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[Pelta88]

It would be from this site,

Game of the Year Tracker

We're tracking Game of the Year (GOTY) awards from around the world. Discover what media outlets and players voted as the best titles every year.

www.gameawards.net

it's whoever wins the most awards. keighleys are voted on by a bunch of journos tho. i remember gerstmann talking about it.

i voted for elden ring because i don't see a game being that loved by critics anytime soon. maybe botw 2.

Praise be!

I'm voting GOW Ragnarok. And I'll take an avatar bet, for a week, for any who doubts the sheer gaming goodness that will be Ragnarok.

It's hate if you vote otherwise

 

[Shifty1897]

I've learned the hard way not to bet my avatar against fate.

 

[remember_spinal]

If elden ring didn’t come out this year the same people that are dying for it to win and trying to say how much more revolutionary it is over god of war would do the same thing if zelda released and elden ring didn’t. It’s transparent at this point.

There are just a large segment of people that don’t want to see Sony take home another GoTY and its obvious why. I loved Elden Ring but the push for it to win GOTY as early as February the second month of the year and how its been weaponized against Horizon has turned me off from wanting to engage with the fan base.

Its also sour grapes over their preferred platforms big titles getting delayed out of this year.

I’ve played every single souls game, its one of my favorite sub genres of games and I’d buy and play a new one every year regardless of how it innovated on the formula but Elden Ring isn’t that much of an evolution. It’s dark Souls 3 with a open world that quite frankly doesn’t add much to the experience. There aren’t more towns or npcs, or unique events and secrets to see, the meat of the game are still in the dungeons.

 

[GHG]

That makes Ubisoft basically the biggest DLC factory ever

If we want to be reductive pretty much everything has been "DLC" and "reskins" for the best part of a decade now to be honest.

It just comes down to whether you like the type of game in question or not.

 

[phil_t98]

What game do you want to put forward for consideration?

I haven’t suggested a game but we ain’t at the end of the year yet and one game hasn’t been released yet so we don’t know if it’s quality

 

[GHG]

I haven’t suggested a game but we ain’t at the end of the year yet and one game hasn’t been released yet so we don’t know if it’s quality

Well unless you can state any other games that would be a worthwhile nomination in the AAA category then I can't either.

 

[Punished Miku]

Well unless you can state any other games that would be a worthwhile nomination in the AAA category then I can't either.

There is no AAA category. Bayonetta 3 definitely in the running for me. As is Pentiment and Plague Tale 2. Lots of games I plan on playing before voting on GOTY. I dont understand this drive to limit games. I've other games from earlier in the year that I think are absolutely contenders. Graphics don't automatically make a game superior.

 

[SlimySnake]

They will split 50-50 just like overwatch and Uncharted 4, and gow and red dead in 2018.

Nah ER did it for me. I was fine with the souls formula until 2022 and Elden Ring. I loved Sekiro. I loved the DEmon Souls remake, but I remember disliking it early on. I guess the sameyness was starting to creep in. With ER, I just got that ubisoft feeling and I wasnt ready to grind out a 100 hour open world game. Maybe if it was 20-30 hours like the souls games.

I really hope the same doesnt happen with GOW. It kinda did with HFW but at least it hooked me enough to play through the story, but ER had no such hook and just going through area after area from one punishing Boss battle to the next simply lost its charm after around 15-20 hours.

 

[GHG]

There is no AAA category. Bayonetta 3 definitely in the running for me. As is Pentiment and Plague Tale 2. Lots of games I plan on playing before voting on GOTY. I dont understand this drive to limit games. I've other games from earlier in the year that I think are absolutely contenders. Graphics don't automatically make a game superior.

There are games that I'd have included that I have played or I'm yet to play but the premise of this thread is clear - it's a face-off between the two juggernauts of the year.

 

[Roxkis_ii]

I feel like Elden Ring will win more goty just out of the accessibility of it being multiplatform.

I think Ragnarok will probably be the better game.

I'm not betting my avi tho.

 

[Spukc]

They will split 50-50 just like overwatch and Uncharted 4, and gow and red dead in 2018.

