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What is GOTY eligible for you? (Poll)
- Thread starter StraySheep
- Start date
To me, the bar for a remake is so high that I voted no on it (pretty much needs a R&C or FF7 level, if not nore)..
Aside from that, I also voted no on
Dlc
Remasters
Ports
Leaving my only yes for
Episodes (first one)
EA
As they are both original, paid standalone content.
EA titles should then be ineligible once they release.
Aside from that, I also voted no on
Dlc
Remasters
Ports
Leaving my only yes for
Episodes (first one)
EA
As they are both original, paid standalone content.
EA titles should then be ineligible once they release.
I said this in another thread recently but my personal take, at least when it comes to Resetera's voting system, is that if something gets enough votes, it's eligible. Unless it's something that categorically didn't come out any time recently (like a swell of people voting for Ocarina of Time this year inexplicably), I'd say it's fine.
When it comes to things like TGA, I'd say only Remasters out of those listed shouldn't get a shot, though at the same time Episodic and Early Access games shouldn't get the nomination two years in a row.
In personal lists I don't think it really matters. I actually think it's pretty fun to read the Giant Bomb lists that feature on-going games or someone discovering a classic for the first time. It also puts less pressure on people to play 10 games from the current year - with how lengthy games are getting these days, that's quite the task.
When it comes to things like TGA, I'd say only Remasters out of those listed shouldn't get a shot, though at the same time Episodic and Early Access games shouldn't get the nomination two years in a row.
In personal lists I don't think it really matters. I actually think it's pretty fun to read the Giant Bomb lists that feature on-going games or someone discovering a classic for the first time. It also puts less pressure on people to play 10 games from the current year - with how lengthy games are getting these days, that's quite the task.
Ports should only be eligible for the platform specific award. Even then, they shouldn't win the award unless it's a particularly weak year and a lot of work went into the port. The Witcher 3 GOTY on Switch? Doubt it, but it's fun to think about.
Expansions shouldn't be eligible for the main GOTY award but smaller categories are fair game.
Early access games should be eligible if it is the breakout year for that game, but it shouldn't be eligible in subsequent years. If you can pay money, it's fair game to judge on its early state. Also, the hype normally dies off before early access reaches 1.0.
Remasters on the same platform should be judged as a greedy cash grab and therefore not a separate release to the original. Free updates also not considered for main GOTY but OK for minor categories such as "Best Update".
Full on remakes (RE2) should be eligible for main GOTY award, but points should be deducted for lack of originality. Only in an exceptionally weak year should a remake win.
Episodic series should be judged on what was released in the calendar year.
Just my thoughts though.
Expansions shouldn't be eligible for the main GOTY award but smaller categories are fair game.
Early access games should be eligible if it is the breakout year for that game, but it shouldn't be eligible in subsequent years. If you can pay money, it's fair game to judge on its early state. Also, the hype normally dies off before early access reaches 1.0.
Remasters on the same platform should be judged as a greedy cash grab and therefore not a separate release to the original. Free updates also not considered for main GOTY but OK for minor categories such as "Best Update".
Full on remakes (RE2) should be eligible for main GOTY award, but points should be deducted for lack of originality. Only in an exceptionally weak year should a remake win.
Episodic series should be judged on what was released in the calendar year.
Just my thoughts though.
Some people really want RE2 to be excluded from GOTY picks lmao
Maybe I have a very odd definition but if you can play it then it's eligible. And if you could play it this year for the first time on a specific platform (I.e. ports are eligible).
Making barriers because of business model seems arbitrary.
Making barriers because of business model seems arbitrary.
I would personally vote for anything that I consider to be a new game that can stand on its own. So definitely remakes and large expansions as well.
OP
OP
Like I said, remakes are the one I am questionable about and my problem with them is that I see games first and foremost through their stories and authored-content. And if that is just taken from an old release, it doesn't seem like it should take game of the year over new experiences released that year.
I used to think of this like a Citizen Kane remaster and blu-ray release winning an Oscar. Obviously that would be absurd, but maybe the better way to think of it is what if there was a beat-for-beat remake of Citizen Kane? Of course that would be eligible.
RE2 is a reimagining not just a simple like for like remake. They changed a lot from the original RE2.
This is for how I decide my personal GOTYs.
Ports (NSMBU Switch) don't count.
