It's nice to get a few more opinions on games months after they've been released, when the dust has settled and the hype maybe died down a bit. Otherwise it's all irrelevant to me. You can point at a thousand issues with the entire idea, top to bottom, from the very idea of picking one game to win down to what games the people involved have even played.
Giantbomb GOTY 2012 Thread: Videos, Top 10's, and podcasts lots and lots of podcasts.
- Thread starter The Dutch Slayer
- Start date
If someone can spend the 15 minutes to make it, I'd love to see the list of their highest ten games if you give every game on their personal top tens a score of 10 for first place, 9 for second place and so on and rank them by total points.
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Didn't realize the Far Cry 3 discrepancy was that big. Jeff really did get away with murder getting that and Syndicate so high.
A much better list overall, Horizon is in there, FTL, and those games which deserve the spots. Altough Sleeping Dogs is not there so I am pretty happy we have some arguing and it got on the final list.
Oh, thanks. I don't think anyone could've really complained about ME3 being #4 or #5 on such a list, but if they'd given ME3 #4 on their real list I predict there would be fucking riots.
Biggest disappointment isn't "worst game." It just means that they expected a ton from Mass Effect 3 and were let down. That it still made the top ten shows just how much hype they had for that game going in.
There is nothing conflicting about it.
Haunted
Member
Welp, looks we don't need an overall GOTY discussion next year anymore.
Math wins.
Felix Lighter
Member
It's about what I expect. They are a small group of guys, they couldn't have possibly played all the games so some number will agree on games they haven't played. There are some convincing arguments at times and some weak arguments at times and there's some diplomatic concessions made to keep things moving. It can be interesting to listen to, though being an outsider sometimes you want to chime in. In the end it makes a list but I put a lot more weight on their individual lists, personally.
EternalGamer
Banned
I am certainly not on a crusade. It is just a silly list afterall. But you are right, my tone was a little too harsh. But come on, man. It was akin to someone yelling "bullshit" at a football ref on TV. It wasnt intended as a personal attack anymore than yelling at the TV is.
Having said that, I just found it incredulious that you seemed so indignant about Xcom's bugs and how you couldnt let something like that slide when you seemed to make almost the exact opposite argument about Skyrim.
In some cases there was really thoughtful and interesting discussion, like with ZombiU. In some cases the boss got his way and there is nothing terribly interesting about that.
My favorite part was the brief moment of clarity when they realized how goofy the whole thing is and Jeff's "we better care or what the fuck are we doing this for!" Jeff is a true video games believer.
EternalGamer
Banned
I was pretty surprised that nobody spoke up for FTL despite it being on so many of their individual top ten lists. To me it is the emobidiment of an original vision well executed. It is certainly better than the uninspired fan service pap that plagues Mass Effect 3, which I think really got on the list because, as Brad partially admitted in his own top ten, because of the love of the franchise rather than the quality of the particular game.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
While i do agree that the difference in attitudes is ridiculous, at least in that context it's not as if he was actually mentioning the bugs to try to take it off goty. It seemed more like an argument of the difference in bugs to see whether x-com or walking dead gets goty.
I didn't actually get any bugs in walking dead though, while x-vom is rife with it. I would still much rather play x-com though.
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Please don't bring up the Skyrim debacle anymore.. I'm..starting to tear up..
forgeforsaken
Member
What's with Jeff's apparent dislike of Mark of the Ninja? Had he played it? Seemed odd with everyone loving it and him just wanting to immediately cut it from multiple lists.
The slowdown and hitching and save issues are more glaring to me in TWD because of how little that game is doing. It's an interactive cartoon, why does it chug so damn bad?
Also, Firaxis has fixed most of the little bugs in xcom while there is simply nothing Telltale can really do. I hope they overhaul their outdated engine before the second season.
Officerrob
Banned
I love the actual discussion, but it just felt like nobody was really up for the fight this year. It basically became "One of TWD or XCOM will win, then we will cram in all the download games, and finally throw our individual personal favorites at the end.". The only exception to this is Far Cry 3, which Jeff managed to get pushed all the way up to 3, with no resistance even though it only made one other person's top 10 (Brad's at 7th). Looking at their individual lists, FTL and Forza definitely should have been represented, but for some reason nobody picked-up the fight on their behalf because each guy was more concerned with putting in a game only one of them thought was worthy into the bottom half.
Felix Lighter
Member
Whether you think it is fair or not, they judge these things based on their personal experiences with the games. They didn't play the miserable PS3 version of Skyrim, so they only experienced the typical Elder Scrolls wonkiness. Brad, personally, ran into major bugs in XCom.