Nah ER did it for me. I was fine with the souls formula until 2022 and Elden Ring. I loved Sekiro. I loved the DEmon Souls remake, but I remember disliking it early on. I guess the sameyness was starting to creep in. With ER, I just got that ubisoft feeling and I wasnt ready to grind out a 100 hour open world game. Maybe if it was 20-30 hours like the souls games.

I really hope the same doesnt happen with GOW. It kinda did with HFW but at least it hooked me enough to play through the story, but ER had no such hook and just going through area after area from one punishing Boss battle to the next simply lost its charm after around 15-20 hours.

Aye HFW was so bloated dude. I had to force myself to finish it.

It looks amazing and all.. but oh my

 

[Captain Toad]

The answer is Elden Ring. It is game of the generation/decade type of game. It took the fairly-niche Souls-style games and catapulted them to Call of Duty levels.

God of War will be great, but it's a sequel that is mostly a refinement on 2018. That's not the type of thing that usually wins GOTY awards.

 

[Captain Toad]

what if its none of those games?

Serious question? What would possibly even be mentioned with those?

 

[remember_spinal]

The answer is Elden Ring. It is game of the generation/decade type of game. It took the fairly-niche Souls-style games and catapulted them to Call of Duty levels.

God of War will be great, but it's a sequel that is mostly a refinement on 2018. That's not the type of thing that usually wins GOTY awards.

Outside of The Last of Us 2 you mean

 

[bender]

What game do you want to put forward for consideration?

 

[SSfox]

I can't vote until I play Ragnarök.

 

[Mozzarella]

I think Elden Ring is going to take it.
If Fromsoft had released a DLC in the next month then it going to be 100% win, but now its like 80% Elden Ring 20% God of War.

Elden Ring deserves to win.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

My favorite current debate. GOW Ragnarok needs to be one of the greatest games ever in order to beat Elden Ring*. Outside of sony centered groups like PS I Love you or Push square Elden ring should win fairly easily. GOW is hardly in the conversation rn while elden rings hype was high leading up to it. It's too big of a moment to over come.

Usually games towards the beginning of the year are at a pretty big disadvantage compared to games released closer to the end of the year and on top of people's minds.

 

[Putonahappyface]

God of War Ragnarok will appeal to a larger audience surely? Elden Ring is an amazing game but I think God of War Ragnarok has it in the bag.

Edit : Forget everything I just said Elden Ring is multi platform game thus will reach a wider audience. Elden Ring will win.

 

[G-Bus]

Little soon here. No one's played Ragnorok.

 

[Ghost of Caelid]

Usually games towards the beginning of the year are at a pretty big disadvantage compared to games released closer to the end of the year and on top of people's minds.

That seems to be the case for movies, but gaming wise if you look at goty many of the tend to release earlier.

 

[SlimySnake]

God of War Ragnarok will appeal to a larger audience surely? Elden Ring is an amazing game but I think God of War Ragnarok has it in the bag.

elden ring had cod level sales. Souls is no longer a niche series.

Even GOW 2018 didnt sell that fast. It eventually sold 20 million but it wasnt in 3 months.

 

[Ghost of Caelid]

God of War Ragnarok will appeal to a larger audience surely? Elden Ring is an amazing game but I think God of War Ragnarok has it in the bag.

Elden Ring is the best selling game this year. Elden ring was at 14 million in less than half a year. GOW sold 19 million in 4...Elden ring was a zeitgeist moment. And as a property it is massive now.

 

[SlimySnake]

Aye HFW was so bloated dude. I had to force myself to finish it.

It looks amazing and all.. but oh my

I dont even think its bloated. Its just so damn samey. Yes, the graphics were amazing and the story was new, but it felt like a DLC expansion. GOW will have a new story, new characters, new setpieces, but the same combat and level design we already played with for 40 hours in the original. I think they will nail the story and setpieces far better than GG ever could, but they are going to run into the same problem with the combat.

Unless of course they completely change things up midway through the game. Maybe they give you the axe and let you fly around with it. Maybe Loki takes over. But 40 hours for single player games is more than enough to max out every ounce of enjoyment from the combat system. Every hour after that feels like an expansion.

 

[Putonahappyface]

elden ring had cod level sales. Souls is no longer a niche series.

Even GOW 2018 didnt sell that fast. It eventually sold 20 million but it wasnt in 3 months.

