Board 8 > What do you think will be nominated for GOTY at The Game Awards this year?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I know The Keighleys are silly but I was wondering about this, there's a lot of really well reviewed games this year and they won't all fit into the big slots.

TOTK, BG3, Spidey, Mario Wonder, Starfield, RE4make, FFXVI, SF6, Diablo 4, Alan Wake 2, Armored Core 6, Hi-Fi Rush, Dead Space... and there's usually an indie game too so Sea of Stars, Dave the Diver, Jusant, Cocoon, Videoverse etc are in contention. I wonder what will make the cut! I'll predict the first 6 I listed here, but who knows.

It feels weird that TotK was this year since I havent seen people talk about it in months anywhere. Im sure a bunch of stuff will be up there, but I feel like BG3 or Spider-Man 2 is likeliest to win maybe?

Dead Space will definitely not be on there. Not an issue of quality, it just won't, I think a lot of people forgot that even came out at all.

I don't see AC6 being on there. Obviously a bigger splash but I don't think it ended up with that kind of reception.

I won't be surprised if either Starfield of XVI end up getting snubbed off the list and it causes a big hugubaloo, but probably not both of them.

RE4, Mario, and BG3 are locks. Spidey and Zelda are probably also locks even though I don't think they should be there personally.

I forget how many noms they do. 6?

Zelda
Mario
BG3
Spider-Man 2
Alan Wake II
Street Fighter 6

I think RE4 Remake will get snubbed for being a remake

Insane year. Would not be surprised to see Best Game expanded to 10 nominees so more games get acknowledged.

Assuming its the usual six:

Tears of the Kingdom
Baldurs Gate 3
Street Fighter VI
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Spider-Man 2
Alan Wake II

Now SFVI could get subbed for Resident Evil 4, but I think that being a remake will count against it. Also in contention are Hi-Fi Rush, Dave the Diver, Cocoon, Sea of Stars, and The Talos Principle II. This year is so strong that games once thought of as contenders like FFXVI and Starfield are straight up out of the running at this point.

I don't see SFVI there.

Fighting games definitely have bias against them in these things. A fighting game has yet to be nominated once.

Of course, if any game was going to make the list it's probably SF6, but I would still be surprised.

(also Alan Wake II is just RE4 but better)

SHINE_GET_64 posted...

(also Alan Wake II is just RE4 but better)

does it have an attache case

Would be dope to see TotK get sniped out of the noms but I doubt it

Glad that Hogwarts Legacy has firmly fallen out of the conversation lol, I remember some people saying that on release

Alan Wake 2 is garbage compared to RE4

Hogwarts sold really well but a loooot of people who got it barely, or in some cases never, played it.

So many people dropped $70 on a game they didn't actually want just to stick it to the libs lol.

Theres no way on planet earth the game awards snub resident evil for alan wake

Yeah I think Alan Wake II is the thing that knocks RE4 out. RE4 feels like a terrific execution of the currently accepted model of survival horror/action game, while Alan Wake II feels like the next step forward for the genre. Im not done with it yet but if not for Tears of the Kingdom it would probably be my game of the year.

At this point it would be more surprising if FFXVI or Starfield got on so theyre not really snubs. They do both have a path: FFXVI might get enough nominations in other categories (RPG, Performance, Music, Art Direction) that outlets go I guess FFXVI was pretty good and stick it on their lists. Starfield could take the less well reviewed but more populist slot that Assassins Creed Odyssey, The Outer Worlds, Ghost of Tsushima, Resident Evil Village and arguably Stray took. But really this year is just too stacked.

TomNook7 posted...

Theres no way on planet earth the game awards snub resident evil for alan wake

I agree with this wholeheartedly just from what is going to be the obvious socially accepted pick, but I'm definitely very interested in Alan Wake II myself.

Unfortunately the only Alan Wake game I've played is Control, so I have some homework to do first.

Alan Wake 2
Baldur's Gate 3
Resident Evil 4
Spider-Man 2
Street Fighter 6
Tears of the Kingdom

TomNook7 posted...

Theres no way on planet earth the game awards snub resident evil for alan wake

you haven't been following Geoff Keighley on twitter then

LightningStrikes posted...

Im not done with it yet but if not for Tears of the Kingdom it would probably be my game of the year.

this is basically where I'm at, but I finished it yesterday

I did have RE4 in that spot, but it got knocked down

What is this anti-Alan Wake II slander.

Nah really I think it is more that Alan Wake II is totally new both in terms of bringing new ideas and not being a remake. There are things Alan Wake II does that push the medium forward, even if it is less technically perfect than RE4 in some ways.

Anyway, heres my ten game everybody can be happy list:

Tears of the Kingdom
Baldurs Gate 3
Resident Evil 4
Street Fighter VI
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Spider-Man 2
Alan Wake II
Dave the Diver
Hi-Fi Rush
Cocoon (or maybe Sea of Stars???)

Its still hard even with 10 games!

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Hogwarts sold really well but a loooot of people who got it barely, or in some cases never, played it.

