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Race to the POTY - 2022

Who is going to be the best video game publisher of 2022?


  • Total voters
    95
  • Poll closed .
It's July, plenty of games have already released and we have a good picture of what games are going to be released in 2022 it's time for some POTY talk.

For those not yet familiar, the POTY (Publisher of the Year) is an award given to the best video game publisher of the year.

So, who do you think is looking strong for this year POTY?

*I was going to make a list for each publisher but I realized it quickly becomes too complex because some publisher like Square Enix release too many games, so you'll have to rely on your memory and do your own research.

*Technically only publishers with five or more distinct titles released or scheduled to release this year should've been included in the pool since they'll not be eligible for the POTY, but since we can't be sure I added every big publisher I could think off.
 
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Did Bandai release anything else besides Elden Ring?

I know Elden Ring has a really high meta but the publishers average could be brought down by other titles.

I’m assuming this is how the awards work.
 

CatLady

Selfishly plays on Xbox Purr-ies X
the one who released Elden Ring
A publisher has to have a minimum of 5 games to qualify I believe, so it would depend on how many games their publisher released and the average of all their scores to be in the running.
 

CatLady

Selfishly plays on Xbox Purr-ies X
It's July, plenty of games have already released and we have a good picture of what games are going to be released in 2022 it's time for some POTY talk.

For those not yet familiar, the POTY (Publisher of the Year) is an award given to the best video game publisher of the year.

So, who do you think is looking strong for this year POTY?

*I was going to make a list for each publisher but I realized it quickly becomes too complex because some publisher like Square Enix release too many games, so you'll have to rely on your memory and do your own research.

*Technically only publishers with five or more distinct titles released or scheduled to release this year should've been included in the pool since they'll not be eligible for the POTY, but since we can't be sure I added every big publisher I could think off.

So PotY is a thing for you now?
Always this line, publisher of the year was never a thing until MS apparently won it. Are they going to win it again in 2022? Did they ever won it before?
 

Isa

Gold Member
That's actually a tough one. I think Bamco is solid, Capcom has some enjoyable releases, and for my money I'd say Nintendo is bringing some real bangers this year. Been a while since I've played so much on my Switch. But honestly Sega/Atlus has really wowed me with the Persona ports, plus Soul Hackers 2. Sure the Sonic stuff may be hit or miss and I know people were miffed by the Sonic Collection. But overall finally bringing those Persona titles to other platforms is really neat to see. I'm torn between Nintendo and Sega/Atlus lol.
 
Definitely is Sony for 2022. With Horizon, GOW, GT, Sifu and Stray, no other publisher is close to their quality of output this year. Two potential GOY games, plus their 30 minute state of plate as good or if not better than every other gaming showcase this year.
Every PC port from Sony also counts since last year Flight Simulator was counted for Xbox Studios. That already gets Sony a 93 metascore from GoW PC release, the upcoming Spider-man Remaster and Miles Morales that are probably going to score high and Uncharted Legacy of Thieves that scored an 87. TLoU Part I and GoW would have to have some really low metascores for it not to be Sony.

But that is if we are talking about the Metacritic award (the only one that exists as far as I know), the one that popularized the idea of the POTY got MS so much praise. If we are just talking in general than I could see an argument being made for some other publishers depending of how some upcoming games will do (Nintendo in particular).
 
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Did Bandai release anything else besides Elden Ring?

I know Elden Ring has a really high meta but the publishers average could be brought down by other titles.

I’m assuming this is how the awards work.

This is how it worked last year, very confusing (and pretty much stupid) specially since Metacritics own list of games published by each publisher is missing games and displays the lower score version of each game. It doesn't factor the number of games at all unless they are 90+ and even then each one only adds a small score bonus.

Sony in 2020 was 4th place even tho they released Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us Part II, Demon's Souls, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Astro's Playroom, Sackboy, Spider-Man Remastered, MLB The Show 20 and Dreams. MS last year scored more points somehow with 5 games.

I think we should have the official NeoGAF POTY award, to give Metacritic some competition, we could even do it retrospectively as well.

This is my proposed design for the physical award. We could send it to publisher so that they could display it in front of their offices.

gold-toilet.jpg
 
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Due to a fuck up on their part, Bandai Namco accidentally gave away the expansion to SRW 30 before it was even released. They get my vote cause that saved me $25.
 
Sony is killing it this year. If TLOU1 and Ragnarök get 90 on Metscritic, they are gonna have one of the best years ever for publisher.
Sony 2020 is crazy strong but 2022 is looking pretty good if games like TLoU Part I and GoW Ragnarok live up to expectations. They won't publish that many games but they are all pretty much big titles and everyone so far was a hit.

Why is this relevant?
It was relevant last year, people couldn't stop talking about MS winning the prestigious POTY (it wasn't relevant the other 6 years prior tho :messenger_grinning_squinting:). You can do a search for "publisher of the year" in the forum if you want to find some true gems.
 
