'Videogame Style Guide' now available for free, for limited time
by Christopher Grant 
{ May 30th 2007 at 1:42PM }
Over a year ago, style guide coauthor Dave Thomas prompted this Joystiq poll to determine whether we'd use "videogames" or "video games" here at the 'stiq. Astute readers will certainly note that we use the latter, as determined by our savvy voters. Those who voted for that winner will be disheartened to learn that "videogames" -- Thomas' preferred variant -- is indeed the guide's preferred spelling.
So, why a style guide for games writers? Kyle attempts to tackle that question over at GameDaily, while edifying readers on the correct styling of Xbox (hint: that's the correct version). But what about PLAYSTATION 3? We don't have to write it in all caps, do we? Interested parties -- even you FAQ writers -- can request a free eBook copy of the book for a limited time -- an altruistic effort we can only imagine is intended to save each and every one of us from reading "X-BoX-360" ever again. Want to add a leatherbound* copy to your mahogany bookcase? Hard copies are available for $15 paperback and $25 hardback.
*Leather binding not available.
Free - Request The Videogame Style Guide and Reference Manual
Read - Book Excerpt: 'A Question of Style' (GameDaily BIZ)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kizzle @ May 30th 2007 2:00PM
A video game writing "style guide" that opts to include the head of EGM in ANY form likely isn't worth the paper its printed on.
j.lee @ May 30th 2007 2:44PM
If by "Interested Parties" you mean "Industry Professionals," as specified in the fine print, then yes, they can request a free copy. Although I might like the free ebook version of this, though I am a writer, I do not fall into the Industry Professional category and would probably be left out.
BPM @ May 30th 2007 3:13PM
"Videogame" (as a single word) is one of the most idiotic grammatical decisions I've ever heard. I've ALWAYS hated seeing it spelled that way.
Screw Hsu with a shoe. I'm keeping my "video game."
Ghaleon @ May 30th 2007 3:31PM
"Video games" as two words makes zero sense, actually. Open up a dictionary, every mainstream (and many seemingly obscure) terms with the "video" prefix are ONE WORD. Videogames have been around for decades, I think they've paid their dues.
Videogames as one word legitimizes the hobby.
Ninja Penguin @ May 30th 2007 3:44PM
Who cares? Everyone knows what you're talking about instantly regardless of whether or not there's a space.
Will M @ May 30th 2007 4:25PM
Ninja Penguin,
You realize we're talking about a style guide. Do you know what that is? It's a book of proper spellings and grammar.
As far as this book goes, seems kind of ridiculous, considering there's probably a vast minority of game journalists who already own, say, an AP Stylebook. I'm sure even fewer are saying to themselves, "It's just not enough! I need to know that the B in XBox is capitalized! FROM A BOOK!"
C. Grant @ May 30th 2007 4:42PM
j.lee: Direct from Scott Steinberg -- "We’re also extending the offer to make the book free to everyone in the games biz (including fanboys, fansite owners, amateur bloggers, whoever) in addition to working press in all fields as originally planned."
Give it a shot!
White Rose Duelist @ May 30th 2007 6:41PM
Paid its dues? What about types of games which have been around longer than video?
Boardgame
Cardgame
Roleplayinggame (or role-playinggame, or role playinggame)
"Video" is just the modifier for the type of game and thus is a separate word. No respected source [outside of this book] would claim otherwise. Don't believe me? Check your "Chicago Manual of Style".
Jeff @ May 30th 2007 8:51PM
Yay White Rose Duelist. Took the words right out of my mouth. I was gonna posit that I've always preferred boardgames to videogames... although I guess roleplayinggames are really my favorite.
"Video game" is also the dictionary spelling, both in Oxford and Webster's.
Writing it as one word is just idiotic. It makes no linguistic or logical sense and it defies all convention, all language references and all other style guides that I know of. You can't just put two words together and make one word out of them whenever you feel like it. Otherwise ourlanguage would looksomething likethis.
I think this book is going to actually do some amount of harm to any site or publication that uses it, because at least a few people are going to know that the spelling "videogame" comes from this book and that anyone who uses it values this style guide over all other previous style guides - including those in use by well-respected, long-running publications - and really all other English language references of any kind. And that really doesn't reflect well.
Darkstorm @ May 31st 2007 4:08AM
As long as magazines and websites/blogs have an in-house style guide, I guess it doesn't really matter what the book says.
By the way I don't like the "videogames" spelling, although I'm sure they decided on that spelling to avoid ambiguity, plus it would have been better than "video-games", in my opinion.