For those who don't know, DMG stands for "Dot-matrix game", and is the product code of the original Game Boy.
There are some here who are very insistent on the acronym's use when talking about the Game Boy. I think this is overly confusing and unneeded, and thought it should be discussed here.
Here is the post (in a different thread) I am responding to:
Nach wrote:
JXQ wrote:
(2) Said it before and I'll say it again - the only thing that the term DMG does is needlessly confuse people.
That's people's fault for not knowing their acronyms.
You want to punish people for not knowing an abbreviation for Game Boy based on something as arbitrary and ridiculous as a product code? Give me a break. GB is recognized much more easily by the majority of people, especially when discussing games for the Game Boy. Who refers to anything by its product code, anyway? We aren't working in shipping warehouses, we're discussing ideas. Seems like the primary goal would be to effectively communicate what you are referring to, and using a acronym that others don't know (even if it's "their fault") is not conducive to that goal.
I say it's best to avoid the acronym in order to keep things clear.
<Swordless> Go hug a tree, you vegetarian (I bet you really are one)
Yay, a war declaration flame thread starter post that appears from nowhere!
Umm, yeah. I like GB better than DMG.
But then again, GB is Great Britain, gigabyte, Guinea Bissau etc and DMG is damage, Dungeon Master's Guide and dimethylglyoxime, so is this just a case of a pot calling the kettle black?
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DMG is written all over my Gameboy and every Gamepak I own.
Every issue of Nintendo Power regarding it which was like issues 18 to 65 or something refered to it as DMG everywhere.
Every developers resource calls it DMG.
GB is not recognized in any official material I have.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
I had those same Nintendo Powers and I don't recall DMG once.
But, as long as you can post that picture every time you use the abbreviation, it should be very clear your intentions. Also, convenient.
Or you could just use GB.
Bisqwit, the thread was started from elsewhere. I could just derail a submission thread next time, if you'd prefer.
<Swordless> Go hug a tree, you vegetarian (I bet you really are one)
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Look at your issues closer then. A quick place to look is the back page where it listed games reviewed in other issues, it'll list DMG, NES, or SNES as the system next to the game name.
It was also mentioned several times in Player's Pulse in letters sent in when people listed which systems they owned/wanted/favorite/whatever.
And I will not call it "GB", I am not a heretic.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
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Xkeeper wrote:
However, Nach, DMG could potentially be any dot-matrix game. See also Game Gear, Neo-Geo handheld, etc.
If this is true, then DMG should not be used, as it is too vague. Otherwise, you could use the same logic exclusively refer to all SNES, GB, GBA, N64, and NES games as "Nintendo games."
A heretic? lol gmafb NEway...
All I ask is that if you want to be so stubborn about using a confusing term, don't treat people like they are idiots when they don't know what it is. You have no right.
<Swordless> Go hug a tree, you vegetarian (I bet you really are one)
DMG: Game Boy only. also GBC, AGB.
GBX (my own personal one): Game Boy (C)olor, (S)uper, (A)dvance.
Not to mention, "Game Boy ________" is printed on every Game Boy console -- the DMG notification sticker on the cartridge itself is just that -- a notification sticker. That's why almost all o fmine have "Official Game Boy Game Pak" on them.
I can drag out pictures too, if I must.
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JXQ wrote:
All I ask is that if you want to be so stubborn about using a confusing term, don't treat people like they are idiots when they don't know what it is. You have no right.
It wouldn't be confusing for you if you actually took the time to notice what you were working with. How could someone own a Gameboy for years and not notice it clearly says DMG on it?
Someone is a bit of an idiot if they get involved with something and don't even take the time to understand or learn about what they're getting involved with.
This almost makes me feel like how I felt day 1 of C++ this year. I start explaining what C++ is and one student asked me a question roughly: "What is this computer doohicky you keep mentioning?"
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
Is it casually referred to as "DMG" in other countries that I'm not aware of? Everyone I have ever talked to about anything Game Boy has always referred to it as "Game Boy", "Game Boy Color", "Game Boy Advance (or GBA)". Or is this just a acronym to use when typing, not in conversation?
I seriously don't follow the reasoning.
Edit:
Nach wrote:
How could someone own a Gameboy for years and not notice it clearly says DMG on it?
Maybe they were too distracted by the giant "GAME BOY" logo.
<Swordless> Go hug a tree, you vegetarian (I bet you really are one)
Joined: 3/9/2004
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I'm from New York, when I was young, with friends, and we discussed our systems and stuff, we always referred to it as a DMG. I've used Gameboy in conversation too, but in writing an acronym is easier.
