Geoff Keighley‘s global celebration of video games and Esports, The Game Awards‘, nominees were announced just before a bit of a holiday in the United States (Thanksgiving), in advance of the December 12th award show.
As I sit with family, kids, and countless reasons to be thankful, I smiled at how we’ve cycled together through the Xbox, the Nintendo, and even board games, reminded that games bring us together. Awards such as these can mean a lot more to the world than just recognizing the innovation and entertainment that we readily appreciate; it’s an acknowledgement of all the creative talents and hard work that goes into this medium that crosses borders and cultures.
I could argue that no more significant evidence of that could be found, than in the explosion of Esports, as gaming experience has moved into stadiums throughout the world.
“Esports is a definite trend with even non digital game companies like Hasbro (who owns Avalon Hill and Wizards of the Coast among others) wanting in…”
Michael Lubker, Head of Games at Gamerjibe
The Game Awards were founded in 2014 as Keighley, well known as a journalist, host, and producer of video game programming across multiple platforms, including print, television and digital, brought the show to life. He’s best known for his work with Entertainment Weekly, Spike TV, G4, and YouTube, as well as his landmark series of behind the scenes game development stories known as “The Final Hours.”
So the nominees were announced and we thought they deserved even greater attention (though what we can add is easily eclipsed by the great work already done by the gaming industry to celebrate creators).
“This year was a shakeup year in the video game industry – In all of the best ways: Evolution in streaming services like PS Now, a new dedicated streaming platform in Google Stadia, pending services and technologies from Xbox (xCloud), Electronic Arts (Atlas), & Bethesda (Orion), changes to influencing, and an uncharacteristic hunger and demand for new and support content for the coming next-generation console transition.”
Adam Creighton, Founder of Enduring Games
Without further ado, my Holiday Shopping List for Video Games, thanks to the Award Nominations…
Game of the Year
• Control (Remedy / 505 Games)
• Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / SIE)
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Bandai-Namco / Sora / Nintendo)
• Resident Evil 2 (Capcom)
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware / Activision)
• The Outer Worlds (Obsidian / Private Division)
Best Game Direction
• Control (Remedy / 505 Games)
• Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / SIE)
• Resident Evil 2 (Capcom)
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware / Activision)
• Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital / Annapurna)
Best Narrative
• A Plague Tale: Innocence (Asobo / Focus Home)
• Control (Remedy / 505)
• Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / SIE)
• Disco Elysium (ZA/UM)
• The Outer Worlds (Obsidian / Private Division)
Best Art Direction
• Control (Remedy / 505)
• Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / SIE)
• Gris (Nomada Studio / Devolver)
• Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo / Annapurna)
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware / Activision)
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Grezzo / Nintendo)
Best Score/Music
• Cadence of Hyrule (Brace Yourself Games / Nintendo)
• Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / SIE)
• Devil May Cry 5 (Capcom)
• Kingdom Hearts III (Square Enix)
• Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo / Annapurna)
Best Audio Design
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward / Activision)
• Control (Remedy / 505)
• Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / SIE)
• Gears 5 (The Coalition / Xbox Game Studios)
• Resident Evil 2 (Capcom)
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware / Activision)
Best Performance
• Ashly Burch as Parvati Holcomb, The Outer Worlds
• Courtney Hope as Jesse Faden, Control
• Laura Bailey as Kait Diaz, Gears 5
• Mads Mikkelsen as Cliff, Death Stranding
• Matthew Porretta as Dr. Casper Darling, Control
• Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges, Death Stranding
Games for Impact
• Concrete Genie (Pixelopus / SIE)
• Gris (Nomada Studio / Devolver)
• Kind Words (Popcannibal)
• Life Is Strange 2 (Dontnod / Square Enix)
• Sea of Solitude (Jo-Mei Games / EA)
Best Ongoing Game
• Apex Legends (Respawn)
• Destiny 2 (Bungie)
• Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
• Fortnite (Epic Games)
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft)
Best Independent Game
• Baba Is You (Hempuli)
• Disco Elysium (ZA/UM)
• Katana ZERO (Askiisoft / Devoler)
• Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital / Annapurna)
• Untitled Goose Game (House House / Panic)
Best Mobile Game
• Call of Duty: Mobile (TiMi Studios / Activision)
• GRINDSTONE (Capybara Games)
• Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo / Annapurna)
• Sky: Children of Light (Thatgamecompany)
• What the Golf? (Tribland)
Best Community Support
• Apex Legends (Respawn / EA)
• Destiny 2 (Bungie)
• Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
• Fortnite (Epic Games)
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft)
Best VR/AR Game
• Asgard’s Wrath (Sanzaru Games / Oculus Studios)
• Blood & Truth (SIE London Studio / SIE)
• Beat Saber (Beat Games)
