The finalists have been announced for this year’s Independent Games Festival awards. There were more entries than ever this year. Over 300 titles were submitted for the main competition. Even more intriguing is the new Nuovo award, which “hono[u]r[s] abstract, shortform, and unconventional game development which advances the medium and the way we think about games.”
Which is all kinds of cool. Finally recognition that a ‘game’ doesn’t have to involve rocket launchers and high tech killings to be appreciated…
However, the award categories and finalists (which you really should check out, there are links to all of ‘em) are for the most part the usual areas you expect – technical excellence, design, audio, etc. Which made me wonder – where’s the fun?
Not one videogame award currently exists which rewards the sheer, unadulterated enjoyment and pleasure – you know the FUN you get from a game. Critic’s Choice, Game Of The Year and various grand prizes are there, but it seems odd that not one competition rewards the cracking entertainment and pleasure you get from a game.
Are we taking things too seriously, or have we uncovered a gaping hole in the interactive entertainment world’s self-congratulatory back slapping?
- Brian (@flackboy)
I would say that just about every “best game” award is primarily concerned with how fun a game is. You don’t see awards for “most enjoyable movie” either but you can take it as implied in many cases. Does it really need spelling out? Of course games are fun, every judge who has ever picked out a GoTY understands that.