The Most Prestigious "GotY" Award

[Jabber Wookie]

So I was researching "Game of the Year" awards recently and became aware that there is no "Academy Award" for video games. I'm not saying I always agree with the academy's choice regarding "Best Picture", but it's very clear that producers, directors, etc., are hoping for an oscar more so than any other award.

So I was wondering what the gaming community considers to be the most prestigious "GotY" award. Is it IGN, GameSpot, Spike TV, etc...

I'm also aware that SpikeTV is the only venue that broadcasts an award show on cable television for video games; however, I can hardly imagine they hire dedicated professionals to make their decisions. In fact, I would hope that few would consider it the most prestigious GotY considering their reputation and insistence on perpuating macho stereotypes and sexism.

That being said, does anyone think the general public needs to make it clear which venue should be held responsible for such awards considering the rise in sophistication and critical acclaim regarding video games?

I for one think games like Alan Wake (apart from the ending and obvious effort to sale DLC), ME2, and Red Dead Redemption should be considered more valuable for this award as it should hold sophistication and artistic value in the highest regard, as opposed to pure gameplay and enjoyment. Or maybe a culmination of all aspects of video games would be most fair; however, I do NOT think games like Call of Duty or Halo should win simply because people enjoy the multiplayer aspect.

It needs to at least have a well written story with valuable content outside of gameplay imo. I do realize it's much more difficult to rate video game against each other considering all of the interactive possibilities that make each one incredibly unique.

Anywho, does anyone have any idea as to what most gamers consider the prestigious be-all-end-all "GotY" award, or any suggestions as to how to make this a possibility. I'm not saying the award will legitimately determine what the best game of the year was as that is purely an opinion, but something for game developers, writers, etc. to aim for.

[spychi]

SpikeTV at least for me
Gametrailers.com awards are also prestigious for me

[DemolitionSquid]

The Spike Awards mean dick all. Anything else is more respectable.

[GRUNT]

I think the problem with GotY awards is that that first person shooters just have a much broader appeal than RTS games, so they stand a much higher chance of people getting them.

When you take Modern Warfare for a spin, you pretty much understand the game very quickly. Skilled players are largely differentiated in terms of raw mechanical skill. Very, very low learning curve.

RTS games undoubtedly have a higher learning curve, and even once you learn the mechanics of the game, I find the metagame much more complex. Unfortunately, almost all mainstream reviewers (and therefore the more prestigious) don't have dedicated RTS players. They may have so-called "longtime RTS players", but that just means that they're casual gamers who've played RTS games now and again throughout their lives, but not with dedication to understand the multiplayer metagame. Reviews can be really, really painful to read.

[Jabber Wookie]

I think the problem with GotY awards is that that first person shooters just have a much broader appeal than RTS games, so they stand a much higher chance of people getting them.

Exactly. Which is why there should be a more prestigious GotY that is aware of these problems. Take the academy awards for example: Hurt Locker won best picture this past year despite the fact that very few people saw it in theaters. On the other hand, Avater had a much broader appeal to the general population but did not win because it was overall inferior as a movie. This is the kind of award I would like to see for video games.

[Gifted]

While it's not "official" I definately put some value into Xplay's yearly award ceremony on G4TV. I know it has a level of gimmicky jokes and whatnot, but they say it flat, if a game sucks, they don't hold back. For that reason, I feel that if they give a game solid praise, it's for due reason.

IN reality though, there are plenty of awards out there that matter, but it's typically in the developer side of the industry, not the commercial/public.