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Difference between revisions of "PC gaming glossary"

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
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The following is a list of common technical terminology and its respective definitions, as used in reference to video games and gaming-related software.
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You may link to a specific definition by adding an anchor to the page name (e.g. [[Gaming_Glossary#Abandonware]]). '''Note:''' Definitions with spaces in their titles must be anchored using "_".
 
==Software==
 
==Software==
 
===Licensing===
 
===Licensing===
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[[Wikipedia:Abandonware|{{Anchor|Abandonware}}]]
 
[[Wikipedia:Abandonware|{{Anchor|Abandonware}}]]
 
|  
 
|  
| Discontinued software for which there is no support, and who's copyright ownership is unclear. Sharing abandonware is usually considered copyright infringement, however in practice copyright holders rarely enforce their abandonware copyrights.
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| Discontinued software for which there is no support, or whose copyright ownership is unclear. Sharing abandonware is usually considered copyright infringement, however in practice copyright holders rarely enforce their abandonware copyrights.
 
| [[Re-Volt]]
 
| [[Re-Volt]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
! scope="row" |  
 
! scope="row" |  
[[Wikipedia:Commercial software|{{Anchor|Commercial Software}}]]
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[[Wikipedia:Closed source software|{{Anchor|Closed-Source Software|Closed-Source_Software}}]]
| Payware
 
| Software that is produced for a user to purchase, or that serves commercial purposes.
 
| [[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]
 
|-
 
! scope="row" |
 
[[Wikipedia:Game demo|{{Anchor|Demo}}]]
 
 
|
 
|
| A freely available preview or demonstration of an upcoming or released video game, often limited to a selected fraction of the full game's content, in order to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version.
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| Software released or distributed without its corresponding [[Wikipedia:Source code|source code]] - only the binaries of a computer program are distributed and the license provides no access to the program's source code.
| [[Naval War: Arctic Circle]] demo version
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| [[Origin]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
! scope="row" |  
 
! scope="row" |  
[[Wikipedia:Free-to-play|{{Anchor|Free-To-Play}}]]
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[[Wikipedia:Free software|{{Anchor|Free Software|Free_Software}}]]
| F2P
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| Software Libre, Libre Software
| Any video game that has the option to play indefinitely with no charge.
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| A video game or piece of software which the consumer can use, study, modify, copy and redistribute without restriction.
| [[Age of Empires Online]]
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| [[Linux]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
! scope="row" |  
 
! scope="row" |  
[[Wikipedia:Freemium|{{Anchor|Freemium}}]]
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[[Wikipedia:Open-source software|{{Anchor|Open-Source Software|Open-Source_Software}}]]
| Pay-for-perks
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| OSS
| A business model in which users may play a video game without charge, but can access extra or more advanced features for a fee.
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| Software (usually free) available in [[Wikipedia:Source code|source code]] form, permitting users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software.
| [[Microsoft Flight]]
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| [[Wine]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
! scope="row" |  
 
! scope="row" |  
[[Wikipedia:Freeware|{{Anchor|Freeware}}]]
+
[[Wikipedia:Proprietary software|{{Anchor|Proprietary Software|Proprietary_Software}}]]
 
|
 
|
| Software which is available for free use - however it is usually packaged with one or more restrictions on usage rights.
+
| A video game or piece of software licensed under the exclusive legal right of the respective copyright holder. The user is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification or redistribution.
| [[Wine]]
+
| [[TERA]]
|-
 
! scope="row" |
 
[[Wikipedia:Shareware|{{Anchor|Shareware}}]]
 
| Trialware, Demoware
 
| Software provided free for use for a limited 'trial period' before purchase, often restricted in functionality, availability and convenience.
 
| [[EVE Online]]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
! scope="row" |  
 
! scope="row" |  
[[Wikipedia:Subscription business model|{{Anchor|Subscription Software}}]]
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[[Wikipedia:Public doman software|{{Anchor|Public Domain Software|Public_Domain_Software}}]]
 
|  
 
|  
| A video game or piece of software for which the user must pay a repeat subscription fee (usually monthly or yearly) to obtain continued access to.
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| A piece of software whose [[Wikipedia:Intellectual property|intellectual property]] rights have expired, been forfeited, or are no longer applicable.
| [[World of Warcraft]]
+
|
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 
 
