Topic: We need a "General Games Discussion" section

[Sub]

I wasn't sure where to post this so if this is in the wrong section, forgive me.  Anyways, onto the post

I personally feel we should have a 'General Games Discussion' forum under the "Games, Games, and More Games" section.  It would be a place to talk about gaming in general, because as it is now, we're confined to posting about specific games on either the PC or consoles.

Opinions?

[Yuu]

Beat me to it.

Yes. we should really have one. Right now, we don't have a place to put arcade games in.

[PatMan33]

We don't need another section, not only will it make the board cluttered but it will remove traffic from both the PC and Console Game sections which are already showing mediocre results at best when compared to other sections of the forum. There is no need to dilute the discussion even more by creating another forum that will have a low traffic flow and reduce the flow in the other two forums.

In the past there has not been any major problem regarding discussion ideas not fitting into a certain place. If you wish to discuss older gaming or coin op gaming I would say that a simple topic dedicated to older games would suffice seeing as there would not be a ton of traffic to it anyway. Another section should be created only when there is an obvious need for one, much like the situation with the Storytelling & Roleplay sections. At the moment there is no expressed need for a general gaming section.


**EDIT**
Also, don't think you're the first to suggest this. It has been brought up a few times in the past but it has failed to pan out due to the same reasons each time. While some people may want this forum, it is not needed; there is no strong sentiment amongst forum members to want to post about arcades or very early gaming, our bread and butter is based around modern gaming. The old games are always fun to discuss, but they do not constitute a large enough percentage of posts to warrant their own section.

[Gaming Steve]

I only add new boards if I feel that there is a true need for it and that the new board will be able to sustain traffic for a long time. The problem with a "general" board is that what will go in there exactly? We have PC, Console, Handhelds, even forum and RPGs. I'm not sure what we're "missing" that a "general" would take care of.

It's not a bad idea and I'm always open to new ideas, but I just don't know what will go in there.

[The Time Traveller]

How about discussions on stereotypical game mechanics, e.g., threads on "Your favorite Power-Up" or such.

[Sub]

Well, this is a website dedicated to video gaming, yet we have no place to discuss many things related to video games.  A perfect example of what would go in there would be something such as the activision-vivendi merger, it doesn't fit into the PC Games section and it doesn't fit into the Console Section, yet it warrants discussion as it has a huge effect on the industry. 

@Patman:  I do think that this forum has a lot of unnecessary sections that do not get many posts, but the solution to that problem is not to deny us a section that we actually need.  Older games and coin op games did not even cross my mind when suggesting this section.

[Cobra]

When in doubt throw it in the Everything else section just because it is everything else doesn't mean you can't discuss gaming in there. Everything else stand for anything that doesn't fit very well into other sections. If worst comes to worst and you put something there that would be better served somewhere else it will be moved no harm no foul.

[gec05]

*ahem* >_>

We would like an art and drawing section in ubergeekdom.

*Hides from Pat*

[Sub]

When in doubt throw it in the Everything else section just because it is everything else doesn't mean you can't discuss gaming in there. Everything else stand for anything that doesn't fit very well into other sections. If worst comes to worst and you put something there that would be better served somewhere else it will be moved no harm no foul.

I don't see the sense in that.  Why should the only option be to put gaming related content in an "everything else section"?  This is a videogame site, and when I'm looking for videogame stuff to post in, I don't look in everything else.

[PatMan33]

but the solution to that problem is not to deny us a section that we actually need.

Ah yes, but your wanting of this proposed section does not constitute a need.

If, for example, you want to discuss the Activision-Blizzard merger then I would suggest you make a topic. I do not think you would be crucified by your fellow forum members for doing such a thing and if you were I think you would have most of us (Myself included) and the administrative team on your side. While there were issues with topics like this in the past, the forum has grown quite a bit (I'm not talking numbers) and there is an understanding that not everything will be able to fit perfectly. You are looking for the best fit for a topic and it need not be perfect.


As for your statement, Gec, I would look back at an old proposal that we had a couple years ago. The idea was to merge either the Movie section with the TV section, the Movie section with the Music section, or the TV section with the Music section and then place an Art section in the empty slot. We thought that it would be best to not make another section on the forum because of clutter issues. I agree that there should be an art section.

[The Time Traveller]

Also, while we're at it, let's split "Storytelling and Roleplaying" into "Metagames" and "RPs".

Also, let's merge "TV" and "Movies" into, "The Screen".

Also, let's split "Everything Else" into "The News", "Help", and, "Ideas for Discussion".

[gec05]

Waaaay too much clutter.

[Cobra]

This forum has a very wide variety of interests you could almost make a science thread and it would be rather popular. I'd never advocate it my self simply because it's just clutter sure it might get plenty use but we don't need it. A section of gaming that doesn't fall into any current category would probably be quieter than the Portable gaming forum. It don't matter which area you put a topic about a company merger. PC console or Everything else would all fit fine. Sure not a perfect fit but you shouldn't expect one.

[Yuu]

Yay! An art section.

[Sub]

This forum has a very wide variety of interests you could almost make a science thread and it would be rather popular. I'd never advocate it my self simply because it's just clutter sure it might get plenty use but we don't need it. A section of gaming that doesn't fall into any current category would probably be quieter than the Portable gaming forum. It don't matter which area you put a topic about a company merger. PC console or Everything else would all fit fine. Sure not a perfect fit but you shouldn't expect one.

If I were to put the Vivendi-Activision merger in the PC Games section, someone who may want to comment in the thread, but who hates PC games and thus never visits that section, will have never even knew that the topic existed.  The same can be said for Console Games or Everything Else.  I personally never visit Everything Else and used to never visit the console section. 

The point I am trying to make is that we should not make our users guess which section a thread will be in.  I want to state that again, you're suggesting to me that we should make users guess which section a thread will be in.  There have been numerous occasions where I have wanted to create a thread, but have had no idea where to put it so I randomly picked a section.

but the solution to that problem is not to deny us a section that we actually need.

Ah yes, but your wanting of this proposed section does not constitute a need.

If, for example, you want to discuss the Activision-Blizzard merger then I would suggest you make a topic. I do not think you would be crucified by your fellow forum members for doing such a thing and if you were I think you would have most of us (Myself included) and the administrative team on your side. While there were issues with topics like this in the past, the forum has grown quite a bit (I'm not talking numbers) and there is an understanding that not everything will be able to fit perfectly. You are looking for the best fit for a topic and it need not be perfect.


As for your statement, Gec, I would look back at an old proposal that we had a couple years ago. The idea was to merge either the Movie section with the TV section, the Movie section with the Music section, or the TV section with the Music section and then place an Art section in the empty slot. We thought that it would be best to not make another section on the forum because of clutter issues. I agree that there should be an art section.

Technically speaking, we don't even need the forum.  Just because it's not needed 100 percent does not mean we should not have it.  As you have stated before, numerous people have suggested that we have a general games section.  You yourself have suggested it in the past.  I don't seem any harm that can come from this, I only see benefits.