The most prestigious ceremony in the video game industry, which every year gathers the best and most successful games, developers and enthusiasts from all over the world, The Game Awards, was held the night before yesterday, and Astro Bot won the main award.
The cute and colorful PlayStation title beat out competitors including Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Black Myth: Wukong, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and Balatro to win the "Game of the Year 2024" title. The game allows players to run, jump and use rocket fire to collect robots stranded across the galaxy. This video game won three more awards for Best Game Direction, Best Action-Adventure Game and Best Family Game, while it was also nominated in the Best Art Direction, Best Music and Best Sound Design categories.
The night was also successful for the indie poker-themed hit Balatro, which won three awards out of five nominations, including Best Mobile Game. And this title was the most successful in both the Best Debut Indie Game and Best Independent Game categories.
The role-playing game Metaphor: ReFantazio also won three awards, further proof of the success of Japanese game developers that night.
Black Myth: Wukong, inspired by Chinese legends, once again proved hugely popular with fans, winning the Audience Player's Voice Award.
It was a disappointing night for Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, which was nominated in seven categories but only won Best Music.
Melina Jurgens, from Cambridge-based British studio Ninja Theory, won Best Performance for her lead role in Hellblade 2: Senua's Saga.
The Game Awards - often referred to as the "Oscars of gaming" - is sometimes criticized for spending more time on advertisements and trailers for new games than actually presenting the awards.
However, last year the organizers claimed that the event attracted 118 million viewers via livestream, and these displays of new games are one of the main lures for video game fans. A number of game premieres and announcements have garnered much attention from audiences, heralding the return of beloved franchises as well as brand new worlds yet to be explored.
Lately, major publishers usually save their most important revelations for special events of their own, and it was the gaming Oscars that brought the trailer for the new game of the studio Naughty Dog, known for hits such as The Last of Us, Uncharted and Crash Bandicoot. It is a new space adventure called Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. This futuristic creation is set on the distant planet Sempiria, and players assume the role of Jordana Moon, a bounty hunter who must survive on a planet that has been isolated for over 600 years.
At this year's ceremony, the sequel to the cult game Okami was revealed, while Polish developer CD Projekt Red confirmed that it is working on the development of The Witcher 4. The first trailer has excited fans, and the game promises spectacular graphics and narrative depth that has become synonymous with this studio.
A recurring criticism of The Game Awards year after year is that it fails to recognize wider problems in the industry. In the context of mass layoffs in the gaming sector around the world - a trend that has continued this year - critics have called on the organizers to give the winners more time on stage to express their thoughts.
This year, the Game Changers Award was introduced. Award winner, Aamir Satvat, director at Tencent Games in the US, has launched a personal project to help recently laid-off gaming workers find new jobs, and in an emotional acceptance speech said:
"When I was little, my only wish was to become part of the video game industry," he noted and thanked his parents for their support.
Sef Larian Studios, Sven Vincke, who presented the Game of the Year award after their Baldur's Gate 3 won the title last year, also received praise for their comments.
Vincke criticized the focus on increasing market share and "arbitrary sales targets" and lamented the "lost art" of making games that developers themselves want to play.
The ceremony took place during a strike by actors from the video game industry, who are demanding protection against the abuse of artificial intelligence and better working conditions.
Actors union SAG-AFTRA and the Game Workers of Southern California announced plans to distribute flyers outside the Peacock Theater where the ceremony was held.
Among the controversies this year was the nomination of the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion for Game of the Year. Some fans argued that the add-on for the game, which already won the title in 2022, should not be eligible.
Also, many were unhappy when three of the five nominations for the Player's Choice Award - the only award voted entirely by fans - went to free-to-play mobile games, including Genshin Impact.
The remaining winners are chosen by industry experts and fan votes, which make up 10 percent of the total score.
There are 30 awards in total, covering categories as diverse as sound design, best indie game, and innovation in accessibility.
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