Indie Games Receive Recognition
During GDC week, Cory Barlog and the team over at Sony Santa Monica walked away with the Game of the Year award for their work on God of War. That’s one more trophy that recognized the studio for their contributions to gaming, but it’s even more special when you consider the voters.
God of War‘s accolades extends to its mature narrative, combat, and graphics. Very few can deny the game had great visuals and storytelling, but here’s the kicker; there were plenty of games in 2018 that broadened the scope of gaming. According to their fellow game developers, Sony Santa Monica deserved top recognition. It may all come down to the engaging gameplay. Despite the stiff competition in the realm of storytelling and technical achievement, it may be easier to say that no game was more fun than God of War in 2018.
“The Game Developers Choice Awards honor the very best games of the year, and was created for and voted on by developers,” stated an official press release. “Winners are selected by the Game Developers Choice Awards-specific International Choice Awards Network (ICAN), which is an invitation-only organization, comprised of leading game creators from all parts of the industry.”
Additional awards recognized the achievements of Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2 and the indie developers behind games like Florence and Celeste. 2018 was a standout year for small studios and proves that a budget is no pre-requisite to greatness, though it probably helps.
Below, you’ll find all the winners of GDC 2019’s top awards
Best Audio
Celeste (Matt Makes Games)
Best Debut
Mountains (Florence)
Best Design
Into the Breach (Subset Games)
Best Mobile Game
Florence (Mountains)
Innovation Award
Nintendo Labo (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
Best Narrative
Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)
Best Technology
Red Dead Redemption 2Â (Rockstar Games)
Best Visual Art
Gris (Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital)
Best VR/AR Game
Beat Saber (Beat Games)
Audience Award
Beat Saber (Beat Games)
Game of the Year
God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Pioneer Award
Rieko Kodama
Lifetime Achievement Award
Amy Hennig
As important as anything else, GDC delivered Amy Hennig the lifetime achievement award. Hennig is known for her work on the Uncharted series; but before her tenure at Naughty Dog, she delivered stellar work on the Legacy of Kain series. In general, the veteran developer has contributed immensely to the realm of single-player games. To say God of War inherited something from her visions
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SOURCE: Press Release