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Sea of Thieves is GamesIndustry.biz's first GOTY pick in their list for 2019. 'Year-end lists should be more like the Emmys and less like the Oscars'

ghostcrew

ghostcrew

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Oct 27, 2017
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So here's an interesting pick. Gameindustry.biz have started listing their GOTY awards and their first pick is Sea of Thives... originally released in April 2018.

Many AAA developers have stopped making blockbuster interactive movies and are now creating blockbuster interactive TV shows instead. And with that in mind, shouldn't our awards and year-end lists be more like the Emmys and less like the Oscars? If Game of Thrones can win awards every year, why can't Pokémon Go? Or Fortnite? Or GTA Online? Or Rainbow Six? Well, we make our own rules here, so my game of 2019 is the same as my game of 2018: Sea of Thieves.
The first year of Sea of Thieves started slowly but with promise, and ended strongly. The main early criticism of the game at the time was that it was a 'Sea of No Content,' with not a great deal to do after the first few hours of finding treasure, killing skeletons and battling at forts.
That wasn't true by the end of the year, and certainly isn't true in 2019. In March, Rare released its Anniversary Update, giving the game an excellent competitive multiplayer mode, a creepy pirate story and a whole fishing sub-game that might just be the best fishing mode ever made.
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More at the link: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-12-15-game-of-the-year-2019-sea-of-thieves

The Emmy question is a discussion for sure. In the past I've been pretty adament about not included remasters, ports or games originally released outside of the current year in my lists. But am I wrong? Era itself allowed Fortnite to be chosen for our GOTY list last year despite the game originally releasing in 2017. Red Dead Redemption 2 has already picked up a GOTY award this year for it's recent PC port despite being a 2018 release. Beat Saber has had representation at more than one awards list that I've seen - again, including TGA - depite originally releasing on PC in 2018. It's only the PS4 port that came out this year.

I think I'm still on the side of only picking games that released in 2019 to be honest but maybe I'm just a traditionalist. If a game receieved significant new content and updates in a chosen year and subsiquently became the game you enjoyed most that year - could that not be your GOTY?

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Cyberclops

Cyberclops

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Mar 15, 2019
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I mean, it won't win so I don't see the problem (I like Sea of Thieves btw)

Edit: My bad, I thought this was a nomination (was a pretty bad hot take anyway)
 
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Dr. Mario

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Oct 27, 2017
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I think it kind of makes sense, but the problem is that games don't neatly correspond to seasons like in the Emmy's. They'd have to specifically limit it to this year in Fortnite, and not the stuff that was added before.
 
Niosai

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Oct 28, 2017
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I enjoy GOTY lists that are different. If I'm ever in a position of being influential in journalism, I'd do a traditional GOTY list and a personal one that includes just whatever I played this year that I enjoyed most.
 
Robin64

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It's honestly amazing how much better (and quite frankly, different) it is now compared to launch.

For anyone yet to dive in, now is an ideal time.

They've added a Maiden Voyage (that should've been there since launch, to be honest) which is a solo adventure that has you learning all the ropes and sailing into the Sea of Thieves itself. And for December, we are getting various different bonuses each day, ideal for new players.
 
SuikerBrood

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Jan 21, 2018
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Sea of Thieves is still my go to game when I play with my friends.

The industry has a problem with reviewing and appreciating service games, episodic games, etc.
 
Damn Silly

Damn Silly

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Oct 25, 2017
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It's certainly an interesting argument in the age of service games. I think I'd still be on the side of picking games released that calendar year, but that's probably because I don't play a whole lot of those types of games.

Can't begrudge SoT winning one if that's how they're going to do it though, that game seems to have come on leaps and bounds.
 

Deleted member 2254

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I mean, I see the logic. In the end the game I spent most time on this year is Rocket League, so in some ways it's my GOTY 2019. The industry yet has to adapt to games evolving over time, because unlike a movie, a book or a music album it changes constantly. Siege, Sea Of Thieves, Rocket League, Fortnite: these games 2 years ago were a completely different beast from what they are today, and as such they can't be put under the same umbrella.
 
