Searching for "Never Released" games on the ZXDB

[Audionautas]

Hi guys!

I don't know if this question has been asked before (sorry if that is the case), but today I was doing some searching on the ZXDB and suddenly I came up with the idea of filtering for "never released" games, but I could not find any option to do so. Is it possible?

Thanks in advance

All the best

[kolbeck]

It’s almost there, if you to https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=9957

The never released is a link, but it does not work atm. So maybe report it as a bug:-) [mention]PeterJ[/mention]

[Audionautas]

It’s almost there, if you to https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=9957

The never released is a link, but it does not work atm. So maybe report it as a bug:-) @PeterJ

Yeah, I know it's a link, but I was trying to do some search through menus on the advanced search panel but I could not find any option to do so. I think it would be really useful adding it there. Thank you!

[R-Tape]

Just for now, I had a play with some SQL (maybe it does have its uses !) and I think this has got it:

SELECT * FROM entries
WHERE availabletype_id = "N"
or availabletype_id = "R"

518 entries, either 'never released', or 'never released - recovered'.

'Never released'
19 Part 2: Combat Zone
180! Darts
221b Baker Street
2011
A Handful of Snow
Absolution
Ace Attacker
Acid Killer
Action Farce II
Addictaball
Address Manager
Adventure Island
Airwolf
Aladdin's Quest
Alhambra Tales
Alley Cat
Alvin and the Chipmunks
American Football
And All Because
Apollo 18: Mission to the Moon
Apprentice
Aquamoose
Arachnophobia
Arantxa Supertenis
Arcade Wizard
Arctic Moves
Ardonicus 3
ARG
Argonautica
Armalyte
Arrival
Asaroth - Angel of Death
Assembloids ZX
Assignment Hong Kong
Asteroid
Asylum
Atomic Robo-Kid
Atomito Gordito & Foton
Atomix
Attack of the Mutant Zombie Flesh Eating Chickens from Mars
Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy
Automan
Awaken
AY World
B.C. II: Grog's Revenge
Bandersnatch
Bangkok Knights
Barf the Barbarian
Batman: The Adventure
Battle of the Bands
Battle Storm
Beast Busters
Beast Enders
Beaver Bob in Dam Trouble
Berks
Betrayal
Biff 2
Big Run
Blinky in America
Block War 3000 AD
Bomberman
Bombuzal
Borrowed Time
Bounty Hunter
British Bob
Brute Force
Buccaneers
Bugs Bunny - Private Eye
Bushido Warrior
Castle of Lost Souls
Caterpilla
Centipede + Galaxions
Central Bank 1.0
Central Bank 2.0
Chainsaw Warrior
Chameleon
Chasery
Cheap Thrills
Chicago
Chinatown
Chocman
Circus Maximus
Citadel
CJ in Space
Cluedo: Master Detective
Colin Stewart's Dr. Acula
Combat Droid Simulator
Comic Bakery
Conan
Congo Bongo
Contabilidad General
Coven
Crazy Billiards
Creatures
Crime Santa Clause 2
Cristobal Colon
Cross Check
Crystalis
Custodian
Cyborg
Daffy Duck
Damocles
Danny Duster's Dirty Deeds
Dante's Inferno
Dark Castle
Dark Century
Day-Night
Deathbringer
Deathstar
Descender
Desert Fox
Die Hard
Die Hard 2
Dizzy Dash
Dizzy Z
Dizzy: Main Day
Doctor Who and the Mines of Terror
Dome Warrior
Dominion
Donkey Kong Jr.
Doom
Doom
Doom
Double Dragon Redux
Dragon's Lair II
Duck Tales: The Quest for Gold
Duelmaster
Dune
Earthquake
Economics
El Angel Exterminador
El Castillo Vacilon
El Hobbit (Demo)
El Rapto de Hector
Elvira - Mistress of the Dark
Elvira - The Arcade Game
Elvira 2 - The Jaws of Cerberus
Empire of Karn
Enchantress
English Language
Epic
Erik the King
Eternal Battle
Euro Football Champ
Evolucion
FADV: Flynn's Adventure
Faerie 2: The Buggon's Gold
Ferrari Formula One
Ferrogods
Fight Night
Fire and Forget II: The Death Convoy
First Contact
Fishing for Numbers
Flimbo's Quest
Font Designer
Forecaster
Forgotten Legend
Fornax
Fort Apocalypse
Fortress Earth
Frac
Frantic
Freddy in the Freezer
French Tutorial
From Darkness into Light
FuFighters
Fury Cars
Galactic Conqueror
Galactic Patrol
Galaxian III
Galaxy Attack
Galius
Games '84
GameTime I
Gath
German
Ghost Town
Godfather 3
Goodnight Cruel World
Goofy's Railway Express
Gorbaf
Grand Slam Tennis
Great European Road Race
Guitar for Beginners
Hagar the Horrible
Halo Jones
Hawkeye
Heating System Analyzer
Heavy on the Magick II
Herbert the Turbot
Hero of the Golden Talisman
Heroquest
Hi Bouncer!
Hi-Rise Scaffold Construction Set
High Noon
High Odds
Hook
Horace to the Rescue
Hover Bovver
Hunter's Moon
Hunting Mix
Hyper Biker
Ice Hockey
Imola G1
Industria 14
Indy Heat
Infiltrator II: The Next Day
Infodroid
Inside, Outside Earth
International Basketball
Into the Abyss
IQ
Iron Horse
Iron Sword
Island of Chaos
Jaime I El Conquistador
James Pond - Codename: Robocod
Joe Blade IV
Jolly Roger
Judge Death
Juegos Olimpicos Barcelona 1992
Jueves 12 y Sabado 14
Jumpery
Katakis
Kawasaki
Kensington
Kid Grams
Killer DOS
King
La Aventura Original II: Veinte Anos Despues
La Era Oscura
La Isla del Tesoro
Labyrinth
Lady in Love
Last Ninja
Last Ninja 3
Law of the West
Learning to Read
Legend of Kyrandia
Liverpool
Logic Game
Lord of the Rings - The Arcade Game
Lords of Conquest
Mainframe
Make My Day
Marine Attack
Mario
Mario
Mario Islands
Mastermind
Maze Run
Mean Machine
Mickey's Crossword Puzzle Maker
Mighty Bomb Jack
Milk & Nuts
Mind Persuit
Miner Willy Meets the Taxman
Mire Mare
Mission Zygor
Misterio en el Monasterio
Molecale
Moonfall
Moose
Morpheus
Mortal Kombat
Muddy Fox
Music Studio
Mutant Hell
Mystery Fun House
Nemesis
Night Walker
Nightdawn
Numb Cars 2
O Mundo Perdido
Odisea 1001
Offside: The Soccer Game
Oneiroid
Our Intriguing Solar System
P.L.O.D.
Paddywack
Paintbox
Panic Stations
Pavlov
Pengwyn
Pharaoh's Tomb
Picnic
Pilot
Pim Pam Pum
Pipe Mania II
Pirates!
Pistol Darts
Pixie and Dixie
Plan 9, Channel 7
Pole Position II
Pozitron
Pro Competition
Pro Golf
Project Planner
Pusher
Pyramid of Doom
Q8 Team Ford Rally Simulation
Quake Minus One
Que Dex
R-Type II
R.A.M. 2: Space Mission
Ragnar
Rampart
Rastreator
Razzmatazz
Re-Bounder
Realm of Troll
Red Storm Rising
Resolution
Revenge
Rimrunner
RMS Titanic
Road Warrior
Robin Hood
Rocket Man
Rpg
Sabotaje
Saboteur 3
Saboteur 3D
Saigon
Samurai Dawn
September
Set Theory
ShellShock
SID - Semi-Intelligent Drone
Sidney Meets His Match
Sir Fred - The Legend
Skate Rock
sLang Pro
Slapshot
Slightly Spooky
Soccer Genius
Solar Jetman
Solo Flight
Sooty & Sweep II
Space Ace
Space Massacre
Space Robbers
Space Rogue
Spanish Tutorial
Spearhead
Speedball
Spinball
Star Lord
Star Trek
Starship
StarWars
Statistics
Stellar Holocaust
Sterospace Oddysey
Strange World
Stratego
Strider
Strike 2
Strip Poker
Stunt Car Racer II
Suenos de Gloria
Super League Manager
Super Mario Bros.
Super Math
Super Sunday
Super Thief
Superbuggy
Superman
Tanium 2
Team Yankee - The Action Game
Termination 2
The Adventures of Bond, Basildon Bond
The Amazing Spider-Man
The America's Cup
The Blood of Smeagol
The Blues Brothers
The Corporation
The Count
The Experience
The Eye of the Moon
The Golden Voyage
The Great Giana Sisters
The Legend of Red Dragon
The Malinsay Massacre
The Matrix
The Necromancer
The Pit
The Punisher
The Search for Sharla
The Sewer
The Smirking Horror
The Tebbit
The Turf
The Vikings
The Vikings
The Wight Smugglers
Thomas the Tank Engine II
Three Days in Carpathia
Time Bomb
Time Teacher II
Toki
Tokyo Warriors
Top Cat
Tracksuit Manager 2
Transportrum
Trashman Goes Moonlighting
Trick Ramp Crazy
Triple Triad
Trivial Pursuit
Trojan
Troopa Truck
Turbo Jet
Turbo Towers
Tyger! Tyger!
U.S.S. John Young
Ultima 1
Ultima 3 - Exodus
Ultima 4 - Quest of the Avatar
Ultima 5 - Warriors of Destiny
Ultima 6 - The False Prophet
Ultima 7 - The Black Gate
Ultima Underworld - The Stygian Abyss
Ultimate Golf
Up 'n Down
Vandal
Vengador
Volfied
Vulcan Venture
Wacky Races
War of Old World
Weird Dreams
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Wild Angels
Wings of Fury
Wizardry
Wizardry 5 - Heart of the Maelstrom
Wizardry 6 - Bane of the Cosmic Forge
Wizkid
Wolf
World Class Cricket
World Tour Golf
Worlds of Ultima: Martian Dreams
Worlds of Ultima: Savage Empire
Worms
Wreckers
Wunderland
X-Men
Xenon Ranger
Xilen War
Xybots
Zero Kelvin
Zork Zero - The Revenge of Megaboz
Zyborgs

