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

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

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

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.

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.

Fireworks!

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

Cash?

<filler>

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

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

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?)

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.

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.

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.

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.