Are game critics and game outlets too homogenous?

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Most GotY awards this decade went to the best open world game or best cinematic game of the year. With game of the decade lists coming up, the best open world game (BotW) and best cinematic game of the decade (Last of Us) are being voted #1 and #2 fairly consistently across all these lists with the rest of the list being filled with influential games of the decade and a bunch of other super cinematic game or other open world games. It just feels... very bland.

Game staffs will have one person who likes platformers, one person who likes strategy games, two people who like mobile games, two people who like Battle Royal games, and so on and so forth but all of them will open world games and cinematic games and those games always dominate the year end awards and now end of decade awards.

It just feels a little weird to see this level of sameness across a decade that saw a ton of games released.

 

[FinalDasa]

GOTY is a consensus and often that means the "best game" will be something everyone can enjoy. It doesn't actually mean it's the best game of the year, but rather the best game everyone could agree on. So those choices can often be compromises rather than choices of passion and enthusiasm.

 

[tusk]

I agree with this take. I remember racing games used to win game of the month etc in Electronic Gaming Monthly and elsewhere

 

[Weiss]

We've just collectively decided that there's a formula to GOTY that all games must follow.

 

[Phokal]

Most of the biggest, most expensive games are open world. Sometimes a specific genre dominates budget, tech, or cultural awareness, like jrpgs for awhile there. Or FPS. And current open world are taking the design mechanics from any genre they want. Heck, Forza Horizon is open world.

to append: open world used to be simulation based. Where you could drive a car to block a waypoint and then trigger a mission and the car would still be there in gta3. Now, it's more of an over world than an open one, if that makes sense. A way to present levels less linearly, but heavily waypoint based.

 

[Deleted member 2752]

I got a bit of flak on here, because I mentioned how many of these "Game of the Decade" lists were severely lacking in multiplayer games. It's straight up ridiculous to me to have pretty much no mp game in your publication-wide top 20 when you're talking about 2010 to 2019. A period dominated and shaped by them.

 

[Deleted member 18944]

Game staffs will have one person who likes platformers, one person who likes strategy games, two people who like mobile games, two people who like Battle Royal games, and so on and so forth but all of them will open world games and cinematic games and those games always dominate the year end awards and now end of decade awards.

It just feels a little weird to see this level of sameness across a decade that saw a ton of games released.

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I can't speak for every outlet, but back when I was doing games journalism there was always a consensus of the staff that decided on these lists. Just because we enjoyed other genres doesn't mean that we can't recognize the impact and quality of games like TLOU, RDR2, etc.

Now, I do agree that sites can be too samesy with reviews and news.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

I got a bit of flak on here, because I mentioned how many of these "Game of the Decade" lists were severely lacking in multiplayer games. It's straight up ridiculous to me to have pretty much no mp game in your publication-wide top 20 when you're talking about 2010 to 2019. A period dominated and shaped by them.

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A couple lists have Fortnite... But only because it's so big it looks stupid to leave it off your list.

If your game isn't an open world game or a hyper cinematic game, good luck not getting any awards!

 

[saenima]

These awards are mostly popularity contests, including the genres that get represented.

 

[Timeaisis]

Hell yes they are. Altho I do consider BotW the game of the decade, there are a shitton of games that just do not get recognition. And you are absolutely right, it's cinematic and open world. Multiplayer games in particular are never considered "high art" thus they aren't allowed to be considered the greatest games in a year or anything. Anyway, Tetris 99 is my favorite game of the year and no outlet in their right mind would ever award that GoTY because they would look bad or something, I dunno.

 

[nekkid]

Considering the dog pile when a critic dares to favour something contrary, it's no surprise.

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

I don't know what you're talking about. These 8 white guys are totally diverse. Got a couple with glasses, one that likes to skydive, some D&D fans. Some even come from drastically different backgrounds like California and Ohio.

 

[Raccoon]

this thread really makes you feel like a gamer

(yes)

 

[Glio]

Yes. The video game press is very homogeneous and most of the reviews fall into the same demography.

 

[Aeana]

Isn't this the natural conclusion of people getting angry when they aren't the same?

 

[Deleted member 47654]

Yup, RPGs are being robbed.
Souls games, The Witcher 3 or Mass Effect 2 should be above anything.

 

[saenima]

I don't know what you're talking about. These 8 white guys are totally diverse. Got a couple with glasses, one that likes to skydive, some D&D fans. Some even come from drastically different backgrounds like California and Ohio.

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I was watching Easy Allies the other day and it really was a snapshot of most games media. 8 pasty white dudes with brown hair. I still like their stuff but yeah.

 

[tusk]

Yup, RPGs are being robbed.
Souls games, The Witcher 3 or Mass Effect 2 should be above anything.

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the witcher 3 is literally the new skyrim in that people refuse to quit discussing it for whatever reason

 

[Patrick Klepek]

Yes.

 

[-Tetsuo-]

Obviously

 

[balgajo]

These awards are mostly popularity contests, including the genres that get represented.

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That's also my feeling. Seems like critical acclaimed games has a greater correlation with popular games than what we see in movie industry, for example.

 

[Zekes]

Watch Giant Bomb pick some pretentious bullshit like Tetris as GOTY

 

[Video Games Are Dumb]

Watch Giant Bomb pick some pretentious bullshit like Tetris as GOTY

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I would like them to have a more diverse staff BUT I will go to the mat for Tetris.

