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Why can't a handheld game win Overall Game of the Year?

T

Tripon

Member
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Game_of_the_Year_awards

I'm currently playing Zelda, A Link Between Worlds. Fantastic game, just about the game any fan of Zelda could ask for, its certainly getting Game of the Year consideration, but... Its simply not going to win any overall Game of the Year awards, and that's just a shame. It doesn't seem that any handheld title can win Overall Game of the Year.

I was looking though Wikipedia's game of the year awards because I was trying to remember when the last time it happened. I'm sure Wikipedia's list isn't encompassing everyone in the gaming media, but the only organizations to have a handheld title as Game of the Year is Edge all the way back in 1987 with Tetris, and that doesn't even count because while Tetris helped kickstart the Gameboy, Tetris on the game boy didn't come out until 1989 when the system launched.

The only other instances is the readers poll for Famitsu where they list several gems like Pokemon Diamond and Pearl in 2006, Monster Hunter Portable 2nd in 2007, 2nd G in 2008, DQ IX in 2009, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep in 2010, Monster Hunter 3G in 2011, and Animal Crossing New Leaf in 2012.

Other than that? Absolution nothing. There is no handheld title every winning game of the year in the West, and that's just a shame. Its as if there's a stigma against handheld gaming in general, that there's a distraction and deserves a pat in the back but you gotta let the big console titles battles it out for the ultimate prize.

Zelda: Skyward Sword in 2011 were able to snag a couple of Overall Game of the Year awards,(including Edge's game of the year. Edge, the one website where they will rip you a new one just for being a nice game); and I'm telling you right now, Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a better game. Sadly, I don't think it'll win any overall Game of the Year awards because its on a console that you can hold in your hands.
 
MisterHero

MisterHero

Super Member
Hype-perpetuated media can't put a game with [apparently] modest production on such a big pedestal.

Are games like The Walking Dead and Journey pointing towards that direction though?
 
B

Bronetta

Ask me about the moon landing or the temperature at which jet fuel burns. You may be surprised at what you learn.
Fire Emblem: Awakening already won every single GotY award though.
 
K

Karuto

Member
*looks at Famitsu's last two years for GOTY award winners*

I think it's because most of them don't consider handheld legit. At the end of the day, it's due to personal tastes, and there have been really strong console/PC games out the same year as handheld releases. Nothing stopping them from doing it this year.
 
N

NeoGash

Member
Because there is almost always at least one very, very deserving game on a home console. I do think that the Spike VGA's are a sham anyway, it is one big advertisement for the AAA boring shooters that will make kids spend their money on at Christmas.
Hopefully games like TWD and Journey start making more of an appearance.

(I assumed you were talking about Spike or whatever, as handheld games do win GOTY on websites. Though not enough.)
 
B

Big One

Banned
I do think a forgettable game like Tomb Raider could be replaced by Zelda 3DS, but the issue with that is it'll be like OMG TWO NINTENDO GAMES freaking people out.
 
Kadin

Kadin

Member
I definitely consider them to be 'Game of the Year' potentials when I'm thinking about the best of the best. ALBW is a great example as you said so whether the big sites consider it really means very little to me. Any good site will break down and give various categories so that works for me if they at least list them that way.
 
V

Veitsev

Member
The western games media doesn't recognize handhelds as real consoles. They are treated as second rate. A good handheld game is also likely to favor gameplay over presentation/story/polish which are variables the media tends to overvalue.
 
UberTag

UberTag

Member
The answer to this question should be obvious. Just like any other aspect of gaming press, awards and recognition are all about generating ad revenue, buzz and hits. Recognizing a handheld game... hell, recognizing a Nintendo game at this point... delivers none of these things. Resident Evil 4 might well be the last Japanese-developed game to be bestowed this honor.

At this point it would be shocking to see any title win consensus Game of the Year that isn't from Electronic Arts, Activision, Ubisoft, Take 2, Microsoft, Sony, Bethesda or linked to a major television property like The Walking Dead. And this will ALWAYS be an honor reserved for a game that's on consoles - so PC exclusives are screwed here as well.
 
S

ShroudOfFate

Member
It should be able to if it's good enough. I feel like games media doesn't see them as "real" games when it comes to picking GOTYs though.

Personally I don't feel like ALBW should get GOTY though. It's a damn good game, and it's certainly in my top 5 for the year but it isn't the best game I've played in 2013.
 
R

Rodney McKay

Member
I was going to say that Ghost Trick was robbed in 2011, but there were some damn fine games that came out that year. Plus it came out in like the second week of the year, so of course everyone forgot about it by then,

Portal 2, Arkham City, Skyrim (well, if you had a PC). Damn fine year!
 
D

Drago

Member
Honestly, I feel pretty OK with claiming LBW to be my GOTY. Still need to finish it up, but yeah. It's extremely good, and it's a shame the only recognition it's gonna get is "best HANDHELD game of the year".

Ah well, doesn't really make a difference to me.
 
S

Sapphire Dreams

Member
I am guessing that many handheld games pale in comparison to console ganes and the further you go back in time the more you see how limited things like the GBA were to things like the GameCube. Both in power and in input method. There so much you could do with limitations handhelds had at the time. It's only now when we advanced in technology that handhelds have a library that rivals the console space. I mean look how amazing the DS library is !
 
