About Lost Releases
Lost Releases covers all official digital and printed media items published in the Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Dino Crisis series. Counterfeit and pirate items are not covered. Whether an item is official or not may not be clear for certain magazine demo discs and similar items. Currently, the following items are considered official (or licensed): Items published directly by Capcom or Konami or any of their licensed publishers (example), items published by the console manufacturers, Sony, Nintendo, Sega, etc. (example), or items licensed by the console manufacturers (example).
The two last categories are included as it is assumed that the console manufacturers have agreements with Capcom or Konami; they receive demos or videos directly from Capcom or Konami to put on their various sampler discs. Even so, there are some samplers which contents appear to be recorded by the magazine staff or the company putting together the sampler discs. If this footage has been recorded from preview code, it could be argued that they were allowed to use contents from the discs sent by Capcom or Konami, but calling it official is a stretch in either case. These discs are still included on the site. Also, it's reasonable to believe that Capcom or Konami are not involved in re-use of demos, such as in "best of" samplers, it's assumed that they are licensed to use the demos as many times as they need.
There are many discs which does not meet any of the three reqirements, but which contents clearly come directly from Capcom or Konami, meaning they are "official", or licensed. These items will be covered at a later time.
Promotional discs
Lost Releases covers a large amount of different promotional discs. Promotional discs, whether playable or video-only, are; sent to magazines for review and preview; sent to shops to display trailers or let people try the game in-store; and also given to the shop owners themselves to let them decide how large stock to order; included with a game from the same publisher, inside the game package or as a pre-order bonus; included with a gaming magazine; handed out for free in shops; or sent to various members lists, like for example PlayStation Club and Sega Partners in Japan.
There are three different main categories given to promotional items on Lost Releases. "Promos" are full playable games not made available to the public, or any video-only disc made available to industry and public. "Demos" are playable preview code of a game supplied to the public, although the category is also used for a few playable preview discs not supplied to the public. These discs are labeled as "trade demos", though the labeling may not be entirely consistent throughout the site. Finally, "shop discs" are discs meant for promoting games on in-store TVs (video-only).
Usually, sending pressed discs to magazines for preview or review isn't common. The press usually receives "prototypes" on recordable media. Prototype is a general term for various builds on recordable media. They are made for in-house use (development, testing, localization), review and preview purposes as mentioned (must be returned to the publisher), and as playable builds to bring to events such as E3 and TGS. Lost Releases does not cover prototypes.
Matrix codes
Matrix and IFPI codes are important to determine country and time of manufacture, and also to tell the difference between official items and counterfeits. By comparing matrix codes of promos to the code of the corresponding retail item, one can also determine that the contents of the discs are identical or not, without analyzing the disc.
The matrix code is the alphanumeric code in the metallic ring on the underside of a CD, DVD, or other disc, written to the metalized glass master by the Laser Beam Recorder (LBR) along with the actual data, and trensferred to the pressed discs via the stampers manufactured from the master (read more on my Nirvana website). It often tells which plant pressed the disc (and then indirectly in which country), catalog number, year, which pressing it is, and more.
Some discs also have a matrix part which looks to be mechanically added to the disc. These parts are easily detected as they look different compared to the rest of the matrix. This is etched onto the stamper used for pressing, to keep track of the various metal parts used to press the discs. Two copies of a game contain identical content even though they have slightly different stamper numbers, as the stampers are made from the same master.
A matrix code may also contain one or more IFPI codes. The IFPI code in the matrix code, the LBR IFPI, always starts with a capital L, and identify exactly which LBR at a particular pressing plant was used to create the master.
IFPI codes
IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) represents the recording industry worldwide. The IFPI codes can be found in the metallic ring with the matrix code as explained above, and mechanically etched by the mould into the inner plastic ring closer to the spindle hole, the mould IFPI.
The mould IFPI identifies the pressing plant (two first alphanumeric digits, or three if it is a five-digit code) and the exact mould which pressed the disc (two last digits). I have compiled a list of hundreds of pressing plants and their mould IFPI codes.
