Game Endings (Shareware)

[Max]

When you finish a video game, a shareware to be more precise, what do you expect?

[Leisure Suit Lurie]

A vigorous shoulder rub...and hopefully some sort of animated sequence.

[unknown]

Some boring predictable ending, but whats better is somthing unexpected.

[Max]

I'm currently working on the ending of a shareware and I'm curious to see what you guys expect to see... or would like to see.

[funkboy]

I expect something uninventive. In many shareware games for computer, in fact, I expect nothing more than some simple text saying "congratulations" or nothing at all, simply being booted back out to the main menu.

But I am very disappointed when that happens.

I would *like* to see something very unexpected... or even better yet, an ending that fits in with the game, seeing something above and beyond what the storyline was talking about.
Don't set up a sequel, that would be dumb. Give a nice closing to the game, maybe a sort of epilogue, or present something for the user to think about, some deep thought maybe.

[Cookie]

Fireworks!

[maaaaark]

a presentation of the programmer's phone number, so the winners may call them to announcement their completion. :P

[Volte]

Cash?

<filler>

[EvolPenguin]

How about wrapping up the story (assuming it's story based) with filling in details like what happens after or w/e and probably music with scrolling credits in front. The wrapping up will be the animated sequence in the background. And if no story, then just do something cool like starfox (with them running and different things going on) or beyond good and evil (which has a scrolling of images type thing, with an ending that sets up a sequel (which unfortunately was cancelled according to my source Keith)).

Alex

[akb825]

If it's an arcade game, congrats/game over. If there's any story involved, an actual ending would be nice. :p (as in animated sequence)

[Ingemar]

It depends so much on the game, but let's say, better than Marathon 1 would be recommended. (It was such a letdown!)

Fireworks is great, at least if you made the high score list. (Like in Grid Wars, remember?)

[Max]

Sometimes, I wonder if opening and ending sequences are really worth it. My first shareware game, Cave Dig 3, released 5 years ago, had long anime cinematic sequences (still images with music, like most SNES games). The reviews were excellent but no one paid attention to the sequences. Not even a player commented them. That seriously disappointed me.

[JustinFic]

It depends on the game, obviously, but I voted for animation + music + credits. It's really not that difficult to do.

What it comes down to is that the ending is like the final reward/farewell to the player, regardless of whether they play again. So the flashier the better, and it needs to be in proportion to the flashiness of your game. Casual puzzle games aren't very flashy, so they don't need much more to impress the player. But a game with tons of eye candy needs to go out with a much bigger bang, or I'll be disappointed.

Speaking of rotten endings:

- Rampage for the NES. I seriously sat through hundreds of ******* levels just to have it print CONGRATULATIONS across the map. I'm a massive monster, I have the world at my mercy, and CONGRATULATIONS? What a gyp.
- Chrono Cross. Here, make me sit through a 100-hour mindjob, kill off my favorite Chrono Trigger characters in the BACKSTORY and then completely cop out come answer-time with some impossible explanation involving clones and body-switching. And why the hell is my dad a cat? (If you don't want the story spoiled for you, don't read that.)
- Metal Gear Solid 2. What the **** just happened? I literally felt something in my skull short out when I beat this game.
- Final Fantasy 7. It's only tolerable when I consider Advent Children in its entirety to be the ending to the game.

[Nick]

For some games, a few bonus levels is a good toss in. Maybe based on score or some secret items in the game. Spread a bunch of icons throughout the game and for each one the player collects, they get that many bonus levels. Or unlocking minigames. My suggestions really only work with some kinds of games.

[skrew]

i love cutscenes at the end of a game. if its an RPG then have all characters walking off into the sunset or something, something that shows you that you have made everyone live happily ever after. like in the end of zelda OoT where they just have a massive party, that really made my day.

[Malarkey]

Speaking of rotten endings:


I think the crappiest ending I've come across was when I played System Shock 2 for the first time a few years ago. It was in this funky psychedelic level and when you defeated the final boss, you just dropped out into the main menu. I was like "WTF?!?"

The best part was the producer for the project I was working on at the time was one of the head management guys over at Looking Glass Studios before they folded so I got to ask him what was up with that crappy ending. Long story short, they ran out of money and time and EA (I think it was EA) wouldn't give them more of either so they slapped in a test level for the final level of the game and shipped it.

