Opinion: The Game Awards are lightyears ahead

The Game Awards may stir controversy on which games exactly receive the awards, but it is without question the most entertaining yearly award show of all time. 

I’ll be the first to admit it, other award shows such as the Oscars and the Emmys have the prestige that the Game Awards don’t. That being said, that doesn’t make it better for the average viewer sitting through the endless montage of monologues and ads. 

There are occasional moments where the boredom is interrupted by a humorous segment led by the host, or perhaps a grand showcase of the talent we expect from Hollywood, but they are only a small fraction of those shows. 

There may be tension and drama that builds up with each award, but that is something I don’t need to watch through. I can just check the winners online in real-time, thus making the ceremony something I can and want to skip.

The Game Awards, however, reinvented what award shows ought to be. Rather than the emphasis being on the winners of the awards, it is all about what future projects the industry has in store. 

I can only remember a handful of the winners, but I can go on and on about what mind-blowing reveals the show had.

Sephiroth joining the Super Smash Bros. roster, a new Among Us Map, a new Mass Effect, etc. Going beyond just compelling me enough to force myself to watch the ceremony, the constant stream of game updates and reveals had me legitimately jumping in my seat. 

The entertainment did not stop there, however. With a variety of excellent musical performances by the London Philharmonic to the tune of Mario songs and Lyn featuring the Persona Music Band for the song “Last Surprise,” the unique contrast provided another layer of depth to the show.

These types of experiences truly made it feel as though this was more than an awards ceremony. Rather than a moment of individual achievement, it truly felt as though it was a celebration of the industry’s past, present, and future. 

Being relatively new, The Game Awards was open to innovation, and they hit the lottery with their changes to the typical awards show format. Providing a rapid-fire bounty of enjoyable content back to back makes for a show you have to watch live. 

Not for the sake of missing out on why Twitter is trending, but for the sake that you yourself want to be there to witness it in real-time. If ever a call for innovation to the other award shows, the 2020 Game Awards has shown the world how enjoyable these ceremonies can be.