Lost Releases covers all official digital and printed media items published in the Silent Hill, Resident Evil, and Dino Crisis series. Counterfeit and pirate items are not covered. Whether an item is official or not may not be clear for certain magazine demo discs and similar items. Currently, the following items are considered official (or licensed): Items published directly by Capcom or Konami or any of their licensed publishers (example), items published by the console manufacturers, Sony, Nintendo, Sega, etc. (example), or items licensed by the console manufacturers (example).
The two last categories are included as it is assumed that the console manufacturers have agreements with Capcom or Konami; they receive demos or videos directly from Capcom or Konami to put on their various sampler discs. Even so, there are some samplers which contents appear to be recorded by the magazine staff or the company putting together the sampler discs. If this footage has been recorded from preview code, it could be argued that they were allowed to use contents from the discs sent by Capcom or Konami, but calling it official is a stretch in either case. These discs are still included on the site. Also, it's reasonable to believe that Capcom or Konami are not involved in re-use of demos, such as in "best of" samplers, it's assumed that they are licensed to use the demos as many times as they need.
There are many discs which does not meet any of the three reqirements, but which contents clearly come directly from Capcom or Konami, meaning they are "official", or licensed. These items will be covered at a later time.
Promotional discs
Lost Releases covers a large amount of different promotional discs. Promotional discs, whether playable or video-only, are; sent to magazines for review and preview; sent to shops to display trailers or let people try the game in-store; and also given to the shop owners themselves to let them decide how large stock to order; included with a game from the same publisher, inside the game package or as a pre-order bonus; included with a gaming magazine; handed out for free in shops; or sent to various members lists, like for example PlayStation Club and Sega Partners in Japan.
There are three different main categories given to promotional items on Lost Releases. "Promos" are full playable games not made available to the public, or any video-only disc made available to industry and public. "Demos" are playable preview code of a game supplied to the public, although the category is also used for a few playable preview discs not supplied to the public. These discs are labeled as "trade demos", though the labeling may not be entirely consistent throughout the site. Finally, "shop discs" are discs meant for promoting games on in-store TVs (video-only).
Usually, sending pressed discs to magazines for preview or review isn't common. The press usually receives "prototypes" on recordable media. Prototype is a general term for various builds on recordable media. They are made for in-house use (development, testing, localization), review and preview purposes as mentioned (must be returned to the publisher), and as playable builds to bring to events such as E3 and TGS. Lost Releases does not cover prototypes.
Matrix codes
Matrix and IFPI codes are important to determine country and time of manufacture, and also to tell the difference between official items and counterfeits. By comparing matrix codes of promos to the code of the corresponding retail item, one can also determine that the contents of the discs are identical or not, without analyzing the disc.
The matrix code is the alphanumeric code in the metallic ring on the underside of a CD, DVD, or other disc, written to the metalized glass master by the Laser Beam Recorder (LBR) along with the actual data, and trensferred to the pressed discs via the stampers manufactured from the master (read more on my Nirvana website). It often tells which plant pressed the disc (and then indirectly in which country), catalog number, year, which pressing it is, and more.
Some discs also have a matrix part which looks to be mechanically added to the disc. These parts are easily detected as they look different compared to the rest of the matrix. This is etched onto the stamper used for pressing, to keep track of the various metal parts used to press the discs. Two copies of a game contain identical content even though they have slightly different stamper numbers, as the stampers are made from the same master.
A matrix code may also contain one or more IFPI codes. The IFPI code in the matrix code, the LBR IFPI, always starts with a capital L, and identify exactly which LBR at a particular pressing plant was used to create the master.
IFPI codes
IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) represents the recording industry worldwide. The IFPI codes can be found in the metallic ring with the matrix code as explained above, and mechanically etched by the mould into the inner plastic ring closer to the spindle hole, the mould IFPI.
The mould IFPI identifies the pressing plant (two first alphanumeric digits, or three if it is a five-digit code) and the exact mould which pressed the disc (two last digits). I have compiled a list of hundreds of pressing plants and their mould IFPI codes.