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Do Games That Come Out Early In The Year Have A Disadvantage for Winning GOTY?
Mass Effect 2 Hopes Not.
by Hangman522
Most triple A titles usually are released in the holiday season, with 2009 we saw titles such as Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed 2, and my personal favorite Uncharted 2 released from October onward. Now, since these titles came out at such a late stage in the year, when voting for GOTY comes around they are the freshest in our minds. For instance, so many titles came out in the holiday range that people looked over a solid title like Halo Wars. Now I'm not saying that Halo Wars deserved GOTY but it was definitely a great game. Batman: Arkham Asylum also started to get overshadowed despite the fact that it redefined comic book video games. (Much like what the Caped Crusader did on the big screen in 2008).
Now I'm one of the many people who believe Uncharted 2: Among Thieves deserved top honors, but this recent trend has got me worried about this year. Mass Effect 2 is quite possibly the best video game ever made. It has tremendous voice acting, an incredible story, and unbelievable action. It's has one of the highest metacritic ratings ever for a video game, (near 96 percent last I checked) but since it was released in January I can't help but feel like it will be overlooked. For instance, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has been making waves, (as it should.) while Heavy Rain has been dominating the PS3 side of things, (It's pronounced OR-A-GAHMEE). Don't get me started on that God of War 3 game that's been going around. (A perfect 10?, really Game Informer?) 2010 is filled with many games, but will Mass Effect 2 get the credit it deserves?
I realize that it is only March, and there is still a boat load of games to come still, but Mass Effect 2 reeled me into a video game in ways that none other has. I HATED Mass Effect 1 for a very long time, but I slugged through it just so I could play 2. Now I have a new appreciation for one, and to have a sequel do that makes it that much better.
So as I look into whats around the corner, I really only see one title that can rain on Bioware's parade: Halo: Reach. Bungie certainly looks like they're making quite the shooter. While part of me hopes Reach blows our minds, I can't help but hope that tradition breaks and a January release wins GOTY, because Mass Effect 2 is a must play, It's a huge system seller, and certainly a point of jealousy for PS3 owners everywhere. If you haven't played Mass Effect 2 yet, go get it. Now.
Comments
Of course there are lots of organizations that give out a GOTY award, some being more influential than others, but none being the definitive bottom line. I'm sure that GTA IV got the honors it deserved in 2008 with most of those awarding bodies even though it was released in April.
An early release doesn't necessarily eliminate a game from GOTY runnings. Sure, it may hurt with newer holiday season releases freshest in our minds, but if a game is just that good, we won't forget. Also, don't give Halo Reach top honors just yet; everyone was pretty shocked when summer release BioShock beat out Halo 3 in 2007. At this stage in the industry, anything goes.
If the game is strong enough, there's no reason why it will be overlooked at year's end. For this year, Mass Effect 2 is a good example, but so is God of War III, and, if early buzz is right, Red Dead Redemption is up there too.
uh... i'm going to stay out of this since I also gave God of War III a 10, so I must not know what I'm talking about.
Don't get me wrong, I've only gotten to play the demo for God of War III, but I loved it and look forward to playing the whole thing. I just disagree with how Game Informer rates many titles. I also forgot to mention that Super Mario Galaxy 2 comes out in two months, and that's going to get rave reviews too. My main point is that recently there have been so many holiday releases that they seem to get the biggest honors.