When I watch an awards show, I want to see a real show—bring me your best, your most glamorous, your most exciting. Especially when it comes to video games, because what is more exciting than a really good video game? I have high expectations of games as part of an evolving art form. Apparently those expectations are not shared by whoever planned The Game Awards.
My number one complaint about this award show is that rather than show me cool behind-the-scenes features or serious interviews with developers and art directors, I got a whole bunch of ads. And even the ads weren't that great. You can't call your brief gameplay demo of Bloodborne a "world premiere" when I've been watching teaser footage of it for months and thinking about preordering it at Gamestop. And Hazelight Games? I thought highly of Brothers, but this "teaser" is lame. Fast forward to 1:25 to watch some dudes on a train:
That's it? Seriously? This is an awards show. Bring your A-Game.
Not only were the ads and "world premieres" tremendously underwhelming, but they obscured the point of the award show: AWARDS. On several occasions, awards were noted in passing during backstage interviews, rather than in real time onstage. This was especially true of Nintendo awards—Nintendo picked up two major wins last night, Best Fighting Game (for Super Smash Bros.) and Developer of the Year—and I found out about them both very offhandedly in an interview with Reggie Fils-Aime. In a year when it's been popular to hate on Nintendo, I think it's classless to deny them a well-earned moment in the sun. At least I got to watch Mario Kart 8 take Best Sports/Racing Game. Valiant Hearts similarly got the short shrift, despite winning two awards of its own. That's a shame, because the game has such a different feel from the other stuff that came out this year.
The Game Awards also suffered from weird inconsistencies that made the whole show feel "off." While gamers are not known for their fashion sense (and neither am I), it was off-putting to see people in suits juxtaposed with people in sweatshirts. It's like the game industry is not entirely sure how it wants to present itself to the world, so it ends up looking like nothing in particular. While I'm generally all for casual wear, the traditionalist in me feels that award shows should be different. Step it up, and show the world your most professional face. It was especially jarring to see highly made-up, dressed-up women standing next to men who could have rolled in from Mom's basement. The imbalance may not be intentional, but it's there, and it's weird.
The Game Awards had a few good moments, too. One of the highlights of the show, for me, was getting to hear from Dragon Age: Inquisition's Cassandra and Varric. That clip was funny, well-made, and worthy of the game that would be announced as GOTY. It was gratifying to see Ken and Roberta Williams get some love. Best of all, Reggie Fils-Aime took the mic at the end to present something I have been looking forward to: Legend of Zelda for the Wii U. Not only did we get to see awesome gameplay footage, but we were also promised both Zelda Wii U and a new Star Fox sometime next year. I guess the best announcements of the night were saved for last.
When I think back on The Game Awards, what I see is a missed opportunity. It seems to me that the gaming industry wants to be taken more seriously—games are art, and they expand and comment on the human experience in deep ways. They therefore deserve rich discussion, serious criticism, and award shows. The Oscars can be ridiculous, but they also celebrate truly moving performances and appreciate the magic that film brings to our lives. I love getting a chance to watch writers, makeup artists, costume designers, and sound professionals get their due. Gaming is similarly full of interesting behind-the-scenes action. But largely, The Game Awards chose to showcase the more commercial side of gaming. The show was a hodgepodge of trailers and plugs for a massive Steam sale. Next time, I'm hoping for a richer experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment