Kinda Funny Gamescast: Video Game Podcast - Official Game Awards 2019 Predictions - Kinda Funny Gamescast Ep. 250

Episode Date: December 9, 2019

Hurry to http://upstart.com/KINDAFUNNY to find out HOW LOW your Upstart rate is. Pick up TROJAN condoms at https://www.amazon.com/TrojanCondoms or wherever you get your condoms! If you go to http://getquip.com/kf right now, you’ll get your first refill FREE. The boys go over their award and announcement predictions for The Game Awards 2019. Time Stamps - 00:08:29 -The Game Awards Predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's up guys, welcome to the first ever, episode 250 of the Kind of Funny Games cast. What's the name of that? You know what I mean? Of like a quarter to a thousand? It's like a fun like... I know. Let's just say it's been a quarter century. The millennial...

The quarter century episode of The Kind of Funny Games cast, as always, I'm Tim Geddy. He's joined by one of the coolest dudes in video games. Greg Miller. Kadogan! Oh my God! I did not expect that at all. I didn't either, guys. That was crazy.

We got the former and former Imran Khan. Sure, you can. There you go. You got to do the... What was the laziest looking? Yeah, uppercut him. He can take it. He works out.

Well, it's not my jaw. You should work your jaw more. The best hair in the business, Fran Mirabella 3, aka FM3. The yoga, fire. I didn't like that. See, if I did that, I wanted you to do the spitting kick, the little like, the... Oh, I see, I don't know that whole word. Someone does.

Something like that. I don't know. Would you look at how that would. word is spelled and then you hear what they never seen it spelled really I'm not street fat a kid I don't know you should say burning spinning bird kick yeah

that sounds like they just say like they just tatamaki sun piaku oh is that what they say it's just tasumaki tatumaki is the slower one the sun piaku is the super version oh that they say that whole thing I don't know but doesn't sound like it

for the super version they say tatamaki sanpiacu okay damn remember He's a lot. He's really impressive. I doubt We have you. This is the

Kind of Funny Games cast each and every week right here on YouTube.com slash Kind of Funny Games we get together talk about video games all things we love about them all the predictions

that we might have about their future Craig Miller confused me for a second Yeah, it is too hot Why is it so hot? It's so cold outside. I think it's very nice in here.

You go to Patreon.com slash Kind of Funny Games to get this show early to watch it live with us to get the exclusive pre and post shows today on our pre-show We watched the most hype video game hype trailer of all time.

And I got, my nipples are still extremely hard. Wow, that's why he's got the code up. On the Andy scale. We watched some classic Jackie Tee too. We did watch Jackie T, man. Imagine Dragons, never forget. Welcome to the new way. Shout to our Patreon producers for this month.

Fantasy critic games and James Hastings. Yeah. Thank you guys very much. But if you don't want to support us financially, that's cool. You can support us just by watching a listening on YouTube.com slash kind of funny games, roosterteeth.com, or on your favorite podcast service, just search for Kind of Funny Games. And again, thank you very much to everybody that's listening to us on Spotify.

Hey! The end of the video thing going around. That was already 19 wrapped. Yeah, and we're like, kind of funny, all across a lot of people's stuff. So thank you very, very much for all of that. How you guys doing? Good. Good.

Yeah, me too. Pretty good. End of the year, rush for video game. Like, playing all the stuff I missed over the last year. Yeah. Exactly. What's the, what are you playing right now? Uh, it is a combination juggling of disco Elysium, which is really fucking good.

Life is Strange 2. really fucking good. Resident Evil 2 also really fucking good. You haven't played that yet? I've not played that yet. That's right. Because it's one of those things

I'm like, oh, I'm sure I'm gonna like this. I just got pushed back and pushed back. And now I'm like, oh, fuck, it's December. I should start playing this. Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna do, I'm doing Life is Strange to 3, 4 and 5 this weekend for the spoiler cast next week

for games cast if you're a person sending questions, Patreon.com slash kind of funny games about running of the devs on. And then I keep seeing it. And it's like, once I get this, I think I'm gonna move to about plague, Plague Tale, Innocence.

I haven't started that. I think it's a Greg Miller game but I've had it forever but it's the same thing of like, I know I like that when am I going to sit down to play it? It's fantastic. What are you been playing, Fran?

I was wondering if you could ask me I was worried. I'm just messing with you. One, I wanted to throw back your reaction. If you haven't played that, did you ever pick up Securitan? I play a little bit. You did?

Okay. Yeah, it's not for me. Again, it goes back to like those type of games. I need the Star Wars rapper to like it's so good though. But yeah, I started playing it early in the year when it came out actually, but it's just busy, you know, the destiny, division life, borer lands life now, all mixed together. It's hard to keep up, but

went back to Sekiro and it's just so good, man. Playing on PC, of course. Beautiful experience, but I'm at the very end, I think. Where are you? And no spoilers, but you make a decision. And I got to tell you, I was streaming and it was like super late and I just made one of these decisions and I was sort of like, huh, I didn't realize they weren't going to like really make sure you know this is a big deal. I don't want to spoil it. Someone very important to the wolf. The grand poob of the wolf.

Yeah, you're not anywhere close to the end. Oh, really? You've got a wild again. All right. But it changes, well, I can tell you this about it. It changes a fight, right? And whatever the case, like, while streaming, it did ask me twice. But throughout the game, you get asked stuff all the time.

Like, there's one NPC, seemingly, that if you don't keep asking it questions, you don't fight it, I guess. And so there's stuff like that that you just never, you're like, whatever. I'm going to select both things in other. of the dialogue trip. Yeah, I had to do some cloud save scumming for that one. Yeah, so long as short, I actually would think I would have stuck with the decision, but it got a little salty where I was like, well, I've, like, no, one is actually the correct decision.

Like one leads to, like another third of the game left. The other one just ends the game there. That's where I'm at, though, I think, as I understand it. Okay, yeah. I picked the bad boy choice. Oh, bad boy friend. Oh, man, the Twitch is bad boy. So anyway, that, and I also want to shout out,

I've been to like, you know, looking for like a mobile game to play. I mentioned you guys, I don't know if you guys try to and mosaic at all on your way to... I did a little bit. It was a little too slow for what I was looking for. Did you get past the very beginning? This is an Apple Arcade game. I didn't get too far.

You literally like wake up in your bed and it's like you look at your phone sleepily and like it's kind of a really cool interesting experience. If you have Apple Arcade, I check it out and then I wanted something faster than that though. And I just started trying a card of darkness, which I guess came out the first month maybe. But if you haven't tried that, card of darkness is pretty cool. It's not like a Hardstone type game, but you... It's a little like Grindstone, actually.

If you like grindstone, you might like... I do. It's literally going to the end of this path but using cards. Anyway, so that's what I'm doing. Tell me more. It's not where cards fall, right? No, it's called card of darkness. And you basically...

All the cards on there are numbered, and you're doing a little math as you go through. Oh, nope. It's not intense. I don't care. It's even an odd number stuff and how much energy you're losing. I would recommend it. It's pretty cool.

All right. Every week, you can go to kind of funny.com. slash gamescast, you're wrong, to let us know what we get wrong, and we will correct it in the following episode. Oh, yeah, we didn't do that last week. It's cool. We didn't get too much. So the last two weeks are here.

Rune 2215 says, you can change the difficulty in death stranding from one back to the other. I started on normal, switch to hard to do some premium deliveries, then back to normal, and now I'm back on hard. You just have to reload the most recent save to switch. You weren't here last week. And then Maxwell Broome writes in and says,

my apologies to Fran for calling him out on death strand, difficulty changes without fact checking. First, I should have done my research before submitting. I respect you, Fran, PC for life. First of all, that's super nose. Second of all, you shouldn't have to apologize for that, but I want to bring up. That's what we go through all the time.

You know, you don't have time always to go back and research when you're doing something live, and I think he was watching live. He just quickly responded. And it looks like the horse's ass. Because if you wait the rest of the podcast, you're going to forget to it right in. Exactly. Speaking of horses, the nanobiologist writes in and says

Galarian Poniettae evolves into Galarian Rapidash, not whatever the hell Andy said. I just want to give Andy credit for using thoroughbred correctly. While it's not exactly the correct usage, it still fits. But the best description is, Ponita is a foal, and the Galarian Rapidash is a stallion or mayor for male-slash-female gender, respectively. Yeah.

That is not information I will ever retain. I was very confused by everyone. There you go. And then... Good corrections. DJD says, as an Xbox insider with my 1X, that I name Onix, enrolled in Alpha Skip Ahead, I can confirm the Xbox game streaming

where you use your console as a server, similar to remote play, does exist and work now pretty decently so you could play any game that you currently own. Some artifacting connection-dependent, but Jedi Fallen Order was very playable. It used the same Android app as XCloud and is available for any console enrolled in the update preview.

I can realize that. I'm excited to do both, like both the server version and the My Xbox version. So that's some cool stuff. I want to get right into the big topic of the day. Game Awards predictions. We are so close. Next week, the Keelis are occurring once again.

I feel like the last couple years, in my opinion, every year has just gotten better and better in terms of production, in terms of the categories and how things are handled, in terms of announcements made as well and base. All of it, I thought, like, we're close to it being like really, really, really dialed in. But I just kind of wanted to go through, like we always do, each of the different categories, go to the nominees, and each one of us take our bets on who we think the winner's going to be.

Yeah, because next week's episode, right, is the life's... Next week's going to be the Greg Miller Life is Strange 2 spoiler cast. Yeah. So that's very, very exciting stuff. We should up the ante by also predicting what we'll get announced. And so then that's going to be, after we go through all the nominees and stuff, that'll be the next thing is talking about all that stuff. Because, like, we know a lot.

We'll get to that later, though. He gave us a number today. Yeah, 10. It's a good number. Last year, there were a ton of shit. There was like 16 announcements. Some of them consequential? Some of them.

Absolutely not. Let's get into the nominees, though. Barrett, I'm going to actually send you this so people can visualize. Yeah, please. As well as we go. You go to thegameawards.com slash nominees to also be able to see all of this. Of course, Slack has to be really slow right now. And boom.

Assets. There you go. So I think we should just start with the big one. Game of the year. Or E-Sports team of the game. Because the reason I want to do that is I feel like the game awards more so than I think most of the other award shows because of how voting goes kind of does have that thing of like, well, we're going to vote this game of the year, which means we're going to vote some of the genre specific ones. The other way. Something different, right?

I keep saying this in just private conversations, but I feel like this is the most interesting game of the year, year of conversations we've ever had. Because there's no like one. Because usually it's between. This or this. Right. It was either God of War or I forget what the other choice was. Red Dead. Oh, yeah.

Or the year before, it's like, okay, cool. Is it Horizon or is it Zelda or Mario Odyssey? It's one of those three. Now it's just like... There's so many different things where I feel like anyone you talk to. We were just at PlayStation's 25th anniversary party with the Tony GameSpot people, IGN people, and everyone we talked to had a different answer for what their game of the year is. And that's just...

I can't remember the time we've had it this. What's our plan for Game of the Year for Gamescast? We are going to, it's going to be the first one of the new year. Okay. So that will be, whatever that, the January 4th week that we come back. It'll be the next week of that. I'll go that one after that. When the GameScast actually goes out.

Yeah, so that's exciting stuff. But starting up here. Here we go. Game of the Year. Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields. We have control, death stranding, resin evil two, Sekaro Shadows die twice, Smash Brothers Ultimate,

the outer worlds, and that's it. And for clarity as well, I believe, Greg, you may know this, the, their critical vote

versus the user votes. Are user votes like 10%? 10%? The rest, 90% critics, 10% fan. And then 10% fan can sway, technically. Sure.

Swing vote we call. Exactly. The swing vote. They put their keys in the bowl. In the swing states. The old swing vote. Thanks, Greg. No problem.

So again, to be clear, We're Timothy Getty's. Yes. Timothy Robert Geddes. Last four of your social... We are not saying our game of the year here.

This is always the argument. We're making our prediction individually of what will win these categories. Yes. Yeah, these are not our favorites, to be clear. I want to get out of head because when I pick whatever I pick and then I say this is going to be my thing.

Of course, Greg would pick. Why? Why? And if someone... Yeah, we're... Do we know who the critics are? We don't really. Yeah, we do. There's a lot of...

There's a giant... giant list. I'm going to double check that because on the about. That's what we're doing is the point we're profiling a little bit. There's a long... It's all the usual suspects.

Across the world. Yeah. You can see who's an advisory here. All right. Yeah. I'm looking. So who wants to throw it out? God, it's so tough.

Do you want to go with game by game? Do we think this is going to be it or... I think we put out our predictions, right? Yeah. Imron, when you look at that list, what is going to be the Game Awards 2019 game of the year? I think Resnable 2 is the best

consensus candidate. Me too. Because, it was, for a game in January to still get... I think I know why Smashwaters is on that list is because they mentioned it

in the nomination email. By the way, Smashwether's is also nominated to people like, oh, right, Smashwether's. It's eligible. Yeah.

