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Gamespots GOTY'S since 1996

S

SomeDude

Banned
If anyone cares here they are:


1996: Diablo for PC (we didn't cover video games)
1997: Total Annihilation for PC, Final Fantasy VII for PlayStation
1998: Grim Fandango for PC, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo 64
1999: EverQuest for PC, Soul Calibur for Dreamcast
2000: The Sims for PC, Chrono Cross for PlayStation
2001: Serious Sam: The First Encounter for PC, Grand Theft Auto III for PlayStation 2
2002: Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos for PC, Metroid Prime for GameCube
2003: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for GameCube
2004: World of Warcraft for PC



http://www.gamespot.com/pages/profile/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24080521&user=GregK
 
No Mario 64 for 1996? I'm disappointed in you, Gamespot. I could have expected this from IGN, but I thought better of you. For shame :(
 
Oblivion said:
No Mario 64 for 1996? I'm disappointed in you, Gamespot. I could have expected this from IGN, but I thought better of you. For shame :(
Click to expand...
1996: Diablo for PC (we didn't cover video games)



And even in their defense, Diablo was just as mindblowing as Mario64 in a lot of ways
 
SomeDude said:
1996: Diablo for PC - great choice!
1997: Total Annihilation for PC, Final Fantasy VII for PlayStation - 10/10!
1998: Grim Fandango for PC, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo 64 - bullseye!
1999: EverQuest for PC, Soul Calibur for Dreamcast - meh... miss.
2000: The Sims for PC, Chrono Cross for PlayStation - WTF were you smoking? CC?
2001: Serious Sam: The First Encounter for PC, Grand Theft Auto III for PlayStation 2 - bah, GTA - ok, but SS?
2002: Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos for PC, Metroid Prime for GameCube - War3 did not deserve it. Prime did.
2003: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for GameCube - let me kiss you!
2004: World of Warcraft for PC - FTW!
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I bolded my text.
 
What was EGM's List? I'm having trouble remembering everything

1989 - Ghouls N Ghosts for Genesis (sure, why not)
1990 - Strider for Genesis (wtf, what about Mario 3?)
1991 - Sonic the Hedgehog for Genesis (Big upset for Mario world)
1992 - Street Fighter 2 for Snes (1992 was the year of the SNES)
1993 - Samurai Shodown for Neo Geo (respect for the Neo)
1994 - Donkey Kong Country for SNES (wow, just wow)
1995 - Twisted Metal for PSX (big wtf there)
1996 - Mario 64 (what else in 1996?)
1997 - Goldeneye for 64 (good year, but SotN deserved it more)
1998 - Ocarina of Time (sure)
1999 - Soul Calibur (by a longshot)
2000 - ?
2001 - Halo
2002 - Metroid Prime
2003 - ?
2004 - Halo 2?
2005 - Hopefully RE4 for GC/PS2
 
Ocarina and Grim Fandango? What a fucking killer combo. I'd take those two games over all of those others combined (though GTA3 is ace too)
 
No Starcraft in 1998? Or Half-Life? What's up with that...

Maybe I'm biased, I never really got into Grim Fandango..
 
Hard to believe that none of the infinity engine games ever won GotY from Gamespot. That list also makes me realize how dismal PC gaming would be these days without Blizzard.

If RE4 wins this year, Gamecube will have three GotY titles as opposed to two for PS2 and none for Xbox. Maybe it's time to start bitching about Gamespot's Nintendo bias? :D
 
Quite a lousy list. Here's mine, but I'm sure I'm forgetting some:

1996 : Super Mario 64 (N64) (Master of Orion 2, Duke Nukem 3D, Civilization II)
1997 : Final Fantasy VII (PS) (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Falcon 3, Heroes of Might and Magic II)
1998 : Fallout 2 (PC) (Xenogears, Thief)
1999 : System Shock 2 (PC) (Planescape: Torment, Heroes of Might and Magic III, King of Dragon Pass, Gabriel Knight 3, Freespace 2)
2000 : Baldurs Gate II : Shadows of Amn (PC) (Deus Ex, Thief II)
2001 : Grand Theft Auto III (PS2) (Operation Flashpoint, Arcanum)
2002 : Morrowind (PC) (ICO, Medieval: Total War)
2003 : Knights of the Old Republic (xbox) (Gothic 2, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time)
2004 : Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) (Half-life 2, Rome: Total War)

edit: 1999 was awesome. Grim Fandango was great, but no Gabriel Knight or Monkey Island
edit2: oh shit freespace 2, Thief I&II
 
