Poll of the Day > Should video games be shown at the beginning or end of the game?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Most often we see them after we beat video games, the credits roll at the end while sometimes showing glimpses of the events leading up to said credits. However, some games have had it where the credits show up as you just near the start of the game, generally as an intro scene+song is playing or something of that sort, though there are even cases where the games will have a black screen in the beginning while the credits roll.

Have just been trying to decide which of these is more annoying to me, I mean either way I tend to skip if possible or just go do something else. I suppose I would rather have them at the end so it lets me just get into the game itself faster, but I can kind of sort of understand why people might decide to put their credits at the start, but eh.

How do you feel about it, should they stay at the end of the game, or is there enough reason to have credits at the start?

I think you dropped a word in your title.

i don't really care, honestly.

what i care about is when the game opens up with a 20 minute long unskippable, boring as fuck cutscene you can't even speed up full of largely unimportant shit

i'm looking at you okami.

fuck you.
---

Video at the beginning, games at the end.
---

Credits should play after the scenes following beating the game (and whatever ending stuff they put in). It's fine for the credits to contain little closure clips with the mc team visiting various places and meeting people again whatever. But it shouldn't be mandatory and they should be skip-able. Important info shouldn't be hidden at the end of the credits
---

Credits should be contained in a separate section. In general, I'm opposed to these massive lists of credits particularly because other industries don't use credits at all. When I buy a pair of shoes, I don't know the project manager, the designer, the 12 y/o boy who assembled the shoes in some third-world nation, the overworked long-hauler who drove it to the store, etc.
---

Video games shouldn't show credits. If you want to see them there should be a menu item for that.
---

Zeus posted...

Credits should be contained in a separate section. In general, I'm opposed to these massive lists of credits particularly because other industries don't use credits at all. When I buy a pair of shoes, I don't know the project manager, the designer, the 12 y/o boy who assembled the shoes in some third-world nation, the overworked long-hauler who drove it to the store, etc.

lmao
---

Video games should always be shown
---

there was a time that the credits were WHY you beat the game. it was the primary reward. see games like: SMW, Zelda 3, Starfox, FF6, (maybe it was just a nintendo thing?). These days, you get like 1 small cutscene which is just a video file, and then an hour of slow scrolling text.
---

Like with films I prefer the credits at the end.
---

At the end, don't make them too long, and write an awesome song to listen to while they scroll.
---

Credits in games, like films, should really only be intended for the person credited to negotiate future work. That is the reason why they are shown in the first place. Forcing your audience to sit through them shouldn't really be something that happens. Putting them in a separate area is fine, and sure, making them interactive wouldn't be a horrible idea either.

I've been seeing a trend lately, at least in films, of putting post-credit clips at the end in order to keep audiences around. But really, the audience isn't going to care or even pay attention despite this. Unless they really liked how the sound was designed and want to see who was involved or something.

Serras posted...

At the end, don't make them too long, and write an awesome song to listen to while they scroll.

I'm fine with having them at the beginning if they similarly aren't too long and have a good soundtrack. Opening credits should be shorter than ending credits, by virtue of standing between the player and starting the game, but provided they're done in an appropriately cinematic fashion (or better yet, overlay them while playing), I'm cool with them.

Credits should be at the beginning of games and last 7 days, to discourage rentals instead of buys.
---

Despite your topic title needing an edit, I don't mind them being at the end but would also be ok with some of the Director/Writer/Producer/Lead programmer/Main voice cast etc. overlaid credits coming up at the start like you would with a movie, or a Kojima game (there might be other examples but theta's the first one that comes to mind).
---

At the end, with a great song to go with em. But for the love of everything, make them skippable if the player chooses.

I'm looking at you Ass Creed and your half hour black screen with white text credits and no kickass song.
---

_AdjI_ posted...

Serras posted...

At the end, don't make them too long, and write an awesome song to listen to while they scroll.

I'm fine with having them at the beginning if they similarly aren't too long and have a good soundtrack. Opening credits should be shorter than ending credits, by virtue of standing between the player and starting the game, but provided they're done in an appropriately cinematic fashion (or better yet, overlay them while playing), I'm cool with them.

This is fine, too! I don't mind opening credits when they're handled well.
---

Sahuagin posted...

there was a time that the credits were WHY you beat the game. it was the primary reward. see games like: SMW, Zelda 3, Starfox, FF6, (maybe it was just a nintendo thing?). These days, you get like 1 small cutscene which is just a video file, and then an hour of slow scrolling text.

no.
---

end and skippable. just because i can't skip doesn't mean im going to watch
---

Yeah I kinda rushed making the topic maybe, oh well.

Krazy_Kirby posted...

no.

in the SNES era, yes. the credits and ending were the same thing, and were WAY more elaborate than they are today.
---