Well, that's because it came out after the game wars last year. But that's why it ended up on this list. It was because people remembered that it existed. And I think that's the nice

tip of the hat of, hey, we don't want to overlook you? You had a bad slot last time. Here you go, you're nominated. But will people vote for that? No. Because we all think it needs

to be a 2019. game in your head. Right. I think Resident Evil 2 is the one that people remember and I remember I remember playing this

in January and it was really fucking good. So when we get to, if I think about a January game now in, what was this,

October was when the nominations were done? Yes. No, the first Friday of November we signed them in. So that, I think that was

them going like, this is the game that we actually genuinely believe is the game of the year. Here's the thing. I think every,

it's awesome for this discussion because we honestly could do the entire podcast about game of the year nominees right here. Because I think that's true,

Resident Evil's on that list, but I do think where the margins are this small between going between games, right? Who's going to vote which way? I wonder for Resident Evil to how much of it just being a remake hurts it. I think a lot. Where it is, like, yeah, it's out of worlds

a bit of a pump up. It totally does. That was exactly my thought on Resident Evil. It's like, it's great, but not only is it 12 months old, but it is a remake. And so some things expected, it just did it so well. But that's my thing is like, you know, and for

where it's taken my feelings about Resident Evil is like, it's not just a remake. It is a totally different game that used the foundation of what Resident Evil 2 was, and I feel like a lot of people realize and respect that and like don't just see it as, oh, it's just a remake. Totally. But some...

Yeah, of years old. You're going to lose some votes because of that. But yeah, I just mean it has a tinge of that, right? And there's no way around it. So, I still think it's so fond to people. You could argue both sides, right? So fond to so many people after decades that it actually has strength over, you know, newer franchises. But on the other side,

it's like, well, it's Resident Evil 2, sort of. So it gets a bit of that. I mean, I absolutely think it's in the top three or whatever. Do we want to go over Game of the Year winners from previous years? Sure. Just like give us some idea. That would help, actually, yeah. 2014 was Dragon Age Inquisition.

2015 was the Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. 2016 was Overwatch, 2017 Breath of the Wild. 2018, God of Or. So with one exception, it's mostly been like third person kind of action adventure games. They don't list any of the other nominees those years, do they? Not on this list.

I could probably find it if I need to. It's all right. So look at this. Death Stranding, I don't think it's going to be it. I agree. I don't think Death Stranding does it. If it was anything else, everything split the vote aside from it, I think Death Stranding is not. That consensus candidate. And I think that's it. Death Stranding is too polarizing.

Even if you love it and you're thinking of Game of the Year, and you're an outlet and you have to vote and all these different things. You get to this point where you're deciding what is it going to be, where, how are we going to vote? I think it's too polarizing to get it there. Right. I think I think Death Stranding doesn't win because of what we just said. I think Super Smash Brothers doesn't win because of what we said already in the show. And then it gets interesting.

Resident Evil 2, I think, you know, the ones we're giving counter arguments for has a shot because it is an amazing game. Like, first off, all these games is amazing. We're not trying to take away from anybody. But now you're into the brass tacks. Outer Worlds, I think, did really well with critics, and I don't think it's done as well. It's done well. I don't think it's done as well in the pool of people.

The people I've talked to... It's a little baffling it's on there, to be honest. I think maybe somebody who totally didn't love it. I am not baffled based on reviews, but I think it is also the fact that when you get there and you get these nominees in and you're voting for your site, you bring in the opinions of your critics and everybody else who've done it. And there are people who legitimately love it,

think it's the best thing since sliced bread. I think that, when you look at this list, I feel like that's the one that squeaked on the list. They're like, just made it by this. We talked about, like, recency bias with the sort of thing. I don't know. Yeah, I do think there's a little of that, but I actually just think it's scratched an inch for so many people. I do too. Of these critics.

I'm not taking shots at it and saying it's a bad game. No, no, no. I would put that one. That in control to me are the two that I feel like people would want to vote for the most. Just because they're new, they're different. They're not just sequels of things. things, right? Yeah.

And with that, I feel like more people have played outer worlds than control. But I feel like... See, I go the opposite way. If you think, like, different from things than Death Stranding is like the number one choice list. Yeah, but it's too different. It's too different. It's too polarizing, I think.

My honestly, when I look at it, right, like, I feel on this list as we start going through it, control has the best chance as being the outside. You didn't see it coming one happen. Yes. Because I agree that you, uh, Resident Evil 2, it's all. The smash weather's this old. Destriending, it's too polarizing. Outer Worlds, ex-reviewer liked it, but three other people on staff think it's fine.

Securo is a Souls game, so it's like, that could get it, you know, we know Souls games are great, whatever, but I don't think it made that in-road to everybody playing it and everybody digging it. Whereas control I do feel is it's a brand-new IP, it reviewed really well, everybody's dug it. They've only done more to improve the stability of it, which was the biggest knock, I think, in reviews leading up to it, right? And so I think you get there and it is the hot. It's new. It's, it did something different. It's Remedy. It already has this reputation as Phil Spencer was talking about today when he, or this week,

when he said it's coming to Game Pass and it's not coming to Game Pass apparently. That was weird. Super weird. But he was like, you know, it didn't get, it was a great game. It didn't get played enough. I do think there's that narrative behind it. Even, you know, Remedy's put out a statement this week being like, hey, like, it made money. It made money.

And it didn't do gangbusters, but it did better than we're expecting or than we were happy with it and everything else. There's this underdog story to control and I think in a year where it is the vote is so split and so torn up that it has a shot a way better shot than usual. I will say, just thinking of like regionality

this sort of thing, for the past 14, 15, 16, and 18, there has not been a Japanese game that has won. Mathematically, it is way more likely a Japanese game is going to win this one because four of the six are Japanese. Yeah. So theoretically,

Four of the six last Of the nominees Of the nominees Of the last winners The only one that's been Japanese Has been Zelda Oh right yeah So like

But death training smash Reson evil and Sekaro are all Japanese So if it's one of those Then it would buck the trend So what you two I feel like Have more of a say on Sekiro Do you think that it actually has a shot at this

Not among outlets now That's where I'm like I don't know the profile And also the weights I mean do you guys Did you guys vote at all or? Yeah I kind of funny voted I didn't.

So you voted. Wait, you represent. So a company votes. Yeah. Well, yeah, you're, you're, the judges are, I am a judge, not as Greg Miller. I'm a judge as kind of funny. So you pooled. Yeah.

We put out the, I put out the ballot, the ballot to everybody on Google Drive and was like, I do that. Oh, interesting. And then, in other words, what I'm wondering is what is the weight, what are the factors here, you know? Like, is it innovation? Is it technical achievement? And the way that they describe it is all categories.

But it says the absolute best experience across all. all creative and technical fields. Like, if we were still doing this at Game Informer, I would have been fighting for Fire Elm because Fire Elm is one of the best games on that list, or of the year. So, but that... But most Allison think that.

But it's not a technical achievement, I wouldn't say. Gameplay design is great. I wouldn't say Outer World is a technical achievement either. Exactly. Right. And that's why I'm... The way Jeff describes it in his email, like, because he gives you, like, a synopsis real quick.

And I think there's... Yeah, no, I think it'd be helpful. Like, what is the description of what am I vote? Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields. Okay, that good. They look that on the website. So he repeats it. That's what you get as well.

Jeff is dope and transparent. You know, he's not like you, but that is multiple, you know, things. It's vision as well as technical achievement. And so that's where if I was on this panel and let's say I really liked outer worlds,

I'd be like, yeah, but it, you know, on the technical side, you know, it needed work. You know,

I always kind of dislike that thing, though. People who vote for the game of the year as, like, objective game of the year versus just the game they like best. Me personally, I do think those things are important. Does it push the boundaries of the platform that it's on? All those things are a factor. I agree, it's kind of easy to be like, what's your favorite thing?

But that, to me, I think that's sort of... But that's how we get the more interesting answers. To say, what's your favorite thing? Yes. I honestly think it's a little ignorant of like what goes into games. If someone's favorite game of the years, Luigi's Mansion 3, even though it did nothing different, or didn't do a whole lot different,

I think that's interesting, more interesting than it. Then they should call it that person's favorite game of the year, not game of the year. Yeah, but if it's like the most people's favorite game of the year, then it is the game of the year, right? That's why I bring this up. What are the factors at play? So, you know, it seems like that's it. It is pretty much of an overview, but I hear technical, you know, awareness is important. And so that doesn't mean that, let's say Fire Emum came out on, you know, a more limited platform.

Well, it did actually, switch. But meaning, like, if it pushed the source. switch to its boundaries, right, you give it credit for that, and it achieves on the technical side. That doesn't mean that it's got to be as good as an RTX 2080TI game or whatever. I feel like looking at this list, though, I don't think any of these are the obvious answer, and that's what makes this fun. Usually, like, that definition, it's like there are the clear answers where it's like, all right, it has to be one of these.

But yeah, I bring it up because, like, when I look at control, I'm like, man, like the physics stuff that game does, is incredible. It's really cool. What is the complete package? that's and I think that's what for me with Game of the Year where I do get into this all the time and this is very much old IGN mantra in my head of getting into it of like what is game of the year and having these arguments and I know I've said it a million times already this year but to bring it up again for me I think my example is always Walking Dead versus Journey where it was a heated conversation in Game of the Year and I want to count to me I was like listen I reviewed Walking Dead I love Walking Dead I think walking Dead I think you have to vote Journey because for me it's always the time caps. where if you woke up tomorrow, or you know, you're a kid and you whatever, and you want to go back and play every game of the year

that you've missed. And you're picking these things up and it's like, this is the best our industry could do in that year. And like walking dead, chugging and crashing and eating saves, I thought couldn't get that, couldn't get that award, couldn't get that honor when there's a game like journey.

That is also amazing. Again, we're between two A's here. If we're talking about complete package then, and I think Smashbeth is probably the obvious answer there. But it's not going to be chosen by, outlets because it's an old game that has been well supported by the DLC. But it's not in that sense, meaning it has amazing gameplay, but it

didn't innovate it anyway. So, vision, innovation. I love Smash Brothers. It's amazing. Then we end up back at that's trending. Yeah, no, I mean, this is why, I think this is a very interesting discussion. It is how each critic tries the view all these facets. And that's my thing. Looking at this, I think

of it, like, when you're playing an RPG, right, and you have, like, you're moving out in that, like, hexagon of, like, where you are, intelligence or your strength and all that jazz, right? I feel like it's what we're talking about where I think death stranding is too lopsided to being crazy and weird and you know whatever I think smash brothers is awesome on the gameplay side but like if you're not a fighting game person right is that the best package across all fields resident evil too hampered by the fact that it's an older game so it's there uh securo being a

soul's game so it's already like there's a bunch of people just don't want that kind of pain in their life outer worlds i think being not the full-fledged RPG it it originally seemed like they you know i would say the conversations move past outer worlds and the gaming industry since it came out. Yeah. Like, honestly, that is a snapshot in time, that nomination. Yeah. Of that game just came out.

We just played it. We started playing it. Yeah. Like, everyone got codes. Everyone was playing around. Like, hey, how was your thing going? And that's my thing where I felt like a crazy person where I was like, I didn't like that much. And everybody was like giving it nines and tens.

And I was like, oh, fuck, I guess I'm just wrong on this one. And now I feel there's been this ripple of people who, even Mike, I think today, we talked about it on games daily, right? Where it was like, he'd only play it a little bit. I don't think of something else. I was talking to somebody recently who had only done a bit of it. It was like, yeah, it was fine. I stopped playing it, though.

You know what I mean? And then for me to have gotten to the end and not liked it. Oh, I think it was Dan Reckard, actually, I did it another last night. Talking about the slideshow ending and all this stuff. We're just like, based on what we're saying, I'm picking control. And picking being, I think control is going to be producing. It's interesting you guys have that perspective. I feel like I have the opposite perspective where I still see people talking about the outer worlds.

Like, yeah, I think that's an interesting take. I think the outer worlds is like a top contender, honestly, for the amount of people who are still talking about it, at least in the circles I run in. Sure. My prediction is the winner of this is either Resident Evil 2 or Outer Worlds, but the one I'm choosing is Resoniable 2. Okay.

I will say I heard a number of people say when Outer Worlds came out, the Disco Elysium ruined that game for them. Yeah. I had no idea what they were talking about until I played Disco Elysium. Now I can totally see what they're talking about. There was an interesting reset-era thread this week, and it might have just been yesterday, though, right? but like, when will,

well, Game of the Year ever not be just huge stuff? And one of the things that came up in the thread over and over again was Disco Elysium. And the fact that

everybody I know who's played Disco Elysium is fucking obsessed and adores it. Like Lucy, when Lucy started playing it, man, she was like, she came out of room,

like, you dude, this thing is insane. And she's played it all weekend long and was so into it. I had a conversation with my necktie about whether I'm too lazy to be a communist.

Yeah. Like that is how that game goes. Yeah. Exactly. But to me, like, that's not... Best Game of the Year, and Game of the Year are just different things. I know it's all just semantics,

but it's like, game of the year is like, you need to include its appeal. Yeah. You need to include... I'm with people. Don't get me wrong. Liking it despite the technical issues.

I think that's traditionally the way it goes, but I would love the idea. Like, I've tossed around this idea with Game Informer and other places before and nobody likes it, but the idea of a game of the year for a game that's sold under a million copies. Like, I would love that thing of, Let's talk about things that does not have mass appeal

but is the best game that doesn't have mass appeal. But I don't know. I feel like Journey is the example where like, I mean, that's a game of the year. It's not like it's like one of the most best-selling games of all time. It's all really well. In the end,

after all the Game of the Year awards, probably. But meaning, I don't think... It's a smaller game. It was a PSN game when PSN games weren't Game of the Years. I don't think things are getting overlooked. No, but I'm just bringing up. I don't think games are getting overlooked. I think they are.