[saxplayer13]

animated. as long as it doesn't leave you like wtf? i agree ff7 did that too

[imikedaman]

Sometimes, I wonder if opening and ending sequences are really worth it. My first shareware game, Cave Dig 3, released 5 years ago, had long anime cinematic sequences (still images with music, like most SNES games). The reviews were excellent but no one paid attention to the sequences. Not even a player commented them. That seriously disappointed me.
Well yeah... it's not exactly the main selling point of the game. The good reviews are most likely because of how "complete" the game is overall, which would include the cutscenes, whether or not they specifically mention them.

[gatti]

If the game has a story element, then I'd like some basic closure. A slightly new feature or element of gameplay are also greatly appreciated, however, not necessary.

[Dan Potter]

Am I the only one who completely loved the ending to FF7 here? ;)

I think the two Katamaris are a great example of doing something unexpected. In the first one you get to roll up all the countries of the world while the credits roll. In the sequel you get to direct the sun to roll up people and cousins during a pretty awesome cinematic score (which turns silly later of course...)

[Byron Clarke]

Loved the ending to chrono trigger, there was like a dozen of them... *sigh* too bad chrono cross wasn't nearly as great... I don't really expect much from shareware games unless they have a strong story element to them.

[igame3d]

Are nude women an option? You know all those kids out there would be just staying up all night to finish the thing. Post a cheat on the internet "nude women finish game cheat=yomamma", which actually leads to one of those behemoth 400 pound naked women shots.

Ok I"m being silly.

I vote for an ending that makes the player 99% certain you are working on part two of the game, and makes them look for it daily for 15 years, like with Drakkhen, the end of that said "DRAKKHEN 2 Coming Soon!", and it never did, damnit!!!! Such a cool game too, one of the best ever.

I think Dungeon Master II allowed you to add your characters to the hall of heroes, so you could pick them up and use them later, was neat because they had cheesy character image editor, and one of my guys was "Blacky the lethal finger"...it was good to save him.

So if you are making an RPG and plan on a sequel, then include a way to save and transfer the characters to the sequel.

Halo 2 has a great ending but everyone seems to hate it, makes me want to run out and buy the sequel that doesn't exist, maybe I'll camp at gamestop and beg for change until it does.

Maybe there needs to be a game ending wiki, to keep track of this kind of information which is easily slips out of the mind after bloodshot hours of boss monster beating.

[ERaZer]

I vote for an ending that makes the player 99% certain you are working on part two of the game, and makes them look for it daily for 15 years, like with Drakkhen, the end of that said "DRAKKHEN 2 Coming Soon!", and it never did, damnit!!!! Such a cool game too, one of the best ever.

One of the first and for me one of the coolest such messages are in the SNES version of Shadowrun, after the credits it just says "See you in Shadowrun 2"

[JustinFic]

"DRAKKHEN 2 Coming Soon!", and it never did, damnit!!!! Such a cool game too, one of the best ever.

Allow me to make your day:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_View

The fond memories of immersing oneself in the Drakkhen overworld... only to be butt-raped by a freaking constellation. And then you had to spend 20 minutes running your happy ass to the nearest shrine to revive your stupid magician. But it was all awesome.

[Mixelmagic]

I wouldn't expect more than number 2 but I'd much prefer number 4.. Good to put the efforts of the gamer in context.. Unless there's no plot at all, in which case I guess I'd still like to see some art.. A credit roll.. I dunno. At least something more than 'congratulations.'

I love the FF7 ending too. :)

[Achithyn]

I like what Nick said - add something unexpected, like new levels or something. Also, the end of your game should merely be the beginning of your game, IMO. You should focus on re-playability. Give the player some secret item that makes them want to go back through the game. Like the first Zelda, if you name your character Link, the game changes (I think that's right...).

Another game was Super Mario Bros. 3. When you won the game, you got an item that allowed you to fly whenever you wanted. Thus, the players got excited about playing the game again! That should be the focus, trying to excite your players in playing through the game again. :)

Other than that, just as everyone else said, tie up all the story strings, give credits, and add some animation that is a bit better than the original game graphics.

You could end the game like Super Smash Bros. Where you fly through the credits, shooting at the names. Well, it's up to you. Good luck! :)

~Achi