Create a Consistent Standard for Dedicated Arcade Hardware Platforms

📋 Summary

Create a consistent standard for when arcade hardware families should receive their own platform in LaunchBox and the LaunchBox Games Database.

❗ Problem

Some arcade hardware families are treated as dedicated platforms, while other comparable systems are grouped under the generic Arcade platform.

This can create confusion for users who collect, emulate, or contribute metadata for later arcade hardware systems such as Sega Chihiro, Sega Lindbergh, Sega RingEdge, Sega RingWide, Namco System 246/256, Namco System 357/369, and similar systems.

Without a clear standard, requests for new arcade platforms are handled one system at a time, which can feel inconsistent.

💡 Proposal

Establish a public guideline for when an arcade hardware family should be added as a dedicated platform.

Possible criteria could include:

• Distinct arcade hardware family

• Meaningful number of supported games

• Active or growing emulator support

• Different setup needs from general MAME/Arcade imports

• Enough metadata/media value to justify a separate platform

• Clear benefit for scraping, browsing, and organizing games

Once the standard is defined, existing and future arcade hardware requests could be evaluated consistently.

🧩 Use Cases

• Decide whether examples such as Sega Lindbergh should be a dedicated platform

  • New Platform: Sega Lindbergh

• Handle RingEdge/RingWide and Namco arcade hardware requests consistently

• Help contributors know where arcade game metadata should belong

• Reduce debate around whether a system should be Arcade or its own platform

📦 Benefits

• More consistent Games Database organization

• Clearer expectations for users and contributors

• Better handling of newer arcade emulation setups

• Reduces one-off platform debates

• Improves metadata and media organization for arcade hardware collectors

⚠️ Considerations

This does not mean every arcade board should automatically become a separate platform. The goal is to define a practical standard so only arcade hardware families with clear user value and enough support are separated from the general Arcade platform.