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2012 Game of the Year Media Picks Thread

S

Spring-Loaded

Member
Derrick01 said:
It is certainly aggravating especially when it comes from the company who revels in making the most shallow games possible*.



*Yeah I know I picked walking dead as my goty but at least it has a pretty good story with good writing for video game standards.
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It's only aggravating when you have a staunch, specific preconception of what a video game is supposed to be before playing it.

When you just take each game as individual experiences and know others will value certain experiences differently than you will, it stops being such an annoyance.
 
taizuke

taizuke

Member
The only problem i have is with G4's is their GOTY. Borderlands 2. If this was staff voted i find it hard to believe. I'd believe it more if it was just Blair and Morgan's pick.
 
taizuke

taizuke

Member
Mo the Hawk said:
I played through the first 3 episodes of the Walking Dead and I just don't see what everyone else is seeing... I don't get invested in that story or those characters at all.
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Play it again sometime in the future when you've forgotten all about the hype. Don't play with any specific reason. Just play it.
 
S

Spring-Loaded

Member
SalsaShark said:
Its nice to read this since I somewhat agree with it (mh, RE4) at least from a gameplay standpoint and I always thought it was a really unpopular opinion, never thought id read something like that. Game just plays better than anything from a third person perspective ive ever played.
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I'd say it's easily the best "average-human TPS," but hard to compare to something like Vanquish since it goes for a completely different feel. It's like from that episode of Extra Credits about the West and the East's differing views of power (internal and external).

MP3 is more about being weak without a weapon, acquiring them and then being able to become a badass in spite of one's weakness. In Vanquish, the weapons are more an extension of the protagonist and power comes from withing/the suit which is always available.
 
C

Cheech

Member
Don'tBeWeird said:
It's my personal game of the generation and it's certainly one of the greatest video game achievements in modern history, at least in terms of artistic direction.
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That's what everyone said when similarly pretentious shitboxes like Flower and Pixeljunk Eden dropped.

I actually respect stuff like Plants vs. Zombies more, because it KNOWS it's a simpleton game, instead of pretending to be something else.

I am guessing that fans of Journey, Flower, and Pixeljunk Eden are all under the age of 25, because they are very reminiscent of interactive After Dark screen savers.
 
S

Spring-Loaded

Member
Cheech said:
That's what everyone said when similarly pretentious shitboxes like Flower and Pixeljunk Eden dropped.

I actually respect stuff like Plants vs. Zombies more, because it KNOWS it's a simpleton game, instead of pretending to be something else.

I am guessing that fans of Journey, Flower, and Pixeljunk Eden are all under the age of 25, because they are very reminiscent of interactive After Dark screen savers.
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Those games are simple, but not "simpleton games." Complexity and dialogue are not needed for a game to be good/engaging/whatever.

If you're more concerned with others' perception of a game's worth differing from your own than the game itself when it comes to GotY threads, step back and think about what you're really judging.
 
U

Uno Venova

Banned
Cheech said:
That's what everyone said when similarly pretentious shitboxes like Flower and Pixeljunk Eden dropped.

I actually respect stuff like Plants vs. Zombies more, because it KNOWS it's a simpleton game, instead of pretending to be something else.

I am guessing that fans of Journey, Flower, and Pixeljunk Eden are all under the age of 25, because they are very reminiscent of interactive After Dark screen savers.
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No I've never seen praise this high for Flower and Pixeljunk like there is for Journey. What is journey pretending to be?
 
D

Derrick01

Banned
upJTboogie said:
No I've never seen praise this high for Flower and Pixeljunk like there is for Journey. What is journey pretending to be?
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I still remember the pretentious jerk off party people had for Flower. Granted it wasn't quite to this level where it's actually a goty threat on here but it was pretty bad at the time. So many people were trying to convince everyone else that just floating around an empty space as a flower petal was some life altering experience. It was a shameful time on here.
 