Following are 'Never released - recovered'
A Cracking Day Out - Starring EggHead
Acolyte
Anaconda
BASIC Stuff
Cavalos
Compact Editor
Cronos
Death Pit
Deception of the Mind's Eye
Desafio Fatal
Double Tennis
El Bien y el Mal
Empire
Escape from Khoshima
Exofox
Fernando Martin Basket Master (BETA)
Fortress of Fear
Frightful
Gallino Jones
Gollumitis
Gyruss
Jesus Gil, Heroe Nacional
Juanito 3
Koko Circus
Komplex City
Laser Disc
Legends of Ancient Worlds
Loco Motion
Master and Servant
Masterspy
Mega Border Demo
Mega Twins
Moon Patrol
Novagen
Objetivo: Madrid - Parte 1
Planet 10
Pongo
Popeye
PSI Mission
Psycho War
Q*Bert
Robotron: 2084
Saucer
Shooting Range: Mix I
Shutdown
SIDA
Sigfrido
Silversword: La Espada de Plata
Sindbad
Skidoo
Slack Bladder
Slowglass
Sokoban Perfect
Sprite Designer
Star Madness
Star Wars
The Chard
The Prayer of the Warrior
The Sillycon War
The Time Robbers
Tiempos de Magia
Touchdown
Vega Solaris
Zamonarr
Zydrodisk Utilities

[R-Tape]

Hang on...Mire Mare?

Surely that's a mistake. I've got a copy in the attic.

EDIT - Andrew 771's "Z" was added in the last update, and that needs to be marked as 'never released'. I'll make a note for next time.

[PeterJ]

Edit, ignore this post - It's rubbish ! It's just titles without a release year which as [mention]kolbeck[/mention] pointed out could be for other reasons.

Thanks [mention]R-Tape[/mention],

I did it a slightly different way [mention]Audionautas[/mention], but I'm sure similar results.