Fair enough. I havent played Elden Ring I've only watched play throughs.

 

[Putonahappyface]

Elden Ring is the best selling game this year. Elden ring was at 14 million in less than half a year. GOW sold 19 million in 4...Elden ring was a zeitgeist moment. And as a property it is massive now.

I guess Ragnarok isn't winning this race then.

 

[Bartski]

IMO even if Ragnarok turns out to be an absolutely mind-blowing new benchmark for Sony 1st party cinematic action-adventure AAA, rather likely from the looks of it, Elden Ring deserves to sweep for the seismic success it had both critically and commercially and the paradigm shift in open-world game design it could and damn should inspire.

This thread / poll would make much more sense a month from now. I'll be happy to bet my avatar after I play the game.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Elden Ring is the best selling game this year. Elden ring was at 14 million in less than half a year. GOW sold 19 million in 4...Elden ring was a zeitgeist moment. And as a property it is massive now.

GoW was on one platform and recently PC, compared to ER on 5. But I digress, awards are not handed out based on sales. It Takes Two is testament to that compared to its competition.

 

[Topher]

Oh hell no

 

[Bo_Hazem]

Too early, but even Stray is better than Elden Ring clunkiness fest and every other souls game.

 

[Spyxos]

Isn't god of war too late and normally only counts for 2023 goty awards? And no one has played god of war yet so the whole thing doesn't make too much sense here, but well I'm going anyway.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Isn't god of war too late and normally only counts for 2023 goty awards? And no one has played god of war yet so the whole thing doesn't make too much sense here, but well I'm going anyway.

No

 

[Sleepwalker]

If elden ring didn’t come out this year the same people that are dying for it to win and trying to say how much more revolutionary it is over god of war would do the same thing if zelda released and elden ring didn’t. It’s transparent at this point.

There are just a large segment of people that don’t want to see Sony take home another GoTY and its obvious why. I loved Elden Ring but the push for it to win GOTY as early as February the second month of the year and how its been weaponized against Horizon has turned me off from wanting to engage with the fan base.

Its also sour grapes over their preferred platforms big titles getting delayed out of this year.

I’ve played every single souls game, its one of my favorite sub genres of games and I’d buy and play a new one every year regardless of how it innovated on the formula but Elden Ring isn’t that much of an evolution. It’s dark Souls 3 with a open world that quite frankly doesn’t add much to the experience. There aren’t more towns or npcs, or unique events and secrets to see, the meat of the game are still in the dungeons.

If god of war ragnarok didn't come out this year the same people that are dying for it to win and trying to say how much more revolutionary it is over elden ring would do the same thing if zelda released and god of war didn't. It's transparent at this point.

There are just a large segment of people who don't want from software to take home another GoTY and it is obvious why. I loved god of war but the push for it to win GOTY as early as February the second month of the year and how its been weaponized has turned me off from wanting to engage with the fan base.

Its also sour grapes over their preferred platforms big titles getting delayed out of this year

I've played every single god of war game, its one of my favorite subgenres of games and i'd buy and play a new one every year regardless of how it innovated on the formula but god of war ragnarok isnt much of an evolution. It's god of war 2018 with some more areas and stories that quite frankly dont add much to the experience. the meat of the game is still the combat.

 

[solidus12]

what if its none of those games?

Grounded then?

 

[Captain Toad]

I think Elden Ring is going to take it.
If Fromsoft had released a DLC in the next month then it going to be 100% win, but now its like 80% Elden Ring 20% God of War.

Elden Ring deserves to win.

What did you not like about GoW Ragnarok? That last comment clearly indicates you've played both.

 

[Sleepwalker]

Both franchises are great, fight me.


This image makes no sense anyway. You could add all the god of war games prior to 2018 to this image too and ragnarok will be a continuation to 2018 anyway, doesn't take away from the fact that it will probably be my GOTY as I didn't enjoy Elden Ring that much anyway lol.

 

[rofif]

I think God of war. the 2018 one is incredible. I replayed it this year at 60fps and it was even better.
Elden Ring is obviously amazing but the more time passed after I finished it, the more I don't want to replay it. Reused bosses, needless open world, weird pacing. I just preferred legacy souls.
But it might still win. My bet is on ragnarok

 

[Mozzarella]

What did you not like about GoW Ragnarok? That last comment clearly indicates you've played both.

