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Likely media picks for GOTY 2014?

It think Smash Bros on Wii U will get it. Places probably won't have remakes/re-releases like TLoU or Halo in the running.
 
So, any other thoughts now that we're in November? Only a few major releases left, most notably Dragon Age 3.

Shadow of Mordor has a pretty big chance, based on the reviews. We've still got the likes of Dragon Age, Far Cry 4, and AC: Unity - so at the moment any of those could be a contender.

It's safe to say Shadow of Mordor was the biggest surprise this year, so if nothing else, it'll win that category of award.
 
South Park, Mordor and Alien will be criminally overlooked, that's for sure
 
Frankly, TLOU deserves to win again. This has been a subpar year for games. The worst I can think of for a long time. The fact there doesn't seem to be a consensus around the GOTY lends credit to that, IMO. I mean, its possible that all of the games people are mentioning in this thread are amazing... but I've played a good bit of them and know that not to be the case. To me they are more the cream of the crop from a weak harvest.

For my money, its Mario Kart... but that isn't going to be the consensus pick. And again, its not like I think its that good. I don't even think its the best Mario Kart. Its just that its one of the better ones I've played this year.
 
If you want to talk about overlooked I have a feeling Donkey Kong and Bayonetta 2 will be the most ingored good games of the year

I think Bayonetta's reviews and 4th quarter release will make it very tough to ignore. If it doesn't win awards it's almost guaranteed to be nominated at least.

I'm expecting an Advanced Warfare love-in just because it makes several small changes to the yearly format.
 
Bayonetta 2 is a niche game on a niche console, no way it wins more than 1-2 outliers or Nintendo specialist websites.

Dragon Age 3 is a single player AAA Western game on popular consoles with a big focus on storytelling. Once it gets that fabled 90 metacritic, its over. Shut it down.
 
Frankly, TLOU deserves to win again. This has been a subpar year for games. The worst I can think of for a long time. The fact there doesn't seem to be a consensus around the GOTY lends credit to that, IMO. I mean, its possible that all of the games people are mentioning in this thread are amazing... but I've played a good bit of them and know that not to be the case. To me they are more the cream of the crop from a weak harvest.

For my money, its Mario Kart... but that isn't going to be the consensus pick. And again, its not like I think its that good. I don't even think its the best Mario Kart. Its just that its one of the better ones I've played this year.

This. There's not much else close in terms of review scores, maybe GTAVR or Bayonetta 2.
 
It think Smash Bros on Wii U will get it. Places probably won't have remakes/re-releases like TLoU or Halo in the running.

Smash Bros is the kind of game that enthusiast forums care about waaaaaay more than game journalists. Brawl was completely ignored in 2008 and that was on a much more popular console; I don't see the new Smash Bros getting much attention for GOTY at all.
 
When was the last time a Nintendo exclusive dominated the media picks for GOTY, c'mon now.

Like, 2007 with Super Mario Galaxy? And it had to share with CoD4/Portal.

Nah, Nintendo exclusives don't win GotY, don't matter how high their metacritics are. Not Western AAA enough
 
It should be Tropical Freeze or Dark Souls 2 ... But we all know neither one is going to win.
Of course my opinion can change after playing Bayonetta 2. Will do that in a month.
 
Not sure what the media will pick, but I hope there's place for DKC: Tropical Freeze, Super Smash Bros. U and South Park: The Stick of Truth. In that order (unless Smash 4 exceeds all of my high expectations).
 
I don't see big chances for Bayonetta 2.

Sure, it will win a very few awards on smaller websites, but all the major outlets will ignore it despite outstanding reviews. GOTY awards aren't just selected because of review scores, but there is also a certain policy behind them. I remind you of the backlash Gamespot received by its own readers after letting ALBW on 3DS win GOTY 2013.

Readers want their games on their consoles to be presented and to win if possible. It's nothing outlets can control and many aren't brave enough to take a dump on big releases and just let smaller games win, which is why Gamespot's choice last year shocked me.

I can't prove any of this with data and need to label this as speculation, but since this isn't the first time I witness 'GOTY season' and I have some experience about how these things go, I'm convinced enough that I might be not far off the mark.

I can't also say which game might win GOTY. I remember how I wrote on Twitter that Destiny will take the cake after playing the beta for days, but now I'm pretty sure this won't be the case. DA3 and FC4 have good chances, especially DA3.
 
Should be Bayonetta 2. Will probably be Call of Duty or Dragon Age or even Destiny. Hope it's not a remaster.
 
