Jump to content

X-COM or XCOM ?


Pumpkinhead

Recommended Posts

I only realised this the other day, but everything I write (and I noticed that this site does the same) uses the title "X-COM", and yet every reference in the game's UFOpaedia and manual refer to it as "XCom" or "XCOM", being un-hyphenated...

 

So my question is, where did we all get the hyphen from???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No the games are actually called X-Com. It's on every box... Even Enforcer has a dot between the Xand the C! Technically the term XCom is not covered by any kind of liscense or copyright. Therefore we can quite easily bypass the marque by making games, stories and films which soimply don't use the hyphen!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The term XCOM was never used as the game's official title. It was merely the name of the organisation you played in the game.

 

The manual aside, you don't even learn you're working for 'XCOM' until you've started the game.

 

The hyphenated 'X-Com' became standard starting with TFTD. Every other X-Com game since has used 'X-Com'.

 

More recent releases of UFO have included 'X-COM' in the page headers in the manual (such as the PDF manual in the collectors edition). Older versions didn't have it.

 

- NKF

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No the games are actually called X-Com. It's on every box...

Really? I only own (and like) UFO: Enemy Unknown in which all references within the game itself use XCom, so really that's all I was basing my comment on... In my mind, it's the original and the best :D

 

Just for the record: The only other X-COM game that ever piqued my interest was Alliance... and we all know what happened there :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just be thankful it's not 'ExTer-CombUn'! (You know what, I'm going to steal that and use it for something else. :D )

 

Here's something else about the name that's been bugging me.

 

X-Com doesn't start with a vowel, but how many of you out there refer to X-Com things with 'an' instead of 'a'? Such as 'A X-Com Soldier' vs. 'An X-Com Soldier'?

 

The expanded name 'Extra...unit' begins with a vowel, so 'an' works nicely. But the shortened version that we all know an love 'X-Com' doesn't.

 

I catch myself using 'an' all the time. Any other take on this?

 

- NKF

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it has to be pronounced an gramatically speaking as the word is not X-com it's really two words, X and Com. They aren't linked or abbrieviated. They're technically different words (yes X is short for extraterrestrial but X-Com isn't short for Extracom or something like that :D) Therefore when pronouncing X it becomes Ex and therefore does begin with a vowel prompting the use of an instead of a.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are five vowels, and one semi vowel, which is Y. X should also be a semi vowel, as it, like Y, can be pronounced two ways.

 

Xenocide (Zenocide)

X-Com (Ex-Com)

 

I'll show an example of Y as well:

 

Yowl

Stray (Stra-ee)

 

Thus, it should be "AN X-Com soldier".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

so perhaps one must peer into the origin of things...

I hate to nit-pick, but the "origin of things" is actually UFO: Enemy Unknown, which as I said earlier in the thread, makes no mention what-so-ever of "X-COM", only "XCom"...

 

But I know now that all the sequels make use of the good ol' hyphen :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

UFO does make mention of it. The box uses a hyphen every time... *checks manual* (realises it's only used once on the box but the hyphen is there!)

 

We have a revelation! Check out page six of the manual with the ORIGINAL XCom logo (note the absence of the hyphen?) You're right the manual doesn't seem to use it at all as far as I can see but the box certainly does.

Pretty cool logo though :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check out page six of the manual with the ORIGINAL XCom logo (note the absence of the hyphen?) You're right the manual doesn't seem to use it at all as far as I can see but the box certainly does.

Pretty cool logo though :D

lol ya think? XCOM with a globe for the "O"? Not all that exciting :D

 

As for the box... I threw it out after opening :ninja:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a reminder: Earlier releases of the game may not have had the hyphen in the manual(or box), but more recent versions do (such as the PDF manual with the Collectors edition - though to be more precise, it has a mix of both xcom and x-com).

 

- NKF

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
  • Create New...