E3 Game Critics Awards Announced

Thanks to several readers for pointing out the E3 Game Critics Award winners have been announced, speculating on the most promising titles from the nominations announced a couple of weeks back. The big winner was Half-Life 2, with a total of 4 awards, including Best Of Show, and Sony's Eye Toy and THQ's Full Spectrum Warrior also picked up a couple of awards each. You can also check out previous winners to see how well the critics' crystal ball has functioned in the past.

E3 Game Critics Awards

[ArmorFiend]

From the subject I assumed that there were awards for good game journalism. Singling out the reporters that cut through the marketing hype to reveal what was really good and what was tripe.

It seems there are millions of game reviews, but hardly any reviews of game reviewers. Everyone knows who's side "Nintendo Power" magazine is on, but certain supposedly impartial mags are actually in the corporate pockets.

Re:E3 Game Critics Awards

[actor_au]

A reviewer called Toriko wrote an interesting review of The Culture of E3 [fatmangames.com] a few months back. Was an interesting read in that she didn't mention many games and instead concentrated on the event itself.
You can see the members of Fark [fark.com] and their reactions to the article here. [fark.com]

bleh

[ddd2k]

I can't believe Starcraft Ghost didn't win anything, it looks damn awsome...

Yikes

[Terminal Saint]

Half-Life 2 already cleaning up on awards? I feel bad for the games being released around the same time... If anyone's foolish to do so, anyway.

Re:Eye Toy

[ZorMonkey]

Sonofamonkey, the Eye Toy post was me. Dang Opera. Hmm, get on topic... How about some specific examples of the stellar (*cough*) games they had for the Eye Toy.

There was one where little ninjas jumped out from the sides of the screen. If they got to "you" (an outline of a person) in the middle of the screen, you lost a life. So, beyond the hand waving trick, people were mostly making the field goal sign, and waving back and forth a little. Good times.

Another was a plate spinning game. You had to keep s

Dance Dance Revolution?

[Man In Black]

I cant imagine that many people would willingly play games that force you to flail your arms around like an upset chimp. At least, not while anyone is watching.

Hell, DDR seems to be popular enough while making people look like jackasses.

I don't understand the interest in this device. It just looks like a gimmicky device that you can't really make any real games around. I mean, is anyone really going to pay $60 to swat ninjas away with their hands? I sure wouldn't. It'll probably go over about as well as

Hmmm...

[Daetrin]

Nine out of the sixteen awards are for games i couldn't care less about. Realistic racing, skateboarding, and a ton of FPSs. I'm glad the show itself wasn't as boring as the awards.

Gran Turismo 4!

[TiMac]

Personally, I was rooting for the new Racing Sim. It looks incredible [ign.com] and GT3 was as realistic a driving/racing game as has been so far unleashed upon this Earth.

I'd take it over Half-Life 2 any day of the week!

Re:Gran Turismo 4!

[TiMac]

Hey Anonymous Coward...

I sure can. I was referring to the in-game screenshots and actual driving movies. They are pretty damned gorgeous.

Project Gotham 1 and 2 have some nice graphics, for sure, but the gameplay sucks hardcore in comparison to Gran Turismo. It's laughable to compare them.

Full Spectrum Warrior

[zaad]

Go to http://www.ict.usc.edu/disp.php?bd=proj_games_fsw [usc.edu] for some screenshots and video.

Realistic Graphics and AI

[utawoutau]

I just find it really telling - and very depressing - that in the reasons for why these games where chosen as the winner does it never (with the exception of Eyetoy) say that the games were really fun. All I got out of the E3 page was a lot of heavy panting over "awesome" graphics - "Just look at the way the trees move"!! and A.I.

I could honestly give a f#%& if the trees move realistically or not. I swear to god, a couple of years ago if they would have shown a trailer for the Final Fantasy movie an

Hype Machine?

[Ian_Bailey]

Going over old games, the picks seem to be a combination of great successes (Metal Gear Solid 2, Half-Life, Soul Calibur, Halo, Tony Hawk, Gran Turismo, Splinter Cell...) and spectacular failures (Sims Online, Majestic, Black & White, Dreamcast...) and a LOT of games that get awards for 3 years in a row (Star Wars Galaxies, Neverwinter Nights)

It seems as if this is really about the hype machine, and how the games/products were PRESENTED, and not how good they actually are or could be.

It's too bad that