Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Sources

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Articles related to video games need reliable sources like any other Wikipedia article—content must be verifiable. Due to the nature of video game journalism, however, editors writing articles within the scope of this project may encounter problems finding or citing sources. This guideline aims to discuss some of the most common problem areas. None of the following directions apply in every single instance so always use reason and common sense when citing sources.

Because the fields of video game journalism, research, criticism, and commentary are relatively new compared to similar coverage of traditional media, traditional means of sourcing can be somewhat rare. In addition, the simultaneous development and expansion of Internet-based sources alongside the modern video-game scene has led to a much higher degree of exclusive online coverage than is the case with other media. These factors make the determination of reliable video-game sources a complex issue. To address this problem, this guideline provides a few general rules of thumb and presents the current consensus regarding the reliability and usability of specific video game-related sources. Any questions regarding specific sources not covered in this guideline may be directed to the talk page. Remember to search the talk page archives before starting a new topic.

Locating reliable sources

One of the first places that many editors look for video game sources is the internet. After using one of several search engines to locate information on a subject, the search results must be scrutinized for reliability. A list of sources that have been identified by the WP:VG community as reliable appears lower in this page at the Sources list. This list is neither complete nor can it be used as definitive proof regarding a listed source's reliability determination, but it provides a good rough guide on which to base the scrutiny of sources for reliability.

In order to facilitate the location and recovery of reliable sources, tools are available to filter search results to target reliable sources. Editors can use Reliable Sources for Video Games, a custom Google search engine focusing on the below-listed reliable sites and filtering out many bad or non-RS sites. A second custom Google search engine, Situational Sources for Video Games, is also available to search for reliable sources on a topic. Remember that just because a source shows up in the Reliable Sources for Video Games search engine there is no guarantee that it is reliable. Forum posts, for example, are usually non-reliable. Also, be sure to take note of the conditions and limitations required for proper use of all sources (as listed in the tables below) before relying on them. The template {{find video game sources}} also includes a link to these custom search engines.

Finally, there are a number of online tools that can be used to help determine the reliability and usability of online sources.

• The Special:LinkSearch tool allows editors to see all places where English Wikipedia and other Wikipedias link to a specific website. This can help to show how commonly cited a source is.
• The Special:WhatLinksHere tool allows editors to see which Wikipedia-based pages link to other Wikipedia articles. This can help to identify related articles that may demonstrate sourcing conventions for the kind of article in question. This can also aid in the location of sources listed at the WP:VG Reference Library.

Editorial discretion should promote broad coverage and reduce POV

For many of the articles under the aegis of WP:VG, sources are plentiful and easily located. Because not every source needs to be cited, editorial discretion will play a part in the exclusion of redundant and unnecessary sources. A few of the more important considerations when reviewing sources for inclusion are listed hereunder:

• Negative as well as positive reviews - It is exceptionally rare for a video game to receive universal critical praise or condemnation. For this reason, reasonable efforts should be made to reduce undue bias by presenting both perspectives on the game. For the few cases where reception is universally slanted in one direction (either positive or negative), remember that exceptional claims require exceptional sourcing.
• Contemporary as well as modern coverage - As a general rule, reviewers of video games are inextricably tied to their temporal vantage point and because advancements in video game technology increase by leaps and bounds every few years, it is unfair to review a game in light of the game scene 20 years later. Likewise, hindsight can lead to revisionist reviews and nostalgia may lead to unduly positive scores. An effort should be made to include contemporary coverage of games if available in order to maintain a neutral point of view untainted by modern perceptions.
• Domestic as well as foreign coverage - Because video games are cultural artifacts, when a game comes from X country, then reviews from X country can provide cultural insight that might escape foreign reviewers. Relatedly, when a game depicts Y country or aspects of it, then reviews from Y country can provide reliable, detailed, and direct reaction to the depiction. At the same time, however, when a game comes from Z country, reviews from X and Y countries will help to reduce POV and to provide an international response thereby eliminating systemic cultural biases.
• Metareviews as well as individual reviews - Although metareviews tend to provide an average and roughly neutral review for games, the specific views of influential and/or well-respected individual reviewers may be of equal importance and should be presented with proper attribution despite the probability of containing a POV-heavy review. Care must be taken to avoid skewing the apparent reception by presenting disproportionate numbers of positive or negative individual reviews.
• Reviews for multiple different platforms - When video games are released on more than one platform, reviews of all different versions allow readers to gain an insight on the differing perceptions of the game within different gaming subcultures. When games are rereleased or remade for later systems, reviews of all different versions allow readers to grasp the degree to which later ports and remakes were successful in evoking the original. Efforts to report reception in a due manner can often be enhanced by using a prose format to explain why scores on one platform are lower than those of another.

The above considerations should also be taken when seeking out sources to add content such as reception sections to video game articles.