S

Spring-Loaded

Member
Derrick01 said:
I still remember the pretentious jerk off party people had for Flower. Granted it wasn't quite to this level where it's actually a goty threat on here but it was pretty bad at the time. So many people were trying to convince everyone else that just floating around an empty space as a flower petal was some life altering experience. It was a shameful time on here.
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You're saying a type of gameplay is inherently bad. It's like lambasting a shooter for having lots of shooting in it. Did Flower not achieve what it was going for? Should we even bother discussing whether it's an award-bait kind of game?

It seems a waste of time essentially talking about our own opinions and acting like they're facts.
 
B

braves01

Banned
Clear said:
It's not ironic. What is ironic is that you are simply exhibiting your own foolishness by trying to call me out with such an easily and comprehensively dismissable retort.

"Thin and simplistic" doesn't simply refer to content, but to intent and outlook. Minimalism is not the same as simple absence of content. TGC were aiming a whole lot higher than creating what amounts to a simple score-attack experience!

That lofty ambition is worth celebrating, because creating a memorable, emotionally resonant, visually and aurally beautiful experience *that can be shared* is hard to achieve. That they achieved that goal for so many people within a wordless, text-free framework makes it even more laudable.
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Nothing like washing down delicious irony with big gulp of salty tears. Super Hexagon isn't simply minimalistic, it's downright rich in its minimalism. Super Hexagon is not score attack, it is the pursuit of transcendent Zen. It's a shame you can't see behind the numbers. And Super Hexagon's ambition is like 3x Journey's ambition.
 
Clear

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
braves01 said:
Nothing like washing down delicious irony with big gulp of salty tears. Super Hexagon isn't simply minimalistic, it's downright rich in its minimalism. Super Hexagon is not score attack, it is the pursuit of transcendent Zen. It's a shame you can't see behind the numbers. And Super Hexagon's ambition is like 3x Journey's ambition.
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LOL

Yeah.... right, and snake (the game) is metaphor for the self destructive nature of consumerism in capitalist democracy.

One of these two games actually does climax with an explicit, cathartic moment of transcendence, and its not the one you are a triangle trying to escape an endless spinning maze!

Like I said before, its cool for what it is, and I'm sure some will find it immensely compelling. But face the reality, just being compelling is not enough. Its an exercise in operant conditioning, its the equivalent of popping bubble-wrap. No fiction, no context, no social dimension, no purpose beyond its own repetition.

Describe to me a unique, memorable, moment that happened to you while playing.
 
Z

Zia

Member
Cheech said:
That's what everyone said when similarly pretentious shitboxes like Flower and Pixeljunk Eden dropped.

I actually respect stuff like Plants vs. Zombies more, because it KNOWS it's a simpleton game, instead of pretending to be something else.

I am guessing that fans of Journey, Flower, and Pixeljunk Eden are all under the age of 25, because they are very reminiscent of interactive After Dark screen savers.
Click to expand...

What a spew of useless diarrhea.
 
canedaddy

canedaddy

Member
Cheech said:
I am guessing that fans of Journey, Flower, and Pixeljunk Eden are all under the age of 25, because they are very reminiscent of interactive After Dark screen savers.
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Actually I think it's the opposite. It takes some maturity and life experience to appreciate the artistry of those games.
 
B

Bricky

Member
And to think I said The Walking Dead would probably be completely ignored as a GOTY-contender in its OT. Well done Telltale!
 
Vigilant Walrus

Vigilant Walrus

Member
Darknessbear said:
Eh?

This is a weird GOTY... seems to be all over the place. More proof this generation needs to die.
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Edge is not one person. Makes sense, when you think about it, for a list "to be all over the place".


I haven't played most of those games, but GW2 is my goty for sure. I am glad they are seeing it's co-operative brilliance.
 
E

Emwitus

Member
This is the first year in a long time where i literally haven't finished a single game that came out....and i don't intend to. Wow, next gen can't come soon enough. It was a good year for fans of fps' tho.