2001 really was bad for PC gaming. I think the other serious contenders were Max Payne, OpFlash, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and Ghost Recon. Would've picked RtCW out of that group, myself.
 
syllogism said:
Quite a lousy list. Here's mine, but I'm sure I'm forgetting some:

1996 : Super Mario 64 (N64) (Master of Orion 2, Duke Nukem 3D, Civilization II)
1997 : Final Fantasy VII (PS) (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Falcon 3, Heroes of Might and Magic II)
1998 : Fallout 2 (PC) (Xenogears, Suikoden II)
1999 : System Shock 2 (PC) (Planescape: Torment, Heroes of Might and Magic III, King of Dragon Pass)
2000 : Baldurs Gate II : Shadows of Amn (PC) (Deus Ex)
2001 : Grand Theft Auto III (PS2) (Operation Flashpoint, Arcanum)
2002 : Morrowind (PC) (ICO)
2003 : Knights of the Old Republic (xbox) (Prince of Persia: Sands of Time)
2004 : Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) (Half-life 2)
Click to expand...

The Gods have spared you. For now.
 
Overall I think Gamespot did a good job. Back in 98 I would of probably picked Half-Life or StarCraft over Grim Fandango but now I think the Fandango is better then both of those, probably beause Grim Fandango is a more unique game now compared to the other 2.
 
Let me tell you something about Grim Fandango.

For years I have wanted to play it, hell, back when it came out I didn't have a PC and didn't really follow the gaming press, it was just something about the character design that really appealed to me.

Finally, this year, 2005, I played it. And you know what? I loved it. I played it all the way through and it felt completely fresh. It really didn't show any aging (save for low poly character models that it almost gets away with due to the abstract character design), it is a fantastic game. In 2005. When it was released in 1998? Jesus, I have not known any other game capable of that.
 
1998 was the year that rocked! Grim Fandango is still the adventure game to beat and so far nobody has come close. I've played and beaten the game atleast 7 or 8 times now. OOT is another example of an amazing game.

One of the best years in gaming history.
 
Pretty good choices apart from one or two exceptions..

Grim Fandango is still the adventure game to beat and so far nobody has come close.
Click to expand...

Grim Fandango has the best story and dialogue I've ever seen in a game... but it's controls and UI was clumsy and puzzles weren't nearly the best Lucasarts has done. It was an amazing and memorable experience but Day of the Tentacle and Monkey Island 2 are still slightly better games overal IMO.
 
2002: Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos for PC, Metroid Prime for GameCube - War3 did not deserve it. Prime did.
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Fu, for two years it was the only game I played. And I played it a lot during those years, more than anything else ever.
 
GDC Awards have had a good balance in the few years it has been around:

5th annual Game Developes Choice Awards (2005)

Recipient

* Half-Life 2 (Valve Software / Vivendi Universal Games)
- Ken Birdwell, Gabe Newell, Jay Stelly

Nominees

* Burnout 3: Takedown (Criterion Games / Electronic Arts)
- Paul Glancey, Chris Roberts, Paul Cross, Fiona Sperry, Alex Ward
* Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Rockstar North / Rockstar Games)
- Leslie Benzies, Adam Fowler, Aaron Garbut, Sam Houser, Alexander Roger, Obbe Vermeij
* Katamari Damacy (Namco)
- Keita Takahashi
* World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
- Mark Kern, Mike Morhaime, Rob Pardo


4th annual Game Developes Choice Awards (2004)

Recipient

* STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC (BioWare Corp.)

Nominees

* BEYOND GOOD & EVIL (Ubisoft Pictures)
* CALL OF DUTY (Infinity Ward)
* PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME (Ubisoft Montreal)
* THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE WIND WAKER (Nintendo EAD)


3rd annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2003)

Recipient

* METROID PRIME (Retro Studios)

Nominees

* BATTLEFIELD 1942 (Digital Illusions)
* GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY (Rockstar North)
* NEVERWINTER NIGHTS (BioWare Corp.)
* TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL (Ubi Soft Montreal)


2nd annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2002)

Recipient

* GRAND THEFT AUTO III (DMA Design/Rockstar Games)

Nominees

* BLACK & WHITE (Lionhead Studios)
* HALO: COMBAT EVOLVED (Bungie Studios)
* ICO (Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc.)
* MAX PAYNE (Remedy Entertainment)


1st annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2001)

Recipient

* THE SIMS (Maxis)

Nominees

* DEUS EX (ION Storm Austin)
* JET GRIND RADIO (Smilebit)
* NO ONE LIVES FOREVER (Monolith)
* SHENMUE (Sega AM2)
Click to expand...