This is an aspect of their GOTY process I agree with. I want them to judge the games on their own experiences and not go looking around for the issues that others ran into. It just complicates things and how do you judge other players frustrations? Best and simplest route is to only consider what they themselves ran into. I know when I look at a game for my top ten, I don't consider other people on other platforms.
For me, the one game I hated to see fall off the list was FTL. That game was a big surprise, so charming and well executed, I would like to have seen it stay over a few of the other games. I guess it's been given a lot of attention anyway through discussions and most highlighted the game in their personal top 10s. I can't believe it was Vinny.
EternalGamer
Banned
I agree. I dont mind someone saying "this has to be on the list" but that shouldnt be the end of the discussion because there is nothing interesting about that. At the least they should be willing to spend some time articulating why it is justified to them over other titles. Sometimes that happened and sometimes it didnt.
Yeah, I noticed that moment too. In my mind, though, it is less about it being goofy than committing to take the "game" of making the list seriously for the sake of the game. It is no fun to play tennis with someone who is going to go "This is silly, why should I be trying so hard to hit this ball over a net, anyway."
Did they ever mention Kingdoms of Amalur? I'm a couple of hours in so maybe it takes a nose dive but I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm playing it on pc and it's a beautiful game and it does some really interesting and smart things with how you level your character that I hope to see many games especially bethesda games copy. I feel it got overlooked and forgotten because it was released so early in the year.
chickdigger802
Banned
Shame the idea of GOTY is inheritently flawed. Kinda wish that category didn't come back next year :/
There really wasn't much argument this year, or much agreement outside of all top 3 games are pretty busted.
Seems like whoever prepared a speech for a game that other people haven't touched can get in on the list.
But hey, good on brad being outspoken about all that bullshit around these games.
Still freaking baffling telltale won best company of year of VGA.
There really wasn't much argument this year, or much agreement outside of all top 3 games are pretty busted.
Seems like whoever prepared a speech for a game that other people haven't touched can get in on the list.
But hey, good on brad being outspoken about all that bullshit around these games.
Still freaking baffling telltale won best company of year of VGA.
EternalGamer
Banned
I have only played about an hour of it and it hasnt grabbed me yet. Perhaps it will, but I certainly would be interested in hearing Jeff's dissent.
Same with Walking Dead. I love Walking Dead but apparently Jeff wasn't interested enough in it to play past a little into episode 2. I would have liked him to at least talk about why rather than just being silent whenever Walking Dead was discussed.
mattiewheels
And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
Yeah, I wonder what problems Jeff had with Mark of the Ninja, having missed him speak about it this year...
eot
Banned
It seemed pretty clear throughout the top 10 process that games specific folks felt very passionate about are what they're after, not necessarily the games that a majority have played and liked but on the lower end of the scale. What they ended up with is reflective of the sites personalities as a whole, which is more interesting in my opinion than a blanket "highest rated games" or an aggregate of their personal lists.
You know what? I think team/group GotY lists are dumb. People like what they like and they should keep their own lists, and they shouldn't be mixed or counted by weighted points. Maybe it'll be phased out in exchange for better categories that aren't just "______ of the year" like PLEASE STOP and best trends.
They would work if everyone, or at least 4/5, has played every game, but that ain't ever gonna happen.
Typographenia
Member
You let Spelunky DIE.
Did you guys record all of the podcast stuff in one day or was it over the course of two or three days?
Welcome to the party. : )
Brad has proven to be the masochist of the staff with things like Trials, Spelunky, and having his own video segment dedicated to the breaking of his spirit. It only makes sense.
I don't know that I would say number one was unenthusiastic as much as it was that they all pretty much knew it was the one general constant between them all. I definitely agree that it was bizarre to see some personal picks edge out Hotline and FTL.
It doesn't make me care more or less about their choices, but I like seeing the thought process and steps that lead them to the choices they finalize. Not seeing Asura's Wrath, Hotline Miami, FTL, and so forth on the list would have been really eyebrow raising if I didn't get a chance to see behind the curtain and know why.
Earthpainting
Member
Something tells me the exact concept already exists on mobile market, along with 50 clones.
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Oh fuck..Asura's is only 18 on Amazon.. impulse urge rising..
DO IT!!! ARGHHHHHH!!!!
Ken Masters
Banned
He voted for a game he hadn't played?
Come on, I posted like, THREE calm responses to positive comments a couple pages ago! Truly this is a new age.
The Wizard
Member
I just went back and looked at at the 2011 list and I think this actually a better and much more diverse list of the years games. There are some games I think should have been on there but aren't and vice versa, but overall it's a nice and varied list of great games.
