2010 BAFTA Games

[DanJW]

As usual, the winner's list is utterly boring, for the most part. Better than some previous years though.

• Action - Uncharted 2
  
• Gameplay - Batman: Arkham Asylum
  
• Family and Social - Wii Sports Resort
  
• Sports - Fifa 10
  
• Story and Character - Uncharted 2
  
• Strategy - Empire: Total War
  
• Best use of Audio - Uncharted 2
  
• New Talent - Shrunk
  
• Multiplayer - Left 4 Dead 2
  
• Original Score - Uncharted 2
  
• Handheld - LittleBigPlanet
  
• Artistic Achievement - Flower
  
• Best Game - Batman: Arkham Asylum
  
• Use of Online - Fifa 10
  

Oh and a well deserved 'Lifetime Achievement' type Fellowship Award to Shigeru Miyamoto

Official website.

[gdf]

I lol'd at Uncharted winning the Story one. As a Hollywood film it was above average, but whatever it was it certainly wasn't much of a video game narrative. I still don't understand why people love it so much, it felt really patronising. They're right about the music though, it was fantastic.

[Patters]

I find it kind of weird that Fifa beat Forza as the best sports game. Even more so with the lack of a racing category.

[Sombre]

I find it hard to take seriously "Best Audio" not going to a rhythm game.

[SoulChicken]

Man I think even the SPiKE awards has more cred.

[Patters]

I find it hard to take seriously "Best Audio" not going to a rhythm game.

Huh, really? Something like Chaos Theory or the majority of Lucas arts adventures use music better than any rhythm game.

[elmuerte]

Do rhythm games even have audio? Ok, except for a few buttons sounds in the menu.

[Sombre]

Huh, really? Something like Chaos Theory or the majority of Lucas arts adventures use music better than any rhythm game.

I meant something like Rock Band. I only play baby games like Spelunky, and that has the BEST music. I think that should win. Or the Ork combat barks from DOW2

[Nachimir]

Best audio is not necessarily the same as best music.

[Patters]

I meant something like Rock Band. I only play baby games like Spelunky, and that has the BEST music. I think that should win. Or the Ork combat barks from DOW2

Well with a music game, all that can be done is mute certain tracks. Music is a particularly important aspect of a game, which coupled with sound effects create the overall audio experience. This is something Bad Company 2 does fantastically, creating a fantastically immersive game particularly in multiplayer. If a gun in a shooter doesn't sound good, you will be less inclined to use it.

Come to think of it, L4D2 should have won the best audio, though I haven't played Uncharted 2, I very much doubt it tops L4D2. Though I consider the majority of awards a joke, including the Oscars to an extent.

[pabosher]

Well with a music game, all that can be done is mute certain tracks. Music is a particularly important aspect of a game, which coupled with sound effects create the overall audio experience. This is something Bad Company 2 does fantastically, creating a fantastically immersive game particularly in multiplayer. If a gun in a shooter doesn't sound good, you will be less inclined to use it.

Come to think of it, L4D2 should have won the best audio, though I haven't played Uncharted 2, I very much doubt it tops L4D2. Though I consider the majority of awards a joke, including the Oscars to an extent.

I agree entirely. When I was watching it on Friday, I was incredibly surprised to see UC2 win over L4D2 in terms of audio.

[Lu]

Really? I wasn't. How does L4D2's audio design stand out to you guys? Besides the audio cues it gives.

[Patters]

Really? I wasn't. How does L4D2's audio design stand out to you guys? Besides the audio cues it gives.

Other than the Soundtrack itself being fantastic, the effects of the weapons, particularly those which are melee are fantastic. though as it is a co op game you are unlikely to notice this unless you play it with friends who haven't got mics or solo. It all just clicks brilliantly, I played my first campaign with Nick and Chris Faylor (of Shacknews) neither of whom were using mics, so neither did I, which is when I realised the design was so good.

[gdf]

Use of Audio should have been Noby Noby Boy's.

[Moelman]

Glad fucking Uncharted didn't win GOTY at least, such a goddamn overrated game. Before everyone comes rushing to its defense, I do think it's a good game. I have nearly completed it, don't own a PS3 but been playing at a friend's place and I'm interested enough to want to finish the story. I think the combat isn't good though and there is too much of it, I would much rather have more puzzles and exploration. And I just don't like the whole "interactive movie" stuff, it annoys me that games have to be compared to hollywood to be considered legitimate.