The CSV FIle is here:

This is my SQL:

Code: Select all

select entries.id, entries.title, machinetypes.text
from entries, releases, machinetypes
where releases.entry_id = entries.id
and releases.release_seq = 0
and releases.release_year is null 
and machinetypes.id = entries.machinetype_id
ORDER BY machinetypes.text,entries.title

I will look at the bug report [mention]kolbeck[/mention] . Its probably looking for an integer.

[kolbeck]

Mire mare from ultimate was never released, a fan made a am game inspired using AGD

The 518 is the same number my filter gets

/Thomas

[kolbeck]

[mention]PeterJ[/mention] missing release year doesn’t mean it is necessarily never released. That’s why you get a higher number than me and David

[kolbeck]

According to my numbers we have 6604 MIA entries

[PeterJ]

@PeterJ missing release year doesn’t mean it is necessarily never released. That’s why you get a higher number than me and David

Good point. I was trying to over-complicate things! Should have just kept to one table.

Code: Select all

select entries.id, entries.title
from entries
where entries.availabletype_id in('N','R')
ORDER BY entries.title

[Audionautas]

Wow!!

Amazing list! Thank you guys. [mention]PeterJ[/mention] [mention]R-Tape[/mention] [mention]kolbeck[/mention]

[PeterJ]

According to my numbers we have 6604 MIA entries

Agreed:

Code: Select all

select entries.id, entries.title
from entries
where entries.availabletype_id = '?'
ORDER BY entries.title

[R-Tape]

Good point. I was trying to over-complicate things! Should have just kept to one table.

Don't worry about it Peter. In the right hands, SQL is powerful and exciting language.

Give me a shout if you need any tips.

( )

[PeterJ]

I will be sure to do that [mention]R-Tape[/mention]

[Audionautas]

Hi

I've been reviewing several titles of that list and a lot of them will be tagged as never released games forever, simply because there were no plans to do them on the Spectrum. As I commented on another thread regarding Hewson games, there are entries created on WoS and therefore on the ZXDB based solely on unconfirmed rumours or just the assumption on magazines at the time that if one game was going to be released on C64 for instance, or 16-bit, it would be released on the Spectrum too. Especially Sinclair User on the T'Zers column is full of those unconfirmed rumours or better call them inventions.

I think is great to create an entry if we have and advert announcing coming up Spectrum versions because we have a tangible proof that at least a Spectrum version was in the works or even considered and later discarded (Infodroid, for example). It would be also valid if we have playable demos on magazines (Atomic Robo-Kid or Armalyte), mock-ups (Toki) screenshots (Solar Jetman) or we have testimony from the original developers or software house that one Speccy version was in development. But I think is really daring to create or have entries of games that we don't have nothing about, just an unconfirmed gossip in a tiny and unreliable column in just one magazine and sometimes we don't even have that.

For example, for almost every Hewson game cited on the DB as Never Released, especially Morpheus (released by Rainbird only for the C64), Astaroth, Custodian, Moonfall and Scorpion, will never have any tangible proof that a Speccy version ever existed, because there were no plans to develop a Spectrum version. All of them flopped in other systems, simple as that, and some of them were developed for 16-bit machines only.

When I was reviewing some of the games, I hallucinated when I saw entries for Pipe Mania II and Stunt Car Racer II just because the T'Zers column on Sinclair User said "though whether either is slated in for the Speccy has yet to be announced. Keep your fingers crossed". That commentary is simply crap, nothing more than words to create hype with nothing solid to back it up. And that is just an example of the amount of entries created on a similar basis, in other entries we don't even have a magazine or advertising reference.

Well, just my point.

All the best!

[PeterJ]

Hi [mention]Audionautas[/mention],

If you are happy to collate a list of titles where you believe the evidence is too weak to suggest a title was ever planned for release, we can certainly review.

Unfortunately with most we will never know unless we can talk to someone who worked for the software house at the time. Hewson are still on Twitter for example.


Take a look at Hewson Founder (@HewsonJoystick): https://twitter.com/HewsonJoystick?s=09

What do others think?

