The Game Awards (TGA) is an annual award show honoring achievements in the video game industry. Established in 2014, TGA recognizes excellence in game development, design, performance, and more.
History
The first TGA ceremony was held on December 5, 2014, at The AXIS in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was hosted by Geoff Keighley, a renowned video game journalist and producer. Since then, TGA has become one of the most prestigious events in the gaming calendar.
Categories
TGA awards encompass a wide range of categories across various platforms and genres. Key categories include:
- Game of the Year: Recognizes the most outstanding game overall.
- Best Game Direction: Honors卓越 in game design and execution.
- Best Narrative: Awards games with compelling storylines and character development.
- Best Action Game: Celebrates games featuring thrilling and engaging action sequences.
- Best RPG: Recognizes role-playing games with immersive worlds and engaging gameplay.
Jury and Nominees
A jury composed of industry professionals, including developers, journalists, and players, nominates and selects the winners. Nominees are announced several weeks before the ceremony, generating significant anticipation within the gaming community.
Impact
TGA has a significant impact on the video game industry by:
- Recognizing Excellence: The awards showcase the best and most innovative games, inspiring developers to push boundaries.
- Promoting Innovation: TGA encourages creativity and experimentation by rewarding groundbreaking games.
- Building Community: The event brings together gamers, developers, and industry professionals from around the world.
Notable Winners
Over the years, TGA has awarded numerous notable games, including:
Year | Game of the Year |
---|---|
2014 | Dragon Age: Inquisition |
2015 | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt |
2016 | Overwatch |
2017 | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild |
2018 | God of War |
2019 | Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice |
2020 | The Last of Us Part II |
2021 | It Takes Two |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: When is TGA held?
A: TGA is typically held in December of each year.
Q: Who hosts TGA?
A: Geoff Keighley hosts TGA.
Q: How can I watch TGA?
A: TGA is broadcast live on various streaming platforms and on YouTube.
Q: Can I vote for TGA nominees?
A: No, the jury selects the nominees and winners.
Q: What is the purpose of TGA?
A: TGA aims to celebrate the achievements of the video game industry and inspire innovation.
The Game Awards 2023
The Game Awards 2023 was held on December 8, 2023, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. The show was hosted by Geoff Keighley and featured a variety of awards, performances, and announcements.
One of the biggest stories of the night was the announcement of Hades II, a sequel to the award-winning roguelike Hades. The game was developed by Supergiant Games and is expected to release in 2024.
Another major announcement was the reveal of Death Stranding 2, the sequel to Hideo Kojima’s 2019 action-adventure game. The game is still in development, but a trailer was shown at the show that gave fans a glimpse of what to expect.
In addition to the announcements, there were also a number of awards given out. The Game of the Year award went to Elden Ring, the critically acclaimed action RPG developed by FromSoftware.
Other winners included:
- Best Game Direction: Elden Ring
- Best Art Direction: Elden Ring
- Best Narrative: God of War Ragnarök
- Best Performance: Christopher Judge for God of War Ragnarök
- Best Score and Music: God of War Ragnarök
- Best Action Game: Bayonetta 3
- Best RPG: Elden Ring
- Best Fighting Game: MultiVersus
- Best Family Game: Kirby and the Forgotten Land
- Best Esports Game: Valorant
- Best Mobile Game: Apex Legends Mobile
The show also featured a number of performances, including a live performance of the Elden Ring theme song by the Budapest Film Orchestra and a performance of the God of War Ragnarök theme song by Hozier.
Overall, The Game Awards 2023 was a successful event that celebrated the best of the video game industry.
