International Game Developers Association chairperson and 38 Studios VP of business development Jen MacLean has criticized Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning developer Mythic for its decision not to credit the MMORPG’s full development team.

Mythic recently announced plans to only credit developers currently employed with the studio, a move that has disappointed the IGDA, which is in favor of an industry-wide standard for game credits.

“This policy is disrespectful of the effort of the game developers who worked on the game, and misleads both consumers and game industry peers,” wrote MacLean in the IGDA’s August newsletter.

“Unfortunately, Mythic's stance is not unusual; according to a survey conducted by the IGDA Writers Special Interest Group, 35 percent of respondents "don't ever" or "only sometimes" receive official credit for their work, and almost every game developer I know can provide anecdotal evidence of credit policies that vary by studio, and in some cases by individual title.

“The lack of accurate, fair, and consistent credit standards in the industry poses a serious problem for every game developer; by refusing to acknowledge their contributions, studio management limits the professional recognition and opportunity for development that every contributor deserves.”

Last year, a significant number of developers who worked on Manhunt 2 at Rockstar Vienna were not credited for their work.

“It's important to realize how credits are important to developers in managing their careers, as it plays a big role when applying for new jobs,” former Rockstar Vienna producer Jurie Horneman told Edge at the time. “And the games industry being the way it is, every developer needs to look for a new job every couple of years.”