Just because they're... Hold on. Because, like, we go... There's the game of the year category, and the next category on this list is game of best direction or whatever. There's an indie game thing and a subway fresh indie game thing. We do separate these things out for no good reason. That's true, though, but then Greg, you know the answer to this. I mean, nothing stopped game elisium, stopped disco elisium from being nominated, right?

It would be the fact that, I mean, didn't have people play it. Yeah. Right, but those are the judges. It's not that people at large. That's a judging. But that's what we're talking about. That's a larger conversation here. But you're assuming they didn't play it as well.

You have no evidence of this. I get your point I'm just saying You're assuming a lot to say Because it's not a popular game It's not making the list My evidence of it is being in the same thing Is where you play the big hyped games

That has the most marketing on it Because you have to be involved in that conversation And that's what leads to the game of the year nomination Totally and now you're getting into the time The judges have Which is another We could have a whole other episode on What's wrong with how game awards

Are Done between a bunch of judges And like that's why I brought that up It's very interesting People aren't always clear on what the weight is uncertain things. Here's the argument, though. This is the way that it's done. So because of that, it is not about all these other.

It is literally about what is the game that defines what this year was. Not what the best game is. Just go elicium could have easily been on. And for various reasons, it just didn't make it. And honestly, I think there is so much cloud at the top this year. It was easy. You're right. It was easy to play all these huge games.

I think we all just have mental separations of what makes a game of the year right now. And a lot of the times the lower budget walk-and-talk games are not going to apply. Absolutely. I mean, the facts line up. And that falls into the thing saying I'm going back to of like when I think a game of the year and the best thing we did as an industry or the industry did this year. It's that thing that I think Andy said so eloquently about Death Stranding where he, hey, you like video games, you got to play God of War. He wouldn't have been like, hey, you like video games, you got to play Death Stranding.

I would never be like, oh, you like video games? Yeah, I got to play Discoly. If you don't like video games, I think I'd like earnestly of like if you're jaded about video games, like this might be a game you want to try and play. And that's the thing is, I think any, when you get to games that have so many, well, if this, then that, what do you think? How do you feel? And granted, that's every game regardless.

But I mean, when you really get into the minutia of like a weird game and you're like, well, do you like this, do you like that, blah, blah, like, it's the same reason a horror game probably has never won game of the year. Well, we're talking about, Res. Evil, right? And does that, eh, does that count? You know what I'm talking about? Like, outlasts, like, horror porn shit, you know what I mean?

But that's the point. And I'm glad we brought up. It's like, to illustrate it, you might love Pokemon this year, Sword and show more than any other game by, like, a long shot, as a critic. And even as a user voting, but my point is, as critics, your job is to say, wait a second, though, I played all these other games, and you do have to apply some objectivity to it on top of just what is your favorite. That is, in my opinion, now that's how I look at it, what makes it difficult. Because it's not just saying, oh, this is my favorite game by far. Are you nuts? I love Tetris 99.

It's amazing. I've sunk thousand hours into it. Fuck, Tetris 99. Tretrii I should have been on the game of the year last year. It's totally. But you see my point, right? It's very difficult. But it's what makes this list interesting.

It is a lot of juggernauts, but they're also very different in a lot of ways. Just because if you take that a couple steps further, if it is just you say it's your favorite, then that one's not going to win. But if everyone's saying that it's their favorite, then that's great. Pokemon is ineligible for this because of dates and stuff.

But even if it was, not that many, not every one of the critics would be like, Pokemon's my favorites, so I'm putting in here. I think we're kind of veering towards the idea of the most expensive game wins best game, which is a thing I have a problem with. But that's usually the way it works. Recognizing, it is this the way they do it, right?

Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields. I'm just saying it's not just your favorite. And that is important. I'm not, this go Elysium could easily win. Can you pull up last year's nominees? I just think it's important to keep in mind. That's what we're looking at here.

Because I want to say Celeste was on that list. If the judges do a good job. I do really was. Okay. That is, you know, so here, just as the example, to go through it real fast, right? If I'm trying to be as objective as possible and play it all this, I didn't play out of worlds. But I know enough about it. I look at control and I'm like, man, in addition to being a new IP, the physics engine's incredible, technically pretty good, but had some problem on consoles.

The story was totally original and actually I loved it, blah, blah. You get into Death Stranding. The gameplay wasn't for everybody, but if you loved it, became addictive. And the vision was totally unique. We haven't seen a game like this in a long time, actually. And you've got to give it credit for that. And you get where I'm going with this. So hopefully that's what everybody did.

And that's why, frankly, hopefully, Seciro also has a very good chance. That game is super refined in the world of what they do. And I hope that has a chance to win in this conversation. So right now, I'm staying control. Tim and Imran are saying Resident Evil 2 for Animal. Where are you coming down? Yeah, I was buying myself time that whole time. I know.

You're filibustering, hoping the show will end. Yeah, so probably the scientific formula to figure out which. does all the quaintiff pursuits well. That's the conversation we always had, though, at IGN, right? In those rooms, everybody, we would do this for days or weeks sometimes. What is the criteria? Honestly... Which, by the way, I hated.

Yeah, no. At IGN, I hated this conversation I'm really enjoying. Yeah. I always love it. I feel like this is, there is no objective answer to what this should be or what it is or whatever. We're not clear last year was God of War. It's pretty clear this year. It should have been Jedi, but the fucking thing got all fucked up.

Honestly, of that list last year, Monster Hunter. world would have been my choice. Get the fuck out of here. Great game. Great game. Just quite quite frankly for me applying all those things and that's what I was setting up. It actually is between Secure, Resident Evil and Death Stranding. Half the list, sure. No. It's more than half. Isn't it?

He's playing. He's not going to it down. Oh, it is half the list, yeah. But that's what it's between for me. Are you making note of this break? Oh yeah. Oh, yeah. God, look at that. Timmy. More than anything, though. I'm just narrowing it down in life for you. This is the way I'm thinking about this. It comes down to Sekeo and Death Stranding.

And then I think that everybody's going to come down to, it was close, but it actually still went to death stranding. Wow. Do you think there's going to be a huge fucking backlash? The vision and the technical achievements, all the above. Do you think there's going to be a huge fucking backlash of Death Stranding wins game of the year? Everybody wants to. I don't think there's a chance.

If Death Stranding wins, if Death Stranding wins, which it won't. It wouldn't be a huge backlash. It would be the vocal minority on Twitter. like the same people who even now are like oh my god Jeff's in the game I'm like the fuck Subway's presenting an award guys

let's not take this this isn't the fucking the word of God coming down it's ever talking about video games if you don't want to believe this one there's gonna be 900 other lists you can go to Do you know how many total judges there are Yes but I don't know if that's 190 something like that maybe about a hundred or so

That's why I'd love to know more about the profile like just honestly Hearing that the kind of funny vote represent a company company, which is cool, actually, but I thought it was all individuals. Like it would have been, I thought it was you and your taste, but it's... No, the idea is that I go see the games at Judge Week or whatever, and then, but even at E3, me and Tim play games, and we talk about what's best or whatever did the thing.

Same thing here. Where it's like, you know, when we did nominations, there was a ton that, like, we, that go on that list, but they're not the ones I nominate. I was like, I didn't really like that game, but I know everybody else did, so. That's training still pushed a bunch of boundaries, got a lot of conversation, so I'm still going to say at the end of the day it happens, but I personally hope that, but I personally hope, I hope Seciro gets it, man, because they really deserve it, and that game is phenomenal.

Barrett, can you go back to that page, the game to your page? Click on the nominees. Yeah, okay, stop voting jury right there, down, boom. Oh, it's under voting jury. Oh, so it is brands. They have it by country. A number of cases.

And they're like, just keep scrolling down, just the show, it's like. Oh, is it almost all brands? It's fucking everyone. So wait, it's 90 brands, but represented by, say, it could be five, 10, 20 people within those brands. Every single brand puts in

five nominees for each thing. Are we saying we're saying brands? These are outlets though, right? These are like coax voting. Just if you're an audio list and you can't see it, it's Engadgeton. I mean, kind of funny is a brand. Kind of funny, there it is.

Coax game with you. Fuck you, IGN, fuck you, you piece of shit next to us. LA Times, I got no beef. Isn't it an alphabetical? Eastported. So that's, but that's interesting. Meaning it could represent thousands of people.

Well, that's the idea, right? The idea is that, yeah, you're going to... You're the judge that's at the top of the pyramid that sends in the ballot, but it is that you hope at IGN, or easy allies, brand in turn. It's a warm-up. I always think of as an outlet voting, and this depends on which outlet you're in deadlines and shit like that, but it's a warm-up to you doing your own game of the years, right?

Because it is that thing. We come in here in January and fucking argue. It always felt weird when the timing of this was, because it was before everyone prepared for their actual game-of-the-year stuff. So, like, when we filled this out last year, I had not played a lot of the big games because that was my end of the year thing right before Christmas.

And again, that's another argument of what's good and bad about game awards, not the game awards, in general. Like, I'm so happy that we're holding until January so I can use those break while I plan on other stuff to finish off the things I know I need to like Plague's Tale and do all the stuff. But in the same breath, right,

I didn't play Plague's tail. Nobody else I don't think in the office did, so it's not like that really got a fair shake probably when we were doing Dom's. I'm like, I don't know. Yeah, the unfortunate problem, right, is the, I guess the rough math would probably be 25, 30% fewer people would watch the game awards if we did it in February.

Oh, 100% that's the thing of, you know, to be inside baseballs. Are you saying you agree with like, say, a third of the people or? I'm saying, yeah, for sure. By kind of funny doing our game of the year in January, that will perform way worse than it would if we did it next week, two weeks from now. Because it's not the conversation. I disagree with you part of the game awards. People aren't watching the game awards for the awards.

They're watching the game awards for the announcements. So it's like, whatever. Well, there's totally that happening, too. They're not going to lose a third. The Game Awards are happening in February. Same amount of people are going to watch because they want the... You make an awesome point with that tip. You're right, I was not factoring in.

But then if that is the case, I would challenge, why the heck are we doing them now? I think they're trying to own December. I push them. Own them for what? They need to own them. It's an independent thing that's totally fun. As long as the sponsors would advertise in, say, February, what's the difference? Because they want that stuff out now for this quarter?

Yeah, and they want to make some money. And they won it last Christmas gifts and shit like that. I hope. Maybe I think if I'm reading you right, I'm agreeing with you. I don't like that the game awards are happening when they do. And the criteria, I don't think it makes it wrong. Yeah. I just way prefer people have their time like you're saying.

That's fair. You know. Yeah, it's... Like the fall in order thing, like you said, like that's... That is the game that legitimately probably would have taken the place of Outer Worlds on that list. Fallen Order will now be the Smash Brothers next year. Yeah, like at IGN, I always... I bet it won't be...

I don't think it has a shot. I don't think... Next is stacked. Yeah, exactly. Depends on how much they fix it. I mean, it doesn't matter. It won't win. Yeah. Yeah. But I always voted at IGN.

It's hopefully the second or third week of January, but very rarely did we ever get there. It constantly got pushed back a lot. We did in January quite a bit of times, right? Yeah, yeah. But it was always a rush when you came back. And anyway, I prefer that... I don't think it was a perfect way to do it.

And that's what... Jeff actually talked to Gary on Twitter about it when Gary was bitching about Jedi. I've had a... And he's like, the Grammys have a weird cutoff, too. It's just how it is. Like, you know what I mean? Yeah. Moving on to the next guy.

Wait, did we get it? The second category. Yeah, it was. Oh, it was. Yeah, okay. So right now, yeah, again, the game of the year was, I'm saying control,

France saying Death Stranding, Tim and Imransei, Resonimo, too. There you go. I'm doing control for the upset. Action game. For the best game in the action genre

focused primarily on combat, Apex Legends, Astral Chain, call of duty modern warfare, Devil Me Cry 5, Gears 5, Metro Exodus. I didn't play Metro Exodus.

Would you qualify it as primarily on combat? Well, but that's what they say. So we just got to go by what they say, right? Yeah, just a weird nomination thing. Compared to, like, the rest of these, which I say are straight-up action or competitive action games. I'm going to put in my two...

What's the difference if you're... I'm going to put in my two cents. Damaging an enemy. I think it's either Apex or Devil May Cry. I think it's either... Those are the top two... I don't think enough people talked about gears. Tell me about Devil May Cry Barrett.

Why does that one stand out? Like, I never played it, but like, dude. I'm just curious. I want him to explain. Look at this. The best action game and the action genre

focused primarily on combat, the answer is Devil May Cry 5. Well, Levin' May Cry 5 win? See, I'm doing this again. It's divisive. It's a subjective answer. Like, you reading combat

as like you use your sword and combo enemies. Like, what's the... Apex is full of combat at all times. I mean... You're shooting people in the face all the time. Do you know what Devil May Crye is, friend? Wait, are you saying...

It's all action and... This is why I'm bringing out. It's actually like slavish- I've never played a night of that shit. I wanted to know because I feel there's a smell about it. Are you suggesting Apex Legend is not as combat focuses, Devil May Cry? No, it's not that. It's just in the same way you're talking about the definition of the game of the

technical aspects. Devil Cry 5 is an action game. Apex Legends, you could also call a shooter. You can't call Devil May Cry 5 a shooter. Totally. We kind of went over this with Andy a bit in the last game's cast, is that he thinks Apex should have been a lot of a game of the year, but because of the long time since release,

it's a game's of the service, which means people had enough time to have bad feelings about it, like, because of loopbox or whatever. While Gemma 5 was a game, it just came out and, like, got 9s and 8 to 9s, and however, whatever score they got.