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but Sony didn't publish Sifu and Stray
It still released or is scheduled to release exclusively on their console hardware. Cant find those games anywhere else except on pc. If Microsoft gets credit for games they didnt publish at the time of release, than so should Sony.
 
It still released or is scheduled to release exclusively on their console hardware. Cant find those games anywhere else except on pc. If Microsoft gets credit for games they didnt publish at the time of release, than so should Sony.
The POTY is only about the games you publish, it's in the name.

So PotY is a thing for you now?
The question is, was it ever a thing for anyone? The answer is obviously no btw, that's the entire point of my thread to point out how absurd and arbitrary the award is.

A Metacritic's POTY is worth less than a Neogaf GOTY, even the name of the award is stupid.
 
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BennyBlanco

aka IMurRIVAL69
It still released or is scheduled to release exclusively on their console hardware. Cant find those games anywhere else except on pc. If Microsoft gets credit for games they didnt publish at the time of release, than so should Sony.

It’s not the best moneyhat timed exclusives award. It’s about game publishers. MS received no credit when they won last year for games they didn’t publish.
 
It’s not the best moneyhat timed exclusives award. It’s about game publishers. MS received no credit when they won last year for games they didn’t publish.
Call it what you want or what ever makes you feel better. Microsoft won publisher of the year for games that were developed and released before they were even acquired. To say Sony doesn't get that same benefit for games that are exclusive to their platform is just another level of warring.
 

Perrott

Gold Member
Either Sony or Nintendo.

Sony's 2022:
  • Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
  • Horizon: Forbidden West
  • Gran Turismo 7
  • MLB The Show 22
  • The Last Of Us: Part I
  • God of War: Ragnarok
  • PC ports of God of War, Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Nintendo's 2022:
  • Pokemon Legends: Arceus
  • Kirby and the Forgotten Land
  • Nintendo Switch Sports
  • Mario Strikers: Battle League
  • Fire Emblem: Three Hopes
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 3
  • Splatoon 3
  • Bayonetta 3
  • Metroid Prime Remastered (rumored)
  • Pokemon Scarlett/Pokemon Violet
 

Hobbygaming

has been asked to post in 'Grounded' mode.
What is that i can only see God of War & that if it actually release this year
Horizon Forbidden West is not GOTY material
Horizon Forbidden West is definitely GOTY material. It has the same metacritic score as Spider-man 2018 and that was nominated

I'm not saying metacritic determines the GOTY contenders but it does help
 

skit_data

Member
Sony has had a strong year with 3 of their biggest franchises getting releases.

Elden Ring is also a juggernaut, don’t know of any more big Bandai Namco releases though.
 

coffinbirth

Member
Every PC port from Sony also counts since last year Flight Simulator was counted for Xbox Studios. That already gets Sony a 93 metascore from GoW PC release, the upcoming Spider-man Remaster and Miles Morales that are probably going to score high and Uncharted Legacy of Thieves that scored an 87. TLoU Part I and GoW would have to have some really low metascores for it not to be Sony.

But that is if we are talking about the Metacritic award (the only one that exists as far as I know), the one that popularized the idea of the POTY got MS so much praise. If we are just talking in general than I could see an argument being made for some other publishers depending of how some upcoming games will do (Nintendo in particular).
Yeah, that's not really what happened though. Flight Simulator came out in 2020 on PC.

It released on Xbox in 2021.
 

Wohc

Banned
2022, who will be the one-eyed among the blind? To me it's Bandai Namco thanks to the only memorable game this year.
But in reality it will be Nintendo or Sony. If GOW 2 is not punished for "more of the same" and gets 90+ it will be Sony.
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
This year has been shit so far. Elden Ring was awesome, and... that's pretty much it for me. We'll see how GoW:R turns out.
 
Yeah, that's not really what happened though. Flight Simulator came out in 2020 on PC.

It released on Xbox in 2021.
That is exactly what happened in the Metacritic POTY, they mention Flight Simulator by name, so it was definitely counted (and so were the Director's Cut games from Sony).

nominedomine nominedomine I don’t understand, you were tired hearing about “POTY” award when Microsoft won it last year, is it suddenly relevant again in your eyes? That’s quite the 360 you pulled there.
You guys never understand my threads. I couldn't make it more clear than I already did.

Well let me spell it out for you:
I'm making fun of the POTY award and the silly idea that was circulating that Metacritic is some sort of authority on the subject or that winning the POTY proves anything. Even EA already won the POTY award twice and it has existed since at least 2010 with pretty much zero visibility until this year.
 
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Pallas

Member
That is exactly what happened in the Metacritic POTY, they mention Flight Simulator by name, so it was definitely counted (and so were the Director's Cut games from Sony).


You guys never understand my threads. I couldn't make it more clear than I already did.

Well let me spell it out for you:
I'm making fun of the POTY award and the silly idea that was circulating that Metacritic is some sort of authority on the subject or that winning the POTY proves anything. Even EA already won the POTY award twice and it has existed since at least 2010 with pretty much zero visibility until last year.

No offense but don’t quit your day job if you ever decide to get into comedy.
 
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