Question on the "about" screen

[mdqp]

This is a question about legality and the will of the developer. Basically, I'd like to know if the dev cares whether I show it or not and if it would be illegal to hide it. I ask because I have seen games without the "about" page in them, and it got me wondering. That's the kind of information I personally might prefer to share in a webpage (giving a link to Ren'py's page) or perhaps in the credits roll, rather than give it real estate as its own entry in the menu (which is already starting to look crowded XD).

Has this topic ever been brought up before? I tried searching for it, but I found no meaningful results ("about screen" are hard words to search for on the forum).

[Imperf3kt]

As far as I'm aware, the info in the about screen is legally required, but it doesn't have to be in the game anywhere, you could place it in a text document or change the exact wording if you wanted.
See https://www.renpy.org/doc/html/license.html

Although we are unable to provide legal advice, we believe compliance can be achieved by including a copy of this license with every copy of Ren'Py you distribute, and linking to this license from your project's README file or App Store description

[gas]

Simplifying the thing a lot...
When you use something of someone else, that depend on what the other individual stated on the release.
So, for example, if you're using a code of mine I've released on a website for download, and released with an CC Attribution warranty, you must quote it in the final product itself (you must quote the Attribution). You should read the license and release notes. An about page is a good placeholder to host all the Attributions you must quote (see games like Battle for Westernos to see HUNDREDS of sources quoted).
In many other circumstances, the quoting of someone is stated only by the signed contract between parts. So, for example, an artist can pretend to be quoted in credits lines, both inside or outside the physical product. And where this quote should be stated. Obviously the producer can refuse to accept, or impose some other rule (try forcing Nintendo adding an "about" page and you'll get fired from the window, the next artist recruited instead). For example, in many later DS games, you can see a logo for a video codec: that was imposed by the codec owner itself. Other routines, like the movement one, where instead quoted in ending credits lines alone.

Nothing is stated by "default", everything depend by the relationship between you, the rights you want to state and other rights owners. So, for example, I can be satisfied by a phone call and my credit line appear in the website alone.
(Now you know what a Production Assistant is payed for).