An immense amount of work has been done on the WoS data since it was used by [mention]Einar Saukas[/mention] for ZXDB. Many 1000s of updates have been made, so if the data is wrong (and there is something to backup the change, then it's not an issue. Take a look at the little bugs in ZXDB threads.

[Audionautas]

Hi @Audionautas,

If you are happy to collate a list of titles where you believe the evidence is too weak to suggest a title was ever planned for release, we can certainly review.

Unfortunately with most we will never know unless we can talk to someone who worked for the software house at the time. Hewson are still on Twitter for example.


Take a look at Hewson Founder (@HewsonJoystick): https://twitter.com/HewsonJoystick?s=09

What do others think?

An immense amount of work has been done on the WoS data since it was used by @Einar Saukas for ZXDB. Many 1000s of updates have been made, so if the data is wrong (and there is something to backup the change, then it's not an issue. Take a look at the little bugs in ZXDB threads.

Hi [mention]PeterJ[/mention]

I know it has been a huge task to transfer all WoS data to ZXDB (kudos [mention]Einar Saukas[/mention]). I also know that you are trying to keep the data as faithful to WoS as possible and that's Ok. My point is that WoS is not the Bible, is not sacred IMHO. It was a really useful source of information for many years, but a lot of that work that Martijn did was based mainly on magazines from back in the day, including all the incorrect information that those magazines had. In the 90s, when the Internet was in its infancy, it had a lot of sense to rely only on the magazines from the 80s, sure. However nowadays a lot of information can be checked thanks to Retro Gamer, retrocomputing websites, blogs and even you can contact a lot of the authors of those games right away through Twitter, Facebook and so on.

I have been in contact with Rob Hewson since 2014 or so and it's a really lovely guy. The problem with Hewson is that Andrew Hewson was the CEO of the company, not the software producer (a position that held Gordon Hewson first and Paul Chamberlain after Andrew's brother departure), so he doesn't remember a lot of details about the games, simply because he was managing a software company, not testing the games, not coordinating the freelance teams that did every version of the game, etc. Yes, he worked closely with several star programmers like Raf Cecco or John Phillips, but that was it, he wasn't involved in every tiny decision made for every game released. Also a lot of those details are really difficult to remember 35 years later. As I commented in other thread, I tried to contact Paul Chamberlain a couple of years back without results. Anyway, Steve Turner and Andrew Braybrook are easily approchable on Twitter.

IMHO if we want to have a more complete database that improves Martijn's amazing legacy is necessary to include new information and fix the wrong one. Personally to begin with, I can contact Steve Turner for instance to clarify if Graftgold had planned to develop a Spectrum version from Morpheus. Mark Dawson, the author of Astaroth is on Twitter I think, so it wouldn't be difficult to ask him about 8 bit versions of his game.

So, I will try to begin with Hewson first, and then we will see if we can clarify a lot of dubious entries on the ZXDB from other companies.

All the best!

[DouglasReynholm]

Just a small point but T'Zers was a Your Sinclair column, not Sinclair User. Unless I missed a bombshell defection?

[PeterJ]

Hi [mention]Audionautas[/mention],

Let me read your message in full in the morning. I can however say that the comment 'I also know that you are trying to keep the data as faithful to WoS as possible and that's Ok.', is most certainly not the case. The WoS data is an excellent basis and we hugely appreciate the work that went into it by many people, but we certainly don't have any specific wish to stay faithful to it. Far more crucial is accuracy. The infoseek ID is if course crucial as do many websites use it.

[Audionautas]

Just a small point but T'Zers was a Your Sinclair column, not Sinclair User. Unless I missed a bombshell defection?

Sorry, you're right!

[Audionautas]

Hi @Audionautas,

Let me read your message in full in the morning. I can however say that the comment 'I also know that you are trying to keep the data as faithful to WoS as possible and that's Ok.', is most certainly not the case. The WoS data is an excellent basis and we hugely appreciate the work that went into it by many people, but we certainly don't have any specific wish to stay faithful to it. Far more crucial is accuracy. The infoseek ID is if course crucial as do many websites use it.

