The Game Awards: Pokemon and Co. no chance of nomination

Gematsu journalist Sal Romano has the procedure of the nominations of The Game Awards openly criticized. The makers around Geoff Keighley should therefore optimize the deadline for the nominations in the future. The nominees are chosen by a number of members of the media, of course well before the nominations are announced.

Only games played before the November 18, 2022 deadline can be nominated popped up to be. That goes for games like Pokemon Crimson and Crimson or even that acclaimed penance (comes out today) too. But to be able to nominate games, you must of course have played them. Romano points out that this may not have been the case with, for example, Pokémon Crimson and Crimson.

With other games that came out shortly before the deadline, yes. God of War Ragnarök is of course already out. But the deadline for submitting nominations was much tighter than the one for publishing the games. Journalists already had their fingers and eyes in the game then. Happy!

There is a “dead zone”

However, Pokémon crimson and purple would not stand a chance of being nominated, according to Romano and would also be for next year, especially because of the deadline excludedbecause they were released on November 18, 2022. The rules say:

Games eligible for The Game Awards this year must be available for public consumption on or before Friday, November 18, 2022 at 9 p.m. PT. Titles released after this date will be eligible for The Game Awards in 2023. (Likewise, games released on or after November 20, 2021 will be eligible for this year’s awards first).

It would be a strange interpretation to say that Pokémon Crimson and Crimson were released on November 18 after 9 PM local time, which would make it before 2023. But even if it turned out like this: Out of sight out of mind. Getting Crimson and Crimson nominated for The Game Awards 2023 would feel strange. And after Pentiment, in 2023, there will be no more crowing.

Those Pokemon Crimson and Crimson now not being nominated yet doesn’t feel strange right now. But by the time the show goes live on December 8, these games, Pentiment, and others will be available for three weeks. What if it hits an Elden Ring-caliber game?

Romano’s suggestion is that the deadline should refer to the embargo date (that’s when the reviews come out) and not the release date. That wouldn’t help Crimson and Crimson this year either, but the Games wouldn’t be ruled out for 2023.

Romano’s argument has gaps, for example, he does not say exactly when the deadline for the nominations was (known and plausible to the editors) and when exactly the (first) press representatives received their review copies of Pokémon Crimson and Crimson. However, there is certainly a “dead zone” in current practice, which basically excludes games for the current year and next year.

In January, the advertising effect is lost

At first glance, many fans suggest the most obvious way: the Game Awards should take place in January, so that all games released in 2022 are also eligible for the Game Awards 2022. A dilemma for the organizers, because the show, of course, also serves as advertising in the Christmas business. On the other hand, many top games are also appearing in the Christmas business.

Anyway, it’s too late for 2022. The nominations are in and playing as expected God of War Ragnarok and Elden ring a big part. God of War Ragnarök has a total of 10 nominations, Elden Ring, like Horizon Forbidden West, has 7 nominations. Stray (6) and A Plague Tale: Requiem (5) also impressed the jury. A little surprise: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 nominated three times.

A slightly more interesting picture emerges when sorting the nominations by publisher. Sony was able to land 20 nominations, while Xbox Game Studios landed none. Nintendo has 11 nominations, as does indie publisher Annapurna Interactive. Bandai Namco managed eight nominations, Electronic Arts only five. You can find all the nominees here.

Footage: The Game Awards