• No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
• Trover Saves the Universe (Squanch Games)
Best Action Game
• Apex Legends (Respawn / EA)
• Astral Chain (Platinum Games / Nintendo)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward / Activision)
• Devil May Cry 5 (Capcom)
• Gears 5 (The Coalition / Xbox Game Studios)
• Metro Exodus (4A Games / Deep Silver)
Best Action/Adventure Game
• Borderlands 3 (Gearbox / 2K)
• Control (Remedy / 505 Games)
• Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / SIE)
• Resident Evil 2 (Capcom)
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Grezzo / Nintendo)
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware / Activision)
Best RPG
• Disco Elysium (ZA/UM)
• Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)
• Kingdom Hearts III (Square Enix)
• Monster Hunter World: Iceborne (Capcom)
• The Outer Worlds (Obsidian / Private Division)
Best Fighting Game
• Dead or Alive 6 (Team Ninja / Koei Tecmo)
• Jump Force (Spike Chunsoft / Bandai Namco)
• Mortal Kombat 11 (NetherRealm / WBIE)
• Samurai Showdown (SNK / Athlon)
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Bandai Namco / Sora / Nintendo)
Best Family Game
• Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Next Level Games / Nintendo)
• Ring Fit Adventure (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
• Super Mario Maker 2 (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Bandai Namco / Sora / Nintendo)
• Yoshi’s Crafted World (Good-Feel / Nintendo)
Best Strategy Game
• Age of Wonders: Planetfall (Triumph Studios / Paradox)
• Anno 1800 (Blue Byte / Ubisoft)
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Intelligent Systems / Koei Tecmo / Nintendo)
• Total War: Three Kingdoms (Creative Assembly / Sega)
• Tropico 6 (Limbic Entertainment / Kalypso Media)
• Wargroove (Chucklefish)
Best Sports/Racing Game
• Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (Beenox / Activision)
• DiRT Rally 2.0 (Codemasters)
• eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2020 (PES Productions / Konami)
• F1 2019 (Codemasters)
• FIFA 20 (EA Sports)
Best Multiplayer Game
• Apex Legends (Respawn / EA)
• Borderlands 3 (Gearbox / 2K)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward / Activision)
• Tetris 99 (Arika / Nintendo)
• Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 (Massive Entertainment / Ubisoft)
Fresh Indie Game
• ZA/UM for Disco Elysium
• Nomada Studio for Gris
• DeadToast Entertainment for My Friend Pedro
• Mobius Digital for Outer Wilds
• Mega Crit for Slay the Spire
• House House for Untitled Goose Game
Content Creator of the Year
• Courage – Jack Dunlop
• Dr. Lupo – Benjamin Lupo
• Ewok – Soleil Wheeler
• Grefg – David Martínez
• Shroud – Michael Grzesiek
ESPORTS AWARDS
Best Esports Game
• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve)
• DOTA2 (Valve)
• Fortnite (Epic Games)
• League of Legends (Riot Games)
• Overwatch (Blizzard)
Best Esports Player
• Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf (Immortals, Fortnite)
• Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok (SK Telecom, League of Legends)
• Luka “Perkz” Perkovic (G2 Esports, League of Legends)
• Oleksandr “S1mple” Kostyliev (Natus Vincere, CSGO)
• Jay “Sinatraa” Won (SF Shock, Overwatch)
Best Esports Team
• Astralis (CS:GO)
• G2 Esports (LOL)
• OG (DOTA2)
• San Francisco Shock (OWL)
• Team Liquid (CS:GO)
Best Esports Event
• 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals
• EVO 2019
• Fortnite World Cup
• IEM Katowice 2019
• League of Legends World Championship 2019
• The International 2019
Best Esports Coach
• Eric “adreN” Hoag (Team Liquid, CS:GO)
• Nu-ri “Cain” Jang (Team Liquid, LOL)
• Fabian “GrabbZ” Lohmann (G2 Esports, LOL)
• Kim “Kkoma” Jeong-gyun (SK Telecom T1, LOL)
• Titouan “Sockshka” Merloz (OG, DOTA2)
• Danny “Zonic” Sørensen (Astralis, CSGO)
Best Esports Host
• Eefje “Sjokz” Depoortere
• Alex “Machine” Richardson
• Paul “Redeye” Chaloner
• Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez
• Duan “Candice” Yu-Shuang
“Major disruptors and business evolution are finally coming from streaming, with new piloted offerings from Microsft (xCloud) and Electronic Arts (Project Atlas), adaptive changes in systems like PlayStation’s PS Now, a wholly dedicated streaming platform in Google Stadia, and underlying game technology changes made friendly for streaming from companies like Bethesda (Orion) & Epic Games (Epic Online Services). Nintendo continues to dominate their defined hybrid gaming market, recently posting a quarter significantly outperforming their same quarter the prior fiscal year. 2020’s next-generation console battle for the living is well underway between Xbox and PlayStation, and notably different from previous console shifts, there is an uncharacteristic hunger and demand for quality content, services, and technology from (and for) large and small companies (creative, service, and support providers).”
Enduring Games‘ Creighton
A bit more of my interest in sharing The Game Awards, in particular, is not only the convergence of media in video games, but because of how incredible a job the Awards team has done to embrace the breadth of media at our disposal today. The Game Awards airs live, free, on Thursday, December 12th, streaming on just about every major social and gaming platform that comes to mind. More than that? They’ve partnered with Cinemark to host it in theaters, and with Oculus, so you can experience it in VR. Learn more here and tune in, we’ll be watching!