And people liked it, and then I just forgot about it. Not necessarily that's a bad thing, but that works in its favor in these kinds of awards. Again, I'm kind of messed around, but this is the shooter category, right? There is no shooter category, right?

Best Action Adventure is also coming up and it has Borderlands 3 that this is what always happens, you know, you have these categories, best. What is an RPG? Was Red Dead an RPG? It's right. So, anyway, my easy answer is Apex on that one. I love Devil May Cry's awesome.

Tim, what are you saying? They're not my picks, personally. I mean, I do think it is between Apex and... You think everybody's talking about what Apex did. I mean, here's... I'll step out right now and I'll tell you what's going to win. It's a fucking lock. Go to Vegas. It's Apex.

Because this is the same thing that Apex burned so bright, caught people so off guard. Everybody loved it. I think, yeah, the loopbox stuff happened, but I do think that is one of those games when you see on this list, you're like, oh, man, that deserves a win. Different year, that should have been game of the year or whatever.

I could have made a case for it. But here it is, this is my shot to give it a nod and give it an on. It's the only real game to service of this list. Like, yeah. I think it's... I think Devil May Cry was, even though an amazing action game, I know you guys played it and loved it, I think it's too niche. I think that Gears 5 didn't make waves

because it was more gears. I think Metro was a, you know, whatever you wanted out of it. Astral Chain, I started on Switch. I don't know if I ever talked about on the show. I started it on one of those trips to L.A. and played it like four hours of it. And I was like, fuck, this is awesome. I'm having such a great time with it, but I don't.

Yeah, Astrol Chain is fucking awesome. But Double McRod. I don't think Double McRive 5 is niche, I think, compared to Apex Legends. It is niche. You know what? My vote's Apex. I got to the part of Gears 5 yesterday that was just straight up Hamilton. Like, literally there was, they had, like, lyrics for a song

sung to Alexander Hamilton. And like the stage was just Hamilton. The fact that I've not heard more people talk about it means Gears 5 did not make wins. I thought about that number got really mad at me. Because you ruined it. You spoil it? Were you going to play it? It's literally in the first hour.

I know. Seriously. But again, what makes it interesting right in the description, they don't really say across all category, that type of warning. So it's like the story matter. It literally is just saying your best action genre. Look, okay. And again, I realize this is one who has read that description, Fran.

I want to tell you that right now. I know. That goes back to what are, how do you get to the bottom of the business? Most people who are nominating like Apex Legends more. So they're going to probably go for Apex Legends. But I think the point to that Greg made, the fact that's burning so bright and respawn also right now with fallen order, in a way just powers that. I personally think that Devil May Cry had in Gears 5, like are really top choices in this category because they do meet all these aspects, story, everything.

I mean, Gears 5, I'm only a little bit into it. I was like, holy cow. I started on an ex-cloud a couple of weeks and I was like, fuck, I do need to sit down. And the other modes that they've added in stuff. Like, it's, it's killer. Enron, what's your pick, though? Apex Apex so far. I think Apex is going to win.

I think every outlet has somebody who, like, would vote for Astro Chain or Devil May Cry Five. Yep. But usually it's going to be those two people who play it, and that's it. The outlet, everyone else is going to go. Oh, I like Apex. Go watch your anime. Put another Pokemon on your backpack, you weird. I'm going to go watch my anime.

Action Adventure Game. For the best action adventure game combining combat with Traversal and Puzzle solving. Borderlands 3, control, death stranding, Resident Evil 2, the Legend Zelda, Link's Awakening, Sekiro, Shadows Die Twice. Dang. I would have. This is a tough category.

This is an easy one for me. This is one of those for sure where when we did nominations, I was like, oh man, all right, best action game, Borderlands. And then I got the thing on my action adventure, huh? That's where we're going, all right, yeah, I guess there's, yeah, you're doing, yeah, there's traversal and puzzles. Yeah, I guess. The puzzle, the solution to the puzzle is shoot the thing.

But okay, sure. It is strange to me. The Borderlands ended up in this versus the action category. Yeah. So. What do you got, Barry? I'm doing the, Andy. I'm horny thing.

So because I think, uh, really? Yeah. Because I think R.E2 remake is going to win game of the year. Yeah. I think this is where you give control. See, that's my thing. For me, I'm between control and Sechro. That's a filthy.

But they do. But they do, Fran. It's a filthy job as a critic if you're doing that. You don't put something in another. category because it's going to win this other one. Sorry. I'm putting I say control here as well. It is because I think that when you think of game of the year, you're going to go for one. Probably are you or something up there, right? And I do think that actually adventure is so much of what control is of going into these new environments, figuring out how you can get there, getting new

powers going on that way. I totally agree with you. However, I think that people want to look fancy and look cultured. So they're going to vote for Securo. All right. Yeah, for me, it comes down to RE2 or Securo, again, not personally, but what I think the critics might do. And I'm going to actually say it's going to be R2. Okay. I'm torn between... Yeah. You kidding me?

Of course. I feel like Zelda passed a lot of people by. Otherwise, Zelda would be like... I don't know. This year was weird. I think maybe it was so slavish a remake that a lot of people just weren't into it, or the outlets at least. So I'm torn between Sekiro and Control, but I think I'm swayed by Barrett's reasoning.

But I think Control probably takes us one. I'd be so happy of control. Barrett, Greg, and Imron say control. France says Resident Evil 2 and Tim says Secura. Before we move on, let me tell you about our sponsors. Shout out to Trojan for sponsoring this episode.

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and hurry to Upstart.com slash Kind of Funny to find out how low your upstart rate is. Checking your rate only takes a few minutes and won't affect your credit. That's Upstart.com slash Kind of Funny. funny. Art direction. Best art direction for outstanding creative and or technical achievement in

artistic design and animation. Yeah. Control. Death Stranding. Grie. Sionara Wild Hearts. Sekiro Shadows Die twice. Thank you.

The Legend of Zelda links awakening. Art direction. Art direction. Death stranding. Grie. Sianora Wild Hearts And what was the other few? Sorry, we didn't have the list up on it.

Did you agree come out this year? Yes. I remember evaluating it for Game of the Year last year. It's a beautiful game. Are you saying the Kiwis have lost all set of time and space? It might be one of those smash mother style things. Yeah, it was. It was like, I remember we got,

because I was still at IGN when I played it for them. It drops it all time. Yeah, it was like right after Game Awards. I want to say. Okay, so it would have been counted for this year. Yeah. Best art direction.

I mean, honestly, I feel like the winner's death's running. Really? What? Over Zelda? Wow. I love Zelda. Personally.

But if you're going to give death stranding anything, it's this. Like, this did something like weird and different. Death strand is direction. Guarantee. Okay. Lock. Yeah, no, no.

Okay. So, Kodima can get the award. Like, you want to hand it to him directly. Let's see. Okay, okay. Honestly, I think this one comes down to grievers. Wild Hearts. I think it's another one of those.

I think those are the answers. I don't think that's what's going to land. I think you look at this though and it's the same thing. We're seeing the same games come up in categories over and over again and you want to shake it up so you get here and you're like art direction, right? Outstanding creative and or technical achievement and artistic direction and animation. And saying it out loud, I think it's agree. I think that you're going to be like, that is art.

You look at it and it's art, right? I agree with you on like that would be my choice. but I think Wild Hearts has a better both name recognition as one at Apple arcade launch game. And I think Zelda has better recognition as fucking Zelda. Yeah.

And I think people are going to, the thing that is going to hold Zelda back is that I know a number of people who vote in the game awards and it just said like I don't like the art direction. Catarrows. They're fucking crazy. Oh, God. Such a stunning, stunning style.

You've been looking at this though? I still go, Death Stranding. Okay. Oh, it's absolutely. I'm going to stick with Zelda, I think. It's great, maybe. It's not going to be a land. slide, but I think it'll win.

Fran, where are you going? You're the holdout right now. Tim has Death Stranding. I have Gre. Imran has. Trying to, like, separate my subjectivity on this. Wait, is this the one? We're supposed to call it Greece. No, it's Greek. It means gray. It's French, isn't it?

No, I think people yelled at us. It is Greek. It is Spanish. No matter what I do, I pick the wrong one. So I just want to make sure. It means gray. It is Greene. No, it's great. No, it's great. Anyway, I'm torments between Greene in Death Stranding, and

I'm gonna say, I think Greg's right. I'm gonna agree. It's beautiful. Audio design. Recognizing the best in-game audio and sound design. Oh, I always love this cat. Call of Duty, Modern Warfare, Control, Death Stranding, Gears 5, Resonable 2, Sekaro, Shadow's Die Twice.

I feel like there's not even a chance that this is anything, but. Call it, Modern Warfare? Yeah. Yeah. I hope it wins. ball. The reason this will win is simple. And not because it doesn't deserve it at all. Audio design, I think, is such a weird fucking

category. You know what I mean? We don't notice it at all. Exactly. When it's done well, you don't notice it. When it's badly, you totally notice it, right? The reason Call of Duty Modern Warfare, I think, wins this category easily, is that when we went to Judge's Week, and we got at E3, and we went into the private room and got the whole

rundown of Modern Warfare, they spent five to ten minutes talking about how much work... Way more than that. How much work went into the audio design of this and it meant that they had a you know the PC build of the game running and they would go in with everything turned off and go shoot a gun in the giant open area go shoot a gun close to the wall you'd hear the differences there you'd hear the shells hit off the wall hit off the car and it was like it was like the battlefield when the dice engine stuff was happening and

I mean that was a bit maybe you don't even remember that was huge that too it was doing all of the environmental reverb and everything but really well I think they made such a and so they're this is a great this is a text expletase if you're into something this deep that yeah, show it to the journalists, show it to the people. I think that everybody on that list and not everybody who was a judge there was at that E3 demonstration, obviously. But I think

that you have enough people that go and evangelize that where it's like, yeah, okay guys, the rain and death training sounded great, but like, and maybe it is, you know, talk to Kajima, maybe it is hitting off rocks differently and doing these things, but it wasn't a It wasn't part of the marketing. Here's let's sit you down and explain so clearly what

is happening here and why it's amazing. So just a side here, but since we're talking about this topic, Resident Evil 2, the audio is so, so good, and like, I loved the experience with it.

It made it so scary. You can hear Mr. X stomping around. Yeah. Oh, my God. Mr. X alone, like the sound design of that was so freaking fantastic. But I will give it a knock

because playing it on Xbox 1X, which is the Dolby Atmos headphones thing, like you can pay X or whatever. It is such a fantastic experience that really makes it feel like Dolby Atmos with a headset. And Resident Evil 2's mix was atrocious.

Yeah, that's too bad. I turned it off of that because I wanted to just listen to it in whatever, stereo or their fake-ass shit and it was way better. And I'm like, that sucks because it could have been. It should have been a shining example of what Dolby does on

Xbox and why Xbox is technically better than PlayStation because it has that. Right. I will say control their audio design is really good. Like hearing the hiss whisper around you, wherever you go. That's true. The fact that like you can... So there's a gameplay mechanic where if you pull the items towards you,

they do more damage than if you were tossed in the mid-range. So they tie a sound to that. So you can start going by sound based on how close something is and do you're like, oh, I'm just going to take it like I'm going to throw this right now because I can't risk it. Like that's actually good audio design right there, but nobody's

going to notice that. So it's not going to be in the some people noticed it apparently. Yeah, honestly, this is such an expert category and what I mean by that is this is one of those tough ones where you can put it out to everybody and it's sort of like just what did you hear, but then there's also the experts that listen to this stuff.

I mean, you know, game designers and audio designers that could tell us a lot of stuff that you don't even notice. But anyway, I agree. It's going to be the one that's cater off screen. But because it is just a broad category, they don't put it into some niche. These are the people that know, say,

audio design the best. I agree with Greg. I mean, I think, and I hear Modern Warfare is unbelievable as well. So I have, yeah, I believe that we'll win. I didn't get an official pick from you. College. All right, there you go.

Sweeps. I like this one a lot. Community support. Recognizing a game for outstanding community support, transparency, responsiveness. Oh, man. Apex Legends, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy 14, Fortnite, or Tom

Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege. Is that the last one? I love it because I feel like recognizing a game for outstanding community support, transparency and responsiveness, right? So much of this for us to be voting and the outlets to be voting, I think is based on the news you read or this, that, and the other. And I bet that

no matter who you were to vote for if you talk to the community, they'd be like, no way. They didn't answer us on this thing or that thing, and I put this up, and da-da-da-da. And So it's such a weird, that should be such a community award given out inside of the community. This one, the community should have waited at least 50%. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah, 100%.

Way more than outlets. Great point, great point. Because, like, I don't, just speaking personally, I don't know that many journalists that have time for Final Fantasy 14. However, from hearing from that community, they fucking love that game right now. Like Shadow Bringers is apparently one of the best MMRPG things they've played ever. And I think that, honestly, honestly, I hear that too. So I think that, honestly, is what, again, to what we're talking about. enough of us have heard that.

Everybody's happy there because, right, Apex Legends had so much hullabaloo, right? With the fucking developers going after the audience that one time. Destiny 2 in a great place now, right? But had a year. But I think that Cinderella story for Destiny 2 is going to take over this. Also true. They got away from activation. They got to call it an

M-M-R-PG and they got to make it like a... Yeah, no, Destiny had a great year in terms of comedies cross-s year, I'd say. They've turned around things after the last year and a half, so it's the perfect time to recognize that for what they've done, actually. Fortnite did amazing things, but, like, Did they respond to the community?