Print sources

Print sources are often difficult to locate for video game articles, however their use can in some cases improve coverage dramatically. This is especially true when it comes to providing citations for claims covering the early period (generally prior to 2000) before online sources became as established and reliable as they are in some cases today. Although it is incorrect to uncritically assume reliability for a source simply because it exists or existed in printed form, as a general rule of thumb it should be borne in mind that print sources cost money to produce and are therefore likely to make more of an effort at quality and accuracy than most low-cost fan sites. As the length of time a print source remains in continuous publication increases, the source gains in reputation, goodwill, and brand strength. This factor also tends to mean that longer-lasting and more established print sources are more likely to be accurate than brief fly-by-night operations, because readers tend to seek accuracy and evidence of readership can be found in the duration of the print source's time in print. Internationally registered periodicals (as identified by an ISSN number) are generally preferred over unregistered journals.

While there is no proscription against hard-to-access sources, the fact that print sources are more difficult to verify means that it is often a good idea to include additional web-based reliable sourcing if it is available. Editors adding print-based references should also make an effort to substantiate or at least double-check their claims if they are challenged. One of the best places to gain access to print-based video game reference material on Wikipedia is at the WP:VG reference library. Editors listed as contacts at the Reference Library have volunteered to make information from these magazines available on request and this can be used to reference claims in articles as well as to verify references and to establish notability.

Fansites

Many video games have sites devoted to them that are not affiliated with the developers or publishers. These fansites enable fans to read about and discuss the game. When checked against Wikipedia guidelines such as Wikipedia:Reliable sources#What is a reliable source?, these fansites usually do not qualify as a reliable source. They frequently have little or no editorial oversight, and may be self-published (i.e., the person hosting the website is also the one writing its content). Fact-checking is often of lesser importance than publishing the latest rumours. Quoting the rule of thumb: "...the greater the degree of scrutiny involved in checking facts, analyzing legal issues, and scrutinizing the evidence and arguments of a particular work, the more reliable it is."

Some fansites provide forum excerpts by developers from the game's forums. Favour citing the forum post itself over the fansite's article and commentary about it. When citing a forum post on a fansite's own forum, special scrutiny is advised. Make it clear that it is the post that is cited, not the thread or forum in general. Consider forum posts like journal articles, except that in this case the "journal" is unreliable (see WP:SPS), but the "article" may be, because of its author. Use real names over forum nicknames where the real name is available. An example from Supreme Commander:

Ables, Jeremy (2007-07-30). "Patch notes build 3260". Gas Powered Games. Retrieved 2007-08-06.

Tools: {{cite web}} and {{citation}}

Video games

In articles about video games, citing the game itself is often attractive. Wikipedia favours secondary sources, and the use of primary sources should be minimised. Games are primary sources in articles about themselves. Whether it is good to use them as a source varies by perspective, subject and game. For a reader, it is usually very hard to use a video game to check facts. Provide transcripts wherever possible, and enable readers to check the facts themselves by noting which area, level or episode is cited. Using the later levels of games with a linear level progression as sources (without transcripts) should be avoided. The same applies to bonus levels or easter eggs.

It is very hard to find proper sources for sections about the plot or setting of a video game without using the game itself. In many of these sections, the game itself is used as a source, but make sure that it is not the only source. Furthermore, the kind of statements that can be backed up with a reference to the game itself is limited. For example, it is impossible to use the game itself to back up that it "... takes place in a high fantasy setting".

Statements of a technical or critical nature should never contain references to the game itself. Technical details (like the type of texture mapping used) are impossible to discern for the layperson. Using the game itself as a source for critical content is original research. Criticism should not be the editor's own, but for example a reviewer's.

However, instruction booklets, player's guides, and other game-related publications may be cited as normal.

Tools: {{cite video game}} and {{cite video}}

Review sites

The most important sources for most video game articles are the reviews of the game itself. These reviews come mostly from reliable sources (such as the ones in the list below), but be aware of less reliable reviews. Many sites allow users to submit content, like Wikipedia itself. These reviews are often not independent, and are not reliable because they have not been checked for factuality by an editor. It is also important to make a distinction between review sites, and directory listings. The latter often repeat information from press releases and the game's official website, and do not constitute a reliable source for establishing notability. Their use should be avoided in general as well.

Aggregate review sites such as Metacritic and Game Rankings are generally useful to include in the critical reception portion of a video game article, as these sites provide links to numerous reviews for a game, more than can readily be included in Wikipedia. Data from these aggregate review sites should be handled carefully. There are two primary issues with these sites. Firstly, the site webmasters are free to include or ignore any review source they choose. While these sites will typically include major English gaming review sources, they can (and do) also include less reliable sites. Secondly, the sites average the scores between reviewers without regard for the differences in the rating systems used. Furthermore, video game reviews are not meant to be used in comparison with each other. A reviewer who gave two games both a score of 90% might prefer one above the other, but this does not show in the scores. Aggregated user-submitted content (e.g. "user scores" and "user polls") available on Metacritic, Game Rankings, and other aggregators is not considered reliable because it is susceptible to vote-stacking and demographic skew, and because the general public has no proven expertise or credibility in the field.

