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ESA Debating Games Critics Awards Over “Best of E3” Eligibility.
You Gotta Play to Win. Or Do You?
When Activision and Vivendi opted out of the Entertainment Software Association, and therefore the E3 Media and Business Summit, the ESA assumed that they would no longer be eligible to win any of the annual “Best of E3” awards given out by an independent panel of Games Critics Awards judges. The GCA might not agree, however.
GCA co-chairman and all-around game advocate extraordinaire, Geoff Keighley has stated that the decision has not yet been made as to whether E3 non-participants will be eligible for the awards. It may seem odd that a publisher who doesn’t attend E3 would be able to win a “Best of E3” award, but according to Keighley, "A precedent has been set that in the past, judges have voted on games that have been presented off the show floor at hotel suites and across the street from E3” adding, "It would be a shame for me if the best game of E3 didn't win the Best of Show award because it was demoed across the street from the show floor."
Activision and Vivendi have not yet made a statement regarding the issue.
On one hand, it makes sense that appearing at E3 would be a prerequisite for winning a Best of E3 award. On the other hand, the GCA is an independent organization of journalists who are free to make their own criteria for the award. Of course, if Activision doesn’t have Earth-shaking anything to show at their non-E3 show, it won’t really matter, will it?
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Comments
I don't think that companies that don't participate in the show should be eligible for consideration. It's unfair to the companies that are paying to be a part of the show. If the GCA wants to branch out, that's fine. But the whole point is to be the best of E3.
It's like lotto, you have to be in it to win it.