So the community is always pissed on. Fortnite's my vote for prediction. Yeah. Chapter 2 would, like it was a huge thing. Yeah. Oh, yeah.

But was that a community support thing? I don't think that matters. Yeah, that's my problem is like, that's not what people are actually going to be voting for. They're like, I heard Fortnite did a big thing. Another one where it's a little confused.

Responsiveness doesn't mean they did what everybody wanted, right? Yeah, maybe they responded them. Back to you quickly. See, for me personally, this is between Destiny 2 and Final Fantasy. And I think that,

I think Final Fantasy has been, from what I understand, right? Cool is cucumber. Every's happening. They enjoy the content. Whereas responsiveness, right? Destiny 2, finally getting the shackles off and being able to put out their giant manifesto, right? And have Luke say openly it's an MMO.

And for them to say, this isn't ready. So we're to like, that is what we're talking about. But that to me, though, we're seeing a split vote. That means Fortnite wins. Where I think the destiny and Final Fantasy are the people that are like paying attention for all that. Fortnite's the like, oh, they've been killing it. Yeah, so it's just going to get the popular. Yeah, that was my first reaction was like

Fortnite is super responsive. Even if, again, they don't give you what you want. They've been pretty darn responsive about. Yeah, Fortnite's incredible. Like, everybody wanted airplanes out of there as fast as possible, but they were in there forever, but they kept saying, you know, we know that it's a problem. And like to me, that's an important part of responsiveness.

It's like, we know that you guys don't like it, give it a shot. Or we know that you're working on it, but not being quiet about it. So anyway, I'm just going to go with Fortnite because they are super I mean, they're so connected with the community, whether you like their choices or not. I think the narrative for Destiny 2 is probably overrun. Like the number of

journalists independently who have told me they read Luke Smith's Twitter responses and saw it going from anger to like contentment. And they don't even play the game maybe? Yeah, like it doesn't matter if they played the game or even if the community is actually that responsive. They have noted it as a community-oriented thing this year. Yeah, and it's huge.

So it's, you know, I'm a little like biased on that one. the deep community commentary would be they've done a bang-up job this year coming out of the woodwork. The split from Activision earns some huge points, as you said. But there's like some lingering stuff like PVP. I just continue to not be talking. It's too.

It wouldn't factor in it. I'm giving you that side of it. But this is going to talk about it. I'm voting destiny tip. And I think then you get into a community in France. Like, well, here's why I probably wouldn't. See, I'm too close. I see too much of the other side.

I think they had an amazing year. again. I'm not knocking what they've done this. But I'm going to pick Fortnite. I'm going to pick Destiny 2. Awesome. And Tim took Fortnite as well. Fortnite, yeah. Next up. We have...

Content created here. Do you guys feel qualified to ask this one? Yeah, I know everybody. Except G-R-E-F-G. Greg, you can't just run again and put a letter in your name. Okay, so yeah, let's not do this. Wait, I know everybody in this category except for that.

Martinez. Fran, why are you not in this category? I want courage to win. I feel like courage should win. What would you have to do to be in this? I want Shrod to win because I worked with Chad and he likes us and he's nice. I actually think EWalk's going to win it.

What a name. She, I believe, right? Oh, my apologies. He's got wearing like a furry hat in the photo, by the way. So EWalk is super young, came out of our super skilled player. One, I forget if actually

won one of the tournaments in Fortnite and just honestly blew up and has been a super positive, supported player. And I think just being on the young side, but I think otherwise you're right that courage has blown up as a very strong. I think that courage as a content creator has done more, where what he's done with 100 Thieves on the YouTube side as well as the streaming side, like he makes content and working with them and what their brand has turned into. Yeah, you're right.

I kind of picked it for trending. And I guess the definition, like you said, is who has made an important and positive impact. although EWock did in those ways so but yeah maybe we're not going to predict this one though because we're not like that's I mean we're in the same place most outlets who are looking at this will also be like

I don't know I heard a shroud well so that's the thing is a lot of the some of these sports judge panelists okay is it only them that are on that or just waited more or I don't they didn't go into the specific thing it was kind of funny vote on e-sports people let's check

before I say I would tell you we for sure wouldn't have voted in this category, so I don't know if it was. Unless it was just Andy or something, right? Which that happens sometimes, right? Yeah, totally. We're only allowing the person who's qualified yet to respond. I skipped all the other esports stuff.

I figured that's what you wanted to go. I love it. No, we did not. That's a community thing. We didn't have to vote for it. Are we moving on the family game? Golden Boy, though, up for Eastports host. Which is awesome. Yeah.

He already won that at the ESports Awards. Great speech. Okay, cool. Family game. Family game for the best. For the best. For the best game. Appropriate for family play irrespective of genre or platform

We have Luigi's Mansion 3 ring fit adventure Super Mario Maker 2 Smash Brothers Ultimate Yoshi's crafted world It's gonna be smash and that's it like really? I'm with smash Yeah really that's gonna be especially this is one where it you know bleeds over that they're like well it's probably not gonna get a game of the years We'll give it here But it is a great choice I had Super Mario Maker too I think it's a good game and especially like the new updates are fantastic Really Luigi's Mansion 3 also great game.

Ultimate is just too far removed at this point. It's funny. But I think you get to hear, and what a stupid name? Family game. I actually think, even though Super Mario Maker. Operate for family play. Super Mario Maker, I feel, I think of, and I think a lot of people think of is a single-player game. The number of people I saw at E3, though, like, old game journalist talking about, like, fucking Banjo Cazooys and Smash.

Dude, that thing. And, like, Smash has the DLC hype updates of, like, new character, new character, new character. It's the best-selling fighting game of all time. Yeah. I was talking to people in their stories who are like, Bando, like, now I'm going to play his game now. It's like, okay, cool. That's where I was looking at it for. It's like, literally, if you put four people in a

room haven't played any of these games, and I chose four for whatever a reason. But, like, smash is so obvious overall compared to the rest. I mean, that's thing is, like, family play implies multiplayer. Yeah. Like, doesn't have to be, it could just be, you know, someone playing a kid watching. Louisianian has two

players. They all have, except for ring fit. Yeah. Ringfit's weird. Why is that on this list? You handoff. Because something you can do with a kid in the room. Can I do this with my kid in the room? Let's watch my sweaty dad exercise. No, I think it's a good chance. I haven't played it, but I'm pretty sure Ray, it's one of those.

You hand off the ring, and it's your turn, and those games are always awesome for family and siblings. I don't recall being prompted for that, but maybe. I haven't played it at all, but I'm quite, it's got to be in there, like, it's your turn. I think it was the most recent Nintendo game when the nominations are made. Anyway, it's going to be smashed. Does anybody think it's not going to be smashed? No. Oh, Barrett.

No, Barrett. Well, you're wrong, but whatever. Greg, you're both smashed? Yeah. Next up. Fighting game. This is a weak-ass list. For the best game designed primarily around head-to-head combat,

Dead or Alive 6, Jump Force, Mortal Kombat 11, Samurai Showdown, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I've played every game on this list. Is it Mortal Kombat 11 or is it Smash? It's Mortal Kombat 11. And I feel like because people don't think of Smash as a fighting game. I think the people who are not

smash players are not going to think of it as a fighting game. Yeah. So like... But it's on the list. As a fighting game person, I would... But yeah, but the outwits who are going to vote are going to be like, oh, it's going to be Mortal Kombat 11th. Dead or Live or Jump Force are weird additions of like, we need to fill out the list. Because Jump Force is just straight up garbage, so Dinner Live is not the best in our live at all.

Well, I'm voting for Smash Bros. And again, it's not a personal vote. I actually just think it's, it's accessibility and the fact that it's the best-selling fighting game of all time. Smashers would be my choice, but Mortal Kombat 11 is going to be challenging. I think it's the same thing as before where it's like, oh, Mortal Kombat 11. That's a lot. They pop up in the fighting game category. Because also, like, everyone played through that story.

mode. It was so awesome. Yeah. People like sweeps though, don't they? You know, meaning when this cat keeps like God of war, it just took every category and that was fine. Yeah. No, I'm just, very nice. I like Morgan God God. Smash has a strong chance.

It does have a strong chance. Very strong. But I go with Morocomit 11th. We'll know next week. Can we get a Subway sandwich out for this one? Now we get the fresh indie game presented by Subway. It's not too bad. It's not too bad. So fresh. Recognizing a new independent studio that released its first game. in 2019. That is a bullshit moniker, by the way.

Because a lot of these are made by veterans. But it's the first It's the studio is new, but like some of these have been made by people who have been in the industry for like 20, 30 years. But yeah, like, why is Shut up, Imrano. But I agree it's not detailed enough because why isn't Death Stranding on this list then? Because it perfectly

fits that description. It actually would. I mean, it does. We've had this discussion on games cast. And I always say it's about the budget and I'm out people. I don't think you... PlayStation means behind it. It's less about the people behind it. It's about the budget.

Well, a little about the people behind it, but having meaning one AAA director and a team of five people is not going to net you, you know, a blockbuster. I'm just going to read the game names here. Disco Elysium. Gre. Gris. Greene. It is.

Greene. My friend Pedro. Out of Wilds. Slay the Spire. Untitled Goose game. I really fucking want to play Outer Wilds. I've heard a lot of like ground swell around that game, especially as Game of the Year stuff ramps up.

It's Outer Wilds. Yeah, I think it's going to be Outer Wilds. It's a weird one where... Yeah, I was going to see... It'll be Outer Wilds, but there's also a lot of people who really champions lay the spire. And Goose Game, people love it. And, like, that's the thing where, like, I think

these two votes get split, and I think Goose Game takes it. Oh, shit. Yeah. I can see people just going to, like, I don't know, so I'm just going to vote Goose Game, but I think most people are going to... Like this feels like the, we want to toss Outer Wilds something.

Yep, I think that's exactly the thing. Outer Wilds, everybody knows, everybody's like darling, everybody loves that game. Disco Leasium, I think if it would have come out earlier, could have gotten more of that hype and more of that,

but I think Outer Wilds is that thing you've heard so many people talk about. Like that screen child, Disco Elysium is where I convinced my higher-ups that I did not lose my gun. But again, that's not how stuff gets nominated, right? Like, in other words,

it's not like people look at other categories and say, let's throw this in as a discussion. You literally have to vote and everybody's got a vote and it shows up. Like, Astral Chain showing up, I thought was awesome. It was a good example of something I don't think that was super widely played. Yes. And probably one of the better selling platinum games.

Yeah, but so did Disco Elysium. It's not in the game of the year awards, right? Didn't Disco Elysium do really well? I don't know who reviewed it, obviously. But I'm with Tim. Mobius Digital for Outer Wilds, I think it's going to get it. That's what I said too. Are we all on the same page on? Yeah, I think Outer Wilds.

I think Goose game, most people who played it after, most outweets that played it were like, this game is delightful. It's not actually that good a game. Yeah. Which is where I would put it, honestly. I haven't played it. Game Direction. Yeah, I did Map 1.

I was like, I'm good. Yeah, I played Map 1. I was like, Game Direction. Game Direction. Which is just Game of the Year except they replaced Worlds with Wilds. Yes.

Oh. Game Direction awarded for outstanding, creative, vision, and innovation in game direction and design. Control, Death Stranding. Res. Descaring. Instead of Outer Wild.

Instead of Outer Worlds. Take it to the bank. It's Death Streaming. It's hard to know. Like, when you have a game that you know. the game director by name. Yeah. Yeah. And it's good

by all account, by most accounts. It's going to win it. It's funny that you said, I was literally on the tip of my tongue about to say, putting even knowing Kojima aside. I literally was almost saying it, I agree with you, but it was like, that game like, granted it had so much lead up in branding, but it really stands out and you can't deny. It's definitely

like most directed. It has such a vision to it, and it's hard to deny. All amazing choices on this list, though. What a cool, like, what a great year, actually. What a cool year. Well, meaning we talk, oh, there's no one clear choice, but actually the board I look at this, I'm like, man, it was a really good year. Really good year.

It's just hard to compare anything to God a war. Don't you guys agree? Like, is it God of War the problem? No. The year before that, and Breath of the Wild. We've been in such a fucking upswing of games that I think that yes, this year is very good. I don't think it holds a candle to the last two years

and I think next year is going to fucking blow this year on the water. 2017 is probably one of the best gaming years I've ever, like in my entire gaming career. I had to go back and look that it's just like, man. I don't think you're bad. And Breath of the Wild alone to me put in, such, like, those are two ten out of ten. Neeratomata, the Yakuza Zero,

Horizon, like, those are all amazing fucking games. This is such a great list, though, man. You're looking like wistful. Like, you're about to choke up. It's because, again, it's because I feel like there's been a narrative. There's, because there was no drop of red dead. And death stranding, I think, confused people. No, I was literally just a new metal gear.

Everybody'd be over the moon. I don't think that's true, though. I think so. It would still have to be good. It would have to be great. Yeah, there's a lot of people who don't like Red Dead, though, right? But anyway, I think it's an amazing. I just keep looking at Sekero, like, and not just because I've been playing. I'm like, man, they just deserve it. Okay, I'm going to put it this way.

I really love Sekeiro. I think a lot of its placement here is like, May I Colba for Bloodborn. That people think that should have been. And that's why I think it's going to win the one I said. It's like, it's a, hey, I'm cultured. What year was Bloodborn again? 2015. What was it up against that year?

2015 was MGS 5, Witcher 3? Oh, Witcher 3 and Earth. everything. Yeah. Undertale. Next up, everyone's voting death surrounding, correct?

