BAFTA Games Awards 2023

[tejinashi]

Just a heads up really, dunno how watchable it will be, but noticed it's just starting on twitch. I might keep an eye on it.

 

https://www.twitch.tv/bafta

[tejinashi]

Best game went to

 

Spoiler

Vampire Survivors

 

Full list of winners at https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/bafta-game-awards-winners/

[BongoInferno]

Not the obvious choice for best game but I love that they went with it. It’s sensational and a total rush of a videogame. Well deserved. 

[Girth Certificate]

Yeah. I’d call Elden Ring the best game of all time and I’m still happy Vampire Survivors won.

[Vorgot]

Not played Vampire Survivors but was pleased it won, just nice they went with something a bit different.

 

I've not played Elden Ring yet (I know, I know) it's sat on my PS5 but having a problem with my eyes at the moment so bright 2D platforms are on the menu now. But flicking through the BAFTAs, I didn't realise Elden Ring was so varied, I am really looking forward to being able to get stuck in now.

 

Was nice to see Tunic get some recognition too

[Benny]

Vampire Survivors is barely a game. It's an illicit substance.

[Chadruharazzeb]

I've never heard of "Vampire Survivors". They should sack their marketing people. 

[ScouserInExile]

Really surprised Vampire Survivors win game of the year. Not because it's not a good game, it's actually digital crack, but because it's in that "slightly obscure indie game" category and I always expect these things to go to AAA titles. Fantastic that it's got the recognition it deserves, though.

[Danster]

Sounds like there were some judges who actually thought for a bit instead of just handing it over to whomever of Ubisoft, MS, Sony or EA paid them the most attention.

[MK-1601]

I don't want to be too much of a downer, but it's not like all indie games were considered and Vampire Survivors made the cut. More like a newly wealthy one-man UK dev suddenly has newspaper journalists contacting him and put him on to BAFTA. Same thing more or less happened with Notch, Mike Bithell, Sam Barlow etc. (The latter two regularly employing actors also helped their case.)

 

Pick a notable indie game from the past decade and more likely than not it won't even have been shortlisted for anything. Even obviously standout narrative games like Undertale or Horace.

 

BAFTA don't really have any resources to do outreach. Now that it's not televised and the entry fees and amount of volunteering goodwill keep rising for a show with dwindling relevance, it's an arrangement that benefits BAFTA massively more than it does game creators.

 

The UK games industry should run it's own awards program like IGF. Judged by developers and professional critics, not a random lottery of eSports people and media people looking to pad their CVs.

 

Almost every category this year had the same games going up against each other, God of War was up for 16 or something stupid. Which just tells you that most of the big publishers aren't being courted by BAFTA either or just don't see any value. I don't think BAFTA are going to turn it around and start getting sponsors, being able to afford celeb hosts, etc. again. (Also their rule to exclude remakes/remasters is REALLY going to screw them next year unless they change it.)

[footle]

54 minutes ago, MK-1601 said:

Almost every category this year had the same games going up against each other, God of War was up for 16 or something stupid

you could apply the same argument for every game awards show this year. Why this one in particular?