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subjective the whole notion is . For example , Giant Bomb awarded their game of the year to Super Mario Maker , while IGN gave theirs to The Witcher 3 : Wild Hunt and Polygon to Her Story . It ’ s clear that the process is entirely subjective and that it always will be due to the artistic nature of the genre , as well as human nature : we are all different , and will always carry different views .
This notion of subjectivity continues when you examine the criteria used to outline a potential “ game of the year ”, or rather a lack thereof . There is no pre-defined template for judging game of the year , no set of rules and regulations regarding what makes a game a potential candidate for such a weighty and prestigious award .
For instance , do we focus purely upon gameplay when considering potential
SUPER MARIO MAKER candidates , or rather place the emphasis upon a game ’ s narrative strength instead ? How about mix of the two , or whether or not innovation and progression should be defining characteristics when discerning a probable game of the year candidate ? There
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is , of course , no definitive answer for any of these questions . There are just too many variables at play , too many juxtaposing personal opinions to truly calculate such an abstract concept as game of the year . |
Take a look at the examples I gave a couple of paragraphs ago , for each one perfectly demonstrates why the concept of “ game of the year ” is so flawed . The former , Super Mario Maker , is defined mainly by its gameplay , while the latter , Her Story ,
utterly contrasts this through its central focus on narrative above anything else . Even more confounding is the fact that The Witcher 3 is a combination of both of these factors , while also being a feast of
technical
magnificence .
Each one is utterly different , thus trying to quantify one as
superior over the others is just a feat of impossibility . There are too many contrasting variables , and to focus on one at
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the expense of the others is doing the industry as a whole a great disservice .
Unfortunately , such ignorance towards the accomplishments of the developers is one of the core problems at the heart of the entire game of the year concept . In principle , it
HER STORY should be a time where we honour and recognise the hard work and sacrifices put in by the dedicated development teams , but in reality , the festivities and celebrations are hijacked by the great lumbering behemoth of corporate marketing .
We ’ ve all seen them , crowding up the ( these days , digital ) shelf space mere months after the awards have been dished out . Even a single award from the most minute or insignificant of publications is enough to warrant a definitive game of the year edition , as publishers
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seek to draw as much sacred blood from their properties as possible .
At the end of the day , the award merely becomes another method by which to sell more copies , plastered haphazardly on the box in an effort to drum up a morsel of extra profit .
This in a sense isn ’ t abhorrent – we do live in a capitalist society after all , and it ’ s nice to see deserving titles given another chance at success – but such practices belittle the award , leaving the concept broken and meaningless as the plights of the developers are forgotten in an instant in the pursuit of profit .
As a result , I view the idea of “ game of the year ” as ultimately flawed in principle . It is too abstract and subjective a term , one that poorly reflects the multitude of defining characteristics that encompass the medium in its entirety . As for a solution , I am as yet undecided upon what could be done to alleviate and replace the concept . Such discussion would require an article of its own . For now , “ game of the year ” remains , but only as a necessary evil to sate our never-ending desire to quantify the world .
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