The Problem with the Game Awards
Identity Problem
Before the 2023 Game Awards, I wrote an article examining their impact on the gaming landscape. I concluded that they had a way to go to be like the Oscars of gaming but that they were the closest thing to gaming’s Oscars. I also pointed out that I felt a lot of the hate for Geoff was unwarranted, in my opinion. Since this year’s event, I had time to think more about it and how people reacted to the show. After thinking and seeing other people’s thoughts, I have concluded that the show has an identity problem.
The Creator
First, I wanted to take some time to look at the “creator” of the show – Geoff Keighley. I knew Geoff was a somewhat polarizing figure with a lot of hardcore gamers (as in the gamers that follow the industry and its news, not the casual consumer that mostly buys the games without following the news), but after the event, I was surprised to see how many almost had a deep near hatred for him. My opinion of Geoff as a person hasn’t wavered. I still believe he has a passion for the industry and really wants to help push it forward and celebrate it. But I can’t ignore why people have the views they have of Geoff.
I’ve seen this before as a long-time wrestling fan. Without getting too in-depth into it, wrestling fans have an issue where they can’t tell the difference between what hardcore fans think and what the normal casual viewer thinks. Because of this, they are extremely vocal and tend to live in their own bubble. This has led in the past to weird moments of crowds (which tend to be mostly hardcore fans) booing a wrestler, yet that wrestler gets big merchandise numbers and is backed by casuals. And for those who do follow wrestling, I’m talking about John Cena at his peak and Roman Reigns when the company pushed him as their top star. I think, in some ways, this is going on with Geoff. I think a lot of the gamers who follow the news and are in tune with everything going on in the industry have developed a dislike of him. Geoff has become their symbol of what they don’t like in the industry, much the same way in the past; some wrestlers became that for fans frustrated with WWE.
Many see Geoff as an industry phony who wants to pump out ads to line his pockets and get Hollywood celebrities. I’ve even seen this criticism go towards Geoff’s industry friends, like the legendary game designer Hideo Kojima. To be frank, I can see why people have those opinions. Much of what Geoff does looks bad to many gamers, and it feels like he’s more obsessed with Hollywood than the video game industry. I think that’s a fair criticism of Geoff and the awards themselves. Now, I personally don’t mind Hollywood showing up in the awards because I’m sure some celebrities do play video games, and also, there is more involvement of Hollywood in the industry. And yes, I will defend the Gonzo segment because I love the Muppets. However, I do understand that people want to see Geoff give props to the developers and focus more on the faces of the industry rather than try to look “cool” and have Hollywood make a stop.
I still personally have no issue with Geoff Keighley. I maintain that I think he has a passion for the gaming industry and wants to be a part of pushing to new heights. I think Geoff needs someone to talk to him about how to make his events less Hollywood and more about developers and games. I will say that Geoff does listen more than people think. He’s really active on social media and is looking for significant feedback. Even if he doesn’t always seem to take that feedback, at least he is listening. All I can do is hope Geoff understands the issues people have with the show and isn’t afraid to ask for help.
The Show
The 2023 Game Awards was a weird event for me. This was the first year I followed the event, focusing more on the awards than the reveals (since I started this newsletter). However, this felt like a show that was much less about awards and more about being a Winter E3 (R.I.P E3). This isn’t new for those who paid attention in the past. The Game Awards have had issues with rushing through awards before, but it especially showed this year because of the controversial 30+ second rule for the winners’ speeches. A bunch of videos of live attendees popped up, showing the “wrap it up” screen, accompanied by music.
I believe this was due to Christopher Judge’s ridiculously long speech last year, and Geoff overreacted. I agree Judge shouldn’t have taken as long as he did, but 30+ seconds is just too short, in my opinion. It doesn’t look good when you’re telling the GAME OF THE YEAR winner to wrap it up as they shout out a member of the team who passed away. The winners and their short speeches weren’t the only thing, however.
Geoff rushed through a bunch of awards. It also seemed inconsistent on what awards felt like the big ones. I’ve seen Geoff rush through Best Action Adventure Game in the past, but they made it a big deal this year. You have categories like Best Indie Game, and it’s just quickly passed over. So, a game like Sea of Stars couldn’t have a true moment on stage. In a year as packed as 2023, this was the year to celebrate the games over the reveals truly. Sure, don’t get me wrong, the reveals were really nice this year, but this is an awards show – at least I thought it was.
The Main Problem
This all leads to what I really believe is the main issue with The Game Awards. This show has an identity crisis. It wants to be the Oscars of gaming and a Winter E3, with the Winter E3 being what it mostly wants to be. Geoff is going to have to choose if he wants this to be a true awards show about the developers or another video game reveal show. Some have suggested making the event a 2-day affair, with a show about reveals and then a show about recognizing the games of that year. I would definitely back this, as it’s similar to what WWE does during WrestleMania weekend with the Hall of Fame and the event itself. But that will ultimately be up to Geoff.
The main issue is that this event got 118 million viewers, and there are millions of casual everyday consumers who seem to love the event the way it is. Also, the industry seems to have embraced the show as they all show up to the show dressed in their Sunday best, and they’ve silently crowned The Game Awards as their Oscars. It’s hard for Geoff to take criticism when he’s getting that type of audience, industry media personalities, and more showing up to the show.
The only advice I would give anyone right now is to understand that the Game Awards may never change. You can keep up your criticism and maybe even decide not to watch, but it’s more than likely the show’s formula doesn’t go anywhere. I’ve seen people point to the DICE Awards and others as substitutes for the Game Awards. The problem is, those other awards don’t have the footprint that Geoff’s show has. Ultimately, listen to other voices until the Game Awards change or a better alternative comes along. Gaming media is expanding thanks to content creation, and other creators will have their own personal awards and recognition for games. You, the reader, have your own awards and games you’ll remember in 2023. Use social media to tell your favorite developers and games how you feel. That’s what I’m going to be doing.