 
===Revenue Models===
 
===Revenue Models===
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width: 1000px;"  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width: 1000px;"  
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! scope="col" width="500" | Definition
 
! scope="col" width="500" | Definition
 
! scope="col" | Example
 
! scope="col" | Example
|-
 
! scope="row" |
 
[[Wikipedia:Abandonware|{{Anchor|Abandonware}}]]
 
|
 
| Discontinued software for which there is no support, and who's copyright ownership is unclear. Sharing abandonware is usually considered copyright infringement, however in practice copyright holders rarely enforce their abandonware copyrights.
 
| [[Re-Volt]]
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
! scope="row" |  
 
! scope="row" |  
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! scope="row" |  
 
! scope="row" |  
 
[[Wikipedia:Freemium|{{Anchor|Freemium}}]]
 
[[Wikipedia:Freemium|{{Anchor|Freemium}}]]
| Pay-for-perks
+
| Pay-For-Perks
 
| A business model in which users may play a video game without charge, but can access extra or more advanced features for a fee.
 
| A business model in which users may play a video game without charge, but can access extra or more advanced features for a fee.
 
| [[Microsoft Flight]]
 
| [[Microsoft Flight]]
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|
 
|
 
| Software which is available for free use - however it is usually packaged with one or more restrictions on usage rights.
 
| Software which is available for free use - however it is usually packaged with one or more restrictions on usage rights.
| [[Wine]]
+
| [[Steam]]
 
|-
 
|-
 
! scope="row" |  
 
! scope="row" |  
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|-
 
|-
 
! scope="row" |  
 
! scope="row" |  
[[Wikipedia:Subscription business model|{{Anchor|Subscription Software}}]]
+
[[Wikipedia:Subscription business model|{{Anchor|Subscription Software|Subscription_Software}}]]
 
|  
 
|  
 
| A video game or piece of software for which the user must pay a repeat subscription fee (usually monthly or yearly) to obtain continued access to.
 
| A video game or piece of software for which the user must pay a repeat subscription fee (usually monthly or yearly) to obtain continued access to.

Revision as of 18:49, 26 April 2012

The following is a list of common technical terminology and its respective definitions, as used in reference to video games and gaming-related software. You may link to a specific definition by adding an anchor to the page name (e.g. Gaming_Glossary#Abandonware). Note: Definitions with spaces in their titles must be anchored using "_".

Software

Licensing

Terminology Abbreviations/Synonyms Definition Example

Abandonware

Discontinued software for which there is no support, or whose copyright ownership is unclear. Sharing abandonware is usually considered copyright infringement, however in practice copyright holders rarely enforce their abandonware copyrights. Re-Volt

Closed-Source Software

Software released or distributed without its corresponding source code - only the binaries of a computer program are distributed and the license provides no access to the program's source code. Origin

Free Software

Software Libre, Libre Software A video game or piece of software which the consumer can use, study, modify, copy and redistribute without restriction. Linux

Open-Source Software

OSS Software (usually free) available in source code form, permitting users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software. Wine

Proprietary Software

A video game or piece of software licensed under the exclusive legal right of the respective copyright holder. The user is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification or redistribution. TERA

Public Domain Software

A piece of software whose intellectual property rights have expired, been forfeited, or are no longer applicable.

Revenue Models

Terminology Abbreviations/Synonyms Definition Example

Commercial Software

Payware Software that is produced for a user to purchase, or that serves commercial purposes. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Demo

A freely available preview or demonstration of an upcoming or released video game, often limited to a selected fraction of the full game's content, in order to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version. Naval War: Arctic Circle demo version

Free-To-Play

F2P Any video game that has the option to play indefinitely with no charge. Age of Empires Online

Freemium

Pay-For-Perks A business model in which users may play a video game without charge, but can access extra or more advanced features for a fee. Microsoft Flight

Freeware

Software which is available for free use - however it is usually packaged with one or more restrictions on usage rights. Steam

Shareware

Trialware, Demoware Software provided free for use for a limited 'trial period' before purchase, often restricted in functionality, availability and convenience. EVE Online

Subscription Software

A video game or piece of software for which the user must pay a repeat subscription fee (usually monthly or yearly) to obtain continued access to. World of Warcraft