Phil @ Handsome Phantom thinks that HZD got snubbed and says, "One of the big categories that it seems the awards may have picked wrong this year is Best Narrative."
The winner is selected by 51 individual sites. Gamers are not allowed to vote. We are to be told what we should consider GOTY by select internet sites. This isn't democratic. There is no representation.
I recognized that too, that each game category was picked by the sites. And then only 8 million people voted on the selection that was pre-approved by the websites/companies.
Hardly a representation of the entirety of gaming with well over 100 million people playing. I got disagrees for pointing it out, but you can’t disagree with the facts on how it was handled.
This is more like the electoral college voting process then a open democratic process. And it’s perfectly fine to agree or disagree with the method.
It was chosen by game journalists, there was no chance that that they weren't going to pick a Nintendo game. Game journalists tend to skew a bit differently than the overall population of gamers. If you remember last year, Uncharted 4 overwhelmingly won the most "readers/viewers choice" GOTY awards, but with "critic's choice" it was almost neck and neck with Overwatch.
@Eonjay To be fair, that system is probably to best way to determine it. Let’s be honest, the vast majority of regular gamers who vote in this show definitely did not play every game that makes each list, and even if they did, they would still likely vote based on personal bias. There might be a lack of representation, but it also prevents said bias from having too much control, ie it would typically be the game that sold the most, rather than the one that was genuinely the best, that wins each award. As much as I think Horizon deserved it, we have to call a spade a spade here and accept that it didn’t. Just for the game to be nominated, over so many others, and pitted up against some of the biggest names in the industry is still incredible and speaks a lot to the game’s quality.
Sony has a long history of being snubbed at this event. Nintendo does ok. MS gets far more wins here than the rest of the industry though. Even the last of us, one of the greatest games of all time, and winner of the most game of the year awards ever, did not win at VGA’s.
The winners in most categories are determined by the international jury (90%) and a public fan vote (10%) across TheGameAwards.com and Google Search Voting. In the categories of Best Esports Game, Best Esports Player, Best Esports Team, Most Anticipated Game, and Trending Gamer, the public fan vote across Twitter DM, Facebook Messenger, TheGameAwards.com and Google Search Voting solely determines the winner. Fan voting closes on Wednesday, December 6 at Midnight PT."
It was just tough competition this year, What Remains of Edith Finch is a deserved winner in the narrative category, it achieved a new standard for storytelling in gaming.
For art direction Cuphead also achieved a new standard for gaming.
for game direction Zelda achieved a new standard for game design in a sandbox game.
but like Foxtrot said, there should be a best studio or best production award to recognize excellence in multiple categories. also a best technical performance to award the people who make these games actually possible, the programmers. HZD achieved a new stranded for top-end graphics in an open world game and the game run great.
Even though I'd like for Horizon to have won (At least it should have been BEST NEW IP for heavens sake). I think any other year Horizon would have won GAME OF THE YEAR easily.
I feel no shame about it losing to Zelda breath of the wild AVERAGE rating over 97% and proclaimed the best game ever by many. Or to Mario also a AVERAGE rating over 97%. I bet Horiday TWO will win game of the year when it comes out.
@Nyxus Cup head wasnt going to lose for aestethic. Persona 5 is better at being an RPG. Ashley burch simply isn't cream of the crop, she lost to a devloper that never did voice acting before . The story is alrigt for video games, Lthough very tried. And of course, Critics already made clear what their GOTYs are, just look at metascores. Every category it was nominated for there was a game that did it better.
Best Soundtrack - no way Best New IP - debatable. It didn't really do anything new, but it did what it did very good. Game of the Year - I would have given it to Mario Odyssey over Zelda.
Best soundtrack? I'd give that to Persona 5 easily. New IP, I would agree. And while Horizon isn't my GOTY, I would have no gripe with it winning. It was a stellar game.
It's not like it definitively should've won any but I think it had a good shot at some. For example I've voted for it in: -Best narrative -Best direction -Best art direction
Horizon was one of if not the best game this year .