Retailers

Retailers are only considered reliable sources for games that have already been released, and even then, only for information regarding release dates and the existence of games on a particular platform. However other secondary or primary sources should be used if available. Retailers posting future dates for games not yet released raise a red flag as to the legitimacy of the statement, and should not be used unless confirmed by a more reliable source.

Official information

In video gaming communities, the adjective "official" is often used to describe information released by the game developer. It denotes that the information is definitive, reliable and sometimes important. This is without regard to whether said information is deemed canonical.

Merely being "official" does not guarantee that information is usable under Wikipedia's editorial standards. Information deriving from official sources but published in generally unreliable ones such as blogs, fansites, or forum posts is likely unusable. Much of what is called official often stems from primary sources such as the game itself, which should largely not be used (see above). Additionally, not all reliably sourced official information merits inclusion, and in fact the bulk of the article may be unofficial. An example of this is the release date: when the official date is at 1998 according to accurate but unreliable (by Wikipedia policy standards) information, but a reliable source writes that it is 1999, Wikipedia should include the latter. Even if one has the knowledge of memory or the word of a trustworthy individual, original research is off-limits.

The crux is that "official" is not relevant to Wikipedia standards. In fan communities, all information released by the game developers is official and important. In a Wikipedia article, information released by game developers is no different from any other reliable source; in fact, it may be less reliable under possible interpretations of the policy regarding self-published or primary sources.

Interviews from any source are typically allowed as a "self-published source about self". As long as the interview's authenticity can be reasonably ascertained, we allow the developer's own words as a primary source when the claims are (1) not exceptional, and (2) about the team or individual making the claim. Greater claims require a secondary source with a reputation for editorial quality. Whenever possible, prefer the editorial distance of a reliable, secondary source over a primary source interview.

Sourcing style

Main articles: MOS:TITLE and MOS:ITALICS

When citing a print magazine, the name of the magazine should be written in italics. Likewise for the video games themselves. The usage of italics for an online source depends on the nature of its content, and is detailed in the Manual of Style. When citing a particular article published by a magazine or website, or when citing a chapter within a video game, the title should be surrounded by quotes. The various citation sub-templates of {{cite}} handle this sort of thing for you automatically.

Review table

Main page: Template:VG Reviews

A review table exists to list several game reviews in a conveniently readable format. Game publications are specified using short alphanumeric codes that make managing lists easier.

List

See also: Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Reference library, Video game journalism § Publications of note, and Portal:Video games/Sources

It is often difficult to gauge whether a source is reliable or not in the area of video gaming. The following is a list of sources that have been established as reliable in the field of video gaming per past consensus. Please bring up all new additions on the talk page before posting them below.

A Google Custom Search engine is available at https://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=003516479746865699832:leawcwkqifq for Google-based searches of only the reliable source websites listed on this page. A second Google Custom Search engine available at https://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=003516479746865699832:qdq1uk9p1ua can be used to search through the situational source websites listed on this page. Remember to examine the limitations listed for each situational source in the tables below.

Note: "Media" refers to the publication's principal means of content delivery.