I would have picked DX over The Sims but they at least look at every category of games. AIAS is like the annual FPS awards.
 
Zweisy1 said:
Grim Fandango has the best story and dialogue I've ever seen in a game... but it's controls and UI was clumsy and puzzles weren't nearly the best Lucasarts has done.
Click to expand...

I agree, it was what held Grim Fandango back IMO.
 
Mooreberg said:
GDC Awards have had a good balance in the few years it has been around:



I would have picked DX over The Sims but they at least look at every category of games. AIAS is like the annual FPS awards.
Click to expand...


And the GDC awards are great because they are voted on by the game development community. To me its a more meaningful award because it shows the respect of your peers to even be nominated for the award, let alone win it.
 
Gamespot's "special achievements" nominees list this year is bizarre, Amped 3 and Stubbs the Zombie were nominated for more categories than anything on any other system and DQVIII got almost nothing. Oh yeah, and every multiplatform game is shown as the Xbox or 360 version when possible.

I just don't know where all their Amped 3 love came from, they gave it a 7.6. And Stubbs scored a 7.8.
 
1999 ... The Longest Journey, Planescape Torment, System Shock 2 ... and Everquest is the game of the year ... it was already Sonyspot at this time.
 
Not bad except the console pick for 2000, should have been Vagrant Story.

There are plenty of games each of those years that I liked better than their GOTY, but it looks like they're pretty good at picking games that have a significant influence on gaming as a whole.
 
I don't know if anyone has seen all the nominees posted for Gamespots awards this year in their special achievement and platform categories, but I think more than half are damn near laughable. Gamespot has really gone downhill in the last 2 years IMO.

Indigo Prophecy, and worse yet, fucking Amped 3 for Best Story?
Forza Motorsport for Best A.I?
SotC for worst framerate?
Ninja Gaiden Black for Best Action/Adventure?
No Wipeout Pure for Best Driving?
No Meteos for Best DS?

Not to mention I seriously disagree with their perception of a few games. They brutally underrated SotC, have succumbed to the hype of the 360 far too much (there are way too many 360 games nominated in various categories), and some of their categories are a fucking joke. Best use of sweat? Most outrageous game? Best use of upset, disheveled men? Best metal?

Is it too much to get some serious awards going on here. This industry needs to mature, big time.
 
Vagrant Story so deserved to win console in 2000.
Even Gamespot gave it 9.6.

And Diablo 2 or Deus EX deserved pc goty in the same year.
 
elostyle said:
Fu, for two years it was the only game I played. And I played it a lot during those years, more than anything else ever.
Click to expand...

Warcraft 3 is the very definition of overrating. Fun for about 3 hours.
 
Oblivion said:
No Mario 64 for 1996? I'm disappointed in you, Gamespot. I could have expected this from IGN, but I thought better of you. For shame :(
Click to expand...

Our console game coverage only started in 1997. Mario 64 probably would have won in '96 had we done video game awards that year, though. Not to be all contradictory, but I was just never that big a fan of that game myself...3D platformers have never done it for me like 2D platformers did. I was talking to Jeff yesterday about how someone should make a 3D platformer where the last boss is the camera. All of a sudden the camera sort of pulls into the screen and the action goes 2D, and the camera pulls a Kojima-esque soliloquy talking about all the times it caused you to die over the course of the game, and how it's been the sinister mastermind all along. And then you have to butt-stomp it three times or something. Anyway, what were we talking about again?
 
Excelion said:
1999 ... The Longest Journey, Planescape Torment, System Shock 2 ... and Everquest is the game of the year ... it was already Sonyspot at this time.
Click to expand...

The Longest Journey was our Adventure Game of the Year and our import review of that game (we were among the first US publications to cover it) probably helped bring it Stateside.

Planescape: Torment was our RPG of the year, beating out System Shock 2.

