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MobyGames video game database now lets developers claim their game credits
MobyGames has launched a premium service allowing video game developers to claim verified credits and customise personal portfolio pages. The initiative matters because developers have long faced missing or incomplete credits, although the service does not give them control over MobyGames’ underlying credit records.
MobyGames Professional launched in beta in June, with a full release expected this autumn, and reportedly thousands of developers have already claimed their pages. Verification is conducted by MobyGames, while developers can update selected personal details; the service costs $14.99 monthly, or $11.99 with an annual subscription, and currently offers a 45-day free trial.
In short
- Developers can verify credits and create MobyGames portfolios.
- They cannot directly edit official credit listings.
- The premium service starts at $14.99 monthly.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
MobyGames provides genuine value through professional verification, database maintenance, and customised portfolio pages that enhance developers' professional visibility. The service addresses a long-standing, real problem—incomplete or missing credits—that has frustrated developers for years. The pricing is modest and optional, with a 45-day free trial, and developers who don't need it face no obligation. The company must maintain infrastructure and conduct verification work, so charging a reasonable subscription fee is fair compensation for these legitimate operational costs.
The case against
Developers are being asked to pay for the privilege of properly claiming recognition for their own professional work, which raises questions of fairness. MobyGames' database was built through community contributions and archival labour, yet the platform now monetises developers' ability to organise information about their own accomplishments. The service permits customisation of personal details without granting control over the underlying records MobyGames controls, limiting its utility. This model risks creating a two-tier system where only developers with sufficient budgets can have properly verified, prominent credits, potentially disadvantaging smaller independent creators.
Explained simply
MobyGames is an online database where information about video games and the people who made them is catalogued. For video game developers, being correctly credited in games is important for their professional reputation and career history.
Developers have frequently found their credits are missing, incomplete or incorrect on MobyGames, and previously had no way to correct these records themselves. This has meant some people's contributions to games have essentially disappeared from the available record.
MobyGames has now launched a paid service that allows developers to claim their profiles on the site. Whilst developers cannot alter the game credits themselves, this service lets them create verified profiles and customise their personal pages.
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