Why The Game Awards Show Needs To Change Its Voting Process

 

I usually don't talk much about the general gaming industry as a whole. Not because I don't want to or try to avoid, but because... I don't even know where to begin with it. From corporate buyouts of media reviews to oversaturation and miscategorization of online platforms according (I literally found RPG Action Adventure games under the Fighting Games category on Steam for some idiotic reason). I just don't know where to put my foot down. But after the complete crapfest that was "The Game Awards Show (TGA)" happened this Thursday, I literally could not just sit back and not write something about this god awful misrepresentation of what I feel isn't gaming's best, nor is the paramount of what the general consumer audience thinks.

As an Indie Dev and as someone who is trying to make their own way in the industry, it is sad how aristocratic TGA is. For those that don't know the voting process for TGA, it is basically 90% critic's choice, with the only player's choice that the general gaming audience's vote actually matters is "The Player's Choice" category.

And past that.... nothing else. All the supposed "professional gaming critics" picked The Last Of US 2, which has been not received well by half of user submitted reviews. I cannot believe how shallow these critics are for giving praise to such an unapologetically "average at best, mediocre at worst" game instead of games like Doom Eternal, Yakuza 7, and Hades that actually put forth something long lost in mainstream games; simple. Unadulterated. FUN. And not only that but also treat their employees better too.

The Last of Us 2 (TLOU2), regardless of controversy of the story, has had SO MANY development issues that I was baffled it won "Best Game Direction." With overworked and underpaid staff that have had to come in for crunch and not even see their families for weeks and multiple delays, how are you going to tell me this game was made out of respect and care for the people that put all their man hours into it?

Now you can say "screw these awards, they mean nothing for REAL gamers but new announcements and game reveals!" As a consumer... fine. You can say and believe that. In fact, I will say that you're right about that from a "consumer" standpoint and whatever is a failure in the market is not going to be loved by the market.

But for the gaming industry - the people who put their blood, sweat and tears into these games - and the media at large that are the dominating factor of influence to the general public, this is a problem I can't just leave undiscussed. I believe that the power of critics, a very minor group, have too much receptional power in their grasp. And if this continues to happen, I believe that the reputation of gaming will continue to be what it is to the public; shallow experiences with seven new shades of brown and lackluster game feel with no innovation.

And that is why I care about this topic so much. Now... we can't give 100% of the awards to the players. There are things like different criteria for games that some people will be biased towards and need to be looked at through a critical lens. It should however be the damn near majority of 80%. That way there is an ACTUAL representation of what people actually like and not just cherrypicked, bought-out reviews that defend mediocre products.

And yeah I'm going to bite the conspiracy stick on this one. Sony bought out TGA so that TLOU2 can do well and can push more units of the game, subsequently leading to more copies of their consoles being sold. There, I said it. The Shadow Lizard People are in the waters feeding us chemical water that turn the freakin' frogs gay.

In all seriousness (as serious as you can get with some serious shit like the Demon Warlords) I don't believe this sets a good precedent for the industry, for the media and for gaming at large and things need to change.

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