Yep. Games for impact. For a thought-provoking game with a pro-social meaning or message. I think this is also a bullshit category. Concrete genie. Grie.

You hate social. Kind words. Life is Strange 2. Sea of Solitude. I think some of these games should be on like best indie game or other list like that. I'm going to take myself out of the running on this one.

I don't know enough about all of them. Yeah, I've played all. No, I'm not. This one, though, friend, this is a... I mean, I do and I don't.

We're predicting what the most people are going to say. You got to predict, yeah. I think Life Strange 2 is going to get on name recognition. Yeah, me too. See, the problem with Life Strange 2 is I just feel like it... Well, you're talking earlier, right? Like, the release schedule

heard it so badly, but I think so many people on this one were like, I'll wait for they're all out. But it's so fucking good. But I still think... Oh, I'm not... No, episode one and two, I'm right there with you. But I bet you the person who in every outlet did play Life Life is like Life is strange

too is so fucking good, put it on this list. More people played that than any of these other games. Did anybody here play CSL to? No, Andrea did. It's another one that's how I remember her talking about it. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Generally, it seemed like it was just like a,

it's good, not great kind of thing. That seems the vibe every had of it. I mean, I was wondering what the message. I was a depression. Yeah, see, I don't know enough about it, but I feel like that one's going to stick out. Kind words is very cool, but it's like a game you play once. It's like, okay, I really get the message of this.

What about that are going to throw a dark out? I'm going to say Cia solitude actually I remember her talking about it So I'm just going to go with that See I feel like Cia solitude Especially if it's about depression It's known for being in this game About depression and literally like waiting through it

I think life is strange to While great on name Recognition I think not enough people Even when we voted it wasn't done yet So people might have disqualified it for that Kind words the same thing as you I mean whatever

It's a game either you'd never heard of Or you played once you're like okay I get it kind of thing I think yeah Greece Gris, Gris, Gris, has a really good shot here. Again, it was a game that did not do it for me, but I know it did for a lot of people. And then Concrete Jeannie, I fucking adore, and I get it.

It's all the list because of us. Anti-bullying, it's on the list because of us, probably. But I don't, yeah, I don't know. I don't think it's so in your face about bullying that it's like, that's the message of what's going on. By the way, if you guys have not, who has not played Gre here? I gave it a shot.

I didn't like. Oh, you tried it. I did it on the cast. Yeah, I did not like it. You played it, though. Yeah. Man. It's pretty.

I was just like, did you have your headphones in? Yeah. Dang, man. It's so cool. It's a really good game. I'm fucking floating, jumping on weird tree. I don't know that the message got through, but then again, who knows if that's like

what people are actually voting on? They're not. Exactly, right? So that's why I'm kind of leaning towards Greed now. I was so strong and life is strange, but... I'm still sticking to life is strange. Yeah, fuck it. Life is strange.

Okay. What did you say? What did you say for Annie? See, I'm going to go see a solitude, too. Because I think that is so on the nose about the message of depression. Yeah. Also, it had a very good, like, presentation at EA play last. Yeah, it would have been last year because they didn't have one this year. They did.

They did, but they didn't have a press conference. Next up, independent game. For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system, Baba is you, Disco Elysium, Catana Zero, Outer Wild's Untitled Goose game. Two of these are very successful at, like, GDC kind of awards and IGF and like that. I think it's Disco Leasing him far in a way I think Catana

certainly has a strong winery Wow look at every splitting them on this one I think Outer Wilds I think Outer Wilds Yeah I'm picking Outer Wilds I think Those are all strong choices

To me Disco Catana Of this list I'd probably choose Any of them Like personally Maybe not an entire goose game But the rest of them For sure For the best indie games

This last year Bob Aizu made me feel like an idiot Which is great Tim, you said... Yeah, Katana Zero. There's something about it. You said Katana Zero. I feel like there was not a whole lot of conversation around... You said Outer Wiles? I said out of words. I said out of words.

Barrett said disco. I said Catana. Okay. Okay. So Bearer says disco. Tim says Katana. Me, Fran, and Amron say Outer Wilds. Good to see Tim Waste's vote there. Here we go. It's just something about the like... It stands out visually when you're looking at it. And I feel like it goes down to the way people vote about this thing with this thing. Maybe best our direction. is they do the thing of, well, we already gave that to this,

we should give this to this, and they're going to get out of wild. To an extent, they do. People are being exposed to the bullshit of the situation. To an extent that happens when I think you're worried about running away or doing different things. I don't think it applies to this category, where I think it's a race here

between Disco Elysium and Outer Wilds. Katana Zero is another game that if it wasn't for us, I wouldn't hear people talk about it. Isn't Katana Zero one dude? Yeah. Yeah, and for that reason, if people know, great dude, Greg. Absolutely.

But I still think, You got 12th 30 to 30 yesterday. Nice. Oh. Oh, yeah. Did you go in night anybody? Yeah, and you guys have a special, like, cigar party that you go to? You make a good, like, honestly, it's, like, Catana Zero and Untitled Goose Game are known for being on the, like, most accessible console, which is the Switch.

And that's a good point of, I'm so confident to just go Elysium, just because, but it is stuck on PC. Hmm. It's a lot of reading. People hate reading. Yeah. I do. Next up, mobile game For the best game playable on a dedicated mobile device

Call of Duty mobile Grindstone, Sinara Wildheart, Sky Children of Light and What the Call I think it's going to be called duty personally It's made a lot of waves They've done amazing stuff this year with it I feel like it's grindstone I want it to be grindstone

I want it to be grindstone I think it's going to be Sky Children of Light Yeah There was enough marketing and like working with outlets To make that one like It is like art I mean Plus it's coming to PS4 which is generally what wins these kind of categories.

I still just go grindstone. I feel like people want Grindstone to win enough that enough people are going to push for it. I think it's just going to be Call a Dude. It's caused me to spend, I think, at this point, 20 bucks on Apple Arcade. I'll tell you the reason, in addition to Call Duty being really amazing

on mobile now, in addition to that, it's arguably some people are like, it's doing better in some ways than the main PVP of the main franchise, and so there's a conversation. It's really interesting now that on mobile it's gotten to that.

I just don't think the people voting. you're going to vote for it. Thank you. Do you think that conversation's happening enough at IGN, GameSpot? Yeah, I do actually. Because I think the conversation in those places, including us, has been Apple Arcade. Where it is like, oh man, grindstone, oh man, like,

sign our wildhouse, Scott, like, which is a knowing. I think it came, like, with Call Duty coming out, I think it boosted the conversation around it, and yeah, I think absolutely. This is the one where I can see. Hopefully Sky gets a good look, though. I feel like that's one, if I just arbitrarily guess, not enough people gave it time, because it requires an online connection as

well. So for playing mobile, I don't know if they've changed that, but for playing a mobile game, it's really neat, and I wouldn't be surprised to see that win. I could see the last four

split the vote and the user base take call of duty mobile because it was downloaded more than pretty much all their things combined. Oh, I see you're saying that they would push it

over the edge. Anyway, so wait, you guys chose, everybody else chose Grindstone or what did you choose Zimmer? He said Sky. Yeah, Sky. Sky, two grindstones.

Barrett did you have a I don't know if grindstone's going to win this one. I want to say a Sayanara, but I'm not confident. I know. Yeah, no. I'm not confident in that. Such a strong choice. Sionara is flying. I think it's a fine game.

I beat it on my flight to London. I was just like, I think it's overhyped because it's pretty and sounds cool. I feel like the narrative around Sky was like, this is the game that's going to take you out of the mobile gaming ghetto. So I think a lot of Outwitz responded to that by paying attention to that game. I don't know that's necessarily true of the rest of them. Well, it's a follow-up to a game of the year. So, I mean, I would hope that it was a conversation. All right. Best multiplayer game.

That's a cool game. Try Sky if you have it. For outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, irrespective of game, genre, or platform. Man, this is an interesting one. Apex Legends, Borderlands 3, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Tetris 99, Tom Clancy's Division 2. I think this one will be either

Call of Duty or Apex. It's interesting to me that they threw in the term massively multiplayer experiences. Well, you want to be able to put it on MMRP if you want to. Well, I know, but it says oh, it's including.

Yes. So it doesn't have to be that. I see. Okay. I withdraw. Too bad a royale. Honestly, for me, it jumped out that Tetris 99 is going to get it because, like,

it's just one of the best games of all time, and it came out, not Tetris 99, but Tetris the format. And they just nailed it. And to bring it to that Battle Royale format, I think everybody took note, and as much again as you, I feel like people are going to be like, ooh, but Apex. The ping system.

Tetris 99. Playing with your friends, you know what I mean? I don't think a non-shooterrorist. I'm voting Tetris 99. Like, for any reason. Tetris 99, I think, for a second, gets a wink and you're like, oh, maybe. And then you think it through of like,

the technical achievements. And when it's just like, do you, do you understand at this point attacking, defending, and all that shit in Tetris 99? No, no, you didn't. And it was like, we had fun and you bounced, but you weren't playing with your friends and doing it. Whereas I think, again, Apex, when that name pops and list, you think about it, it is, came out of the blue, free to play, had the ping system, had this, you know, people were super into it. See? I personally, which? I, my personal vote here would be Borderlands 3, would be Borderlands 3, because of the level scaling and how that all worked. And I was, but that's not thing most always took note of. Oh, and that's what I'm saying, because I don't think Borderlands 3 has a chance in hell at it, sadly. Really? Yeah. It's weird because we're so deep in it now, Greg. Portland's three got written off as it's more borderlands, which it is true. And I agree.

But I think once you're putting that bucket, it's so hard to climb out to get an award on any of these. Another hand, modern warfare, which is literally more modern warfare. I've heard people singing the praise of that multiplayer as glitchy as it has been for, like, since release, basically.

It's like the best call to the multiplayer in a while. Yeah, it's a tough category because I feel like it's mixing co-op and multiplayer PVP, which makes it just tough, right? 99 is more, you know, PVP than it is. Like Borderland Being co-op is just different, but anyway,

I think it's still a super strong list. Do you know what we're not talking about? The Division II. I feel like that's the list filler. Like, that was a game that did extremely well and, like, it proves a lot. If you played it, right, and you got into it, you enjoyed it. You had fun.

I love the Division 2, but, like, if I'm talking about the best multiplayer, I think these games had better experiences for it. And this is where you get into the problem with ongoing games and stuff. It's such bogus then. Why isn't Shadowkeep on there in Destiny? Like, I mean, way more people, I would say, enjoy the Shadow Keep campaign and played it. I like Division II a lot, by the way.

But it just sits odd to me that like just if you put Destiny 2 right there from a gameplay perspective, it's super strong in terms of what they're doing. It's co-op. It's got PVP, all the above. So what are the votes? I say Apex. I say Apex. I'm going to go Call of Duty.

I just think Apex, it's a super strong choice, by the way. I think it's a tough game, and that's why I picked Tetris 99, I think. Because I feel like it's so accessible to so many people,

and people did genuinely love it. I respect it. I love it. I love it so much. If I may have the floor for one second, I texted the one and only Devolver Digital and said, how the fuck do I say this game's name?

Here's, you want to kick yourself in the fucking head. Here are the three text responses. Grease. technically gree but everyone says grease so it's technically gree but everyone including devolver calls it greece

and they don't say greece or no matter or whatever like they say grace so it's the word so what I want to are we sure it's greece and not greeze again how do I say this word about gris the answer is greece

they spelled greece technically gree but everyone says grease as do we. So it is Greece. From here on out it is Greece. Greece is the word. Joey Noel loves Greece, Greece, Greece, Greece, Greece. But it's not.

They said officially it is Greek. When everybody says that, it sounds. It's like these kids who put cues in their name but pronounce it with an R. I'm going to take, put it this. It means everything is okay. It means we can just say whatever. Exactly.

That is what popular vote means, apparently, is that it's wrong, but we're doing it anyway. Best narrative game for outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game. A plague tale, innocence. I gotta play this game. Control. Death Stranding. Disco

Elysium, the Outer Worlds. That's interesting in the Outer Worlds being there, right? Because you have multiple narrative paths. Which is what makes it cool. I think this is one where life is strange got actually screwed by the

police video. But guess what? Because episode 5 came on after this, it's still nominatable next year. My gut says death stranding. Really? Because of its focus on of what people think of that game. People really like that story.

I disagree a lot, but... I think a play tale is, like, people that have played it seem to love the story. I don't think it was played by enough people. Control, I think, is another one that, like, a lot of people played it, and they enjoy it. For me, it's between Death Stranding and Control.

Yeah. So I don't think Control's plot, is that interesting. I think Control's periphery is very interesting. Of, like, the, like... I could spend an entire game just reading stuff through dead letters and people, like... writing to that bureau

about, hey, I found this weird switch in my house. What do I do with it? Death Stranding. I think Destring's going to be the choice. Well, no. Hold on. I think Outer World is new enough and enough people like that narrative that they were like, okay, yeah, we'll go with this. So I'll go with Outer Worlds. I'm going with Outer Worlds as well.

I think it's a toss-up. I really do. Plague's Tale is after Life is the game I'm playing next. And then I'm with you that I think the nut of control goes into a place I'm like oh okay but like everything around it

yeah the characters and the even Jesse yourself I like I like all these pieces Death Training again I think is just too polarizing and where it falls Discoleasing might not think enough people play and I think Outer Worlds again is this RPG

that people want to love Right Fran Right now death training is Tim's choice me and Imran are on the Outer World Train Doodoooooo doesn't sway me a bit Greg You're trying to recap

I'm just like you're giving you more time to think Thank you I actually am going to pick the Outer Worlds on this one. Look at that. On the winning team for once. You and Imram picked that? Is that right? Yeah, that's right?

