One of the things you’ll notice about the slew of multimillion dollar titles coming out this fall is just how large a team you need these days to make something come to fruition on the scale of a Gears of War 2 or Fallout 3. Of course, the exception to this rule is LittleBigPlanet, which managed to sneak out with a development team of less than 40 and credits that reflect as much. And it’s exactly that which has got me thinking, just how and when developers decide to roll the credits for their games.

As I speak, the ending of Resistance 2 is rolling forth and it has been about 5-10 minutes and there is no end to the credits in sight. In many cases, it almost feels like a welcome break after the game has come to a dramatic close, with a long list of people appearing on the screen while you lounge back and soak in your achievement. However, it seems to be ineffective in showing off a lot of that talent, since about a few minutes into any list of text appearing on the screen you will likely lose your audience. LittleBigPlanet has an interesting way of tackling this, having pictures of each team member and their name appear in the first level you play in the game. It introduces you to the mechanics and shows of the talented people who had their hand in the creation of what you are about to experience. Perhaps its not nearly as cinematic or expected when a grand-scale game has completed, or a story closes, but it gets the job done and makes the whole experience seem less sterile.

It’s of no fault to the team from Insomniac, but there are more interesting ways to demonstrate the hard work that went into a game. In games like PixelJunk Eden, the credits are an option in the main menu (or hub in this case) which let you explore them like you would any other part of the game. And even games with dramatic endings, such as the original Gears of War, the got a personal message plastered on next to what they did, voiced over a song by one of the characters in the game. Even when you complete the single player portions of Rock Band you’re treated to a slide show of each team member playing their favourite instrument, next to their name and a short snippet almost like a yearbook note.

In a medium where you are meant to grab the attention of your audience, and the fact that they have to sit through the end credits many times in order to actually have their game considered complete (another decision that needs to go out the door some day), you should find your own voice in how you market your team. The world of scrolling text will obviously never be gone, considering the way that games and movies are considering thematically similar to a lot of the writers and designers. Having a way that engages players either through giving them control of what is happening on screen, or adding a unique element like a good song or prologue of the story is a good start, however, to making your credits a little more than a simple cutscene that you are easily able to walk away from.