Board 8 > What six games will be nominated for GotY at the Game Awards?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Is Deltarune 3+4 not eligible or something? Otherwise I would've expected someone to at least mention it atp lol

Plasman posted...

Is Deltarune 3+4 not eligible or something? Otherwise I would've expected someone to at least mention it atp lol

It's not

Tragic. Hard to disagree much with these lists then, though I think I might give something like Yotei the 6th spot over Blue Prince and Hades II. Blue Prince got harmed a lot by being early year I think, and honestly I haven't seen Hades II get even close to the traction the first one did. Hell most conversations I've seen about it have been complaints about the ending lol. More importantly though this is TGA and TGA has never been the indie awards even if it sometimes should be.

I think Blue Prince was always too niche to get the nod unless it was a weak year

Plasman posted...

Is Deltarune 3+4 not eligible or something? Otherwise I would've expected someone to at least mention it atp lol

I would have been the most annoying human being on the planet if it was lmao

I do hope that Deltarune gets SOMETHING one year. It isn't as if TGA hasn't been arbitrary with its rulings before >>

Anyway I'm for
Donkey Kong
Silksong
Hades 2
Death Stranding 2
Clair Obscur
Ghost of Yotei

The last one is kind of a contrarian choice. I could easily see Split Fiction too but I at least want ONE minority prediction haha

I have no mouth and I must scream compile stats for fun and bragging rights

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/f511a12f.png

Assumed RySenkari's based on 1 through 6 of his power rankings. If I made a mistake or missed someone let me know.

throwing in Ghost as my 6th because it... just feels like a game awards nominee. maybe throwing in some recency bias too but Nintendo being a blind spot for me is def possibility.

Anybody wants to change their predictions or those with 5 want to formally add in a 6th let me know. Of course would add/track any new lists that get posted. B8 consensus currently being the blue-shaded folks but who knows...!

MartinFF7 posted...

Assumed RySenkari's based on 1 through 6 of his power rankings. If I made a mistake or missed someone let me know.

Your assumption is correct. Interesting list so far!

You can put me down as the same as colliding, fwiw

Having reflected on it, I actually do think Hades II is the shakiest of the consensus picks. Out of all the games, it has to contend the most with being too similar to its predecessor and it's the least 'fresh' of any of the six imo. But I think it has enough prestige and good will to edge out Yotei. Blue Prince could be an interesting hail mary if you think the voters favor novelty which I think they do, a little bit, but I think it's too niche.

With Hades II it has the advantage of being the best reviewed game of the year. It does not feel as strong as other holders of that title bit it should be enough.

Is GotY voting single-choice or ranked choice? Because if multiple indie games get in, and the final voting is single-choice, Expedition 33 is going to LFF its way to an easy victory.

(Yes I know E33 is technically indie, it's not visually indie which is more important)

I believe it is single vote for winners, which is weighted 90% in favour of the jury with the other 10% being the fan vote. For nominations, the jury members each give an unranked shortlist of games.

Although I dont think the indie games will overlap with Expedition 33 less than any other game. If anything is to benefit from vote splitting it would be Donkey Kong. However if anything beats Expedition 33 I will be shocked, it feels like Oppenheimer at the oscars a couple of years ago. Just going to never lose momentum and see off all challengers easily.

I think everyone sees E33 as the heavy favorite regardless though

come to think of it how many upsets have there been? I guess 2014, 2019, and 2021 might be the closest but I think all of those had more disputed choices than anything else

I would say there have never been any real upsets.

Which really, there shouldn't be, because the people who vote for GotY at TGAs are the people who give out their own GotYs on websites and such.

https://goty.gamefa.com/

Looks like 2019 and 2016 are the only years they didn't give GotY to the most awarded game, but there were no consensus pick those years.

The thing is as TGA is really just the first big award given out, there cant really be upsets because we dont actually know what games outlets are giving awards to by the time TGA happens. It is more like the Critics Choice Awards than the oscars in that aspect as well as who votes.

MacArrowny posted...

https://goty.gamefa.com/

Scrolling down this list is great. You've got a bunch of universally-acclaimed games, some games that maybe the general audience is divided on but critics still loved...then you see Dragon Age Inquisition.

Another point in E33's favor! When in doubt, the critics will default to their favorite fantasy / swords-and-sorcery game of the year.

I dont think I'm as sold on Hades 2 as a lock as some people. I think the early access really resulted in much less hype than the first

In fact, I just went down the list. Let's look at the fantasy genre's history at the awards throughout the years.

2014 - Dragon Age Inquisition wins.
2015 - Witcher 3 wins.
2016 - No fantasy games are in the final group.
2017 - Breath of the Wild wins.
2018 - God of War wins.
2019 - No fantasy games are in the final group. Unless you count Sekiro. Then it won.
2020 - The Last of Us II beats out FF7 Remake.
2021 - No fantasy games are in the final group.
2022 - Elden Ring wins.
2023 - Baldur's Gate 3 wins.
2024 - Astro Beat beats Shadow of the Erdtree and Metaphor.