The Game Awards Nominees
-
Game of the Year:
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarök
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Stray
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
-
Best Game Direction:
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarök
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Immortality
- Tunic
-
Best Narrative:
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarök
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Immortality
- Telling Lies 2
The Game Awards Winners
The Game Awards 2022 honored the best in video games from the past year. The big winners of the night were:
- Game of the Year: Elden Ring
- Game of the Year for Mobile: Genshin Impact
- Best Action Game: Bayonetta 3
- Best Role-Playing Game: Elden Ring
- Best Fighting Game: MultiVersus
- Best Simulation/Strategy Game: Marvel Snap
- Best Sports/Racing Game: Gran Turismo 7
- Best Family Game: Kirby and the Forgotten Land
- Best Independent Game: Tunic
- Best Performance in a Video Game: Christopher Judge (God of War Ragnarök)
The Game Awards Live Stream
The 2022 Game Awards live stream featured various announcements, awards, and performances. Key highlights include:
- Game of the Year: Elden Ring
- Best Game Direction: Elden Ring
- Best Action Game: Bayonetta 3
- Best RPG: Elden Ring
- Best Multiplayer Game: Splatoon 3
- Most Anticipated Game: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- New Gameplay Reveals: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Immortals Fenyx Rising 2, Street Fighter 6
- DLC Announcements: Death Stranding 2, Diablo IV
- Industry Insights: Interviews with developers and industry figures
- Musical Performances: Hozier, Bear McCreary, and The Game Awards Orchestra
The Game Awards Date
The Game Awards will return on December 8, 2023, hosted by Geoff Keighley. The event will once again be held in Los Angeles, California, and will feature a variety of awards honoring the best games of the year, as well as world premieres and special guests.
The Game Awards Predictions
The Game Awards 2022 is scheduled to take place on December 8th, 2022. Here are some predictions for the major award categories:
-
Game of the Year:
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarok
- Horizon Forbidden West
-
Best Game Direction:
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarok
- Horizon Forbidden West
-
Best Narrative:
- God of War Ragnarok
- Elden Ring
- The Quarry
-
Best Art Direction:
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarok
- Horizon Forbidden West
-
Best Score and Music:
- God of War Ragnarok
- Elden Ring
- Horizon Forbidden West
-
Best Performance:
- Christopher Judge (Kratos in God of War Ragnarok)
- Michelle Yeoh (Evelyn Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once)
- Ashley Johnson (Ellie in The Last of Us Part I)
-
Game of the Year for Mobile:
- Genshin Impact
- Diablo Immortal
- Apex Legends Mobile
-
Best Independent Game:
- Stray
- Tunic
- Vampire Survivors
-
Best Multiplayer Game:
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
- Overwatch 2
- Apex Legends
The Game Awards Odds
God of War Ragnarok: Leading favorite, with odds of 1/2
Elden Ring: Close second, with odds of 13/8
Stray: Dark horse contender, with odds of 12/1
Horizon Forbidden West: Long shot, with odds of 18/1
Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Outsider, with odds of 20/1
The Game Awards Voting
The Game Awards voting system is a two-step process involving juries and public voting.
-
Juries:
- A jury of industry professionals (developers, journalists, and influencers) nominates games in various categories.
- The nominated games are then voted upon by the jury to determine the final five nominees.
-
Public Voting:
- The final five nominees in each category are voted upon by the public through the official Game Awards website and social media channels.
- Fans can vote once per category.
- The public vote constitutes 90% of the final count, while the jury vote accounts for the remaining 10%.
The voting period typically spans several weeks, allowing fans ample time to cast their votes. The results of the public vote are combined with the jury vote to determine the winners, who are announced during The Game Awards ceremony.
The Game Awards History
The Game Awards began in 2014 as a rival to the Golden Joystick Awards, which had been the most prestigious video game awards ceremony for over 30 years. The Game Awards were founded by Geoff Keighley, a veteran video game journalist who had previously hosted the Spike Video Game Awards.
The first Game Awards ceremony was held on December 5, 2014, at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. The ceremony was attended by over 2,000 guests and was broadcast live on Spike TV. The Game Awards quickly became one of the most popular video game awards ceremonies in the world, and has been held annually ever since.
Over the years, The Game Awards have honored some of the biggest names in the video game industry, including Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and Rockstar Games. The ceremony has also featured performances by some of the biggest names in music, including Imagine Dragons, The Killers, and Skrillex.
In 2021, The Game Awards was renamed The Golden Joystick Awards, after the long-running video game awards ceremony of the same name. The ceremony was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was hosted by Keighley from his home.
The Game Awards is now one of the most prestigious video game awards ceremonies in the world, and is widely regarded as the Oscars of the video game industry.