Ever since it started all the way back in December 2014, The Game Awards has consistently brought tons of reveals, memorable reveals, and, of course, the one that everyone agrees with — the Game of the Year award. Did you happen to notice the extra emphasis on the word “everyone”?
Yeah, it’s because this event has simultaneously brought feelings of joy, sadness, and, for some people, anger! And that’s kind of what I want to talk about today, not the discourse per se, no, more why Geoff Keighley’s annual event is in major need of a shakeup.
First of all, it’s important to establish that with the evolution of graphics and technological capabilities, video games are getting closer to replicating real life, which means the industry is trying even harder to buddy up with Hollywood. So, with that in mind, it’s safe to assume the man in charge would want to capitalise on this trend and only promote games that follow in these footsteps, right? Yes.
But in my honest opinion, games are so unique, artful, and just a blast to play that trying to appeal to something totally different is wrong and only brings us back to the 80s. This goes for the Game Awards, too, because year after year, CGI trailers and titles with barely any gameplay are shown in place of an indie game that could potentially push the industry forward or captivate an entirely new audience.
You can also see how much validation seeking is needed to get a pass from our older cousins by looking at who gets the best awards. For example, remember that AWESOME year 2020? Yeah, the one where nearly every gamer hunkered down and played Animal Crossing for hours? What game ended up winning the most prestigious of them all?
Well, it was The Last of Us Part II! I’m not saying Naughty Dog didn’t deserve the recognition because I’m sure they did; it just shows how much of an inferiority complex the gaming world has developed. Animal Crossing: New Horizons might not have been the better game, but it did have the most significant impact and arguably saved people from depression and loneliness.
Fast forward to the current day with Baldur’s Gate 3 winning Game of the Year instead of other titles like Super Mario Bros. Wonder or Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Like, aren’t games supposed to be fun? Now, I can’t fully discredit the judges’ decision because many people were having a blast with it, but I don’t know, man…
So all of this crap is to say that if the Game Awards really does want to stay relevant, then it needs to spread the variety around when it comes to trailers and awards, drop the fake CGI, and rethink who its target audience is. If Geoff doesn’t feel like doing all that, well, we’d probably be better off without his show anyway…