Gundam

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The logic is sound. I suppose that's why "Best Continued Support" is a category for some outlets.

I don't see a problem with it, but I also do my personal GOTYs in terms of whatever I played for the first time that year, regardless of release date.

I think Classic Game Room did it like that, but I stopped watching in 2010 or so.
 
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ghostcrew

ghostcrew

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Niosai said:
I enjoy GOTY lists that are different. If I'm ever in a position of being influential in journalism, I'd do a traditional GOTY list and a personal one that includes just whatever I played this year that I enjoyed most.
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Giant Bomb do this and I love it. There's a weeks worth of painful group deliberations for the site GOTY list but they also all do a personal top 10 list. They're usually super different.
 
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ghostcrew

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TechnicPuppet said:
I really need to give it another go. I just really like menus and GUIs and can't get my head round it.
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There's never been a better time than now for sure. Play the new 'Maiden Voyage' (it's a new single player only tutorial island that teachs you everything you need to now - get into it via the main menu if you already have a save. Hit x on controller or 1 on keyboard to get in) and then investigate the Tall Tales story campaign that they added in the Anniversary Update.
 
kiguel182

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Oct 31, 2017
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This is actually a pretty cool idea.

Given how games are evolving more and more each year I think it makes some sense.

Maybe you can have a GOTY where games that are more standalone and games that are more always changing can compete.
 
KORNdog

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i think games need to be re-reviewed on a yearly basis for this to work. as it stands this is still a 2018 release. it's not a valid choice for 2019 GOTY lists imo. there's also the argument that it should have been at this level when it first released, instead of rushed out with no content...there's lots of ways to look at it and i think it's just simpler to stick with nominations being from the year in questions.
 
Lant_War

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KORNdog said:
i think games need to be re-reviewed on a yearly basis for this to work. as it stands this is still a 2018 release. it's not a valid choice for 2019 GOTY lists imo. there's also the argument that it should have been at this level when it first released, instead of rushed out with no content...there's lots of ways to look at it and i think it's just simpler to stick with nominations being from the year in questions.
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There's not enough reviewers to yearly re-review all service games
 
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ghostcrew

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I think there's maybe a perception difference between games that get full paid expansions and games that get similar updates but via a free title update.

I don't think many would scoff at the idea of FFXIV Shadowbringers or Destiny 2 Shadowkeep getting a GOTY nomination. Sea of Thieves had a 10-20 hour story campaign expansion and a whole new PvP mode this year (on top of everything else added) but it was added via free title updates. Is that method looked at differently? If the Anniversary update was added as a $40 expansion would we feel more ok with it?
 

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BladeRunner2099

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ghostcrew said:
So here's an interesting pick. Gameindustry.biz have started listing their GOTY awards and their first pick is Sea of Thives... originally released in April 2018.



More at the link: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-12-15-game-of-the-year-2019-sea-of-thieves

The Emmy question is a discussion for sure. In the past I've been pretty adament about not included remasters, ports or games originally released outside of the current year in my lists. But am I wrong? Era itself allowed Fortnite to be chosen for our GOTY list last year despite the game originally releasing in 2017. Red Dead Redemption 2 has already picked up a GOTY award this year for it's recent PC port despite being a 2018 release. Beat Saber has had representation at more than one awards list that I've seen - again, including TGA - depite originally releasing on PC in 2018. It's only the PS4 port that came out this year.

I think I'm still on the side of only picking games that released in 2019 to be honest but maybe I'm just a traditionalist. If a game receieved significant new content and updates in a chosen year and subsiquently became the game you enjoyed most that year - could that not be your GOTY?

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Good choice, the game is miles ahead of where it was when it launched. The Tall Tales is easily the most fun I've had in an Xbox game for a while.

I would also nominate No Man's Sky.
 
Launchpad

Launchpad

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Oct 26, 2017
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PlayBee said:
How many TV shows redeem themselves in the second season?
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I mean, most of them? A tad hyberbole but tons of shows start off whatever and then become amazing from season 2 onwards.

OT: I think this is a good idea. Video games are now an evolving medium and they should be recognised for that. I play a ton of games that came out years ago but are constantly improving.
 
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