Reliable sources

General gaming

Name	Media	Dates	Type	Notes and limitations	Owner	Quick links
Ars Technica	online	1998–	news, reviews		Condé Nast	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Blue's News	online				UGO Networks	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Destructoid	online	2006–	Multi-author blog site, "community blogging"	Like other blog sites, some content may be reliable, but only if the author can be established as such.	ModernMethod/Destructoid LLC	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Edge (UK)	print, online	1993–	features, news, reviews		Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Electronic Gaming Monthly (US)	print, online	1989–	console gaming	(1989–2009) Came back in 2010	Ziff Davis; part of 1UP.com Network (1989-2009); EGM Media, LLC (2010-)	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
The Escapist	online	2005–	Features, news, reviews		Defy Media	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Eurogamer	online	1999–	features, news, reviews	Includes USGamer.net	Eurogamer Network	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Game Informer	print, online	1991–	features, news, reviews		GameStop	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Gameplanet	online	2000–	features, news, reviews			G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Game Revolution	online	1996–	features, news, reviews	Site has been cited by numerous scholarly works.	AtomicOnline	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GamesMaster (UK, PH)	print	1993–	features, news, reviews		Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
GameSpot	online	1996–	news, features, reviews	Ensure that the content is staff authored, not user generated. Older reviews and reviews by freelancers may look as though they are by "members" and not "staff" - this is misleading, all their main reviews are by staff, user generated content are marked in the URL as "user-reviews". Their database is shared by GameFAQs which is unreliable.	CBS Corporation > CBS Interactive	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GamesRadar	online	2005–	features, news, reviews	As of 2015, this is Future Publishing main web portal, succeeding http://computerandvideogames.com, http://edge-online.com & http://totalxbox.com (See 1)	Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GamesTM	print	2002–	news, reviews, features	UK print magazine. DE, NL and BE versions available.	Imagine Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
GameZone (US, DE)	online	1994–	features, news, reviews	Recommended as an objective and reliable gaming site in books, and referenced for several of its articles in various books and scholarly works. (See 1)		G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Gematsu	online		news	Specializes in Japanese video game news.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Good Game	online	2006–		Australian TV show which reviews video games, and has informative out-of-universe retrospective segments. Website comprehensive	Australian Broadcasting Corporation	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Hardcore Gamer	print, online	2005–			DoubleJump Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Hardcore Gaming 101	online		Video game articles	Head editor is Gamasutra author Kurt Kalata. Content written by him or writers like Retro Gamer's John Szczepaniak are reliable. Scrutiny should be considered with other authors, but all content is edited by Kalata before publishing, and should be considered acceptable. HCG101 has been cited by many other reliable sources. (See 1)	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
IGN (US, AU, UK)	online	1996–	features, news, reviews	Shared database with GameSpy. Make sure news items are not user-submitted info or blog postings; blog postings from site staff are most likely acceptable.	J2 Global > Ziff Davis	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Kill Screen	print, online		features, news, reviews	Scores from reviews not recommended to use.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Kotaku	online	2004–	features, news, reviews, blog	News posts after 2010 are considered reliable. (See 1) Editors are cautioned of blog/geeky posts that have little news or reporting significance.	Univision Communications Allure Media (AU) Future Publishing (UK)	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Polygon	online	2012–	news, features, reviews	Includes The Verge.	Vox Media	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Siliconera	online		niche-market blog	Specializes in niche-market and Japanese video games.	Curse, Inc.	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Shacknews	online	1996–	features, news, reviews	Full-time staff and editorial processes. about	Gamerhub	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
SKOAR! (IN)	print	2003–		Spinoff from technology magazine, Digit.	Owned by 9.9 Mediaworx	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Stratos Group	online			Acknowledged industry experts. (See 1)	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Technology Tell	online		features, news, reviews	Formerly Gamer Tell.	NAPCO Media	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
VentureBeat	online	2006–	features, news, reviews		Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
VG247	online	2008–	features, news	Operated by industry veteran Patrick Garett as part of a collaboration with Eurogamer. Won best gaming blog at the Games Media Awards 2009.	Patrick Garett	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
VideoGamer.com	online	2004–		Provides content for Virgin Media.[1] Full-time staff includes industry veterans.[2][3]	Candy Banana	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Wired	online	1993–	features, news		Condé Nast Publications	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS

Foreign language

Name	Media	Dates	Type	Lang	Notes and limitations	Owner	Quick links
4Gamer.net (JP)	online	2000–		JN	Appears as if they copied IGN's site design.	Published by aetas.	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Absolute Games (RU)	online			RU			G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Comptiq / MeadiaMixx Gaming Magazine (JP)	print, online	1983–		JN	Older issues deal with computers in general as the magazine transitioned to computer/video gaming. As of September 2003 the print magazine is known as MeadiaMixx Gaming Magazine.	Published by Kadokawa Shoten	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Dengeki (JP)	print, online	2008–		JN		Published by ASCII Media Works	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Famitsu (JP)	print, online	1986–		JN	Includes several spin-off publications dealing with specific platforms.	Published by Enterbrain	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Impress Watch (JP)	online			JN		Owned by Impress Group	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
ITmedia (JP)	online			JN		Owned by ITmedia	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
fr (FR)	online		news, reviews, etc.	FR		fr	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Media Create (JP)	print, online		rankings, analysis, trends, etc.	JN	When citing their ranking page use Webcitation or another instant archiving resource as their pages change weekly and are not archived. Some of their older English and Japanese pages are archived.	Media Create Co.	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Power Unlimited (NL)	print, online	1993–		NL		Reshift Digital	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk

Games industry-related/academic/other

Name	Media	Dates	Type	Notes and limitations	Owner	Quick links
Chart-Track	online	1996–	Monitors sales of software for the UK, Ireland and Denmark.		Controlled by research institute GfK.[4][5]	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Develop (UK)	online		Developer news, opinions, analysis, etc.		NewBay Media	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
ELSPA	online		Sales and ratings organization for Europe.	Includes Famitsu (Japan) sales, ranging from 2005 to 2008.[6]		G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Gamasutra	online	1997–	Focus on video game development, for video game developers.		United Business Media; sister publication to Game Developer magazine	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GamesIndustry.biz	online		News, features, market and industry info	Sister site of Eurogamer	Eurogamer Network	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Game Studies	online		peer-reviewed, scholarly journal	Has a Board of reviewers from academic institutes, a team of editors, and is listed on the Directory of Open Access Journals.		G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Market for Home Computing and Video Games (UK)	print, online	1998–	Industry news, for industry insiders	Better known as MCV. Partnership with Famitsu.[7]	NewBay Media	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
The MagicBox	online		Translates industry news and sales figures, notably Famitsu and Media Create	Also combines sales figures from sources for yearly figures (nothing we can't do per WP:CALC) WP:RS/N	Independant

