Game of the Year 2008 - Predictable as ever.

Originally, my plan for this blog was to let me express my thoughts/feelings and personal opinion of manga, anime, but as getting the right motivation and rhythm of writing isn't coming easily for me, i'm gonna go off on a tangent here, just so i can get my footing.

As i expect a lot of gamers are well aware, at the end of each year most gaming sites/magazines and whatnot will set up their own Game of the Year awards, and as you'd expect, they all turned out. I was looking forward to these awards somewhat as well, what with a huge selection of amazing games this year, The World Ends With You, Persona 4, Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Little Big Planet, you name it...yet one title out of all of them stood above them, and to be honest, i don't think it should have for many reasons, that title is Grand Theft Auto IV.

As i have always done, though i wonder why, i read through GameSpots Game of the Year section, and surprise surprise, GTA IV didn't just take Game of the Year 2k8, it took 360 game of the year and PS3 game of the year. Obviously they are entitled to their own opinions, but this got me somewhat miffed. Now, before i go on, i should say i have never played GTA IV, and i honestly don't intend to go out and get it unless i see it going dirt cheap, but i cannot see it being that brilliant. Anyway, next i took a look into Gametrailers, hoping for something more, and there was more, some of the categories where good, and somewhat different too, but when it came down to the big three again, 360 PS3 and GotY, guess what took it? Yeap, you guessed it, GTA IV. Seeing a pattern here? Out of all those three categories, the only one i can see it deserving of even a spot in the nominations is the overall GotY. Now, i don't know about you, but usually when you get console specific awards, you'd want more exclusive games to take the spotlight, and sure enough the likes of LBP, Gears of War 2, Fable 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4 where all in the nominations, but a game which is not console exclusive took the top spot. I honestly think they should at least consider the fact that its going to be on other consoles and should let the games for specific consoles take priority, but instead they chose not too. You can probably tell but i'm sighing here, it is fairly pathetic.
Thankfully though, i took a look through IGN's awards, and even though the overall GotY is still to be announced, i'm certain its going to be far more harder to call than other wannabe gaming sites attempts at awards. PS3's award went to MGS4, in a way, though i don't own a PS3, i think thats quite rightly so too, that, LBP or Valkyria Chronicles from what i saw. Xbox's did go to Fallout 3 however, again one which is on various formats, but at least from what i've heard its decent. My only hope now is that the GotY is taken by something deserved of the spot, The World Ends With You, or Persona 4 are the main two that spring to mind.

I realise i've only really gone on about three different awards really, i guess i just wanted to get my point over about GTA IV, and how its a pain seeing the name plastered on every other site you see(gaming wise). The other awards for other consoles where a tad better, though i won't go and mention GameSpots stuff again, since it was fairly bad anyways. The likes of Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia did win for DS on Gtrailers, and World Ends With You(woo!) on IGN, PSP had Patapon and Crisis core(i need to double check this one), PC had Sins of a Solar Empire on both, the Wii, which i nearly forgot, had Smash Brothers Brawl and World of Goo, and the only PS2 one i saw i think had Guitar Hero win it. Not to bad overall there, but i just wish that sometimes there was a bit more variation with what wins it, and i bet a lot of others feel the same as well. I do have a line up which i could see being good for Game of the Year, so guess i'll call it:

Arby's Game of the Year Nominations

The World Ends With You - Nintendo DS
Persona 4 - Playstation 2
Little Big Planet - Playstation 3
Gears of War 2 - Xbox 360
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - PSP

I've only really added one from each major console, that i've played, and in a way gives a lot more variety as well. Of course, no GTA IV, as you'd hope, so its a lot more open to who wins. Next Year i expect a similar set of results from gaming sites, super supposedly awesome game A wins all awards it can be in, leaving games which deserve a chance of winning left to rot, and the rants start again.
I guess if i where to even guess what could happen with whats out now, Resident Evil 5 may take a couple, as could Street Fighter 4. Halo Wars as well which is due out next month, but bar that i don't really know what else at the moment, only time will really tell.