Ongoing game. Awarded to a game for outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the player experience over time. Apex Legends, Destiny 2, Fawfancy 14, Fortnite, Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6th. I think this one is for sure,

Fortnite. And here, ladies and gentlemen, is yeah, where Fortnite gets it, no, without a problem. Like, it is one of the biggest publishers in the world behind that game only making a new ongoing content. Fucking reinventing itself.

Every six months. Last year, right? For this category, I think. I'll check for you. I feel you did. Not that it can't win multiple years ago. And also, I guarantee that nobody remembers what won last year? The name.

But because of, you know, the Activision splits and everything. I do feel the Destiny 2. Fortnite won best ongoing game last year. Yeah. The Destiny 2 has a very strong chance. But it's just not as nearly as popular. It's only like Fortnite. It's hard to...

Actually, you know what? I'm going to mix things up. up and because of all the reasons and observing a lot of my friends who play this game and what you guys are saying. Final Fantasy 14 I think has a very strong chance. Is that who you're picking? Yeah. So I'm going to say it. I don't know what chances. I want picks. So, you know, but because of that, I'm picking Final Fantasy 14. I'm saying with Fortnite. Fortnight. Very impressed with Yelp right now because I just got a Yelp notification that Greg, we found a new chicken wing spot. Yep.

Really? Hell yeah. All right. Let's fucking go. Tell me about the foghorn tap room. I went to one. Dumbling Place. So it tells me every time a new Dublin place opens, I live in the Richmond. There's a new Dublin place every week. Oh my God. Is it a good? No, it's taking the place this place called Dragon Lounge

that I've told many stories about. No, I don't think it's the same Dragon Lounge that you're taking out. Oh, I think Dragon Bo. Dragon Lounge is the saddest bar you will ever go to and it is now gone forever. You might find Freakritor James Burke there. At least you used to. Best Performance awarded to an individual

for voiceover Oh, for voice over acting. I read it as voice overacting. Their voice is good. There's voice over the actual acting. You have a great voice. You suck at action. Your voice sounds great, but your performance sucked.

We have Ashley Birch as the character from the Outer Worlds. Courtney Hope as the character from Control. Laura Bailey is the character from Gears 5. Mads Mikulsin is the character from Death Stranding. Matthew Pareda as the character in control. And Norman Reedus as Sam Porter Bridges. Can I'm so bummed? that Norman Reis is so popular

and I feel like this is one that you do the category's already crowded. You got two major celebrities as well as Matt's Mickelson and like Troy not making it. Honestly, like objectively, his character is so cool. He does such a good job. Troy's awesome in death training. He's a great guy and he's friend of the show yada yada and I'm not trying to take anything away from Norman

Redis. No. Or Mads. You know, awesome. Mads I think is fucking Mads over Norman in that game. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I would say that Norman shouldn't have got the nod Troy should have for her. I would have put Tom Hidal Jenkins above either of that. also true. And yeah,

he did, unbelievable. Really quick, guys, fog corn and tap room, they're, there's,

it's fog corn, chicken and wings. It's just beer chicken and wings. Well, I mean, that's what they're promoting though.

We're fucking you know what? No, we just, this is the game of the year. It's, it's on ballroom taprum,

it is on Balbo and six. Can we do the game of the year rap party? Oh, yeah, right there? Yeah,

let's see. Okay. This wings are this one's fucking hard. No, it's not hard. It's going to be one of the two celebrities. Yeah, I'm going to choose Mads Mixing.

I don't know, man. Because the industry doesn't want that. The industry fucking loves the hell. We don't get it like this. No, not the people voting, though, I don't think. Sure, they have the LA Times and stuff, and that really kind of screws it over. But, like, the IGNs and game spots of the world,

they're not voting for Norman Redis. They're voting for Ashley Birch. Normally, Tim, but I would count it, when do we get it like this? Meaning it's not just some, like, throw away, like, a few lines. Like, it's a ton. I don't know. It's an integral.

unique character. Like I'm trying to remember last year, what was an example of a major celebrity? I'm sure there is one, but I can't think of it. Like every call of duty? Yeah, I mean, it wasn't like Cratos was like The Rock. No, he was an actor. Battlestar Galactica? I know, I'm just saying, yeah, and that's where the category ends up, too,

is official franchise stuff that they throw in that somebody did their actual lines in it. So I think because of it, Mads just knocked it out of the park. He didn't... I think, Matt, to what you're saying, this isn't, yeah, just a cameo. I thought Mads fucking was awesome in it.

I feel like you just got a big check stepped in. This seemed very genuine. His performance is awesome. And again, it's not a personal choice. I think it's going to resonate with people having seen all the work on trailers that Mads is going to get it. I could see people going for Matthew Perretta. I don't know that they actually would in the long run, especially compared to two big celebrity actors. Like, he was the, honestly, the driving force of acting in that game.

And, like, memed quite a bit. Like, I know Alice were talking about him. was like, because they love Alan Wake too. I don't know. I'm saying this. I don't feel like I'm not committed to it. For me personally, and these are my personal preferences,

but I think that it also go through the industry. I think it's between Ashley and Mads. And I think that Mads will win because more people saw that performance. I think as somebody who, again, didn't love the Outer Worlds. Like, I had fun with enough, but I, you know, whatever.

Ashley was like so far and away running circles around every other voice acting that game where I did love her character and I did run all her side missions. then when I met other people I was doing it. That's right. So I didn't play it yet.

I was going to say, Laura Bailey, I remember hearing some of in trailers. But it's the same thing we're talking about. It's like just nobody talks about gears. And also it's the same Laura Bailey voice that you hear all the time, which. It's always good.

Yeah, it's always good. It just. So, but that's a. Mads and Norman Reyes have that new quality because they're celebrities and they're like, I know Tim, you don't think the game journalists think that way,

but a lot of them do like, oh, we have celebrities coming down to our level now. Hopefully. I don't know. I mean, with that, I still think I'm right now between Mads or Courtney Hope

just because she looks so much like... Yeah. She did a great job. She played a very stoic character well. I don't think Norman Reas actually did a great job in this training personally. He's a great job over just being Norman Rees. Yeah, that's just who he is.

Almost every dialogue interaction would just him be like, eh. Yeah. Lou. He's got, I mean, he's got some impactful lines that come out eventually. Sam, Sam, the man. Bridges, Bridges, Bridges. I'm Sam That's his big lie

Let's see What's the vote? What's the vote? What's everyone's vote? I'm gonna go MADS I'm gonna go MADS. I wish that I got a chance to hear Ash. It's not actually pronounced Mazz right? It's like Mazz Oh good point let's not get it I don't know Everybody calls Mazz. Yeah everyone calls him badge I think everyone Like his actual name is supposed to be pronounced Mazz

You think it'd be Moths? It's like your name you just accept whatever Yeah Yeah, pretty much I'm going I'm going Courtney Holt baby Honestly all these performers are amazing choices Yep.

Yeah. Good. It's a nice problem to have. Next up, we got role-playing game. For the best game designed with rich player character customization and progression, including massively multiplayer experiences. Disco, Elysium, Favisie 14, Kingdom Mars 3. Yeah. Monster Hunter World, Iceborn, or the Outer Worlds. This is such a way, like, this felt like, I don't know, just put whatever you want on there.

What that list? Outer Worlds. It's going to be Outer Worlds. I was torn behind Monster Hunter and Outer Worlds. Monster Hunter's not. I don't think so. Well, that's true. It is just Iceborn this year.

But also, no, I mean, it's an ongoing. That's so, yeah. RPG category is always tough because I would argue Redd as an RPG. How did that get above Fire Emblem for this? Yeah. Oh, I totally agree. Where is Fire Emble on this list?

Oh, they're in strategy. Which is not. The RPG is a fluid one. It's going to be Outer Worlds. I pick Outer Worlds, yeah. I'm saying Outer Worlds. Tim? Oh, yeah.

I'm sorry. Okay. I'm still, I'm still running a lot of stuff in this foghorn issue. Got it, got it, got it. Score and music. For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song, and or licensed soundtrack. Cadence of Hyrule, Death Stranding, Devilman Cry 5, Kingdom Hearts 3.

Sihanna, Wild Hearts. I think this is... Man, Death Stranding is so strong. I feel like because of the license stuff and people viving with it so much, I think it's a... The fact that Chivert is playing there. It's... Its score is really good, too. I'm saying

sign our old wild hearts I think as a game that is built around being the album I think the music's great I think Death Stranding actually gets knocked for having so much license music and where it's just like all right cool Like sometimes the oddball what Neer Automata won in 2017 It did have the best soundtrack for sure

But that would not be the one I expect of the same You're not supposed to knock it for that reason It's saying inclusive all those things Yeah King of 3 score was fantastic But I feel it was also derivative of what we've heard a million times too close to the previous works. It's all like themes you've heard

redone. Played over and over and over. And the entirety of let it go. I mean, Tim, is it a little like Smash Brothers where you're like, are you kidding me? Why is that not on here? Yeah, why is it not on here? Is it because it's derivative which is a problem? Why is it's a fighter?

Frankly, I think Smash should be on here. It's the best soundtrack of all time, just hard stop. It's just the greatest hits of every franchise. Yeah. And it's just on a lot. I don't think enough people play cadence to vote for that. anyway. Yeah, I'm going Death Stranding. I think Descrant for its

use of licensed, it was, in a way you could argue, it feels like it overdoes it sometimes, but it's pretty bold with it. I think everyone played at least enough of Death Stranding to have a moment that hit them with music. Yeah, it was the most talked about game of this list, so it's going to be the winner.

It'd be cool. Tim Fran and Imranor saying Death Stranding? Yeah. What'd you say, great? I said, Sinara, Wild Hearts. I believe. I believe. Sports slash racing game. For the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game, we got my boy, Crash Team Racing, Nitro-Fueled.

There it is, Tim. Rally 2. Football Pro Evolution Soccer, 2020, 2020, or FIFA 20. Tim, why did you read the rest of the names on the list, I feel like? You said Crash. I feel like this slide of, like, a cartoon character becomes slowly into a human. Crash Team Racing, one of my favorite games of all time.

This remake, freaking fantastic. Had so many issues, so many DLC problems. and microtransaction stuff. They fixed a ton of it. Too little too late. Too much shit going on with that game, I think. Also put it up against football,

always a difficult thing. People see the football. They're going to want to vote for the football. I think every outlet's going to leave this to their sports guy, so I have no idea enough about our, not enough of the rest of the games. I can throw a darting.

Again, if isn't us voting, this is us predicting. No, that's what I'm saying. I don't know. That's why it's fun. Get off to close. Get on the go! I'm just saying,

I feel like there's a lot of like weird hate towards FIFA 20 this year. So why put that on here and not fucking MLB the show? They couldn't think of anything. 20 because like that was an actual really amazing. You want to know? I'll tell you exactly why. International. The rules are you have to play three.

You have to have three nominations to nominate, right? So if as an outlet. Yeah. And so you get to these things like we didn't nominate because we didn't. We didn't? No, we didn't have three sports games that we all played. And so it was like that thing of like, okay, we'll pass over. And so I think everybody passes it over.

but the soccer from the international teams, they're playing everything. Is the number one a typo? What? E-football pro-evolution soccer? You think it's football-pro-pro-evolution soccer? A football? It is a typo.

What I have here is no, that's lowercase E-football pro-evolution soccer. European football? Oh, is this mobile? Electronic football. See, this is why we should. Whatever. If we're just guessing to the best of our ability, having not.

That is exactly what you're doing. Anything is up crash. Super familiar with the rest of the franchises, though. I don't know how much people hate FIFA this year Do we know? Are people mad about the cards? Because a lot of people were playing it.

I think a lot of people were mad about it this year. People were talking. I still think FIFA's going to get it though. It's just a monster. I got nothing. I don't know. I'll say FIFA too. Frame makes a compelling argument.

Why the fuck not? Just call Craig Barrett and get him on the phone. I mean, this one's such a weird I'm just going to go crash. It can easily happen. You really think it's going to win? No, but like, also I do it. To be honest, I'm not educated enough to even make an educated guess on PEZ or FIFA.

If that even is PEZ. It is PEZ. I don't know. What's bigger? Who the hell knows? Not me. FIFA is bigger from a finance. FISA is bigger, yeah.

Anyway, that's the best we can do. Looking forward to seeing the comments on this one, actually. How many kind of funny sports fans do we have? Strategy game. Strategy game focused on real-time or turn-based strategy gameplay, irrespective of platform. Shove it up your ass is Fire Room 3 Houses.

Age of Wonders, Planet Fall, Anno, 1800, Fire Room 3 Houses, Total War Three Kingdoms, Tropico 6, War Groove, yeah, Fire Emble. It's Fire Emblem, like, this is a weird category you've been with and has more nominations

than most of the categories, which should have tips someone all that something is wrong. God, not an expert enough at all these. Which one have you heard of? But if I have to choose, and also knowing it's a freaking

unbelievable game and was probably in the game of the year conversation for many, Fire Emblem. Yeah, it's without a doubt, Fire Emblem. I think in number two, if we saw the ranking of how these worked out, I think Ward Group would probably be number two, though.