Remakes (RE2) count.
Expansions (Blood & Wine) don't count as games. You can't play them standalone. If there are expansions that can be played standalone then I would count them.
Remasters just don't count.
Early Access....in the year of 2019 where games like Anthem just launch with no content and no polish and not described as EA, I now choose to look at Early Access games as being more honest about what they are. So nowadays yes they count.
Unfinished Episodic....I don't buy these games until they're finished so I can't say for myself but if the one episode of a thing is better then everything else you play that year then I can see why people would count it.
Ports (NSMBU Switch) don't count.
Remakes (RE2) count.
Expansions (Blood & Wine) don't count as games. You can't play them standalone. If there are expansions that can be played standalone then I would count them.
Remasters just don't count.
Early Access....in the year of 2019 where games like Anthem just launch with no content and no polish and not described as EA, I now choose to look at Early Access games as being more honest about what they are. So nowadays yes they count.
Unfinished Episodic....I don't buy these games until they're finished so I can't say for myself but if the one episode of a thing is better then everything else you play that year then I can see why people would count it.
Full remakes from the ground up (i.e. Shadow of the Colossus, RE2, FFVIIR). Nothing else on this list.
I'd say remakes that change the gameplay in a significant way. So RE2 it should count, while Zelda LA not as it mostly has fixes and QoL improvements.
Also games that were released in the west for the first time (like Kiseki the 3rd in 2017) but I think everyone agree with this one.
Also games that were released in the west for the first time (like Kiseki the 3rd in 2017) but I think everyone agree with this one.
I disagree with SotC for the same reason I think Zelda LA shouldn't be eligible this year.
I voted for everything.
Honestly, if an early access game or first part of an episodic game is so good or impactful that it beats out all the rEaL qualifiers for that year, it deserves to win. No reason to exclude them from the discussion. I don't really care much for shooters, but PUBG for example absolutely deserved to be in the GotY discussion the year it went into early access.
And Diablo III for Switch made my top 10 last year and FFXIV: Shadowbringers is my #1 this year, so of course I count ports and expansions as well. Ground up remakes should obviously count since they're new games. Remasters, sure why not, if I'm already counting ports.
The funny thing is that if you made this thread in 6 months after FF7R Ch. 1 is released, there would be 5x as many votes for the episodic option.
Honestly, if an early access game or first part of an episodic game is so good or impactful that it beats out all the rEaL qualifiers for that year, it deserves to win. No reason to exclude them from the discussion. I don't really care much for shooters, but PUBG for example absolutely deserved to be in the GotY discussion the year it went into early access.
And Diablo III for Switch made my top 10 last year and FFXIV: Shadowbringers is my #1 this year, so of course I count ports and expansions as well. Ground up remakes should obviously count since they're new games. Remasters, sure why not, if I'm already counting ports.
The funny thing is that if you made this thread in 6 months after FF7R Ch. 1 is released, there would be 5x as many votes for the episodic option.
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A full game or remake that's released in the calendar year. At a push I'd include episodic and early access games. Though episodic's a thinker as something like Life is Strange 2 was originally released in 2018 yet all but one episode came out this year.
For me remasters and DLC don't count. DLC is an expansion to a game and remasters are just upscaled with a bit of spit and polish. It's the difference between SotC on PS3 & PS4. One's a remaster and the other's a remake.
For me remasters and DLC don't count. DLC is an expansion to a game and remasters are just upscaled with a bit of spit and polish. It's the difference between SotC on PS3 & PS4. One's a remaster and the other's a remake.
This, except I'd probably say games I play during the year for the first time.
The literal ocean of GOTY's handed out every year has made sure the term GOTY means absolutely nothing to me. Anything goes at this point as far as I'm concerned.
I'm way more interested in an individuals personal GOTYs than something that has the consensus of like at most 12 people or so.
I'm way more interested in an individuals personal GOTYs than something that has the consensus of like at most 12 people or so.
Every game released in 2019 (or whenever the cutoff is) in whatever form should be eligible and compared on its own merits. If you think SD3 was the best game of 2019, go ahead and vote for it. Incomplete games should be considered on the basis of what was released in that year, not on future hopes and aspirations.
There's more originality in RE2 than in all of 2019's sports/FPS sequels put together.
