The Game Awards 2019 Predictions

[CordeliaParticipant Joined: Jul 15th, 2018 Topics: 13 Posts: 469 View Predictions]

#1203080948

So The Game Awards are back on again this year – December 12 2019. I thought it’d be fun to predict some stuff.

Now the cutoff period for game release dates last year was November 22, 2018, so let’s assume a late November cutoff for nominees release dates. Furthermore, 2018 December games are eligible.

2018’s categories were

• Game of the Year
• Best Game Direction
• Best Ongoing Game (already released games maintaining support with updates)
• Best Narrative
• Best Art Direction
• Best Score/Music
• Best Audio Design (think an equivalent to the sound mixing/editing awards)
• Best Performance (gender-neutral category, 5 nominations)
• Games For Impact (games that address meaningful subject matter, EG Celeste addressing mental health)
• Best Independent Game
• Best Mobile Game
• Best VR/AR game
• Best Action Game
• Best Action/Adventure Game (the difference between action and action adventure is that action tends to be more linear and action adventure tends to be more open world. Think the difference between Call of Duty and Red Dead Redemption)
• Best Role-Playing Game
• Best Fighting Game
• Best Family Game (E or E10+ multiplayer/social games generally)
• Best Strategy Game
• Best Sports/Racing Game
• Best Multiplayer Game
• Best Debut Indie Game (first of an indie studio)
• Content Creator of the Year (this is kinda cursed, almost every winner of this award has gotten caught in a scandal subsequently EG Dr Disrespect cheating)

 

There are other categories, but these are the ones that are more predictable

For Your Consideration:

Best Picture: Weathering With You, Parasite, The Lighthouse
Best Supporting Actor: Willem Dafoe - The Lighthouse
Best Animated Feature: Weathering With You, Promare
Best International Film: Weathering With You, Parasite

Reply

[CordeliaParticipant Joined: Jul 15th, 2018 Topics: 13 Posts: 469 View Predictions]

#1203080974

So now the generic OP Is out, time for some predictions

GAME OF THE YEAR

– Death Stranding is definitely getting nominated. Geoff Keighley (the runner of the Game Awards) not only has a friendship with its director Hideo Kojima, but is also literally in the game. You can debate conflicts of interest I guess, but this looks like an ambitious and bizarre game so no complaints here.

– Sekrio: Shadows Die Twice is likely getting nominated. Dark Souls II in 2014 and Bloodborne in 2015 (both also From Software games) got game of the year nominations, and this is a slightly less competitive year.

– Resident Evil 2’s remake is likely getting nominated. While it is a remake, it is a very detailed redo that is quite different in how it plays. It also has gotten the best reviews of any game this year so far.

– A Nintendo game will get nominated. In 2014, 15, and 17 Nintendo got a GOTY nomination with either a first party game or a game they published. The question is: which game?

• Super Mario Maker 2 is a sequel to a 2015 GOTY nominee
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses has the best reviews of any Nintendo game this year, though isn’t connected to any previous nominees for GOTY.
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate received great reviews and ongoing support, however it came out December last year so voters may forget about it
• Astral Chain is made by Platinum Games, who also made Bayonetta 2, a GOTY nominee. However, the reviews aren’t quite as great, and Platinum also missed on a NieR: Automata nomination
• Luigi’s Mansion 3 also looks good, however it remains unreleased
• Pokemon Sword and Shield have big franchise clout but also a big backlash

– Devil May Cry V might get nominated. It got great reviews, however no previous Devil May Cry has been nominated for any other awards – even at the VGX predecessor to this.

– Apex Legends might get nominated. It’s a battle royale game, which the success of PUBG and Fortnite at their respective GOTY awards shows is a genre that gets buzz. Furthermore, the developer – Respawn Entertainment – got a nomination for Game of the Year in 2016 for Titanfall 2.

– Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is also by Respawn Entertainment, and is a single-player game in a similar vein to other GOTY nominees like God Of War or Uncharted: Big polished narrative focus. However, it isn’t out, so it remains a bit of an unknown quantity.

Other games that might be candidates include Slay The Spire (it’s indie, but has gotten amazing reviews and has a cult fanbase), Borderlands 3 (sequel to GOTY nominee), Control, Gears 5 (member of GOTY nominated series), Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare (member of GOTY nominated series), DOOM Eternal, The Outer Worlds

Of these, my 5 predicted nominees (in alphabetical order) are

– Apex Legends

– Death Stranding

– Resident Evil 2

– Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

– Super Mario Maker 2

• This reply was modified 1 month ago by  Cordelia.
• This reply was modified 1 month ago by  Cordelia.

For Your Consideration:

Best Picture: Weathering With You, Parasite, The Lighthouse
Best Supporting Actor: Willem Dafoe - The Lighthouse
Best Animated Feature: Weathering With You, Promare
Best International Film: Weathering With You, Parasite

ReplyCopy URL

[CordeliaParticipant Joined: Jul 15th, 2018 Topics: 13 Posts: 469 View Predictions]

#1203081096

I’m going to go through all the genre categories. First of all: FIGHTING. Not many fighting games release each year, so this should be easy.

