Select Which Metadata Fields to Update

📋 Summary

Allow users to choose which existing metadata fields should be refreshed when updating games from an online metadata source.

❗ Problem

Game metadata improves over time. Release years may become exact dates, descriptions may be expanded, and early-access games may receive updated release information.

Currently, users must choose between:

• Filling only blank fields, which leaves outdated information unchanged

• Replacing all existing metadata, which can overwrite curated titles and other manual changes

Users should not need to replace everything just to update a few outdated fields.

💡 Proposal

Add a Replace Selected Metadata Fields option to the metadata update wizard.

Users could select fields such as:

• Release Date

• Description/Notes

• Developer and Publisher

• Genres

• Series

• Play Modes

• Release Type

• Region

• Player counts

Only selected fields would be replaced. Unselected fields, media, and user-maintained information would remain untouched.

Fields such as Title, Sort Title, database identifiers, custom fields, play statistics, and user progress should remain protected by default.

Media replacement should continue to be controlled separately through the existing media selections.

🧩 Use Cases

• Replace approximate release years with exact dates

• Refresh descriptions without changing curated titles

• Update games that have moved from early access to full release

• Refresh selected fields across an entire platform

• Preserve manually edited metadata and hand-picked media

📦 Benefits

• Keeps libraries current without destructive full updates

• Protects user customizations

• Avoids unnecessary media downloads

• Makes bulk metadata maintenance safer and more precise

• Provides metadata controls comparable to existing media-type selections

⚠️ Considerations

• The wizard should clearly distinguish replacing existing values from filling blank fields

• Multi-value fields should explain whether their existing values will be replaced or merged

• A review or confirmation screen should summarize the fields being updated

• Protected fields should require deliberate selection before they can be overwritten