Platform-specific

Name	Media	Dates	Type	Notes and limitations	Owner	Quick links
AMIGA Magazine RACK	print, online		Amiga gaming	Use {{Cite journal}} when citing anything from a magazine page and do not directly link the site with the url parameter.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GameStar (DE, HU, CZ, IT, CN)	print	1997–	PC gaming	Sister magazine of GamePro.	IDG Entertainment	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Inside Mac Games	online	1993–	macintosh gaming site		Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Killer List of Videogames	online	1991–	Arcade games	Has been cited and mentioned in several publications: magzines, websites, and books	International Arcade Museum	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
NF Magazine	online magazine	2013–	news, features, reviews		NF Publishing, LLC	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Nintendo Life	online	2006–	Nintendo	Factual information (especially release dates); for editorial content, author reliability is needed. Director Damien McFerran has also written for Eurogamer, Retro Gamer, Games TM and others.	Nlife Ltd.	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Nintendo World Report	online		news, features, reviews	Formerly known as Planet GameCube.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Official PlayStation Magazine (US, UK)	print		PlayStation	Various magazines bore this title at different times.	Various.	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Official Xbox Magazine (US, UK)	print	2001–	Xbox, Xbox 360		Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
PC Gamer (UK, US)	print	1993–	PC gaming		Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
PC PowerPlay (AU)	print	1996–	PC gaming		Next Media Pty Ltd	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
PlayStation Blog	online (US/EU)	2007–	PlayStation, blog	Newsblog, with posts mostly from 3rd-party dev studios including announcements, interviews and previews alongside 1st-party SCE Worldwide Studios devs.	Sony Computer Entertainment	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Rock, Paper, Shotgun	online	2007–	PC gaming site, blog	Blog-style website run by four experienced UK games journalists: Jim Rossignol, Kieron Gillen, John Walker and Alec Meer	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Sega Saturn Magazine	print	1994–	Sega Saturn	Successor to Sega Magazine, 1	EMAP	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Slide to Play (SlideToPlay.com)	online		iOS gaming site	Targets iOS games. See reliability discussion here	Independent
Touch Arcade	online	2008-	mobile game news			G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS

Genre-specific

Name	Media	Dates	Type	Notes and limitations	Owner	Quick links
Adventure Gamers	online	1998–	Adventure games		Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Just Adventure	online	1997–	Adventure games (mostly)	The site and its staff have been cited in numerous publications and have been the subject of multiple interviews by online gaming news sites with several of its members receiving prestigious awards for their work. (See 1)	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
RPGamer	online	1995–	Role-playing games		Part of the CraveOnline Gaming Channel	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Wargamer.com	online	1995–	Wargames (strategy and tactics)	Fairly rigorous editorial process,[8] staffed by experts on war-related and editorial fields,[9][10] and received several accolades from established sites.[11][12]	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS

General computing

Name	Media	Dates	Type	Notes and limitations	Owner	Quick links
CNET	online	1994–	features, news, reviews		CBS Corporation/CBS Interactive	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Mac|Life / MacAddict (US)	print	1996–	Macintosh	Formerly a part of CD-ROM Today, along with boot (now Maximum PC).	Future US	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Macworld (US, CA, AU)	print	1984–2014	Macintosh		International Data Group; formerly in partnership with Ziff-Davis	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Maximum PC / boot (US)	print	1996–	Windows	Formerly a part of CD-ROM Today, along with MacAddict (now Mac|Life).	Future US	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
PC Format (UK)	print	1991–	Windows		Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
RedBull Games	online		Multi-platform		RedBull	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk

Aggregate sites

Name	Media	Dates	Type	Notes and limitations	Owner	Quick links
GameRankings	online	1999–	Aggregate review scores	Only counts sites which produce a stipulated minimum volume of output.[13] Do not use their release dates as they take them from GameFAQs.	CBS Corporation > CBS Interactive	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Metacritic	online	1999–	Aggregate review scores	Lowers scores of sites it deems "unreliable".[14]	CBS Corporation > CBS Interactive	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS

Defunct

Name	Media	Dates	Type	Notes and limitations	Owner	Quick links
1UP.com	online	2003–2013	features, news, reviews	Formerly EGM online site, merged with UGO in 2009.[15]	UGO Networks	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
allgame	online	1998–2014	credits, summaries, synopses	An extension of Allmusic by the same company to video games. Provides IMDb-like details for game credits and useful as a source for those within articles.	All Media Network (formerly Macrovision)	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Andriasang	online	2008–2012	features, news	Focused on the Japanese video games industry, contains weekly updates from Famitsu, Dengeki, Jump and other Japanese Magazines.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
CVG Presents / Computer and Video Games (UK)	print	2008–2009 / 1981–2004	Multi-platform	The print version of this magazine was suspended for a while and reappeared in a bi-monthly form (CVG Presents) focusing each issue on the life history of a single games franchise. Ceased publication sometime during 2009. Website is a separate entity and unaffected by changes. CVG (1981–2004), CVG Presents (2008–2009)	EMAP, Dennis Publishing, Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
ComputerAndVideoGames.com (UK)	online	1999–2015	Multi-platform	Website version of Computer and Video Games that lasted for several years after the magazine.	EMAP, Dennis Publishing, Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Computer Games Magazine / Computer Games Strategy Plus / Strategy Plus (US)	print	1988–2007	Multi-platform	Currently in hiatus. May make a reappearance at some time in the future.	Theglobe.com	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Computer Gaming World / Games for Windows (US, CA)	print	1981–2006 / 2006–2008	PC games, later Windows games		Ziff-Davis, later in partnership with Microsoft. Staff integrated into 1UP.com.	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
EGM2 / Expert Gamer / GameNOW (US)	print	1994–1998 / 1998–2001 / 2001–2004	Tips, tricks & guides.	Affiliated with Electronic Gaming Monthly.	Sendai Publishing, Ziff-Davis	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
FiringSquad	online	1998–2013		Started by Dennis Fong aka "Thresh". The site's various articles has been cited in many publications and scholarly works. Passed FAC for Giants: Citizen Kabuto, Midtown Madness.	FS Media Inc.	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GameDaily	online	1995–2011	features, news, reviews		AOL	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GameFan / Diehard GameFan Magazine (US, CA)	print	1992–2000	Imports and anime.		DieHard Gamers Club, Metropolis Media, Shinno Media	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
GamePro (US)	print, online	1989–2011	console gaming	Sister magazine to GameStar.	IDG Entertainment	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GameTrailers	online	2002–2016	hosting, reviews, video news	Make sure that you are not sourcing fanmade material. Previously owned by Viacom.	Defy Media, archives hosted by IGN from May 2016 onward.	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GamerBytes	online	2006–2011	Gaming commentary for online marketplace games	Covers online marketplace games such as WiiWare, Xbox Live Arcade, and PlayStation Network. Merged into Gamasutra. (See 1)	Gamasutra	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GameSetWatch	online	?–2011	Gaming commentary	Material is generally stuff that has already been published at Gamasutra but will often contain features that are published on its site before it reaches Gamasutra. (See 1)	Sister site of Gamasutra, Think Services	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GameSpy	online	1996–2013	features, news, reviews	Shared database with IGN.	IGN	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
HookShot Inc.	online	?–2013	Downloadable games under $15		Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
IndustryGamers	online	2010–2012	features, news, reviews	Acquired by Gamesindustry.biz	Independently owned	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Joystiq	online	2004–2015	multi-author blog	AOL property with salaried staff. GameDaily was merged with Joystiq following the former's closure. Closed in 2015, a cut down version was merged into Engadget.	AOL > Weblogs, Inc.	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
MMO Games Magazine / Massive Magazine (US)	print	2006–2007	MMO gaming	Sister publication to Computer Games Magazine.	Theglobe.com	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Music4Games	online	1999–2009	Focus on video game music, music industry, etc.	Established editorial policies, major supporter/media partner of GDC and trade shows.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Next Generation Magazine (UK)	print	1995–2002	Games, games industry.	Affiliated with Edge.	Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
NGC Magazine / N64 Magazine (UK)	print	2001–2006 / 1997–2001	Nintendo 64, GameCube	Successor to Super Play.	Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
NGamer / Nintendo Gamer (UK)	print	2006–2012	Nintendo	Successor to NGC Magazine. Formally known as NGamer.	Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Nintendo Power (US)	print	1988–2012	Nintendo	Published by Nintendo before 2007.	Future US	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Official Dreamcast Magazine (UK)	print	1999–2001	Sega Dreamcast		Dennis Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Official Dreamcast Magazine (US)	print	1999–2001	Sega Dreamcast		Imagine Media	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
PALGN	online	2003–2014	news and reviews		Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
PC Zone (UK)	print	1993–2010	PC gaming	Charlie Brooker and Stuart Campbell have previously written for the magazine. Originally published by Dennis Publishing.	Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Penny Arcade Report	online	2012–2013	news, features, reviews	Full-time staff and editorial processes. about	Penny Arcade	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Play (US magazine)	print, online	2001–2010		Multi-format games magazine founded and edited by Dave Halverson, formerly of GameFan. Not to be confused with Play (UK magazine), a PlayStation magazine.	Fusion Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Pocket Gamer (US, CA)	print	2000–?	Handheld games		Imagine Media	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
RPG Vault	online	1996–2009	Role-playing games		J2 Global > Ziff Davis	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Sports Gaming Network	online	?–2006	Sports games.	The site has been cited in several publications and scholarly works. (See 1)		G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Strategy Gaming Online	online	?–2011	Strategy games	Defunct	UGO Network	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
UGO Networks	online	1997–2013	features, news	Operate a host of related networked gaming sites.	Hearst Corporation	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Voodoo Extreme	online	?–2003			J2 Global > Ziff Davis	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
WorldsInMotion	online (archived)	2007–2012		Merged with Gamasutra as of 2012.		G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
X-Play (US)	television, online	1998–2013	features, news, reviews		G4	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Amiga Power (UK)	print	1991–1996	Amiga		Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Amstrad Action (UK)	print	1985–1995	Amstrad CPC		Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
CRASH (UK)	print	1984–1992	ZX Spectrum		Newsfield Publications Ltd	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Dragon (US)	print	1976–1997 (See 1)	ZX Spectrum		TSR / WotC / Paizo	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Game Developer (US)	print	1994–2013	Focus on video game development		CMP Media	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Mean Machines (UK)	print	1990–1992	Multi-platform	Offshoot of Computer and Video Games.	EMAP	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
MEGA (UK)	print	1992–1995	Sega MegaDrive		Future Publishing, Maverick Magazines	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Official Nintendo Magazine (UK)	print, limited online	2006–2014	Nintendo		EMAP, Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
de (DE)	print	1991–1995	Multi-platform			G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Sinclair User (UK)	print	1982–1993	ZX Spectrum		EMAP	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Super Play (UK)	print	1992–1996	Super Nintendo		Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
TeamXbox	online (archived)	2000–2012	Xbox, Xbox 360		J2 Global > Ziff Davis	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Your Sinclair (UK)	print	1984–1993	ZX Spectrum		Dennis Publishing, Future Publishing	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk

Situational sources

Name	Media	Dates	Type	Notes and limitations	Owner	Quick links
About.com	online	1997–	encyclopedia	This site should generally be used for its sources rather than for its content. Use of this site's content is restricted to signed post-2005 content depending on the reliability of the individual author, and specifically barring its use for fringe theories and BLPs. Articles sourced to Wikipedia are also to be excluded.	IAC	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Forbes	online, print	1917–	News magazine, "contributor" content	Forbes publishes content from salaried Forbes staff, and a vetted community of non-salaried Forbes contributors. Articles written by Forbes staff are reliable. Articles written by Forbes contributors do not have the same editorial oversight and may not be reliable. Editors are encouraged to find alternatives to contributor pieces.	Forbes	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Giant Bomb	online	2008–	news, features, reviews, wiki	Reliable for reviews and news content submitted in the site's blog by the site's own editorial staff. Do not use the user contributed content from the site's article/database section for citations.	CBS Corporation > CBS Interactive	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
The Jimquisition	online		blog	Use should be restricted to opinions only. Editorial policy/team not present. One man operation by Jim Sterling. This site cannot be used to demonstrate notability.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Major League Gaming (MLGPro)	online	2002–	Primary site for Major League Gaming, an electronic sports league	As a primary source this can be used to verify contest results and other information directly related to MLG, but cannot be used to establish notability.	Competition web site	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Major Nelson's Blog	online		Updates on Xbox Live content and performance, blog	Should only be used for specific data on Xbox usage/download statistics, or for lack of any other corroborating sources on downloadable content/demo release dates. Replace if possible.	Self-published by Larry Hryb in a semi-professional manner.	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
The Mary Sue	online		news, features, reviews	Blog and original reporting focusing on women in "geek culture". Original reporting is reliable and original blogging may be appropriate for editorial/opinions, but reblogged content is not. (See discussion.)	Abrams Media	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
ScrewAttack	online	2006–	Production studio	Use of this source should be restricted to opinion and interviews. Factual claims should not be cited to this source. The user blog portion of this source should not be cited.	Independent > Fullscreen	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Video Game Music Online (vgmonline.net) / Square Enix Music Archive	online / online		Video game music news, composer interviews, CD and concert reviews and reports	All content by the site staff (except for composer biographies) is considered reliable. Previously known as Square Enix Music Online.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
TheMushroomKingdom	online		Information Database	Factual source only about Mario-related information exclusively	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Twin Galaxies	online	1981–	Information database	TG is one of the first authorities on video game record-setting (mainly score attack), having endured a hiatus and change of ownership with a new site. For modern records and for speed runs, consider Speed Demos Archive and Guinness.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Xbox.com	online		Xbox official site	May not be appropriate for reviews, since it's owned by a game publisher.	Microsoft	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
XBLA Fans	online		News blog, reviews, interviews	Authors listed in the collaboration with Gamesauce (print magazine)[16] may be used. Other authors must be proven reliable on a per-case basis.	Gorilla Networks LLC	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS

Defunct

Name	Media	Dates	Type	Notes and limitations	Owner	Quick links
Yahoo! Voices / Associated Content	online (blacklisted)	2005–2014		While content by reliable authors could be published there, it is highly unlikely. (See 1)		G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS G·N·B·S·RS·Talk
Bitmob	online		Multi-author blog	Content from the site's staff are approved sources given their collective industry experience. Articles where the author is listed as "Community Writer" are not to be used.	Bitmob Media	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Crispy Gamer	online	2008–2010	Multi-author blog	Authorship was composed of several independent games journalist, some with a strong history in gaming journalism, working together as a "Game Trust". Reliability should be based on author. (defunct)	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Deaf Gamers	online		Video game reviews for the hearing imparied	Reliable with regard to accessibility issues related to video games.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Jay Is Games	online	2003–2016	blog	Use of this site should be restricted to casual games and only if the review is written by Jay Bibby. This site cannot be used to demonstrate notability.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
MTV Multiplayer	online		news, features, reviews	Blog-style game reporting from MTV editors. May need to demonstrate reliability of individual authors.	MTV Networks	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Offworld	online	–2016	Blog	Original incarnation (2008-2009) primarily by Brandon Boyer. Relaunched in 2015 by Leigh Alexander(Gamasutra,Kotaku) and Laura Hudson (Wired).	Boing Boing, Happy Mutants LLC	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
The Adrenaline Vault	online			Recently-resurrected former premier site. Now run by volunteers. May need to demonstrate reliability of author. about		G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
WomenGamers.com	online			A blog; use of this site should be carefully considered. Often, it is best to demonstrate the reliability of the individual authors sourced.		G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS

Unreliable sources

Sources in the following list should be not be used and replaced if possible; however, these sources may be useful in finding reference to other, more useful and reliable sources.

Name	Media	Dates	Type	Notes and limitations	Owner	Quick links
Eventhubs	online		Hobbyist site for fighting games	Has no editorial policies or ethics page, accepts usergenerated submissions, no credentials for writers	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Everything2	online	1998–	User-contributed encyclopedia	Relies on user-submitted content.	Blockstackers Intergalactic	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Game Boyz	online	Defunct.	Reviews	Has no editorial policies	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Game Interface	online	Defunct.	Reviews	Has no editorial policies	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GameClassification.com	online		Game synopses	Relies on user-submitted content.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GameFAQs	online	1995–	Walkthroughs, cheats and release dates	Relies on user-submitted content with no apparent editorial oversight.	CBS Interactive	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Gaming on Linux	online		Hobbyist site. No editorial oversight	Has no editorial policies	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Google	online	1998–	Search engine	Search engines are not considered reliable sources.	Alphabet Inc	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
GosuGamers	online		News	No editorial oversight.	Indepenedent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Mana Pool	online	2010–	Reviews	Has no editorial policies	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
MobyGames	online	1999–	Game synopses, credits and aggregate review scores	Relies on user-submitted content. While it demands reliable sources for all contributions and all contributed information undergoes scrutiny by experienced users before publication, its info has been shown to be often erroneous and the sources provided by contributors are not publicly displayed.	Blue Flame Labs	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Mod DB	online	2002–	Mod hosting, news and reviews	Has no editorial policies, so can only be used as a primary source for factual information about mods—by mod developers—where the same information cannot otherwise be retrieved from game documentation, developer websites, etc.	DesuraNet	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
N4G	online		News and reviews	Relies on user-submitted content.	Havamedia	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
N-Sider	online	1999–	News, reviews and features	Demoted for inaccurate articles and deliberate misinformation to pass off speculation as fact (See 1). Also applies to IGN content contributed to by N-Sider ([17][18][19][20][21][22][23]).	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
TopTenReviews	online		Aggregate review scores	Writes reviews to boost game sales.	TechMediaNetwork	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
VGChartz	online	2005–	Sales figures (US, Japan and Europe)	While referenced in reliable sources, the site estimates and adjusts numbers without source referral (method analysis). Replace with NPD Group or Enterbrain numbers for US and Japan, respectively. Relevant discussions 1, 2, and 3.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
VGReleases.com	online		News and release dates	Relies on user-submitted content.	Havamedia	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Wikia	online	2004–	User-contributed encyclopedia	Wikia is expressly prohibited as a self-published source, as it is not known for fact checking or accuracy, and its content can wildly change at any time.	Independent	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Wikipedia	online	2001–	User-contributed encyclopedia	Wikipedia is expressly prohibited as a self-published source, as it is not known for fact checking or accuracy, and its content can wildly change at any time.	Wikimedia Foundation	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS
Other various Wikis	online		User-contributed	Wiki websites such as StrategyWiki and Bulbapedia can be openly edited by anyone, and they do not have sufficient fact checking or editorial oversight in place. Some wikis can wildly change at any time.
YouTube	online	2005–	User-contributed	Many videos will fail WP:USERG or WP:COPYVIO. However, official accounts secured by reliable source websites (such as IGN) or specific developers/publishers are still usable. See also WP:YOUTUBE.	Google	G·N·B·S·RS·Talk·LS

Checklist

This is a checklist/index of past discussions. Sources with green checkmarks (✓) are currently considered to meet reliability requirements; sources with red Xs (✗) are currently considered unreliable; sources with orange exclamation marks (!!!) are currently "situational" and may not be used in every circumstance (see the individual notes, above). Other sources have not been discussed at sufficient length to achieve consensus. Remember that consensus can change, so sites listed here may be upgraded or downgraded based on further discussion.

Discussions should be linked to if they exist. If a discussion link does not exist and you'd like confirmation regarding a source's reliability, please start a discussion on the Talk page. If you know of a source that is not listed, please add it, but forbear adding checkmarks until consensus regarding the source's reliability has been achieved.

3

See also

• Wikipedia:Advanced source searching
• Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/2008-06-26/Dispatches
• Wikipedia:WikiProject Video games/Newsletter/20080806
• Template:Video game reviews (backlinks edit)