Not hating on God of War, but looking at the trailers i can already tell what its going to be like, the same as the first game with improvements (still unproven), few new bosses, few new enemies, new areas to explore and continuation of the story, so more of the same, its like a big expansion.
God of War already got 2018 awards, so for it to get the awards again it has to offer something new, innovative and different from the typical formula.

While you can argue the same for Elden Ring, so far based on what i saw i can say the jump for Souls to Elden Ring is more significant than the one from GoW2018 to Ragnarok. Also it does help that i prefer Souls to the uninspired God of War reboot.
Also one last thing is Fromsoft never got an award for literally the most influential series in 2010's gaming, Souls, it is just right for them to earn the award for the culmination project, the ones that combines everything from Souls into one big package, Elden Ring deserves to win.
I may be wrong but i am almost sure that not a single boss in God of War will surpass Radhan, Rykard or Godfrey, I remember the fight with the Dragon and the fight with Baldur in GoW where the epic cinematics were playing infront of me on the screen with cool animations and visuals and i was watching and occasionally a button prompt will appear on the screen, telling me to CLICK SQUARE NOW, i click square and Kratos punches Baldur's face, such a riveting boss fight.

 

[Black_Stride]

Lets face it gents, these are the only 2 games with any chance of winning the vast majority of GOTY awards. The rest are just here for filler.

And before you get your panties in a bunch and scream "WhY dO wE HaVe tO CoMpArE tHeM?!"... Because we can, and because its fun. It's nothing more than fun. Theres famine and war going on literally right now, complain about something else

So without further ado.

CORNER 1:

- Sequel to one of the most awarded and beloved video games of all time.
- Beautifully cinematic, fused perfectly with intense combat.
- Engaging story with characters we love.
- Intense, heavy hitting and visceral combat.
- 9 realms to explore. Epic boss battles.
- Top quality production values to enhance the overall experience.

CORNER 2:

- Brand new Open World take on one of the most influential "genres" in gaming (Soulsbornes)
- Set the industry standard when it comes to exploration.
- Incredible amount of enemy variety, like, possibly the most diverse cast of enemies ever in a game.
- Immaculate world design.
- 96 Metacritic. Highest rated game of the gen.

Votes are made public. I'll throw up the Avatar for the losers when it gets closer to voting time, or someone feel free to throw in your own suggestions.

Losers must wear Avatars until Feb 15. Awards usually given out right before Christmas, so for around a month and a half.

Vote away

Can we have some other rules included.
Like the "trusted" sources of GOTY.
I aint trusting fucking E! News or Entertainment Weekly to tell me what Game of the Year is.
Maybe we can vote on that in this very thread.
Cuz theres some obscure websites and magazines out there.
Also the BAFTAs, GDC and DICE happen Q1/2 2023 and might take place after the bet ends even if those are pretty heavy awards to win.

And if we base it off "most wins" then God of War is likely to take it simply by having mass appeal and having Playstation Centric websites/magazine that are guaranteed to give it to GoWR.
We also have to take into account award ceremonies that require submission by the publisher/devs.
FromSoft is def not going to submit to be judged by SXSW Gaming, but GOWR will.
So another rule could be both games must have been submitted or have a chance of winning?


Otherwise in terms of getting most awards, its almost certainly going to be GOWR if only because it will be submitted to more places, even if people say Soulsbourne games are mainstream, theres alot of "gaming" awards that dont really consider it as such and it might have already fallen out of mind for those places......you really think Elden Ring has a chance as Time Magazines GOTY?

 

[remember_spinal]

elden ring had cod level sales. Souls is no longer a niche series.

Even GOW 2018 didnt sell that fast. It eventually sold 20 million but it wasnt in 3 months.

Elden Ring is the best selling game this year. Elden ring was at 14 million in less than half a year. GOW sold 19 million in 4...Elden ring was a zeitgeist moment. And as a property it is massive now.

Neither of these things matter as GoW beat RDR2 in 2018, and RDR2 1. Came out later, 2. Sold a shit ton of more copies (at 45m now), 3. Reviewed higher, 4. Was multiplatform

If the argument for sales and multiplatform was a huge factor then console exclusives like uncharted, TLOU, GoW, and Breath of The Wild would never have won. I can also remember the conversation around Red Dead Redemption 2 being almost as insane as a new GTA launch at the time also.