Almost every time a big ticket fantasy game makes it to the final grouping, it wins. The only exceptions are FF7 Remake and Metaphor, which were too anime to win, and Shadow of the Erdtree, which is a DLC criticized for even being in the final group at all.

Eh, Metaphor won at IGN and Gamespot. It was a mainstream pick with critics, just not quite as popular as Astro.

Johnbobb posted...

I dont think I'm as sold on Hades 2 as a lock as some people. I think the early access really resulted in much less hype than the first

This is my thought, basically. Games media is also kind of tepid on it. Like everyone admits it's a great game but a lot of podcasts aren't talking about it because they've been playing it for a year.

I think fantasy does well in large part because its the genre of choice for the kind of large scale AAA RPGs that games awards love to go for. Would definitely like to see a greater variety of genres win the top award.

Also It Takes Two is fantasy just not Swords and Sorcery. Sekiro is low fantasy. So it really is just Overwatch, The Last of Us Part II, and Astro Bot there.

Even Sekiro has giant monkeys and such, right?

MacArrowny posted...

Even Sekiro has giant monkeys and such, right?

another point in favor of donkey kong

colliding posted...

This is my thought, basically. Games media is also kind of tepid on it. Like everyone admits it's a great game but a lot of podcasts aren't talking about it because they've been playing it for a year.

??? Hades 1 was in early access for a year as well I'm pretty sure

Oh this was mentioned to quote johnbobb as well

Hades 2 isn't going to have the same impact as Hades 1 because it's an iterative sequel that doesn't break the mold. That matters for GotY (see: GoW Ragnarok and Tears of the Kingdom losing their years). It could still make the final group though.

I do also think the Early Access period hurt its impact more than for Hades 1. People mostly started paying attention to Hades 1 when it left EA and started blowing up. Because of that success, Hades 2 had a lot more eyes on it the instant it became playable in EA.

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I think Hades II is the most in danger of not being nominated; I'm fairly confident in all the other five consensus picks but I think Hades II could slide out just because the bit is stale

Oh yea I don't think Hades II will WIN but I think it has enough going for it to get a nomination

Is the bit not stale for Silksong because it's 2 years older I guess?

Bane_Of_Despair posted...

Is the bit not stale for Silksong because it's 2 years older I guess?

I think it's not really the same thing, it's not as iterative as Hades II is

That's not a knock on Hades II from me, mind you, I'm just looking at how the voters might view it

Silksong was an event. Even setting aside the crazy hype, its far bigger in scope than like...any Metroidvania ever. Hades 2 was just a great sequel.

Paratroopa1 posted...

it's not as iterative as Hades II is

Hades 2 absolutely changes things up more than Silksong.

Here's something I thought about as a little side project: what if the Game Awards existed since... I dunno, 1986? Obviously someone besides Geoff Keighley would've had to have started it, but this is more of a thought experiment than anything.

For this, I went by original North American release to determine year of eligibility. That means arcade first, though I could see there being a category for "Best Console Port" or something, so Street Fighter II would be eligible for the overall awards in 1991 and then its SNES port could be eligible for the best port category in 1992.

-

1986:
Arkanoid
Out Run
Rampage
Starflight
Super Mario Bros. (it originally released here in 1985, but was only widely available starting in 1986, and in this world I imagine the NES being the entire reason for the Game Awards' creation, so Super Mario Bros. is eligible as a "legacy" nomination so to speak. Either way, the 1986 ceremony would pretty much be a coronation for it.)
Trinity

1987:
Castlevania
Double Dragon
The Legend Of Zelda
Mike Tysons Punch-Out!
Sid Meiers Pirates!
R-Type

1988:
Mega Man
Phantasy Star
R.C. Pro-Am
Shinobi
Super Mario Bros. 2
Tetris

1989:
Ghouls n Ghosts
Mega Man 2
Populous
Prince Of Persia
Strider
Tecmo Bowl

1990:
Alien Storm
Herzog Zwei
The Secret Of Monkey Island
Super Mario Bros. 3
Wing Commander
Ys I & II (TurboGrafx-CD version)

1991:
Civilization
F-Zero
Lemmings
Sonic the Hedgehog
Street Fighter II
Super Mario World

1992:
Contra III: The Alien Wars
Indiana Jones And The Fate Of Atlantis
The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
Mortal Kombat
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Wolfenstein 3-D

1993:
Doom
Myst
NBA Jam
Samurai Shodown
Secret Of Mana
Star Fox

1994:
Donkey Kong Country
Final Fantasy III (VI)
Sonic 3 and Knuckles
Star Wars: TIE Fighter
Super Metroid
X-COM: UFO Defense

1995:
Chrono Trigger
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddys Kong Quest
Super Mario World 2: Yoshis Island
Twisted Metal
Warcraft II: Tides Of Darkness
Wipeout

1996:
Civilization II
Nights into Dreams
Resident Evil
Super Mario 64
Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars
Tomb Raider

1997:
Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
Diablo
Final Fantasy VII
Goldeneye 007
Quake II
Tekken 3

