Add Series Metadata to the LaunchBox Games Database

📋 Summary

Add support for series/franchise metadata within the LaunchBox Games Database, allowing games to be associated with one or more series that can be synced directly into LaunchBox.

❗ Problem

Currently, the Series field in LaunchBox is entirely user managed and is not populated from the Games Database.

As a result:

• Users must manually assign series information

• Series organization is inconsistent between collections

• Large libraries require significant manual maintenance

• Users cannot benefit from community curated franchise information

However, series classification is often subjective and can vary depending on the user's goals.

For example:

• A user may want:

  • Mario

• Another user may prefer:

  • Mario Kart

  • Mario Party

  • Mario Sports

• Others may want both simultaneously

There is no universally accepted hierarchy for many franchises.

💡 Proposal

Add series support to the Games Database while accommodating different levels of franchise organization.

Potential approaches could include:

Option A: Multi-Level Series Structure

Games can belong to:

• Primary Series

• Sub Series

Examples:

• Super Mario Kart

  • Primary Series: Mario

  • Sub Series: Mario Kart

• Mario Party 3

  • Primary Series: Mario

  • Sub Series: Mario Party

Option B: Multiple Series Assignments

Games can have multiple series tags:

• Mario

• Mario Kart

This provides flexibility while allowing users to filter or group based on either level.

Option C: Series Taxonomy System

A more advanced hierarchy where:

• Mario

  • Mario Kart

  • Mario Party

  • Mario Sports

  • Paper Mario

can coexist within a parent-child structure.

🧩 Use Cases

• Users automatically receive franchise information when scraping metadata

• Collections can be grouped by franchise without manual work

• Smart playlists can be built around series data

• Users can browse all entries in a franchise across platforms

• Big Box themes can surface franchise collections more effectively

📦 Benefits

• Reduces manual metadata management

• Creates more consistency across collections

• Enables richer filtering, searching, and playlist creation

• Supports franchise based browsing and discovery

• Opens the door for future series focused features throughout LaunchBox

⚠️ Considerations

• Series definitions can be subjective and sometimes controversial

• A simple single value field may not be sufficient for complex franchises

• The database should support both broad and granular franchise groupings

• Clear moderation guidelines would be needed to ensure consistency