The Game Awards, organized by Geoff Keighley, is the leading event in the video game industry that recognizes outstanding titles each year across various categories such as best direction and best game. The 2023 edition is scheduled for December 7, and here’s how the awards selection process works worldwide.
The specified games
Specialized sources worldwide nominate five games for each category at The Game Awards.
After all chosen vehicles submit their votes, the event hosts review the top 5 most voted titles in each category to create the final list of nominees. In recent editions, The Game Awards has typically listed six nominees for the best game of the year category.
The vote for the top choice of the year
The vote is the key aspect, leading to controversies over the deserving nominees or winners. The voting system allows for such debates to arise naturally.
Once the nominees are disclosed, selected vehicles worldwide are provided with the final voting list. It is crucial to note that regardless of the number of reviewers on the team, each vehicle carries equal importance in every category. For instance, if one submission is assessed by 10 editors and another by 5, both vehicles will have a single vote per category, as the evaluation considers votes per vehicle rather than per individual.
After receiving the list of nominees, the publications of each vehicle convene to determine the titles they will vote for. This internal process allows each publication to apply its own criteria.
The most well-liked games have a built-in edge.
The Game Awards tend to favor popular games over niche ones, potentially disadvantaging high-quality niche games from competing for the top prize.
In a group of 10 writers, a game with wider appeal is more likely to have been played by 9 members, while a niche game may have only been experienced by 5 reviewers. This means that popular games are more likely to receive votes, even if lesser-known titles may be of higher quality. The popularity of the genre, franchise, or console significantly influences the selection of winners in each category.
The voting power of the players
The Game Awards lets the audience vote on their website, but players have a limited role in deciding the best game of the year. In the main category, public voting only influences about 10% of the final decision, which means player votes have a limited impact on determining the winner.