• Super Smash Bros Ultimate: Came out December last year, would have gotten a GOTY nomination in 2018 if not for the cutoff
• Mortal Kombat 11 is a big franchise entry, was announced in last year’s
• Samurai Shodown is a bit of an underdog, but SNK has been seeing a boost in appreciation recently, in particularly with Terry showing up in Smash.
• Dead or Alive 6 is a franchise I guess? Didn’t show up at EVO, got so-so buzz. But 4th slot

 

For Your Consideration:

Best Picture: Weathering With You, Parasite, The Lighthouse
Best Supporting Actor: Willem Dafoe - The Lighthouse
Best Animated Feature: Weathering With You, Promare
Best International Film: Weathering With You, Parasite

ReplyCopy URL

[John BerchmansParticipant Joined: Jan 22nd, 2018 Topics: 1 Posts: 460 View Predictions]

#1203081164

I think SSBU could get a nomination for GOTY, since it’s managed to stay relevant through all of the DLC reveals: they might even have another one at this year’s Gane Awards. At the very least, it won’t be completely ignored: fighting, family, and multiplayer are pretty solid bets.

For Your Consideration.

Best Picture: Joker
Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix
Best Adapted Screenplay: Joker

ReplyCopy URL

[CordeliaParticipant Joined: Jul 15th, 2018 Topics: 13 Posts: 469 View Predictions]

#1203098790

Time for another genre category

Best Role-Playing Game

This category tends to reward Role-Playing games that focus on their genre. Games such as Assassin’s Creed Odyssey or Destiny 2 that are genre hybrids tend to go in Action or Action Adventure. However, there is some guesswork as games such as Monster Hunter World which have action elements can get nominated. I will use discretion here.

• The Outer Worlds: Obsidian is a cult RPG developer who had gotten screwed over by Bethesda. This is the singleplayer Fallout some want, and buzz has generally been positive
• Kingdom Hearts III: Square Enix is an RPG developer of note, this got good reviews and has a vocal fanbase. Also, it’s very pretty and you can summon Simba to fight anime bad guys.
• Pokemon Sword/Shield: While Pokemon is a big franchise, this is a low for public perception of the Pokemon games. Still, it’s Game Freak
• Indivisible: Long-awaited, this indie action RPG has a unique combat system with turn-based and real-time combo elements, a gorgeous artstyle, influences from mythologies, and an amazing soundtrack. Personally really looking forward to this one
• Disco Elysium: This seems like a very bizarre yet original RPG about a drunken detective. This has gotten cult buzz for years.
• Little Town Hero: Also made by Game Freak, but a smaller-scale and quirkier RPG with a soundtrack by Toby Fox
• Cube World: Inspired by Minecraft but with more RPG elements, this has been in a very long development yet maintained buzz and a loyal fanbase. Might be a breakout hit
• Dragon Quest Builders 2: The Dragon Quest series has been nominated before, and this is a combination of RPG elements and Minecraft. A trend is forming

My predictions are

– The Outer Worlds
– Kingdom Hearts III
– Pokemon Sword/Shield
– Indivisible
– Disco Elysium

• This reply was modified 4 weeks, 1 day ago by  Cordelia.
• This reply was modified 4 weeks, 1 day ago by  Cordelia.
• This reply was modified 4 weeks, 1 day ago by  Cordelia.
• This reply was modified 4 weeks, 1 day ago by  Cordelia.
• This reply was modified 4 weeks, 1 day ago by  Cordelia.

For Your Consideration:

Best Picture: Weathering With You, Parasite, The Lighthouse
Best Supporting Actor: Willem Dafoe - The Lighthouse
Best Animated Feature: Weathering With You, Promare
Best International Film: Weathering With You, Parasite

ReplyCopy URL

[CordeliaParticipant Joined: Jul 15th, 2018 Topics: 13 Posts: 469 View Predictions]

#1203099025

Another category? How about… Strategy

• Fire Emblem: Three Echoes – one of the most acclaimed games of the year, and Fire Emblem games have gotten nominations in this category before
• Total War: Three Kingdoms – Total war games also get a lot of nominations in this category
• Killer Queen Black – This is a 2D platformer 4v4 real time strategy game with multiple win conditions.
• Slay The Spire – I’m not sure what genre category this card-based roguelike goes under, so strategy it is. One of the most acclaimed games of the year.
• DOTA Auto Chess/Dota Underlords/Teamfight Tactics – the autobattler strategy subgenre had a breakout this year, and while I’m not sure if it will be recognised, at least one of these games might get in
• Imperator: Rome – Paradox games makes super elaborate, in depth strategy games. This isn’t as big a game in the same way as Crusader Kings II, but the name has clout.
• Anno 1800 – strategy game

I’m predicting

– Fire Emblem: Three Echoes

– Total War: Three Kingdoms

– Killer Queen Black

– Slay The Spire

– DOTA Underlords

For Your Consideration:

Best Picture: Weathering With You, Parasite, The Lighthouse
Best Supporting Actor: Willem Dafoe - The Lighthouse
Best Animated Feature: Weathering With You, Promare
Best International Film: Weathering With You, Parasite

ReplyCopy URL