At this point, it's likely to be Assassin's Creed Unity. Destiny failed critical inspection, they aren't going to give it to something on Wii U, and Titanfall was too long ago. There will probably be a few places picking games like Dragon Age as well.

lol why do you think it's not gonna be something on the wiiU ? oh Oh because it's weaker than your PS4/xbox1 because I'm damn sure if you are just a PC gamer you won't be saying, evidently. Perhaps the wii was in a much worse case and pretty darn sure the galaxy game got the GOTY in 2007.

Bayonetta 2 , Mariokart 8, Smash, tropical freeze are much in the top tier for a GOTY contender..
 
It has been such a crap year for "AAA" titles I really don't know what games are these fools going to pick. Probably DS2 or some equally undeserving shit.
 
UbiSoft games are too similar to each other to win anything. By the time they get through UbiSoft Game: Gruff Voice Hacker Edition, UbiSoft Game: Tropical Island Dark People Edition, and the various UbiSoft Game: Hooded Man Collectathon XP Pre-Order Bonus Following Mission Glitchy Edition, there will be sick of all them and can't give them GotY.

The only time the single player AAA western game with a focus on storytelling didn't win most of these things was in 2012, because ME3 ending was too much, and I can't remember what else came out that year. So they gave it to the next best thing: the single player indie Western game with a focus on storytelling, The Walking Dead.

You look on that list on the left there and you tell me I'm wrong.
RE4, one of the most beloved video games of all-time and a Japanese made one to boot, being the lone exception.
 
lol why do you think it's not gonna be something on the wiiU ? oh Oh because it's weaker than your PS4/xbox1 because I'm damn sure if you are just a PC gamer you won't be saying, evidently. Perhaps the wii was in a much worse case and pretty darn sure the galaxy game got the GOTY in 2007.

Bayonetta 2 , Mariokart 8, Smash, tropical freeze are much in the top tier for a GOTY contender..

smg was a sort of runner-up to bioshock and that was after receiving the best reception a video game had received since metroid prime or ocarina of time. western critics pick out the best game they think represents the medium, not the one with the highest review scores or what might be the most 'fun' (although gamespot did that in what turned out to be a very bold choice last year)
 
People should not be afraid to pick games like Mordor or Bayonetta 2 or even Smash Bros when it's out. Just because they aren't "AAA" games shouldn't stop them. I doubt AC Unity will get anything if it's same old shit and can't match Mordor. Shit, the "AAA" games we thought would be runaway candidates all turned out to be garbage so this term barely means anything.

DA3, Mordor, Bayonetta, Smash Bros, FC4 all seems like decent picks for now. Also lol at people seriously thinking fucking TLoU remastered will be considered. I have the game and enjoyed it greatly when it came out but playing through it a second time is a slog remembering all the tedious parts.
 
Here is a list of 10 top games this year so far (in no particular order).

Bayonetta 2
South Park stick of truth
Mario Kart 8
Forza Horizon
Sunset Overdrive
Shadow of Moridor
Wolfenstein
Shovel Knight
Titanfall
Donkey Kong Country TF

Here are a few more possible contenders.
FarCry 4
AssCreed Unity
LBP 3
COD AW?
DAI
Super Smash Bros.
 
I'm not bullish on Super Smash Bros. reviewing all that well; expect it to float around the low 80s. It's a known quantity and a sequel, and reviewers aren't likely to pick up on the nuances of new characters and retuned mechanics that have fans of the series buzzing, when a bullet-point feature list is liable instead to draw attention to what the games are missing (no Subspace Emissary-style single-player, no online functionality for Smash Run, limitations on modes/control options/Miiverse features on the 3DS, and I don't see the press going crazy for Amiibo). As with Tropical Freeze, reviewers who don't explore the game in depth may well brush it off as more of the same.

Assuming that the major outlets show a bit of sensible restraint when considering remakes and remasters for awards, there isn't much on the table this year among the games already released. I'm in agreement with others here who predict the consensus picks to coalesce around games we haven't seen. Among upcoming releases, I actually have a strong suspicion that Captain Toad is going to knock a lot of socks off (if not in EU this calendar year), but no matter how good it is, just by its very nature it will be at best an outside pick like A Link Between Worlds was last year.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is at least positioned to have the scale, mass appeal, and longevity to keep players occupied through the busy season and remain fresh on everyone's minds before any backlash of sobriety settles in, assuming it doesn't invite an immediate and torrential blowback like Dragon Age 2.