Also forgot that Deux Ex failed to even place last year, makes sense that Dishonored was dropped pretty quickly if that sort of game isn't really to their tastes.
Also forgot that Deux Ex failed to even place last year, makes sense that Dishonored was dropped pretty quickly if that sort of game isn't really to their tastes.
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
The dlc is required though right? That makes the game a bit more expensive than it should be. At 10-15 I'd bite.
vitaminwateryum
corporate swill
I think it's over the coure of two days. When talking about Best Multiplayer, Brad and Patrick mention leaving the podcast and playing Space Team at the christmas party.
WrenchNinja
Member
"ADVENTURE GAMES ARE BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAThey never left"
Vinny always makes me laugh, almost as good as his Dark Souls rant.
Vinny always makes me laugh, almost as good as his Dark Souls rant.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Watching the day 5 recap again, and I'm warming up to it more. The cheesy humour didn't really grab me the first time through but I'm liking it more now.
Also watching vinny play sleepy dogs makes me happy because it's the exact same way I play. Dunno what it is about the game that makes it so much fun to be a dick to random civvies.
Also watching vinny play sleepy dogs makes me happy because it's the exact same way I play. Dunno what it is about the game that makes it so much fun to be a dick to random civvies.
Officerrob
Banned
Roomies, because a jean jacket 90s Patrick heelying up to an arcade cabinet (with his shoes being off camera) is the goddamn best.
Also "Chem-trails!"
Also "You don't need the sugar, you're sweet enough as it is."
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
It's got to be hoarders.
Special mention for the workplace.
Special mention for the workplace.
eot
Banned
Don't you get that they release these podcasts to explain why the list is the way it is? Their process of assembling it isn't to add up the rankings of their individual top 10 lists. To say that the list they came up with differs from a mathematically defined list is a pointless statement to make even though it is true. You're trying to impose your idea of what their list should be even though they went to great lengths explaining that it isn't that, just as it isn't a collection of the highest scoring games (Fez 4 stars hi) or whatever formula you want to use to assemble a list.
Typographenia
Member
That's right, that's right. I was thinking I had remembered Ryan mentioning coming back from a break, but I didn't know if it was a regular podcast break or a day break. I totally forgot about the Spaceteam stuff.
edit:
I really love that Jeff's mask is just paper towels tied around his head instead of like a true cough mask or something, hahaha
I'm totally using that line to pick up chicks, and ya Friday's was easily my favorite, laugh tracks make everything better.
Syndicate's so high, damn the power of that crazy gypsy magic.
And Patrick's crazy, "PS3 has no performance issues." Made me gasp, gasp I tell you. Maybe it was different when you downloaded the episodes but on a disc the performance was often terrible. The story outweighed the bad but still.
And Patrick's crazy, "PS3 has no performance issues." Made me gasp, gasp I tell you. Maybe it was different when you downloaded the episodes but on a disc the performance was often terrible. The story outweighed the bad but still.
Officerrob
Banned
Yes I understand that, but when you are assembling a list with a group of people, you usually bring your opinion to the table and argue on the basis of such. In one particular case, we know that Jeff has played ZombiU, thought is was a good game, but didn't think enough of it to include it in his top 10 list. We also know that Jeff thought that Forza was his fifth and FTL his sixth game of the year, yet during the podcast he was easy to dismiss FTL and Forza while agreeing (solely with Patrick) that ZombiU needs to make the site's top 10 list. What the hell kind of sense does that make? Jeff was basically arguing against his own stated opinion of his top ten list!
transience
Member
Just wanted to say that GOTY week at Giant Bomb is my favourite time for video game coverage every year. I sit there reloading pages constantly waiting to see what happens next. Thanks to Brad and co. for all the impassioned arguments. I could mention a bunch of things I would tweak every year but kind of like that the guys do what the hell they want. Here's to hoping for more awesome in 2013.
And thank god they don't choose the GOTY with math. That would be no god damn fun. If Jeff wants to fight for Syndicate and Vinny wants to fight for Sleeping Dogs, more power to them. I'd rather have that than a game on four people's lists they like but are okay with cutting.
(shame no one wanted to fight for Asura's Wrath though. that could have been fun)
And thank god they don't choose the GOTY with math. That would be no god damn fun. If Jeff wants to fight for Syndicate and Vinny wants to fight for Sleeping Dogs, more power to them. I'd rather have that than a game on four people's lists they like but are okay with cutting.
(shame no one wanted to fight for Asura's Wrath though. that could have been fun)