Red Dead Redemption 2 actually sold more than Elden Ring in way less time, it did bigger numbers than Infinite War. It sold 17 MILLION copies in just 12 days, Elden Ring will probably finish around that by the end of the year.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/31/rockstars-red-dead-redemption-2-smashes-avengers-infinity-war.html

https://www.polygon.com/2018/11/7/18073314/red-dead-redemption-2-sales-17-million-units

 

[DeepEnigma]

Can we have some other rules included.
Like the "trusted" sources of GOTY.
I aint trusting fucking E! News or Entertainment Weekly to tell me what Game of the Year is.
Maybe we can vote on that in this very thread.
Cuz theres some obscure websites and magazines out there.
Also the BAFTAs, GDC and DICE happen Q1/2 2023 and might take place after the bet ends even if those are pretty heavy awards to win.

And if we base it off "most wins" then God of War is likely to take it simply by having mass appeal and having Playstation Centric websites/magazine that are guaranteed to give it to GoWR.
We also have to take into account award ceremonies that require submission by the publisher/devs.
FromSoft is def not going to submit to be judged by SXSW Gaming, but GOWR will.
So another rule could be both games must have been submitted or have a chance of winning?


Otherwise in terms of getting most awards, its almost certainly going to be GOWR if only because it will be submitted to more places, even if people say Soulsbourne games are mainstream, theres alot of "gaming" awards that dont really consider it as such and it might have already fallen out of mind for those places......you really think Elden Ring has a chance as Time Magazines GOTY?

Damn, bro. Serious business!

 

[Danjin44]

Which ever is popular in social media will win GOTY in VGA shows, for me personally me it makes zero difference which one wins.

 

[Fake]

what if its none of those games?

Yeah, Saint Rows 2022.

 

[SamaelSavage]

I got the platinum on elden ring and I can't see it deserving many goty awards tbh. The setting and some of the bosses were nice, but the amount of repetition was a pain in the ass.

 

[Ghost of Caelid]

Neither of these things matter as GoW beat RDR2 in 2018, and RDR2 1. Came out later, 2. Sold a shit ton of more copies (at 45m now), 3. Reviewed higher, 4. Was multiplatform

If the argument for sales and multiplatform was a huge factor then console exclusives like uncharted, TLOU, GoW, and Breath of The Wild would never have won. I can also remember the conversation around Red Dead Redemption 2 being almost as insane as a new GTA launch at the time also.

Red Dead Redemption 2 actually sold more than Elden Ring in way less time, it did bigger numbers than Infinite War. It sold 17 MILLION copies in just 12 days, Elden Ring will probably finish around that by the end of the year.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/31/rockstars-red-dead-redemption-2-smashes-avengers-infinity-war.html

https://www.polygon.com/2018/11/7/18073314/red-dead-redemption-2-sales-17-million-units

Thats not the argument just a counter to GOW being a much bigger game. Elden ring as a IP isnt small by any means and being a sequel isnt in Ragnaroks favor as expectations are going to be higher. It can get the notorious sony 88 or match 2018 with a 94...we dont know but it being better than elden ring critically is an east bet against. Well see tho. I'm getting it day one for p5 so im hype regardless. But i am bias towards elden ring as its my favorite game ever.

 

[Die Namek Ability]

I voted blindly based on how awesome GOW2018 was. Dont get me wrong i put over 400 hours into elden ring and have done just about everything you can do in that game but GOW hits different.

 

[Thief1987]

Don't know how GOW will turns out, but Elden Ring is essentially a 7/10 game, it doesn't deserve any GOTY awards.

 

[Megatron]

Anyone who picks god of war is a fool. This will be a slaughter.

 

[Hobbygaming]

If God Of War wins it’s just by default, its been a bad year for gaming.

I don’t think they’ll change enough/anything to make this new GoW very different or much better than the last.

We don’t have a guardians of the galaxy yet, but that cam out of nowhere in November so who knows.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

I think Elden Ring was excellent and definitely worthy of GOTY at least imo, but I think they will give it to GOW: Ragnarok for reasons I rather not get into.