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Will Game Awards shows be about technical achievement at some point?

esserius

esserius

Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,276
One of my favorite awards at the Academy Awards is for best cinematography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Cinematography

But I think this speaks to bigger problems about video game awards shows in general. The categories for them are typically very generic and rarely focus on the creators that are within the video game making process. Best 2D Animation, Best 3D Animation, Best Cinematic, Best Script, Best AI, Best UI, Best Control Scheme... there are so many extremely technical pieces to a given video game that it seems that categories like "Action-Adventure" are really ill-placed and don't place technical achievement in the hands of individuals and teams within game companies. I feel like video game awards being solely (or mostly) about video games and not the creators behind them really hamstrings their potential for helping people to understand and foster respect for the extremely complex processes involved in game creation.

I dunno; just can't help but feel pretty blase about awards shows that are about products and not people.
 

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Not without unions fighting for that and so many ads and eSports stuff.
Maybe at BAFTA and GDC but not at the TGA
 
RadioactiveLobster

RadioactiveLobster

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Oct 27, 2017
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Isn't that what the DICE awards are for?


The Game Awards is for more for the Fortnite Twitch viewer that someone who actually cares about Cinematography.
 
Ferrio

Ferrio

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Oct 25, 2017
18,046
It's categories are the least of it's problems. Adding more categories when they don't even take more than 5 seconds per category doesn't seem like it's going to improve things. Like I know it's suppose to be a big AD but they should atleast try put in the effort to pretend it's not.
 
DrArchon

DrArchon

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Oct 25, 2017
15,485
What, so they can have a bunch more awards to rattle off in 10 seconds before getting back to another MTG ad?
 
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esserius

esserius

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Oct 26, 2017
7,276
RadioActiveLobster said:
Isn't that what the DICE awards are for?


The Game Awards is for more for the Fortnite Twitch viewer that someone who actually cares about Cinematography.
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I'd say that maybe they could be, but the problem is they're still very much about products and not about people: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.I.C.E._Awards

The DICE awards doesn't list who the individuals or groups of creatives that are actually responsible for their technical achievements. So again, products, not people.

edit: and do note I'm not just referring to TGA - I'm referring to game awards shows in general - even DICE spends the majority of its time just rewarding games for being "great game in - category -"
 
Kolx

Kolx

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Oct 25, 2017
8,505
They already have too many categories. Maybe if they cut down on some of the other awards or commercials then yes.
 
Dyle

Dyle

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Oct 25, 2017
29,901
That's what GDC is for. You can't get into the weeds of technical stuff on globally broadcast consumer focused shows
 
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esserius

esserius

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Oct 26, 2017
7,276
Fiery Phoenix said:
GDC is generally where you will find that kind of thing.
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GDC inches there but it's still not really shifting the needle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Developers_Choice_Awards

Again - what you mostly see here is "great product in - category -" type stuff

Like, I'd like to hear more about From Software, or Hidetaka Miyazaki, or the UI programmer for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, or the sound designer for DooM 2016.
Dyle said:
That's what GDC is for. You can't get into the weeds of technical stuff on globally broadcast consumer focused shows
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GDC doesn't get into the weeds on these either at its awards shows. That's why I'm bringing it up.

And there are lots of great stories behind the creation of those great games that are never told because of this cynicism.
 
Xypher

Xypher

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Oct 27, 2017
582
Germany
The BAFTA Game Awards kind of do what you mean, if I understand you correctly:

These are Awards that were given to the same game (God of War), yet awarded to different individuals based on Credits in their respective category. They don't always do that, with some just listing "writing team" and the like, but they are generally not just given to the game but the developers behind them.
 
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esserius

esserius

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Oct 26, 2017
7,276
Xypher said:
The BAFTA Game Awards kind of do what you mean, if I understand you correctly:

These are Awards that were given to the same game (God of War), yet awarded to different individuals based on Credits in their respective category. They don't always do that, with some just listing "writing team" and the like, but they are generally not just given to the game but the developers behind them.
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I think a lot of it is about what's given primacy - the creatives are the ones that are presented as notable, and a given movie is a way in which that notability is realized. I think video games should spend time rewarding their creatives similarly. Rewarding games, while it might be big and popular (not saying GotY should go anywhere), it isn't all that interesting because everyone's already largely going to be aware of many, many games at these award shows. What they're likely a lot less aware of, is all the work behind them. And I think that's far more interesting (and always will be) than "Best Strategy Game".
 
Xypher

Xypher

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Oct 27, 2017
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esserius said:
I think a lot of it is about what's given primacy - the creatives are the ones that are presented as notable, and a given movie is a way in which that notability is realized. I think video games should spend time rewarding their creatives similarly. Rewarding games, while it might be big and popular (not saying GotY should go anywhere), it isn't all that interesting because everyone's already largely going to be aware of many, many games at these award shows. What they're likely a lot less aware of, is all the work behind them. And I think that's far more interesting (and always will be) than "Best Strategy Game".
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Then I think the Baftas really do what you want, there are no categories for "best genre game", the only stuff that comes close to that is multiplayer and mobile, I suggest you to have a look at the full list of categories:
Especially their work in promoting the next generation of game makers is commendable.
 
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esserius

esserius

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Oct 26, 2017
7,276
Xypher said:
Then I think the Baftas really do what you want, there are no categories for "best genre game", the only stuff that comes close to that is multiplayer and mobile, I suggest you to have a look at the full list of categories:
Especially their work in promoting the next generation of game makers is commendable.
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So again, I think they're a lot closer to what I'd hope for, but I do think it's notable that they still give the game, and not the creator, the primary placement.


The winner here, is Seek Death, and not its creator, Jesse Waymont. Again, I think it's important to speak to the people who are creating the games rather than the games themselves, because that outwardly shows to others that the games themselves are made by lots of people (and sometimes individuals). I know that's a strange point of contention, but it is how a lot of other awards shows do it in order to promote the people in those roles.
 
Sparks

Sparks

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Dec 10, 2018
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These years are so much better than how it started though, I still remember Spikes 2003 VGA's opened with Madden 2004 winning Game of the Year. I'm desperately trying to find video footage of it, but it seems like Geoff has erased it from the archives. If anyone can find it, I'll send you something.
 
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esserius

esserius

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Oct 26, 2017
7,276
Noisepurge said:
But that´s what the _actual_ GDC is for. It´s literally a full week of developers just talking about how they made their games. Go there in person or look up the available talks online.
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I mean I agree, the talks from GDC are phenomenal, but I think the goals of those panels and the goals of an awards show are quite far from one another, and while one speaks to prestige and notoriety, the other speaks to skill-building and wider industry expertise. I do think it would actually help the game industry itself, because notoriety is known as a motivator and it also streamlines work delineation more clearly for companies (i.e., more strongly establishes specific roles within the industry).
 
Vinc

Vinc

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Oct 25, 2017
7,387
I would like to see it! It would be fun to have a different jury for that award, maybe made up of game developers and engine / tools folks, + Digital Foundry!

I can see someone like Dark1x putting together a pretty stellar nominees video.
 
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