So many people dropped $70 on a game they didn't actually want just to stick it to the libs lol.

I really doubt that even makes up like 1% of its sales. Theres no way so many people buy a video game for a reason like that. I mean I dunno if it makes their final group, but yeah theres no way so many people hate bought it just because

Tears of the Kingdom
Baldur's Gate 3
Alan Wake 2
Armored Core 6
Starfield
Spider-Man 2

The Keighleighs are all about industry recognition and marketing. You have 3 slots for the big 3's major launches (Bethesda is Microsoft now and regardless of how you feel about its quality, Starfield sold very well). FromSoft is a huge player now and specifically the VGAs have been a major part of hyping them up. They are probably going to show an Elden Ring DLC trailer. AC6 is going to get a goty nom. BG3 is a lock, that leaves one free slot which I'm giving to Alan Wake 2 due to recency bias.

I think these are the safest picks but that's video games, baby

Is Sea of Stars really something people think is gonna be here as the indie pick?

I'll admit I only got around 6 or 7 hours before letting it slip away but it really just didn't seem to be....super great. Fine maybe?

Chalk this one up to me just not getting it I guess. Maybe it's the opposite if Chained Echoes and it starts off mid but gets really good later on in the game.

TomNook7 posted...

Theres no way on planet earth the game awards snub resident evil for alan wake

I was tempted to agree with this but looked back and Control did get nominated for GotY, so IDK. Though RE2make and RE8 were both nom'd too, hmm...

I don't expect SF6 to get a GotY nom as fighting games never have before (unless you count Smash, which is clearly its own special case). As LS indicates I think Starfield will be the 'populist' pick for the year, Final Fantasy's buzz seems to have died down too much and it's a token MS rep. There's a chance Mario gets snubbed too I think, as it's a stacked year and Zelda is most likely Ninty's #1 here, I think the only 100% locks are Zelda, Baldur's Gate, and Spidey. And it seems weird for them to not have any indie slot but with things being so packed are they really gonna ditch, like, Resident Evil for Cocoon or Dave the Diver? I have a hard time seeing that.

And yeah don't count out FromSoft, I don't think AC6 can fit into a 6-way category but weirder things have happened.

Anyways,

Tears of the Kingdom
Baldur's Gate 3
Alan Wake 2
Spider-Man 2

These are all stone-cold locks. No way any of them miss out. RE4make, SF6, AC6, Starfield, FF16, Mario Wonder, Hi-Fi Rush all have pretty decent chances.

Also, TGAs usually have a token indie game nominated. Not sure what that would be this year. Cocoon? Dave the Diver?

swordz9 posted...

I really doubt that even makes up like 1% of its sales. Theres no way so many people buy a video game for a reason like that. I mean I dunno if it makes their final group, but yeah theres no way so many people hate bought it just because

It sold 15 million copies and then proceeding to completely disappear from the public conversation in 1 week. It's sizeable enough!

UshiromiyaEva posted...

It sold 15 million copies and then proceeding to completely disappear from the public conversation in 1 week. It's sizeable enough!

You're completely clueless as to what's in the public conversation. HL is still a top seller every week, 9 months after launch.

The nominees are decided by outlets submitting a list of (six I believe) games so I wouldnt put too much thought into the From Software connection. I dont think AC6 made a big enough splash. Starfield I can see but honestly isnt Hi-Fi Rush a better Xbox representative? Its a game that came out of nowhere in January that people are still talking about.

MacArrowny posted...

Also, TGAs usually have a token indie game nominated. Not sure what that would be this year. Cocoon? Dave the Diver?

I don't think we're going to see a token indie game for goty, the year has been too stacked for AAA

What I do think will happen is that the other categories are going to have a lot more variety. I don't think there's gonna be big sweeps by a few games this year.

MacArrowny posted...

You're completely clueless as to what's in the public conversation. HL is still a top seller every week, 9 months after launch.

And yet people still don't talk about it anywhere!

A Switch version comes out in a week and there hasn't been a hint of marketing.

Of course that version is probably going to be a MESS, so....

UshiromiyaEva posted...

And yet people still don't talk about it anywhere!

You see it everywhere on Facebook and Tiktok.

SF6 ought to make it to a GotY nom this year, but it's unlikely. Hi-Fi Rush will be in category(s) other than GotY. We'll see Mario and Spider-Man 2 altogether too often due to recency bias and name.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

It sold 15 million copies and then proceeding to completely disappear from the public conversation in 1 week. It's sizeable enough!

TotK sold well too and like I said Ive seen almost nowhere talk about it since like the first 2-3 weeks it came out! Doesnt seem like it has had anywhere near the level of post release discussion BotW had.

LightningStrikes posted...

Starfield I can see but honestly isnt Hi-Fi Rush a better Xbox representative? Its a game that came out of nowhere in January that people are still talking about.

