games, these sections have no minimum length. Place {{new subject|section=yes}} at the top of these sections to signal to other editors and readers that the information is subject to change because the game hasn't been released yet. Once the game is released and the information has been rewritten and expanded accordingly, the template may be removed.
Beta elements, vaporware, and cancelled projects
It is almost inevitable that a game will have certain aspects of it cut or changed before the final product is released. Features that were changed or dropped are known as "beta elements", and users should be aware of any discrepancies between the final game and earlier versions that may have been used in advertising and early press releases. All beta elements from the main write-ups of the games should be moved to specific "beta elements" sections or list pages (formerly subpages), and on subject pages, it should always be made clear if a certain detail was only present in earlier incarnations of the game.
Although rare, it is possible for a game to be cancelled or simply left unreleased and in a state of perpetual development, known as "vaporware". Even if a game is cancelled or becomes vaporware, an article should still be made for it, however all relevant information should be limited to this central game page, rather than creating subject pages, although preexisting articles can make reference to the cancelled/unreleased appearances. There is no minimal length to these articles: any information on these obscure projects is better than no information, provided it is supported by solid references.
References
- Main article: MarioWiki:Citations
Whenever you add information about upcoming games, you must cite your sources, especially if the info is coming from secondary sources rather than the game itself and its official online coverage. Reverting unreferenced edits allows us to weed out false information and puts the onus on the referenced sources if their information turns out to be incorrect, although it is still up to us to stay diligent and promptly remove any misinformation. Once the game is released and the information is clearly present in the product itself (i.e. a character appears in the game, etc.), the extra references may be removed, although any info stemming from secondary sources must still be accompanied by citations.
Revision
The procedure for rewriting information about an upcoming project upon release will vary depending on the quality of the information prior to the rewrite. You may follow this checklist for some guidance:
- Change all future tense words to present tense. For example, replace words like "will appear in" to "appears in".
- Remove unnecessary references (i.e. for basic names appearing in-game; more involved information should retain their citations).
- Add more content if possible.
- Add or update images/templates as necessary.
- Replace the {{Upcoming}} template with {{just released}}, and eventually remove that and {{new subject}} once a few weeks have passed, or replace them with {{rewrite-expand}} if content is still lacking. In addition, {{construction}} can be used in conjunction with any of the templates.
This list doesn't necessarily have to be followed in all cases.