EDIT: Might check out the walking dead...that came out of nowhere.
 
Vigilant Walrus

Vigilant Walrus

Member
krYlon said:
Edge has always championed strong gameplay mechanics over art/story/emotional experiences.
I'm quite surprised they've showered so much praise over Journey and The Walking Dead. It's not really like them.
In the past they've made it clear that they want the medium to have its own identity and that only through well crafted gameplay can the medium distinguish itself from the likes of cinema and the visual arts.
I don't know why they use "interactive entertainment" as a descriptor for games. It's pretty vague and seems to be at odds with their usually narrow view.

Also I think you are being very dismissive of Super Hexagon, it is a beautiful and well crafted game in its own right. Just in a more abstract way than Journey.
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I think it's exactly like Edge to that. If they get political it will be over some rant that movie/tv-tie-ins can work in unity or that the players "demand" a ressurection of adventure games. They will def sing a song on that one.



As for Journey. It's like their praise for Nights, Rez, all those experiences. And they will be cost sensitive too. The sthick will be something akin to you can't get such an emotional adventure thrill for merely 10 quid.
 
R

REV 09

Member
TWD was just ok imo. The story was solid, and the writing was good. The gameplay mechanics were poor though; the pacing was off; and the choices were fake...i don't just think it's GOTY material, especially since the game parts aren't particularly good.
 
D

Derrick01

Banned
Walking Dead is beasting everything else. Could this be the first year the media has more sense than Gaf? Guess we'll have to wait and see what we pick first.
 
D

Dr.Hadji

Member
Derrick01 said:
Walking Dead is beasting everything else. Could this be the first year the media has more sense than Gaf? Guess we'll have to wait and see what we pick first.
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If GAF actually picks something that is at least equal parts gameplay and "other" then we'll have more sense than the media for sure.
 
C

Cheech

Member
canedaddy said:
Actually I think it's the opposite. It takes some maturity and life experience to appreciate the artistry of those games.
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Tagg9 said:
Certainly. If it was decided by all under-25s Call of Duty would win every year.
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No, you're thinking of teenagers. There is a specific age range from 20-25 where people think they are just brilliant, and are capable of appreciating the finer things in life. They aren't. They see something like Journey, think "How avant-garde", like by the virtue of the fact it's different than the norm it is somehow brilliant. Journey is a simple trifle in a rich facade.

Zia said:
What a spew of useless diarrhea.
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"Sent from my iPad"


Goldenroad said:
I wonder if Journey would have won a lot more of these if it didn't come out so early in the year? No matter. Still my GOTY.
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Journey would have won a lot more awards if the only games on the market were on iOS or Android.
 
Clear

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
krYlon said:
Edge has always championed strong gameplay mechanics over art/story/emotional experiences.

I'm quite surprised they've showered so much praise over Journey and The Walking Dead. It's not really like them.
In the past they've made it clear that they want the medium to have its own identity and that only through well crafted gameplay can the medium distinguish itself from the likes of cinema and the visual arts.
I don't know why they use "interactive entertainment" as a descriptor for games. It's pretty vague and seems to be at odds with their usually narrow view.

Also I think you are being very dismissive of Super Hexagon, it is a beautiful and well crafted game in its own right. Just in a more abstract way than Journey.
Click to expand...

Sorry I somehow missed this post which I pretty much agree with.

EDGE, far from looking to the future, are in fact mired in gaming's past, specifically a narrow definition and set of standards for what gaming *is supposed to be*. Its a retarded, atrophied view that in my opinion needs to be smashed, brushed away, and binned.

For the record I have nothing against Super Hexagon, but its a game that could have been made 10, maybe 20 years ago. Its in no way an examplar of what "games could be", which is important as we should be celebrating progression and innovation in the medium above all else.
 
D

Derrick01

Banned
REV 09 said:
Gaf is picking TWD too.
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I dunno Journey was doing really good too.