Really? A lot of people loved that when it came up. But it's an advanced war style game, which is a Fireroom style game. So Fire Emble's going to win. The original makers of Advanced Wars. Probably do it better. Next up, VR slash AR game.

For the best game experience playable in virtual or augmented reality, irrespective of platform, Asgard's wrath, Blood and Truth. Beat Sabre. No man Sky. Trover saves the universe. Beetsaber. Beetsaber. Not a chance to have anything. Yeah, there's... Great lineup

of games there, though. Blood and Truth is awesome. Wait, did Beat Sabre come out this year? December. It's another... Yeah, exactly. The PlayStation VR version came out in December. No, I think it's all, like, the actual VR, like, Oculus Quest, all that stuff. Quest as well. Like, it officially came out in... Good point. So it's going to win, yes.

I agree. Yeah. Let's move on. Beat Sabers is the... So, like... You did it, like, it's the Wii Sports. It's like, I'm still saying hungry box for e-sports player. There we go.

My boy, hungry box. Yeah, we go into that Foghorn Tabra, maybe. Before we end the show, quickly, I do want to have a small discussion about predictions of what's going to be shown or not showing whatever. Jeff did an AMA today. We have a bunch of brand new games being announced at the show.

I think there are around 10 new games, projects being revealed. If you want to count the things that no one has heard about, As always, the internet has a lot of really bad information out there about what you think is at the show, but it sure is fun to read. One of the announcements was previously conferred to be the debut title from developer Wolfie Studios, which was established by former Arcane Studios directors. Keeley also confirmed there are no plans, and there never were, to do anything with Resident Evil 3 at the show.

A lot of these leaks are completely wrong. Nothing about our show has leaked as of this writing. As if there are any reveals that will surprise the hell out of everyone watching or any trailers for games people have been waiting forever for. Heather replied, dangerous questions, I'm not sure.

Everyone reacts differently to things. We're just trying to make the best show we can based on the content available to us. That doesn't sound like a banger answer, but he's also, he likes the hot man. You don't want to spoil your show. And also, you can't be in a position

to be like, it's going to blow your mind. And then you see it, or they pull the trailer last minute, which happens to, so. So going into that, do any of the job? of us have, so this is a list of what was announced last year.

So we got Far Cry, New Dawn, we got Crash Team Racing Nitro Fuel officially being announced. Journey to the Savage Planet, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, Black Order, that's where that made the debut. We got Joker and Smash Bros. We got Stranger Things 3 of the game,

like going on and on. MortalCon, Matt 11. There you go. I totally didn't put any homework into this, so I'm on my prepared. But off the top of my head, I'm going to actually say we're going to get Maybe. Why not? A little Eldon Ring teaser. It's been a while.

We had E3. Yeah, and we had E3, but that's a good place to just do a little tease, just to keep you hooked. And we got the tease for Sechro at Game Awards. Did we? That was two years ago. Was it two? No, it was, yeah, it was. Yeah, two.

2017. Because everyone thought it was bloodbored. I wouldn't expect a lot on it. I'm just going to job. It's on you real quick. Do you think it's happening? No. No bad.

What is he? So, the argument that people keep bringing out to me, they have history together announcing Batman games at the Game Awards. None of the four Batman Arkham games that have been out have ever been announced at the Game Awards. You fucking weird. Do they not do the Joker trailer where he coughed there? That was E3.

That was E3. And that wasn't even an announcement. They always officially announced games randomly not, like very separate from events. like big trailers and stuff they will bring to things but that's after they announced it i think they want to keep that to themselves so they have the headline for the day you know yeah um do i think that teaser fucking whatever they did two months ago was a very very cruel joke absolutely and i like i'm tired of that kind of shit but i i i don't think it's i don't think this is the year i i think we get it i think we get an official announcement sometime early next year from three i think

three out of the four games are like they get announced earlier in the year. Because like, people are like, oh, Archim Organs got announced it. Um, game awards. But no,

Archim Organs, I think got announced like April of the year that it came out. So that was like 2014, 2013, I think. What do you think that? For Batman? It's tough,

yeah, because we've been burned so many fucking times. Yeah. Um, I do think, yeah, the Montreal tweet and, you know,

the logos popping up were, weird, but I don't think they're out of place. I think it has a great shot at happening. I joked around with Barrett on the show, the Games Daily of the show today where we discussed all this, right? I think he's going to be on a roller coaster, because I think what will happen at one point is it's going to go dark. It'll be the W.B. Games logo.

He'll get all freaked out for Batman, but then it'll be that Harry Potter RPG. Then Barry would also be excited. Yeah, I know, right? Yeah, no, no, no. His Dick will get tired from, like, and these laptop will get fucked up again this year. I think, I think, it's the same. argument though that with harry potter harry potter such a huge franchise and ip why would you do it there when you could do it anywhere but i think right now if i was saying it i think harry potter i could see happening anywhere on its own being its own thing

i think doing batman at game awards makes sense because it is wb montreal so it's not rock steady but i think that if you did it there with a smart audience they're just excited from our batman they understand what it's happening there maybe i could go there i do think you know you brought up a good one right the thing jeff said right was game slash projects 10 games slash projects getting announced I think this is where they announced the next Marvel Ultimate Alliance DLC. They show that for the first time, right? They show Fantastic Four, you know, or the X-Men, right? That's who we're still waiting for you. Show that and put a date on that.

And they've also been super quiet for a while since they put out the Halloween stuff, right? Or the Marvel Night stuff. Yeah. I could see them dropping that day and date, too, of like, and it's available now kind of shit. So you're the D-L-C. Go ahead. Here's the thing to keep in mind when deciding predictions is it cost most companies money to advertise on the game awards. Like a not insignificant amount of money.

Yeah, Warframe's going to do something again. They're there every time. She's talking about it. Fortnite will do something again. So, like, I think big companies, Keely gets, like, waves, whatever fees. But, like, if there's a Last of Us, because Last of Us, when it was released,

are shown for the first time in the Game Awards. Like, for, like, Nintendo or something like that, they can probably get in for free. But if you're thinking, like, a smaller company, I don't know how WB falls. I, first or WB gets in for free, whatever. But, like, let's say maybe Capcom, they're probably not going to get a free advertisement here.

Unless it was already, Yeah, I assume it's spaces to fill. Like, in other words, if he puts a bunch of blockbuster new exclusives and fills the time, and in other words, runs out of time for ad space, then he won't take the money. But otherwise, usually probably. So, like, if you have a new character trailer for a video, for a fighting game, like, they're not going to show that. Unless it's Mortal Conno. I never realized that space, because they have ad space as well, but I didn't realize that trailers,

you're saying he does, is that documented, like, for sure? I've talked to enough people about it that they're like, they're going to charge, they wanted to charge this much. Yeah, like I said, I don't think it's, you can just pay and get on the show, but if there's a slot open... I definitely think you can. I don't know. Depends on who pays on those. How often do you watch these things?

In other words, I watch them every year. You can definitely pay to play. My view is, there's enough... He had to pay for his ticket. There's enough ad space for 45-second trailers that, yeah, you almost always can find that. So, yeah. But meaning if you're just some... I don't know.

I just feel like they've done a good job of squeezing the show down more than it, it has been too long in the past. So I feel like it's something. point you run out of time on stuff. They're already cramming a lot in there. Imrod. I got two questions for you. I got three questions for you. I can guess what one. You can guess what I think all of them are. They're all Nintendo related. Let's start at the big one, Brett the Wild 2. I think that's very much on the table.

Yeah, because Breath of the Wild won the very first like real footage we saw of that game when it was like a weird off-screen thing was at Game Awards. So clearly Nintendo likes Keely. They like to do him these like favors and they consider an audience that works for this sort of thing. think. I could see it. I could see it too. I think they wait until E3 again to show it. That is the other option for breath of the while too.

I have a thing I think it's more likely than breath of the while too. Yeah, I was going to say, I think it's too close to they did a pretty significant tease. You know, some of us got that prediction, right? But yeah, they already did that significant tease. I think coming back so soon, it's just too soon. Obviously, the one thing that gives me hope, I think the game sooner than we think. Oh, I don't think. I think that we announced it.

like a next year. I don't think it's out. We don't know Nintendo's 2020 right now, and I think that's for a reason. Yeah, we didn't know almost every 2019 game coming into 2019, or 2019, so 2020 is still an open blank site. So, let's just get to it,

Smash Brothers. I think they're the final DLC. I think they wait until January to reveal that. You don't think they have it here? Here's my guess for what Nintendo has here, because they always have something. I think Bay and a 3, this is the reveal time. Well, the second reveal,

because the first reveal was game. The reveal of gameplay footage. An actual trailer of that game. Yeah. I see that. I think this is the audience I think fits with it best. Like this is a bunch of, honestly, like, it's a game award.

It's going to be a bunch of mature games that are being shown. So why not show the most mature Switch game they've got? Yeah, I buy that. But that's also, I feel like one of those predictions I can make. That in all Metro Prime trilogy, it's going to be fucking enough. You can say that every single time. It's going to happen eventually. I think 2020 is the year for that game.

Yeah. I just feel like they need the bayonet. I could see. The rest, I'm like, they need for their own Nintendo directs, I think. Like, they're, I don't know how much they have, but I feel like they've got to save some for early next year. Hmm. Yeah, the smash DLC, I think, is pretty likely. That may be, yeah,

that or bayonetta makes sense to me. It's the final one. Last, there was the Joker reveal and just they're running out of time to announce the Final Smash character. February, so they, like, they put Terry out in like a month. Yeah, but that's what I'm saying, they're running out of time. So that means they're either going to do it a game awards, or we're getting

a direct in January, which isn't Nintendo's norm recently. It used to be, but now it's kind of more pushing towards the February. I think you want to show that one, and you want to reveal pre-order for Season Pass 2 are at the same time. So it means you push that back a little bit until you're ready to show off whoever season 2's first character.

Interesting, interesting. Now, let me just paint you guys a tale right here. Finally. Paint me a sale, sir. You want some Timmergitties get hype moments? I do. It's a twofer, ladies and gentlemen. It's a twofer.

it finally fucking happens they're like fuck it new crash Maddacoo game okay okay okay and yeah what's the other he's the fifth smash brother yeah right

I could believe half of that see here's my thing I would have never believed it before Badger changed the goddamn game man you did I think they're they've more or less said they're gonna make a new crash game I think game awards is actually a really good place to show that

I do too I do too is it the year of crash again Amen. It's the fucking life. Save the cute. Get used to it. Do you think Sony is going to bother with anything this time?

I feel like they're too close to it. Sony? Yeah. It's too close to their next reveal. Yeah. Although, if they do a PlayStation 5 reveal, now they got their state, what is it called again? State of play. It is state of play.

State of the game is the division thing, and it confuses me every time. Yeah, that's true. Anyway, they need stuff for that. So are they, again, saving big guns for that? They run in a similar problem now as Nintendo. I just feel like, like they snubbed D3, they're probably going to snub the game awards.

That's where I'm going. I just don't see anything really from that. Question Mike had today on games that I thought was pertinent. Do you think you hear any games there that are like, and it's announced for PlayStation 5 and Scarlet. I think it'll say like in future consoles. Yeah. Yeah, I don't think they'll bring that word up unless it's a Microsoft event.

Yeah. Yeah, that's interesting. Nintendo's going to do something. They always do. They always do something. Even if it's just cranky con. They always do something. They're friends with Keeley.

They like bringing stuff to those, like, awards. If they make Super Reggie RPG, and we find out. It's coming back. He's coming back in video game form. And it's like a Mario RPG. You guys wanted him.

Here he is. He's the fifth smash character. Any final predictions are dreams? Decad of Dreams shit. Not Dreams the game. Dreams, I know. Like, why not show the release date for Dreams the game there?

They're going to do it on the awards, guarantee. The impis. Because they... Oh, right, those awards. Yeah, yeah, sorry. I know, it wasn't a joke. It was confusing.

But January 26th, they're doing it. I think they do the awards for all the stuff that's really cool, I'd get in a great way to promote dreams, and at the end or somewhere in the middle. They say that it's coming February 14th, which was leaked a while. Because early access ends soon.

The seventh, yeah, two days. Here is... One prediction, not an announcement, though. I think Keanu Reeves presents the best actor of the year award. Wow. Yeah, I could see that. That'd be awesome.

The best voice act? actor you're saying? I'm gonna do you one better. Fifth Smash Bros. character. Keanu Reeves. That would be... Just all his alt costumes are his very, like the Majors cost you, the John Wick costume. I have so many dreams about what I'd want to be there without any care, you know, in the world. I mean, obviously, Metroid, but ain't gonna happen. It might. I think, I think, Brett the Wild 2 is more likely. Right.

Metroit hasn't announced game, which is the question of where they show it. Oh, yeah, but it's not gonna be there. I mean, I would love the Metro Prime 4-10. Prime 14 is it ain't gonna happen. Yeah. All right. Ladies and gentlemen, this has been the kind of funny games cast. Thank you very much

for joining us for this very long episode where we predicted everything and we defined many, many other things. I changed history. We did. By guessing. We did. That's how it works. We'll see what happens next week. We'll see who was the most correct and we'll see who was the most incorrect. I have

my predictions on who that might be. And it starts with an affinence with a rant. Ah, you suck, frame. We hit you. We're doing a watch-along for the Game Awards. We are definitely doing a watch-along for the Game Awards. I'll be here for that. What's the date? December, 23.

Next Thursday. Yeah, very excited. I'll be very careful with my liquids. Hopefully will not break another laptop. But no promises, baby. No promises. Yes. Until next week.

I love you.