As for where some of this came from, I went to a private school, and we were very meticulous about precision in speech. I believe in allowing laxness in speech generally, but if it's a technical or important manner in anyway, I believe in fully upholding precision to the highest standards possible for the current situation.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
Nach,
This latest post of yours makes me feel you might not have considered how many others are not as well-informed on the subject of dot-matrix games as you are. The discussion in this thread clearly seems to indicate that GB is a more well-known term than DMG is.
Don't you think it's reasonable to use the term more people will recognize, when talking to them (the less informed people)?
I understand if you don't. However, don't you agree that coming down so hard on these people, calling them "a bit of an idiot" and other things, might be a bit unreasonable?
Regardless, you still don't have the right to treat people like idiots just because they don't know the knowledge you think they should. Your second-to-last post makes me think that you justify it. Just because they call it something different than you, doesn't mean they are ignorant of the subject at hand. (Many people here know a lot about many Game Boy games without knowing its product code)
Let me ask you this: If DMG is how people should refer to it, why did Nintendo name and market it as the "Game Boy"?
<Swordless> Go hug a tree, you vegetarian (I bet you really are one)
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Fabian:
As informed people are or aren't, GB is an invalid term and thus wrong to use. It is also wrong of us who knows the correct term to use it. If more of us who knew the proper terms used them, we wouldn't be having this conversation now of the term not being recognized enough.
JXQ:
I don't treat people like idiots if they don't know (but your perception of my actions is subject to your own interpretation), however I hold by my statement that you have to be a bit of an idiot (and not a full fledged idiot) to not notice a DMG on your Game Boy if you owned it for a while.
And as I said above, it's called a Game Boy, but the acronym is DMG. It will be marketed of course under it's full name, but in many official texts you will see it referred to solely by it's acronym.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
I've never seen DMG, or rarely, in Nintendo Power magazines. In fact before you, Nach, I've rarely seen DMG. People had used Game Boy and it's stll Game Boy.
I am 100% sure I will ask someone what a Dot matrix game is and he won't know but if I ask a Game boy, yes, he will.
Nach wrote:
As informed people are or aren't, GB is an invalid term.
Nach,
Forgot this one:
However, don't you agree that coming down so hard on these people, calling them "a bit of an idiot" and other things, might be a bit unreasonable?
Note how that comment of yours had nothing to do with noticing the DMG on your Gameboy, which is what you said to JXQ in the above post.
Okay, since I still have GB_ carts handy:
Location and size of the "DMG" label. Note that it is on its side, in small print, combined with a mess of other codes.
Location and size of the "GAME BOY" text. Note that it's right at the top, which would always stick out of a standard Game Boy, and it's also where the thumbs go.
Note "GAME BOY" Game Pak, not "DMG".
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Phil wrote:
I've never seen DMG, or rarely, in Nintendo Power magazines.
You haven't been looking then. Please don't force me to crack out a scanner.
Phil wrote:
I am 100% sure I will ask someone what a Dot matrix game is and he won't know but if I ask a Game boy, yes, he will.
Then ask what a DMG is, and when they don't know and then you can educate them.
Fabian wrote:
However, don't you agree that coming down so hard on these people, calling them "a bit of an idiot" and other things, might be a bit unreasonable?
I don't feel I'm coming down hard on these people. In fact I applaud those with the courage to ask for an explanation on a part they misunderstood given they had a valid reason for doing so. Those that never owned a DMG or missed the context are entitled to ask. However those who continually forget or aren't paying attention when they're supposed to need to be dealt with accordingly.
Phil wrote:
Nach wrote:
As informed people are or aren't, GB is an invalid term.
Don't agree.
We are not discussing something which up for an opinion, we are discussing a matter of fact. DMG is the official acronym everything else is not and you have no say in the matter.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
However, don't you agree that coming down so hard on these people, calling them "a bit of an idiot" and other things, might be a bit unreasonable?
I don't feel I'm coming down hard on these people. In fact I applaud those with the courage to ask for an explanation on a part they misunderstood given they had a valid reason for doing so. Those that never owned a DMG or missed the context are entitled to ask. However those who continually forget or aren't paying attention when they're supposed to need to be dealt with accordingly.
That's great Nach. Don't you feel it hurts your credibility when you completely change your words in between posts like this though? I know I'd feel that way, and was just curious if we were on the same page on that issue.
Location and size of the "DMG" label. Note that it is on its side, in small print, combined with a mess of other codes.
Location and size of the "GAME BOY" text. Note that it's right at the top, which would always stick out of a standard Game Boy, and it's also where the thumbs go.
Note "GAME BOY" Game Pak, not "DMG".