 

[wafflebrain]

This is largely true for THE game of the year award but I think it's at least getting broader with more recognition for indies and its nice to see larger outlets signal boosting those more these days. Disco Elysium getting all those awards at TGA isn't something I think we would've seen five years ago, nor something like Untitled Goose Game getting a live Muppets performance as a nod to it. Granted the memery is arguably larger than the actual game but still it was the game where that initial spark and interest came from.

It would certainly be nice to see the actual goty awards steer away from the thing with the biggest bombast/budget behind it though that's for sure. Things like Witcher 3 or BOTW elevated open world games in terms of narrative strength and exploration + environmental design respectively, so it makes sense those get nods for the impact they have not just simply a popularity or AAA cinematic action adventure=goty.

 

[Glio]

Yup, RPGs are being robbed.
Souls games, The Witcher 3 or Mass Effect 2 should be above anything.

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Yeah, RPG, the genre unfairly treated by the press / s

 

[Deleted member 59109]

Well yeah, but that's why their opinions don't matter that much. They're really just opinions like anybody else's, and in this case probably heavily biased opinions.

 

[teague]

I mean, not only games have this problem. All one has to do is take a cursory glance through the films that have won Best Picture at the Oscars to see that well-executed normcore wins nearly 100% of the time. There's a reason common sense is common and consensus picks are consensus. Most people have 'ordinary' taste because ordinary taste is whatever most people like.

 

[Glio]

I mean, not only games have this problem. All one has to do is take a cursory glance through the films that have won Best Picture at the Oscars to see that well-executed normcore wins nearly 100% of the time. There's a reason common sense is common and consensus picks are consensus. Most people have 'ordinary' taste because ordinary taste is whatever most people like.

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And you don't think it can influence the vast majority of the Oscar jury to be white men of medium/advanced age.
And that may explain why there are almost no nominations for films directed by women.

For example.

 

[Dabanton]

GOTY has become like how people say there is a particular type of movie you make if you want to win an oscar.

Although I really don't get why some people get upset over an outlet's opinion though.

This year the choices at least seem to be varied.

 

[teague]

And you don't think it can influence the vast majority of the Oscar jury to be white men of medium/advanced age.
And that may explain why there are almost no nominations for films directed by women.

For example.

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Of course it does, not what my point is. Those people have all the capital, economic, social, and otherwise, so they control not only the means of production of art but also the awards shows. And in general they like to reward themselves and their friends.

My point is that even given this bias most people have boring taste. It wouldn't have been a big win for Art if Black Panther won Best Picture instead of Green Book (although it would have been gratifying in other ways), but it was a huge win when Moonlight won because that film is actually interesting.

Edited to make movie references make more sense, lol

Further Update: Little Women better be frickin great, I'm so hyped for it

 

[Screen Looker]

Looking forward to the game of the decade on Era where it will be Breath of the Wild, Last of Us, Witcher 3, Dark Souls, and Mass Effect 2

 

[Glio]

Looking forward to the game of the decade on Era where it will be Breath of the Wild, Last of Us, Witcher 3, Dark Souls, and Mass Effect 2

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Well, this forum is also quite homogeneous. That's why we sometimes talk about "ERA bubble".

 

[Screen Looker]

Well, this forum is also quite homogeneous. That's why we sometimes talk about "ERA bubble".

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I can't tell if you missed the joke or not lol

 

[Glio]

I can't tell if you missed the joke or not lol

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The joke is not that the demography of the press is practically the same as here?

 

[Rosebud]

I mean, not only games have this problem. All one has to do is take a cursory glance through the films that have won Best Picture at the Oscars to see that well-executed normcore wins nearly 100% of the time. There's a reason common sense is common and consensus picks are consensus. Most people have 'ordinary' taste because ordinary taste is whatever most people like.

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They gave it to Moonlight and The Shape of Water, not "normcore" at all.

 

[Screen Looker]

The joke is not that the demography of the press is practically the same as here?

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It was more going to be the irony of this thread and the future where this forum agrees with the press despite wider demographics. Definitely think it is less homogenous here. I mean, there's at least 3 black guys which is more than entirety of the games press lol

 

[TheWorthyEdge]

I got a bit of flak on here, because I mentioned how many of these "Game of the Decade" lists were severely lacking in multiplayer games. It's straight up ridiculous to me to have pretty much no mp game in your publication-wide top 20 when you're talking about 2010 to 2019. A period dominated and shaped by them.

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Overwatch won GOTY at the Game Awards in 2016 didn't it? I agree though. It's wild how multiplayer games barely make these lists.

 

[MrHedin]

GOTY is a consensus and often that means the "best game" will be something everyone can enjoy. It doesn't actually mean it's the best game of the year, but rather the best game everyone could agree on. So those choices can often be compromises rather than choices of passion and enthusiasm.

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First post got it. If you look at individual top 10 lists on a site they can differ wildly than what the official sitewide list is. GOTYs are all about what the members of the site/group/whatever can agree on rather than what they all might individually think is the best.

Also GOTY is completely subjective and should just be looked at a fun way to discuss games from that year rather than anything serious.

 

[teague]

They gave it to Moonlight and The Shape of Water, not "normcore" at all.

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On average it's very normcore, recently they've been sort of making an effort because they're becoming more and more irrelevant

shoutout to Slumdog Millionaire beating Frost/Nixon

 

[Zekes]

I would like them to have a more diverse staff BUT I will go to the mat for Tetris.

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That was said by Rob Funches on a recent Beastcast. It was hilarious

 

[Deleted member 873]

This is why I like Polygon

 

[1-D_FE]

A ton of gamers like it this way.

Tom Chick. The guy isn't a troll, but most people loose their shit at his end of the year awards. They don't want opinions outside the norm.