Sorry, [mention]PeterJ[/mention] my fault. This is a false impression I got after providing some fixing to several Hewson games' entries (see this thread: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2470), and seeing that some changes like adding a new author to Pyracurse (providing evidences), or changing other things in Marauder could be difficult. After seeing that those entries remain the same one month and a half later I thought that it would not be easy to make some of the suggested additions on the ZXDB. Anyway, I completely agree that accuracy is crucial in this case.

Thank you.

All the best!

[PeterJ]

Hi [mention]Audionautas[/mention],

ZXDB gets updated around once a month, so things can take a while to get reviewed and put into the database. We are a very small team and work through proposed changes as we can. Some need further discussion which can further delay things.

When [mention]druellan[/mention] has reviewed changes he flags the post with the green reviewed icon as can be seen in some of the posts below.

It's best to keep suggested database changes to these threads. We are into our third thread of these proposed changes, each with 50+ pages, so yes things do take time to process.

Because of the lockdown we have seen a huge increase in new releases which we try and keep up-to-date with too.

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2421&hilit=Littke+bugs&start=10

Keep the suggestions coming though and we will review when we are able.

[Audionautas]

Hi @Audionautas,

ZXDB gets updated around once a month, so things can take a while to get reviewed and put into the database. We are a very small team and work through proposed changes as we can. Some need further discussion which can further delay things.

When @druellan has reviewed changes he flags the post with the green reviewed icon as can be seen in some of the posts below.

It's best to keep suggested database changes to these threads. We are into our third thread of these proposed changes, each with 50+ pages, so yes things do take time to process.

Because of the lockdown we have seen a huge increase in new releases which we try and keep up-to-date with too.

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2421&hilit=Littke+bugs&start=10

Keep the suggestions coming though and we will review when we are able.

Thank you [mention]PeterJ[/mention] I'll try to make more suggestions in coming weeks.

[druellan]

Sorry, @PeterJ my fault. This is a false impression I got after providing some fixing to several Hewson games' entries (see this thread: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2470), and seeing that some changes like adding a new author to Pyracurse (providing evidences), or changing other things in Marauder could be difficult. After seeing that those entries remain the same one month and a half later I thought that it would not be easy to make some of the suggested additions on the ZXDB. Anyway, I completely agree that accuracy is crucial in this case.

Hi! Sorry the delay on that thread. It is in my todo list for some time now, but I decided to postpone it until I finish my works on the "cover artist" thread, sadly (or luckily!), we uncover a lot of information missing for the titles of Players software, so, I'm busy with that, but rest assured your contribution is not overlooked, in fact, we did some back on forth and I have it marked as confirmed, so, it just a matter to finish the other works.

Regarding how difficult could be to do the changes, I think that aspect is secondary, I think it is important to have the reports and make sure they are accurate, and if something is complex, it is going to be done eventually.

Said that, don't hesitate on bring our attention on threads you think we overlooked.

[Audionautas]

Sorry, @PeterJ my fault. This is a false impression I got after providing some fixing to several Hewson games' entries (see this thread: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2470), and seeing that some changes like adding a new author to Pyracurse (providing evidences), or changing other things in Marauder could be difficult. After seeing that those entries remain the same one month and a half later I thought that it would not be easy to make some of the suggested additions on the ZXDB. Anyway, I completely agree that accuracy is crucial in this case.

Hi! Sorry the delay on that thread. It is in my todo list for some time now, but I decided to postpone it until I finish my works on the "cover artist" thread, sadly (or luckily!), we uncover a lot of information missing for the titles of Players software, so, I'm busy with that, but rest assured your contribution is not overlooked, in fact, we did some back on forth and I have it marked as confirmed, so, it just a matter to finish the other works.

Regarding how difficult could be to do the changes, I think that aspect is secondary, I think it is important to have the reports and make sure they are accurate, and if something is complex, it is going to be done eventually.

Said that, don't hesitate on bring our attention on threads you think we overlooked.

Thank you [mention]druellan[/mention] In my comment above it was not my intention to seem impatient or impertinent. Simply I didn't exactly know how it works updating Spectrum Computing, and obviously I was not aware of the huge amount of work behind the scenes to keep everything up-to-date month after month. I'll try to contribute whenever I can. In the meantime, keep up the good work!!!

All the best!