As much as I love TLJ and Torment, EverQuest had much more of a profound effect on games a whole than either of those two, and it was the game we kept coming back to. Same effect as World of Warcraft but years prior, basically. But the closest runner up to EverQuest that year was FreeSpace 2, which is still completely unsurpassed as space sims go (not that anyone makes them anymore).
 
kasavin said:
Our console game coverage only started in 1997. Mario 64 probably would have won in '96 had we done video game awards that year, though. Not to be all contradictory, but I was just never that big a fan of that game myself...3D platformers have never done it for me like 2D platformers did. I was talking to Jeff yesterday about how someone should make a 3D platformer where the last boss is the camera. All of a sudden the camera sort of pulls into the screen and the action goes 2D, and the camera pulls a Kojima-esque soliloquy talking about all the times it caused you to die over the course of the game, and how it's been the sinister mastermind all along. And then you have to butt-stomp it three times or something. Anyway, what were we talking about again?
Click to expand...

If RE4 doesn't win GOTY there will be trouble sir.
 
I still play Grim Fandango once or twice a year and I'm still listening to the score all the time. It's fucking brilliant.

In fact, I just might start another game this weekend. Finals are done, time to have some fun.
 
kasavin said:
The Longest Journey was our Adventure Game of the Year and our import review of that game (we were among the first US publications to cover it) probably helped bring it Stateside.

Planescape: Torment was our RPG of the year, beating out System Shock 2.

As much as I love TLJ and Torment, EverQuest had much more of a profound effect on games a whole than either of those two, and it was the game we kept coming back to. Same effect as World of Warcraft but years prior, basically. But the closest runner up to EverQuest that year was FreeSpace 2, which is still completely unsurpassed as space sims go (not that anyone makes them anymore).
Click to expand...


Greg, how did you like Chrono Cross which was voted Console GOTY in 2000? I was wondering if you were a big fan of Chrono Trigger and thought that Chrono Cross lived up to CT.
 
As much as I love TLJ and Torment, EverQuest had much more of a profound effect on games a whole than either of those two, and it was the game we kept coming back to. Same effect as World of Warcraft but years prior, basically. But the closest runner up to EverQuest that year was FreeSpace 2, which is still completely unsurpassed as space sims go (not that anyone makes them anymore).
Click to expand...

EQ ruined online gaming for me. I was interested in UO at the time but when i got a decent internet connection there were only EQ clones on the market. I liked Freespace 2, but not as much as X-Wing Alliance.

damn picking a PC game in 1998 must have been really hard. Baldur's Gate, Fallout2, Grim Fandango, Half-Life, Grand Prix Legends, Myth II, Starcraft, Thief. Best PC year ever.
 
RE 4 doesn't deserve it by any means. A game with so many poor design decisions (no, side step, no quick weapon select, lame inventory system, instant death QTEs, trial and error gameplay, etc) should automatically disqualify it for GOTY.

I'd rather see God of War, Forza, Shadow of the Collossus, Civ IV, Guild Wars, PGR3, Lumines, Mercenaries, or Call of Duty 2 chosen before it.

Sure, give it awards or nominations in Graphics, Art Direction, Sound, and Music but not Design or GOTY.
 
SomeDude said:
If anyone cares here they are:


1996: Diablo for PC (we didn't cover video games)
1997: Total Annihilation for PC, Final Fantasy VII for PlayStation
1998: Grim Fandango for PC, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo 64
1999: EverQuest for PC, Soul Calibur for Dreamcast
2000: The Sims for PC, Chrono Cross for PlayStation
2001: Serious Sam: The First Encounter for PC, Grand Theft Auto III for PlayStation 2
2002: Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos for PC, Metroid Prime for GameCube
2003: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for GameCube
2004: World of Warcraft for PC



http://www.gamespot.com/pages/profile/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24080521&user=GregK
Click to expand...
Gamespot is a Blizzard fan in heart :lol
 
Warm Machine said:
RE 4 doesn't deserve it by any means. A game with so many poor design decisions (no, side step, no quick weapon select, lame inventory system, instant death QTEs, trial and error gameplay, etc) should automatically disqualify it for GOTY.

I'd rather see God of War, Forza, Shadow of the Collossus, Civ IV, Guild Wars, PGR3, Lumines, Mercenaries, or Call of Duty 2 chosen before it.

Sure, give it awards or nominations in Graphics, Art Direction, Sound, and Music but not Design or GOTY.
Click to expand...

Amen. RE4 has so many ridiculous gameplay flaws... I will never understand the nearly universal praise it has recieved.
 
LittleTokyo said:
Amen. RE4 has so many ridiculous gameplay flaws... I will never understand the nearly universal praise it has recieved.
Click to expand...

I second this. A fun game, no doubt, but it's not Resident Evil 2, that's for sure. :D
 
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