K

Kuroyume

Banned
For a long time handhelds were crap. You'd have to be on drugs to pick a handheld game over anything on the SNES/Genesis/N64/PS/Dreamcast in the 90s. And while they've begun to get better there not at the level yet of the home console stuff.
 
Kadin

Kadin

Member
ShroudOfFate said:
It should be able to if it's good enough. I feel like games media doesn't see them as "real" games when it comes to picking GOTYs though.

Personally I don't feel like ALBW should get GOTY though. It's a damn good game, and it's certainly in my top 5 for the year but it isn't the best game I've played in 2013.
Click to expand...
Is that because it's a portable game or just because the game itself isn't quite as good as others? *Could* it have been better and then became your GOTY?
 
D

Dorygrant

Member
If Zelda isn't all up in best music there will be hell...

... Hell, all of nintendo's handheld games seem to be orchestrated now-a-days.
 
S

shinobi602

Member
UberTag said:
At this point it would be shocking to see any title win consensus Game of the Year that isn't from Electronic Arts, Activision, Ubisoft, Take 2, Microsoft, Sony, Bethesda or linked to a major television property like The Walking Dead.
Click to expand...
Hah, I was wondering how you were going to twist it when it came to The Walking Dead and you delivered. Bravo.
 
D

DocSeuss

Member
A handheld game can't win overall game of the year from most outfits for the same reason a PC-exclusive game can't: it's not an AAA console game. If it's not on consoles (or a Nintendo exclusive), it doesn't matter to a surprising number of journalists.

Shadow Warrior has some of the best writing out there this year, and most people were referring to it as 'incomprehensible' or 'not very good.' Next to nobody's talking about it or thinking about it. And yet it's got this fantastic setup, great foreshadowing and drama, wonderful characterization and dynamics, and stuff like that. But, hey, it's a PC exclusive. Most people didn't even pay attention to it.
 
R

RoboPlato

I'd be in the dick
A big part of it is the design of handheld games is based around not having to play for long periods of time in a single setting and those that are more substantial are usually just put into suspend. Few people take the time to really sink their teeth into handheld games the way they do on consoles or PC.
 
T

Timeaisis

Member
It can in Japan, but that's a different story.

Personally, SM3DW is my GOTY, but ALBW is a very, very close second. The sad part for me is that ALBW isn't even up for contention. It wouldn't bother me that if it didn't win anything -- that is to be expected -- but to not even be considered is a darn shame. Especially when we get lists that include the likes of Tomb Raider...not a bad game...but better than ALBW or FE:A...really?

I think handheld games have proven themselves worthy. But alas, everyone knows console games are more "exciting" and flashy, and ultimately generate a lot more buzz -- even if handheld game sell much, much better, and a lot of times are much better designed and more innovative than their console counterparts.

ALBW can be the GOTY of our hearts.
 
S

ShroudOfFate

Member
Kadin said:
Is that because it's a portable game or just because the game itself isn't quite as good as others? *Could* it have been better and then became your GOTY?
Click to expand...

Definitely not because it's a portable game. The Last of Us is my GOTY and the only way I'd put ALBW above it is if TLoU hadn't released this year. I just ultimately had more fun with TLoU.
 
C

CrackPebbles

Member
I think we all know the answer in our hearts. Anyways a handheld game won my game of the year, Hardly care what the vgas, or ign or whatever think.
 
A

Atomski

Member
Who cares about GOTY anyways? I know for a fact my top games of the year are not going to top any big lists. Dosnt bother me.. if I enjoyed it thats the most important thing right?
 
C

ConradCervantes

Banned
The actually GOOD console games are now just starting to get recognized, not just cultural phenomenons that sell huge.

I remember a couple years back Gamespot or some other large outlet awarded Demon Souls their GOTY. Blew my mind. Popular on the internet, sure, but being a PS3 exclusive when it was still a not-so-much-but-still-distant third, it sold marginally little compared to the big hitters.

I think it's certainly possible for a handheld game to win a GOTY award, but it'll need to have tremendous production values and a hell of a marketing campaign. And be good, too.
 
Z

zroid

Banned
GOTY awards are 90% hype-driven, because in order to vote a game to be your GOTY you need to actually have played it. Handheld games just don't generate that much buzz in the West.

Pokémon is probably the one thing which really generates a lot of hype, but it has a stigma attached to it, and many of the people who vote for these awards aren't really that interested in the series.
 
T

trinest

Member
Bronetta said:
Fire Emblem: Awakening already won every single GotY award though.
Click to expand...

Pretty much if you want to go for handheld games least go with good designed ones, it and Animal Crossing are the only ones in that category on the 3DS. Zelda is a disaster in terms of Zelda games.
 
Kadin

Kadin

Member
ShroudOfFate said:
Definitely not because it's a portable game. The Last of Us is my GOTY and the only way I'd put ALBW above it is if TLoU hadn't released this year. I just ultimately had more fun with TLoU.
Click to expand...
Interesting you mentioned TLoU because I just finally started playing that myself. Picked it up on BF for $29 and so far, wow... very impressive. Trying to take my time with it but it definitely looks to be a GOTY contender for me.
 
E

evilromero

Member
I agree. ALBW is fantastic. In fact, I just got my copy of TLOU in the mail today but I made the mistake of playing Zelda first over the weekend. So as I'm playing through TLOU all I can think about is, a) I hate in modern games when I'm forced to walk and b) what mysteries await me in Zelda. I just couldn't get it out of my mind.
 
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