I would say the awards that annoyed me the most with Uncharted were the GDCAs, Uncharted won best technology (which it deserved) as well as best visual arts or something like that, aside from being a very pretty game (which I attribute to the technology) it's not like its visual style is more original or unique than like Brutal Legend's (which wasn't even nominated). It also won best story over Dragon Age and Brutal Legend, best audio over Beatles RB and Brutal Legend and others (I don't even think Brutal is that good of a game, but I think it excels in these individual categories), and was nominated for...best innovation. To me, a game with "2" in the title should not be eligible for an innovation award unless its completely different from its predecessor, which Uncharted 2 is not. Hopefully I'm not the only one who feels this way about it.

Sorry for the sort of off topic rant, but at least it's related to awards.

Also:

Dawn of War II was not nominated for best strategy game at the BAFTAs. WTF?

[Rueler]

I didn't play Little Big Planet on the PSP, but it was my understanding that it was just a somewhat decent port of Little Big Planet that couldnt use all of LBP's features. I can think of other better handheld games, namely GTA: Chinatown Wars, or even Rhythm Heaven.

[Garple]

Also:

Dawn of War II was not nominated for best strategy game at the BAFTAs. WTF?

Maybe they're purists. I shouldn't dare to comment on this really, due to lack of experience, but it's just a thought. I mean, it is fair to say that DoW II is very different from the average RTS, right?

[Moelman]

Maybe they're purists. I shouldn't dare to comment on this really, due to lack of experience, but it's just a thought. I mean, it is fair to say that DoW II is very different from the average RTS, right?

Definitely, there is no base building and you have a fixed number of units, and there are loot drops. But it's still a strategy game, or at least I don't know what else I would classify it as.

I mean, FIFA Manager 10 and Football Manager 2010 were nominated.

[Garple]

I mean, FIFA Manager 10 and Football Manager 2010 were nominated.

I'd never heard of these awards until now, but I just realized this takes place in Europe.

[Chris]

Absolute worst year for game awards in recent memory. God. I thought there was a lot of interesting stuff last year, but apparently in reality there was only Uncharted 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and possibly Flower.

[miffy495]

Maybe they're purists. I shouldn't dare to comment on this really, due to lack of experience, but it's just a thought. I mean, it is fair to say that DoW II is very different from the average RTS, right?

I can succeed at it, so it must be.

[Lu]

Other than the Soundtrack itself being fantastic, the effects of the weapons, particularly those which are melee are fantastic. though as it is a co op game you are unlikely to notice this unless you play it with friends who haven't got mics or solo. It all just clicks brilliantly, I played my first campaign with Nick and Chris Faylor (of Shacknews) neither of whom were using mics, so neither did I, which is when I realised the design was so good.

I don't know, man. I think Uncharted 2 might have just outbudget'd™ Left 4 Dead 2.

aside from being a very pretty game (which I attribute to the technology) it's not like its visual style is more original or unique than like Brutal Legend's (which wasn't even nominated).

I do not agree with that. Technology, no matter how good, does not equate to good visual design. Everything you see was crafted by artists, which falls under visual arts. Technology seems much more of a black box to us as players, because we don't know what is under the hood, although it does show in how the game feels, how it runs, physics, etc.

I do agree with you on the combat. I'd go as far to say that game mechanically speaking, Uncharted isn't that interesting, even though everything is polished as fuck. Still one of my favourite games of last year though!

Kind of ridiculous how they cleaned up most categories and award shows, though. Mike Krahulik as he went on stage to receive the ambassador award together with Jerry Holkins and Robert Khoo: "Uh wow, thanks for not giving it to Uncharted 2". xD

Also:

Dawn of War II was not nominated for best strategy game at the BAFTAs. WTF?

Yes, what the fuck. :\

Edited March 23, 2010 by PiratePooAndHisBattleship

[syntheticgerbil]

Use of Audio should have been Noby Noby Boy's.

I approve of this.

Uncharted 2 was fine, but it certainly didn't deserve to sweep all of those awards, nor Batman.

Maybe award givers just really don't have the time to play many games? That's how it seems to me, as if they just had no idea what to play.

[DanJW]

Sorry for the sort of off topic rant, but at least it's related to awards.

Not off topic, this sort of observation is why I started the thread. Almost all video game entertainment awards annoy me with the exception of those at GDC, but the BAFTAs are the worst off the bunch and really fucking tick me off sometimes.

Maybe award givers just really don't have the time to play many games? That's how it seems to me, as if they just had no idea what to play.

Exactly. The BAFTAs always give the impression that they are awarded by a bunch of people voting for whatever names they recognise because they percolated into mainstream press now and again.

I know someone involved in the committee voting process; he said he has to risk social ostrification in order to shout loud enough to even get more worthy titles a consideration.

[syntheticgerbil]

Social ostrification? Does that mean that people will think he's silly for suggesting all of these games most people have no heard of?

Also, was it this person who shouted to get Flower an actual award? Flower sort of seems jammed in there.