# VGM Preservation & Publisher Credit Policies

**Status:** Reference. Documents industry-wide patterns: games without credits, publishers that prohibited credits, and methodology for uncovering hidden attribution.

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## Scale: Games Without Credits

- **VGMPF:** [Category: Games Without Credits](https://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Category:Games_Without_Credits) — **335 games** in database.
- [List of Games Without Credits](https://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=List_of_Games_Without_Credits)

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## Publishers That Prohibited or Omitted Credits

| Publisher | Notes |
|-----------|-------|
| Parker Brothers | |
| Sega | |
| LJN | |
| Toho | |
| RazorSoft | |
| Bally Midway | |

**Reasons cited (industry-wide):** ROM space, anonymity, staff poaching prevention, rushed development, early-era norms.

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## Methodology: Uncovering Hidden Credits

### ROM / Hex Dumps

- **TCRF (The Cutting Room Floor):** Documents hidden content, unused data, embedded credits.
- **Example:** Battletoads in Battlemaniacs (SNES)—credits at 0x7FE0: "RARE93 BREN GUNN!"
- **Example:** PIN·BOT (NES)—credits embedded in ROM, not displayed.

### Japanese vs. Western Materials

- Japanese manuals sometimes list more staff than Western releases.
- **Action:** Cross-reference GameStaff@Wiki, Japanese print materials, VGMPF.

### Copyright Records

- **EasySong, MusicBrainz:** Legal attribution may list names not in game credits.
- **Example:** Aquatic Ambience—Beanland, Fischer, Wise, Kaneoka (four names; game credits less specific).

### Sound Programming vs. Composition

- Sound programmers (Minoru Akao, Eiji Nakamura) may have arrangement/implementation input.
- Blurred roles in small teams; credit may not reflect contribution.

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## Cross-References

- [rare-nintendo-rd.md](rare-nintendo-rd.md) — Battletoads, PIN·BOT, Rare policy
- [capcom.md](capcom.md) — Kinuyo Yamashita uncredited; Minakuchi contractor
- [yasunori-mitsuda.md](yasunori-mitsuda.md) — CT sound staff; Akao, Nakamura

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## Sources

- [VGMPF: Category Games Without Credits](https://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=Category:Games_Without_Credits)
- [VGMPF: List of Games Without Credits](https://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php?title=List_of_Games_Without_Credits)
- [TCRF: Battletoads in Battlemaniacs](https://tcrf.net/Battletoads_in_Battlemaniacs_(SNES))
- [TCRF: PIN·BOT](https://tcrf.net/Pinbot_(NES))

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Keywords: #Vgm #Preservation #Credits #Publisher #Credit #Policies