There's more originality in RE2 than in all of 2019's sports/FPS sequels put together.
Yup, remakes and expansions should count and maybe ports if the game's still new. Like Hollow Knight not winning a bunch of awards last year was kind of bullshit.
I also see GOTY lists as recommendations so I don't think early access or unfinished episodic games should count because I would never recommend unfinished games.
I also see GOTY lists as recommendations so I don't think early access or unfinished episodic games should count because I would never recommend unfinished games.
Tbh, all of those options are elligble imo. I don't believe in the practice of setting arbitrary limitations for what would constitute as a significant enough game, else it's easy to fall into the Sorites paradox. Also, if an Early Access or unifinished episodes title were to win a GOTY award, wouldn't that be a significant achievement as even an unfinished game would garner such praise? If anything, it makes it even more worthy of winning.
Everything released in a year should count. Arbitrarily gatekeeping actually makes the lists, as a reflection of new gaming experiences for that year, less useful. If a straight up remaster wins then that says something interesting about the other releases on that platform for the year. An arbitrarily curated list only says something about the curator.
That seems amazingly arbitrary. RE2R for example has significantly more novel authored-content than say, the newest entry in yearly franchise, yet by your metric here NFL 2019 would be eligible but RE2R wouldn't?
That seems amazingly arbitrary. RE2R for example has significantly more novel authored-content than say, the newest entry in yearly franchise, yet by your metric here NFL 2019 would be eligible but RE2R wouldn't?
I go with ports (at least for a best of console release category), remakes and remasters.
Expansions are though on the other hand. The ones for Diablo 2 and 3 or Witcher 3 are legit. The Royal Editions of Kingdom Come: Deliverance or FFXV and the Iceborne one for MH are quite beefy too. Those are a case by case thing for me.
Early access and half-finished episodic things can fuck off when it comes to GOTY talks. Early access can be it´s own price category though.
Expansions are though on the other hand. The ones for Diablo 2 and 3 or Witcher 3 are legit. The Royal Editions of Kingdom Come: Deliverance or FFXV and the Iceborne one for MH are quite beefy too. Those are a case by case thing for me.
Early access and half-finished episodic things can fuck off when it comes to GOTY talks. Early access can be it´s own price category though.
Literally any game I play during a year is eligible for my own list and should be for other individual lists as well. I like how Giant Bomb hosts a bunch of Top 10 lists that basically come down to the individual's interpretations of the requirements.
The Game Awards should limit it to just any form of a game released in the specified time period. I doubt many ports would get considered or simple re-masters if they had been considered in other years, but if playing portable Cuphead changes it from an 8 to a 9+ for you, why not include it?
The Game Awards should limit it to just any form of a game released in the specified time period. I doubt many ports would get considered or simple re-masters if they had been considered in other years, but if playing portable Cuphead changes it from an 8 to a 9+ for you, why not include it?
RE2 might as well be a new game. Excluding it is not going to happen.
Early Access and Unfinished Episodic are the only two that shouldn't count imo. When an episodic is complete it can be eligible for the year it's done in.
If it released in that year on any platform, it's eligible.
So for an early access game, it would be eligible when it first hits EA, when it launches at 1.0, and whenever it gets ported to another console/platform if that release is in different year than the 1.0 launch
So for an early access game, it would be eligible when it first hits EA, when it launches at 1.0, and whenever it gets ported to another console/platform if that release is in different year than the 1.0 launch
My GOTY is my favorite game I played that released within the calendar year.
It's my list, i can pick what I want.
It's my list, i can pick what I want.
Honestly, whatever comes out that year is GOTY candidate, I don't understand why anything else matters.
It's not like it even matters.
It's not like it even matters.
What about a remake of A Star Is Born?
Or a remake of a remake of A Star Is Born?
Or a remake of a remake of a remake of A Star Is Born?
I'd say only remakes with substantial remakey-ness.
And also games that came out in 2019 would be nice also... sigh.
And also games that came out in 2019 would be nice also... sigh.
I would never trust anyone who considers full-fledged-remakes to be not worthy.
Remasters and releasing a game again on a different platform are different things. Those are basically 1:1 the same game now available on a new platform or in slightly optimized way to make them playable and I don't count them as new games or goty eligible.