Dr.Hadji said:
If GAF actually picks something that is at least equal parts gameplay and "other" then we'll have more sense than the media for sure.
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So you'll be ok with something as brain dead as ME3 or some other bad AAA game like Halo or AC3 winning just because it has "gameplay"? Even if the gameplay is considered horrible and requires no brain power to use.
 
Z

Zissou

Member
Derrick01 said:
I dunno Journey was doing really good too.



So you'll be ok with something as brain dead as ME3 or some other bad AAA game like Halo or AC3 winning just because it has "gameplay"? Even if the gameplay is considered horrible and requires no brain power to use.
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It'd be cool if something like FTL won. I detest adventure games (barely think they're even games), so I'd prefer almost anything else beat Walking Dead. GAF GoTYs are hit or miss- for every Portal 2, there's a MGS4.
 
R

REV 09

Member
Derrick01 said:
I dunno Journey was doing really good too.



So you'll be ok with something as brain dead as ME3 or some other bad AAA game like Halo or AC3 winning just because it has "gameplay"? Even if the gameplay is considered horrible and requires no brain power to use.
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Halo and ME3 have horrible gameplay? you do realize that you have a Deus Ex avatar right???....actually, now i see why you like TWD. : P
 
D

Derrick01

Banned
REV 09 said:
Halo and ME3 have horrible gameplay? you do realize that you have a Deus Ex avatar right???....actually, now i see why you like TWD. : P
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ME3 is just moving in a straight line the whole time holding the trigger down. Very little do you have to actually use tactics on anything but the hardest difficulty.

And let's not play the avatar game here. You don't want to have those 2 games go up against Deus Ex 1 in the gameplay and level design department.
 
M

Mifune

Mehmber
Cheech said:
I am guessing that fans of Journey, Flower, and Pixeljunk Eden are all under the age of 25, because they are very reminiscent of interactive After Dark screen savers.
Click to expand...

36 here and I love all three. Oh, and Eden is a really challenging gamey game. So take your generalizations and, well...
 
LightofRohan

LightofRohan

Member
Vigilant Walrus said:
Edge is not one person. Makes sense, when you think about it, for a list "to be all over the place".


I haven't played most of those games, but GW2 is my goty for sure. I am glad they are seeing it's co-operative brilliance.
Click to expand...

I don't remember what my point was, but it was in context to ALL the GOTY's this year. I'm used to seeing 1-3 games being the constant winners and everyone in the media agree's upon one thing. This year, every game seemed to have equal hates/loves. It feels like gamers are all over the place with what they like and are constantly being disappointed and bored w/ the rehashes of IP's. A new generation refreshes the industry and puts everyone on a clean start, so expectations can be in check. Just a theory.
 
M

Mifune

Mehmber
Darknessbear said:
I don't remember what my point was, but it was in context to ALL the GOTY's this year. I'm used to seeing 1-3 games being the constant winners and everyone in the media agree's upon one thing. This year, every game seemed to have equal hates/loves. It feels like gamers are all over the place with what they like and are constantly being disappointed and bored w/ the rehashes of IP's. A new generation refreshes the industry and puts everyone on a clean start, so expectations can be in check. Just a theory.
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How is the media not agreeing on one game of the year a BAD thing?
 
D

Dictator93

Member
Journey and the walking dead winning kind of blow my mind. Games...
The keyword is games...
I think Journey looks really nice and has an interesting idea for multiplayer, but its game mechanics seem... lacking. I found myself having trouble wanting to go further in the game even though it looked really pretty.
 
I

ItWasMeantToBe19

Banned
The Walking Dead winning a lot of awards is alright with me, but it's kind of strange for it to be winning so easily. The puzzles are pretty terrible in the game and while the writing is very good, it's not really better than Spec Ops' writing and has some weaknesses. Game was great, but I'm not sure it was great enough to dominate the awards over other worthy games.
 
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