The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) is updating its game crediting policy to improve the standard across the industry.
The organisation’s Game Credits Special Interest Group (SIG) aims to promote “inclusivity and best practices for how credits are attributed, affecting career and awards prospects”.
As well as full guidelines, it’s published a Crediting Quick Guide including advice such as “when in doubt, give credit”, not removing a name if a staff member leaves the company before launch, and including all contract and full time studio employees.
Further advice includes retaining names of original staff in ports, remasters and remakes, suggesting original credits should come first under a specific header.
Full guidelines can be found on the IGDA website.
A survey by the SIG revealed “51.3 percent of respondents (299 out of 582) either ‘never,’ ‘seldom,’ or ‘sometimes’ receive official credit for their efforts. Additionally, 83.1 percent of respondents indicated ‘unsure’ or ‘no’ when asked if their employer/client had a game credits policy”.
There have been a number of instances in the recent past of developers not being properly credited for their work in games.
That includes the original developers of Metroid Prime in the recent remaster, developers missed out of the Callisto Protocol credits, and translators not included in the Persona 3 and 4 remasters.
It’s not just games either, with composer Grant Kirkhope left uncredited in the Super Mario Bros Movie despite the use of his DK Rap.
The resources compiled by the IGDA aim to ensure these sorts of snubs no longer occur.
“The new resources and the 2023 policy should enable studios and publishers all around the world to use them to develop their own best practices,” said Katie Golden, previous chair of the IGDA Game Credits SIG, reports Gamespot.
“We want all of our colleagues in the video game business to feel involved and support our policies so that we can lead the change globally.”
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