I'm not sure if you talking about the 3DS or the upcoming wii U because there isn't even any review for that yet.. and with the previous latest E3 direct .. I think it's safe to say that it's on a whole different league to the 3DS and the apparent DEFINITE version.
 
One thing's for sure: no matter how good Smash/MK8/Bayonetta 2 are, the best they can do is win something like "best Nintendo game" or something. There's no way they'll even be cursory nominees in best overall lists on big sites (though they might get to be included in "best racing game" or "best action game" type lists).

Anyway, Destiny and GTA5 PS4/XB1/PC are my choices. Maybe Shovel Knight as the anachronistic "see, I'm down with non-AAA stuff guys" pick too.

what's with all these misconception about Nintendo console not being able to win GOTY.. Have anyone forgotten about the galaxy games that won it back in 2007 on a relatively wii console that can't even do HD at all? Even link to the past sequel on te 3ds (yes, a nintendo handheld) won the GOTY award last year , I think? I may be wrong.
 
Since Titanfall was branded the greatest thing since sliced bread by most media, I would have to go with that.

As for the list ... hmmmm ....

Titanfall
Bayonetta 2
Mario Kart 8
Sunset Overdrive
Dragons Age 3

for media picks
 
South Park: The Stick of Truth is the best non remaster game to come out this year. Although I say that having not played Alien: Isolation yet.

LittleBigPlanet 3 could make a late run at the title, it's looking like a sizeable step forward in a series that has always been well received.
 
I think it'll be Dragon Age on most sites, Mordor on fewer and then lots of scattered Bayo, remasters and Sunset Overdrive. Media babies Destiny and Watch Dogs might pick a few up but I think DA will sweep up the most.
 
what's with all these misconception about Nintendo console not being able to win GOTY.. Have anyone forgotten about the galaxy games that won it back in 2007 on a relatively wii console that can't even do HD at all? Even link to the past sequel on te 3ds (yes, a nintendo handheld) won the GOTY award last year , I think? I may be wrong.

bioshock took the majority of media awards in 2007 and the last of us ran away with it last year. nintendo games by and large don't win the majority of goty awards. the last time was ocarina of time. maybe metroid prime.
 
Dark Souls 2 presumably. Unless some of the outlets come out with something interestng like shovel knight or divinity.
 
I honestly think Bayonetta 2 and Shadows of Mordor have a good chance of being picked, and I've played neither of these two titles.
 
Bayonetta 2
Sunset Overdrive
Dark Souls 2
Forza Horizon 2
Smash Wii U
Mario Kart 8
Shovel Knight
Shadow of Mordor
Titanfall (I guess)
Dragon Age: Inquisition (maybe)

I doubt that CoD or the Ubisoft open world games will be in the running since those are yearly releases.
 
No way is the press going to give GotY to a remaster. That stuff shouldn't even count. I can't believe people are saying TLOU should win again because no other game this year touches that unbridled masterpiece of gaming/art/cinema/spherical media. They should just give GotY to OoT again, I mean no game since has topped it!

Out of all the big AAA games, I see Far Cry 4 as having the most interest and potential. AC Unity might also get a few awards if it manages to go above and beyond past entries. Dragon Age III could be terrible for all we know. I would like to see votes for Smash, and I think it could nab some awards, but many people simply don't like that style of fighter. What about Walking Dead Season Two? Is that any good?
 
No way is the press going to give GotY to a remaster. That stuff shouldn't even count. I can't believe people are saying TLOU should win again because no other game this year touches that unbridled masterpiece of gaming/art/cinema/spherical media. They should just give GotY to OoT again, I mean no game since has topped it!

Out of all the big AAA games, I see Far Cry 4 as having the most interest and potential. AC Unity might also get a few awards if it manages to go above and beyond past entries. Dragon Age III could be terrible for all we know. I would like to see votes for Smash, and I think it could nab some awards, but many people simply don't like that style of fighter. What about Walking Dead Season Two? Is that any good?

walking dead season 2 has nowhere near the same buzz that the first season had. just in terms of interest, i think right now mordor is a sort of frontrunner, despite other games being more well-received.
 
Based on the way these things shake out, it probably won't be South Park, Transistor, Donkey Kong, Mario Kart, Smash, Child of Light, or Shovel Knight. Which is a shame. I'll speculatively add Ori in with this "deserved but won't get taken seriously" list.

The hype machine games like Titanfall, Watch Dogs, and Destiny all seem unlikely too

Honestly Bayo2 or Sunset Overdrive may end up fighting this one out. Which I find kind of remarkable
 
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