1998:
Baldurs Gate
Half-Life
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Metal Gear Solid
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Soulcalibur

1999:
Final Fantasy VIII
Planescape: Torment
Silent Hill
Sonic Adventure
System Shock 2
Tony Hawks Pro Skater

2000:
Chrono Cross
Deus Ex
Diablo II
Perfect Dark
The Sims
Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2

2001:
Devil May Cry
Final Fantasy X
Grand Theft Auto III
Halo: Combat Evolved
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty
Super Smash Bros. Melee

2002:
Battlefield 1942
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Metroid Prime
Neverwinter Nights
Tom Clancys Splinter Cell

2003:
Beyond Good And Evil
The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker
Madden NFL 2004
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
Viewtiful Joe

2004:
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Half-Life 2
Halo 2
Katamari Damacy
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
World Of Warcraft

2005:
Civilization IV
God Of War
Guitar Hero
Resident Evil 4
Shadow Of The Colossus
Tom Clancys Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

2006:
Company Of Heroes
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Gears Of War
Kingdom Hearts II
The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Wii Sports

2007:
Bioshock
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Halo 3
Mass Effect
Portal
Super Mario Galaxy

2008:
Braid
Fallout 3
Grand Theft Auto IV
LittleBigPlanet
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots
Street Fighter IV

2009:
Assassins Creed II
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Left 4 Dead 2
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

2010:
God Of War III
Heavy Rain
Mass Effect 2
Red Dead Redemption
Rock Band 3
Super Mario Galaxy 2

2011:
Batman: Arkham City
Dark Souls
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception

2012:
Borderlands 2
Far Cry 3
Journey
The Walking Dead
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Xenoblade Chronicles

2013:
Bioshock Infinite
Grand Theft Auto V
The Last Of Us
The Stanley Parable
Super Mario 3D World
Tomb Raider

I'll do my own version, but I'm only starting in 1991. It gets difficult to go earlier.

1991:
Civilization
Lemmings
Sonic the Hedgehog
Street Fighter II
Super Castlevania IV
Super Mario World

1992:
Indiana Jones And The Fate Of Atlantis
The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
Mortal Kombat
Streets of Rage 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Wolfenstein 3-D

1993:
Doom
Master of Orion
Myst
NBA Jam
Secret Of Mana
Star Fox

1994:
Donkey Kong Country
Final Fantasy III (VI)
Sonic 3 and Knuckles
Super Metroid
Warcraft: Orcs & Humans
X-COM: UFO Defense

1995:
Chrono Trigger
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddys Kong Quest
Super Mario World 2: Yoshis Island
Tekken
Twisted Metal
Warcraft II: Tides Of Darkness

1996:
Civilization II
Duke Nukem 3D
Quake
Resident Evil
Super Mario 64
Tomb Raider

1997:
Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
Diablo
Final Fantasy VII
Goldeneye 007
Quake II
Tekken 3

1998:
Half-Life
The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Metal Gear Solid
Resident Evil 2
SoulCalibur
StarCraft

1999:
Final Fantasy VIII
Planescape: Torment
Silent Hill
System Shock 2
Tony Hawks Pro Skater
Unreal Tournament

2000:
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Deus Ex
Diablo II
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Perfect Dark
The Sims

2001:
Final Fantasy X
Grand Theft Auto III
Halo: Combat Evolved
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty
Silent Hill 2
Super Smash Bros. Melee

2002:
Battlefield 1942
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Kingdom Hearts
Metroid Prime
Tom Clancys Splinter Cell

2003:
Beyond Good And Evil
The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker
Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
SoulCalibur II
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Viewtiful Joe

2004:
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Half-Life 2
Halo 2
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
World Of Warcraft

2005:
Civilization IV
God Of War
Guitar Hero
Resident Evil 4
Shadow Of The Colossus
Tom Clancys Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

2006:
Company Of Heroes
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Gears Of War
The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Okami
Wii Sports

2007:
Bioshock
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Halo 3
Mass Effect
Portal
Super Mario Galaxy

2008:
Braid
Fallout 3
Gears of War 2
Grand Theft Auto IV
LittleBigPlanet
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots

2009:
Assassins Creed II
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Demon's Souls
Dragon Age: Origins
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

2010:
God Of War III
Halo: Reach
Mass Effect 2
Red Dead Redemption
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
Super Mario Galaxy 2

2011:
Batman: Arkham City
Dark Souls
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception

2012:
Dishonored
Far Cry 3
Journey
Mass Effect 3
The Walking Dead
XCOM: Enemy Unknown

2013:
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Bioshock Infinite
Grand Theft Auto V
The Last Of Us
Super Mario 3D World
Tomb Raider

I mean you can go further back from when Keighley worked with Spike as the predecessor and consider those valid answers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_Video_Game_Awards

just pay no attention to what won 2003 Madden 04 >_>

Madden 04 is considered the best Madden game and one of the best sports games of all time. Did it deserve to beat Sands of Time and Wind Waker? Hell no, but if there's any Madden that deserved to win something, it's that one.