Over the past couple of weeks, we have worked with MS Access. In doing so, we examined how

Question

Access can be used to support various businesses. For this project, we will use Access to
analyze video game sales, then decide for which game the studio should make next.
Screenshots of the project are included throughout these instructions
Part 1: Setup the Initial Database
1. Open Access and Create a blank database.
2. Next, add four tables to the database.
3. Table 1 Name:
o Name of Game Company (i.e. Sega, Blizzard, Activision...)
4. Game Company Fields:
o gameID, GameName, Genre, Developer, Sales, AvgRating
▪ Set the Data Types to "Short Text," for all but "Sales." Set the "Sales"Data Type to "Number."
▪ Add a Description for each Field.
▪ Assign the Primary Key to "gameID"
5. Table 2 Name:
o Reviews
6. Review Fields:
o reviewID, gameID, ReviewName, Comments
▪ Set the Data Types to "Short Text," for all but "reviewID." Set the"reviewID" Data Type to "AutoNumber."
▪ Assign the Primary Key to "reviewID"7. Table 3 Name:
o Sources
8. Sources Fields:
o ID, WebsiteName, WebsiteURL
▪ Set the Data Type to "AutoNumber" for "ID," "Short Text" for
"WebsiteName," and "Hyperlink" for "WebsiteURL."
▪ Assign the Primary Key to "ID"
9. Table 4 Name:
o Recommendation
10. Recommendation Field:
o Recommendation
▪ Set the Data Type to "Long Text"
Part 2: Research and Add Data to the Game, Recommendation, and Source Tables
1. Select a video game company. Research their titles looking for Game Name, Genre,
Developer (note the Developer is often independent of the Game Company), Sales, and
the Game's Average Rating. Populate the Game table with this information.
1. Include a minimum of 5 games, maximum of 10.
2. As you research, add your Sources to the Sources table. Include the Website's Name
and URL.
3. Repeat to populate the Review table. List the Reviewer Name and include brief review
Comments.
o Hint: Make sure that the gameID in the Review table matches the gameID that
the game is about in the Game tablePart 3: Relate the Game and Review Tables:
1. Create the Relationship between the Game and the Review tables
o Comments will now appear within the Game table:
Part 4: Create 3 Queries:
1. Create three queries on data of your choice. These queries will help you make your
recommendation for what game the studio should make next:
o Cross Table Query - this query will mix data from both the Game and Reviewtables. Your choice of data2. Most Sales Query - query the games in terms of their sales. Sort MostSales
"Descending" to show highest gross sales first.3. Restricted Query - create a four field query. Restrict the data.Part 5: Create a Form and Type Your Recommendation:
1. Create a Recommendation Form off of the Recommendation Table
2. Open the Form
3. Type your Recommendation for which game the studio should make next. Note total
sales, critic and user reviews, trends in genre, trends in titles, etc. What do you think
the next logical game is for the studio to make. Note, it does not have to be a
continuation of a current title. Perhaps you notice that fighting games are the best
sellers for the studio. What type of fighting game should they next make? Do you
believe the data that you are reviewing to make this decision is accurate? Is it in
anyway misleading (i.e. who rated game, what population purchased game, did external
factors impact sales)?
o Your recommendation should be a couple of paragraphs in lengthPart 6: Create and Format a Report:
1. Using the Report Wizard, create a Report based off of the Game and Review tables.
2. Add custom formatting to change its appearance from the Access default
How do you do this in access?

Answer 1

Creating a database in Microsoft Access involves several steps, which you've outlined in your project. Here’s a detailed guide to help you accomplish each part of the project step by step.

Part 1: Set Up the Initial Database

1. Open Access and Create a Blank Database:

   • Launch Microsoft Access.
   • Click on "Blank Database."
   • Name your database and select a location to save it.
   • Click "Create."

2. Add Four Tables:

   • In the left navigation pane, right-click on "Tables" and select "Table Design."

3. Table 1: Game Company

   • Create the following fields:
     • gameID (Data Type: AutoNumber) - Primary Key
     • GameName (Data Type: Short Text)
     • Genre (Data Type: Short Text)
     • Developer (Data Type: Short Text)
     • Sales (Data Type: Number)
     • AvgRating (Data Type: Short Text)
   • Right-click on the gameID field and select “Primary Key.”
   • Define the descriptions for each field under the "Description" column.

4. Table 2: Reviews

   • Similarly, create a new table for Reviews with the following fields:
     • reviewID (Data Type: AutoNumber) - Primary Key
     • gameID (Data Type: Short Text)
     • ReviewName (Data Type: Short Text)
     • Comments (Data Type: Short Text)

5. Table 3: Sources

   • Create another table for Sources:
     • ID (Data Type: AutoNumber) - Primary Key
     • WebsiteName (Data Type: Short Text)
     • WebsiteURL (Data Type: Hyperlink)

6. Table 4: Recommendation

   • Create the Recommendation table:
     • Recommendation (Data Type: Long Text)

Part 2: Research and Add Data

1. Research and Populate the Game Table:

   • Select a video game company (e.g., Activision). Research titles and collect information.
   • Enter 5-10 games in the Game table including fields like GameName, Genre, Developer, Sales, and AvgRating.

2. Add Sources to the Sources Table:

   • For each source you use while researching, create a new record in the Sources table with the WebsiteName and WebsiteURL.

3. Populate the Review Table:

   • Create reviews for the games you've listed. Ensure that the gameID matches the corresponding game.

Part 3: Relate the Game and Review Tables

1. Create Relationships:
   • Click on the “Database Tools” tab, then click on “Relationships.”
   • Add both the Game and Reviews tables.
   • Drag gameID from the Game table to gameID in the Reviews table to create a relationship. Ensure "Enforce Referential Integrity" is checked.

Part 4: Create 3 Queries

1. Cross Table Query:

   • Go to the "Create" tab and select "Query Wizard."
   • Choose a "Crosstab Query" and follow the prompts to select fields from both tables.

2. Most Sales Query:

   • In the "Create" tab, select "Query Design."
   • Add the Game table, and select the fields you want to display (like GameName, Sales).
   • Sort the Sales field in "Descending" order.

3. Restricted Query:

   • In "Query Design," create a query with four fields from the Game table. Set criteria for restricting data as needed (e.g., Genre = 'Fighting').

Part 5: Create a Form for Recommendation

1. Create the Recommendation Form:
   • Click on the "Create" tab and choose "Form Wizard."
   • Select the Recommendation table to create a form.
   • Open the form and type your recommendation based on your analysis of the data collected.

Part 6: Create and Format a Report

1. Using the Report Wizard:

   • Click on the "Create" tab and select "Report Wizard."
   • Choose the fields from the Game and Review tables you want in the report.
   • Follow the wizard's prompts to finish creating the report.

2. Add Custom Formatting:

   • Open the created report in "Design View" and use design tools to format it (change fonts, colors, layout, etc.) to improve its appearance.

Conclusion

This guide provides a detailed journey through the project requirements using Microsoft Access. By following these steps, you’ll be able to analyze video game sales data effectively, create valuable queries, generate insightful reports, and formulate a well-grounded recommendation for the next game your studio should make. Be sure to regularly save your work and review your data for any inaccuracies. Good luck!