VGMdb
Go Back   VGMdb Forums > VGMdb Site Related > Questions and Comments
Register FAQ Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old May 15, 2009, 02:14 PM
Kaleb.G's Avatar
Kaleb.G Kaleb.G is offline
VGMdb Advisor
VGM Artist
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 1,038
Default Album title capitalization

I know we typically want to get the title as close in appearance to the original. If it's all-caps, is the convention to convert it to proper case?

P.S. Same questions applies to an entire all-caps tracklist.
__________________
hi~

Last edited by Kaleb.G; May 15, 2009 at 02:21 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old May 16, 2009, 04:10 AM
Mika's Avatar
Mika Mika is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: FI
Posts: 124
Default

I have personally always thought it to be silly how people try to replicate the album cover with all caps. It's a typeface thing which really can't be replicated, so why try. It just looks out of place in any other typeface style.

But that's just me.
__________________
Collection
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old May 16, 2009, 04:38 AM
Kewing's Avatar
Kewing Kewing is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Spain
Posts: 335
Default

I've been wanting to ask about if there's any canon in capitalization both in titles and track names, now. Personally I'm the type who transcibes it exactly as it appears on the album. In theory you can't know if the original font was all Caps, so I think it'¡s better to play it safe, and follow capitalization exactly.
But that's just me.
__________________
My old Stepmania simfiles: here and here

MAH BOI, this peace is what all true warriors strive for!!
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old May 16, 2009, 04:49 AM
layzee's Avatar
layzee layzee is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: .au
Posts: 411
Default

A similar discussion was also had here.

I'm still undecided on this issue.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old May 16, 2009, 12:55 PM
Kaleb.G's Avatar
Kaleb.G Kaleb.G is offline
VGMdb Advisor
VGM Artist
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 1,038
Default

I think we should come up with a consensus for consistency, and so we don't have edit wars going back and forth between two viewpoints.

Honestly, I can go either way on an all-caps title and/or an all-caps tracklist. I do think, however, that if there's any reason other than capitalization needed to put in an original (line 2) album title, that original title should be as close to the original as possible, even if all caps.
__________________
hi~
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old May 16, 2009, 02:36 PM
Myrkul's Avatar
Myrkul Myrkul is offline
VGMdb Staff
VGM Artist
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: France
Posts: 3,124
Default

I personally try to keep the tracklist exactly as listed on the covers (booklet or back cover).
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old May 16, 2009, 02:44 PM
Dag's Avatar
Dag Dag is offline
VGMdb Advisor
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,348
Default

I too think that least in tracklists we should keep all-caps, if only because otherwise you can't know how it was originally written.

For titles, I think they should be kept all caps if that's how they are officially, at least. For example Square is very anal about writting "FINAL FANTASY" in English, you will never ever (?) see it written as "Final Fantasy" officially anywhere (see here, as opposed to "The World Ends with You" that's written just like that. Maybe it's because of their trademarks or something). Also a bit related would be "Super Robot Wars", I find it weird all the albums here are written that way when the games released in the US are officially called "Super Robot Taisen".

Of course other companies aren't that consistent so for these I don't really mind either way; sometimes it's just a typeface thing but certainly not always.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old May 17, 2009, 03:01 AM
Anonymous Anonymous is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 11
Default

Store as is in database, the presentation layer may convert the capitalization on the fly if the user so desires.

A slightly unrelated question: how do you choose which one of these is appropriate:
tilde (~)
tilde operator (∼)
wave dash (〜)
fullwidth tilde (~)

I think I saw them all used in album/track titles.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old May 17, 2009, 03:40 AM
Secret Squirrel's Avatar
Secret Squirrel Secret Squirrel is offline
VGMdb Administrator
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Cleveland, OH
Posts: 8,240
Default

I never knew that there were so many Tildes in Japanese. Do you know what the functional differences are?

On the capitalization issue, I've lately been in favor of matching the given capitalization, though I originally was in the other camp. If the whole title or tracklist is capitalized, I can see that it might just be a font face issue, and don't have a problem with it being done either way. If the title or tracklist has mixed case, then it should definitely be ridigly followed.

Quote:
I find it weird all the albums here are written that way when the games released in the US are officially called "Super Robot Taisen"
Super Robot Taisen is the official name for the US Release? If that's the case, we should change them all back to Taisen.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old May 17, 2009, 04:22 AM
Gigablah's Avatar
Gigablah Gigablah is offline
VGMdb Administrator
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 2,403
Default

For consistency, japanese language tracklists or album titles should use the fullwidth tilde (~) and english translations should use ~.

The capitalization standard on Musicbrainz would be a good one to follow (try to follow the printed text as closely as possible).

And yes, it's quite possible to switch capitalization on the fly using Javascript. I'll add that to the feature suggestion list.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old May 17, 2009, 06:11 AM
Mika's Avatar
Mika Mika is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: FI
Posts: 124
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dag View Post
For example Square is very anal about writting "FINAL FANTASY" in English, you will never ever (?) see it written as "Final Fantasy" officially anywhere
Yep, those crazy Japanese.
__________________
Collection
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old May 17, 2009, 06:25 AM
Liontamer's Avatar
Liontamer Liontamer is offline
VGMdb Advisor
VGM Artist
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 428
Default

I'm about keeping case when it's mixed case, but standardizing the capitalization when everything is capitalized, since it may be considered just a font issue.
__________________
Larry "Liontamer" Oji
Community Manager & Submissions Judge, OverClocked ReMix
OC ReMix ~ twitter.com/ocremix ~ facebook.com/ocremix ~ youtube.com/ocremix
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Question about capitalization Raizen1984 Questions and Comments 5 Jun 8, 2010 06:00 AM
Submissions - Album Titles - Poll - Choose a Title for This Album Secret Squirrel Submission Guideline Restructuring 31 Apr 26, 2010 01:57 AM
MJCD-0010: KEY tribute album (title pending) Gigablah Album Discussions 0 Mar 27, 2009 07:25 AM