Remasters and releasing a game again on a different platform are different things. Those are basically 1:1 the same game now available on a new platform or in slightly optimized way to make them playable and I don't count them as new games or goty eligible.
Games can offer much more than just the stories they tell. Should you ban every racing game for having the same basic premise that your somebody who wants to win a race?
OP
OP
I definitely had those kind of movies in mind - the kind that are remade ad naseum. I'm thinking they should probably count just like remakes, even if I am slightly less likely to root for those myself.
Especially with that A Star is Born movie...
Nah not saying that at all.
OP has been convinced for remakes
OP
OP
Alright you guys got me. I wasn't necessarily a hard sell on remakes coming into this thread but now I have altered my vote to include them alongside expansions.
And by the way this was never necessairly meant to be for Era voting. I was mostly interested in regards to site lists or something like TGA.
And by the way this was never necessairly meant to be for Era voting. I was mostly interested in regards to site lists or something like TGA.
Only Remakes and Major Expansions (something along the lines of the Witcher 3 expansions or Xenoblade 2 Torna)
Games like RE2 Remake should be included and will be way up high on a lot of lists this year. It's pretty much my GOTY year right now. I'm going to include Link's Awakening Switch on mine also, even if it's more of a graphical update.
Unfinished episodic series, remasters(if there isn't any significant content added) and ports are generally the only things I personally wouldn't consider for GOTYs.
Remakes are a re-imagining of an original game(generally). There's a reference point, but generally they drastically deviate from the source material while still maintaining the familiarity to that material at the same time. It's a very hard balance, maintain and appease both sides. there's folks who want a drastic change vs folks who want the game to be as cookie cutter and straight and narrow 1:1 carbon copy to the original material as possible. Trying to maintain that balance more often than not results in failure. That in of itself deserves tremendous merit when done right like RE2 Remake managed to accomplish this year.
Expansions are generally an immense load of new content to an existing game. That should be considered especially if it's as great as MHW: Iceborne.
Early Access is fine for Multiplayer games. They're generally reasonably polished and can be updated as the game ages. Obviously it wouldn't necessarily work for single player games since it generally isn't that great if it's unpolished and in turn is generally considered when there are much more deserving games.
Remakes are a re-imagining of an original game(generally). There's a reference point, but generally they drastically deviate from the source material while still maintaining the familiarity to that material at the same time. It's a very hard balance, maintain and appease both sides. there's folks who want a drastic change vs folks who want the game to be as cookie cutter and straight and narrow 1:1 carbon copy to the original material as possible. Trying to maintain that balance more often than not results in failure. That in of itself deserves tremendous merit when done right like RE2 Remake managed to accomplish this year.
Expansions are generally an immense load of new content to an existing game. That should be considered especially if it's as great as MHW: Iceborne.
Early Access is fine for Multiplayer games. They're generally reasonably polished and can be updated as the game ages. Obviously it wouldn't necessarily work for single player games since it generally isn't that great if it's unpolished and in turn is generally considered when there are much more deserving games.
For my own personal list, I consider ports, expansions/DLC and remakes. With the caveat being that the port is of a game that's still relatively new (i.e. released in the previous year or two). For example, I included Hollow Knight on my 2018 list despite it releasing on PC in 2017. Because it was the first release for consoles, for me that's "new enough" to qualify IMO. Beyond that, expansions and remakes can be substantial, original content that can certainly go toe-to-toe with wholly new full game releases.
But that's just how I prefer to do it. As far as this site goes, I don't have a problem with anything being eligible as long as it had a release that year. If someone feels strongly that an unfinished episodic series or early access game is one of the best things they've played that year, then by all means they should be able to vote for it.
Remasters is the only category I'm a bit iffy on. It kinda goes back to how I'd draw a line with respect to whether or not a port is "new enough", because in both cases we're talking about a re-release of what's essentially the same content (except Batman on the Wii U, naturally -- that was for you, Reggie!). I would probably count ports/remasters of anything that initially released in the current generation, but nothing older than that. But I also wouldn't get up in arms if people felt strongly about remasters/collections featuring old games.
If I were part of a website/publication or putting on an awards show like Geoff does, I would limit the eligibility a bit more. I think in that situation, I would only want to be voting for fully released software that came out that year. So from the poll, I would only include remakes and expansions/DLC. Games like RE2 and the forthcoming FFVII remake should count as they are very different from the original source material, and in the case of DLC stuff like Minerva's Den and the Witcher 3 expansions are substantial and strong enough to stand on their own.