Who is still talking about Hi-Fi Rush? It's a great game but the only time I hear it brought up is specifically when people are trying to tell people to not forget about it lol

I think the most interesting thing will be seeing what actually does get snubbed. Something as big as the game awards doesnt wanna piss off publishers. Theres probably a lot of pressure to put diablo and starfield up there. I can actually imagine them doing something stupid and snubbing baldurs gate for those

Decent people don't use either of those platforms unless they're over 55.

People definitely talked about TotK for at least several months after launch. There's so much wacky shit you can do with the engine. Easy video content.

TomNook7 posted...

I think the most interesting thing will be seeing what actually does get snubbed. Something as big as the game awards doesnt wanna piss off publishers. Theres probably a lot of pressure to put diablo and starfield up there. I can actually imagine them doing something stupid and snubbing baldurs gate for those

There's absolutely no way BG3 gets snubbed for those, TGA would have to hit a new low for that

Forget being nommed, if were talking winner I literally can't see a world where BG3 doesn't win this. The conversation is for what's going to be alongside it.

And to be clear it's not my GotY. I'm going to get back to it but I kind of fell off there just before Act 2.

But like...come on.

HeroDelTiempo17 posted...

I don't think we're going to see a token indie game for goty, the year has been too stacked for AAA

Yeah, this is how I feel, especially with Nintendo alone having a major Mario and Zelda in the same year

I'd say
Baldur's Gate 3
Spider-Man 2
Tears of the Kingdom
Mario Wonder
Final Fantasy XVI
maybe Alan Wake II, but I'm less convinced this takes it

There has literally never been a fighting game nominated for Game of the Year so I'm not betting on Street Fighter

Because we got it too good last year with Elden Ring winning so surely they have to balance it out this year

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Is Sea of Stars really something people think is gonna be here as the indie pick?

I'll admit I only got around 6 or 7 hours before letting it slip away but it really just didn't seem to be....super great. Fine maybe?

Chalk this one up to me just not getting it I guess. Maybe it's the opposite if Chained Echoes and it starts off mid but gets really good later on in the game.

The Board 8 topic about Sea of Stars seemed fairly negative to me but maybe the game did better elsewhere.

Johnbobb posted...

There has literally never been a fighting game nominated for Game of the Year so I'm not betting on Street Fighter

Hey Smash Ultimate was nominated! And I don't think any other fighting games within the last decade have been as critically acclaimed as SF6.

TeamRocketElite posted...

The Board 8 topic about Sea of Stars seemed fairly negative to me but maybe the game did better elsewhere.

It was sitting at over a 90 on Opencritic for a while there, but it's dipped to an 89.

It just...really didn't feel like that.

We've got SO2R now too filling the same niche, and there absolutely no way those 2 games compare. Of course that's a quality of life coat of paint on an old game, so it's not like it's going to have the same type of impact.

Snake5555555555 posted...

Hey Smash Ultimate was nominated!

It took too long for the bait to get hooked, so now I don't feel like doing the bit anymore.

Thinking about other categories:

Tears of the Kingdom probably gets in Direction, Art Direction, Music, Audio Design, Action Adventure.

Baldurs Gate 3 gets in Direction, Narrative, Music, Performance, RPG, maybe Multiplayer.

Alan Wake II gets in Direction, Narrative, Art Direction, Music, Audio Design, Performance, Action Adventure.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder gets in Family and Action, Multiplayer, MAYBE Music and MAYBE Direction.

Spider-Man 2 gets in Narrative, Art Direction (even though it shouldnt), Audio Design, Performance and maybe Direction.

Street Fighter VI gets in Art Direction, Multiplayer, Fighting.

Resident Evil 4 gets in Direction, Audio Design, Art Direction, Action Adventure.

Thinking about it this way makes SFVI seem weaker!

I wouldnt rule TotK out. That game ABSOLUTELY lasted in the conversation and people are still doing wacky stuff with the engine. BG3 also got more criticism for Act 2 so I can see TotK taking it on balance.

I think Dave the Diver and Cocoon are better indie picks than Sea of Stars. But there is definitely a lot of Sea of Stars love out there. I think the opening made it more divisive than the reviews (which pushed through and finished it) made it seem. A lot of people bounced off but those that stuck with it seemed to love it. Thats my understanding of the conversation around the game.

I don't think people particularly liked the ending to Sea of Stars, though.

BG3 I still see people posting about weird interactions and shit constantly. I'm still learning new things about the game 3 months after release. It's also stuck around heavily.

I see less about Starfield but I think Reddit is still posting about it all the time, I'm just not in the circles talking about it but people are absolutely content mining that too.

In terms of conversation generated those + TotK have to be the top 3.

Im on the main page of the Reddit app every day seeing all kinds of gaming stuff daily and I havent seen any TotK stuff in months personally. Maybe Im just getting fed way more non-Nintendo stuff, but I had to go out of my way to not see Spider-Man 2 everywhere since it would get spoiled

Tears could win but it probably shouldn't unless this year was that weak

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Decent people don't use either of those platforms unless they're over 55.

Still better than anyone who uses X after the name change!