Why Are There Separate DB Sections For Atari 8-bit Variants?

[Zombeaver]

Wikipedia: Atari 8-bit family

So I started messing around with Atari 8-bit emulation last night. Any time I jump into a new platform I do research on the games and hardware. I was a little bit confused when I saw how we have these games setup in our DB however. We've got a section for Atari 800 and one for Atari XE. What's the reasoning for this? Isn't this a bit like having a platform for Amiga 500 and one for Amiga 1200? Unless I'm missing something they're just variations (upgrades) on the same hardware, not unlike the multiple Amiga models. They're just different parts of Atari's 8-bit home computer line. 800 and XE (which should actually be the XEGS based on the box art that's in that platform in the DB - the system image itself is actually the 130XE though) aren't even all of the models, so I don't know why those were singled out - there was 400, 800, 1000, 1000X, 1200XL, 600XL, 800XL, 1400XL, 1450XL, 65XE, 130XE, and XEGS (and I'm probably leaving something out). Obviously we don't need separate platforms for all of these just like we don't need ones for every variation of the Amiga. They're the same games - the XEGS just repackaged them with new labels.

From the Atari XEGS Wikipedia page:

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The XEGS shipped with the Atari 8-bit version of Missile Command built in, Flight Simulator II bundled with the keyboard component, and Bug Hunt which is compatible with the light gun. As the XEGS is compatible with the earlier 8-bit software, many games released under the XEGS banner were simply older games rebadged. This was done to the extent that some games were shipped in the old Atari 400/800 packaging, bearing only a new sticker to indicate that they were also compatible with the XEGS.

From the List of Atari XEGS games Wikipedia page:

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The list includes only games that were released during the XEGS' lifetime, in matching "Atari XE Video Game Cartridge" boxes. Some of these titles were re-releases of earlier Atari 8-bit games in cartridge form. All of the games could also work with other computers of the Atari 8-bit line.

It seems to me that the 800 and XE should be consolidated into a single platform which should then renamed to Atari 8-bit - that way it encompasses all of them. This is the way Mobygames handles them.

[Jason Carr]

Gotcha @Zombeaver, that all makes sense. It was probably just set up this way originally for dumb reasons (or maybe it came from TheGamesDB.net that way). Can you create a ticket for it?

[Zombeaver]

Sure, no problem. I've created the ticket. I accidentally created it as "Anonymous" 

[Jason Carr]

Cool, that works.