For episodic games like Life is Strange, I would have them be eligible in the year that the final episode is released. It's less that I think it "shouldn't be allowed", and more that I wouldn't feel comfortable judging it without experiencing it in its entirety, or voting for the same game in consecutive years. I think even in the case of something like Hitman S1, if only half of the episodes came out in 2016, I wouldn't consider it to be eligible until the next year (even if you could make a very compelling argument that individual maps -- i.e. Sapienza -- were good enough to be in the running on their own).
But that's just how I prefer to do it. As far as this site goes, I don't have a problem with anything being eligible as long as it had a release that year. If someone feels strongly that an unfinished episodic series or early access game is one of the best things they've played that year, then by all means they should be able to vote for it.
Remasters is the only category I'm a bit iffy on. It kinda goes back to how I'd draw a line with respect to whether or not a port is "new enough", because in both cases we're talking about a re-release of what's essentially the same content (except Batman on the Wii U, naturally -- that was for you, Reggie!). I would probably count ports/remasters of anything that initially released in the current generation, but nothing older than that. But I also wouldn't get up in arms if people felt strongly about remasters/collections featuring old games.
If I were part of a website/publication or putting on an awards show like Geoff does, I would limit the eligibility a bit more. I think in that situation, I would only want to be voting for fully released software that came out that year. So from the poll, I would only include remakes and expansions/DLC. Games like RE2 and the forthcoming FFVII remake should count as they are very different from the original source material, and in the case of DLC stuff like Minerva's Den and the Witcher 3 expansions are substantial and strong enough to stand on their own.
For episodic games like Life is Strange, I would have them be eligible in the year that the final episode is released. It's less that I think it "shouldn't be allowed", and more that I wouldn't feel comfortable judging it without experiencing it in its entirety, or voting for the same game in consecutive years. I think even in the case of something like Hitman S1, if only half of the episodes came out in 2016, I wouldn't consider it to be eligible until the next year (even if you could make a very compelling argument that individual maps -- i.e. Sapienza -- were good enough to be in the running on their own).
Yep this is where I'm at since those DLCs are big enough to stand on their own.
No limits. I actually prefer GOTY lists that aren't even limited to a product release in this calendar year, but instead just whatever the person played that year.
I'm fine with whatever. If it got a release on a platform in a territory this year and you played it, then it's fair game.
For something obscure (like the new release of the original Puzzle Quest on the switch with a brand new expansion as well as the base game and previous two expansions), how many people total will have played it? Like 10? It's not going to upset any rankings by letting that be included. Also, the original came out like 10+ years ago on 360/PS3 and PSP. It's entirely possible people playing this game have never even heard of it because they were like 5 years old at the time.
Same thing with Resident Evil 2, which originally released what, 20+ years ago in the PS1? How can a new version of that not count? There's people playing a brand new 2019 release that weren't even alive when the original came out. Counting RE2 (origina version) in 2019, no. Counting the new 2019 release of a brand new version of the game? Absolutely.
The comparison above to a movie being remade (say, the new Total Recall remake) with the same plot but different actors, different scenes and locations and a new interpretation of it is completely valid as a new release. If people want to vote for a remake or a port that just came out in the platform of their choice, that's entirely fair to do.
For something obscure (like the new release of the original Puzzle Quest on the switch with a brand new expansion as well as the base game and previous two expansions), how many people total will have played it? Like 10? It's not going to upset any rankings by letting that be included. Also, the original came out like 10+ years ago on 360/PS3 and PSP. It's entirely possible people playing this game have never even heard of it because they were like 5 years old at the time.
Same thing with Resident Evil 2, which originally released what, 20+ years ago in the PS1? How can a new version of that not count? There's people playing a brand new 2019 release that weren't even alive when the original came out. Counting RE2 (origina version) in 2019, no. Counting the new 2019 release of a brand new version of the game? Absolutely.
The comparison above to a movie being remade (say, the new Total Recall remake) with the same plot but different actors, different scenes and locations and a new interpretation of it is completely valid as a new release. If people want to vote for a remake or a port that just came out in the platform of their choice, that's entirely fair to do.