Not upset at all my good fellow, Overwatch can definitely be considered of deserving the title handed down upon it. Rather the real question is what is the criteria for choosing a game of the year? Is there a a set of "boxes" that need to be checked off? If so what are they?

You bring up the point of "fun." Is that the single most defining characteristic of a game of the year nominee/winner or is there something more? Has there been any kind of consensus among the "powers that be" in the gaming community (The critics.) as to what exactly entails their own respective game of the year winners?

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So I have read a few of the comments here and it seems that the consensus among most who responded is that NO, it shouldn’t matter, and that’s perfectly fine. I personally TOTALLY understand where this is coming from. After all, it does make sense right? There are no strict guidelines on what a game should or shouldn’t have/be correct?

Some have even responded with gaming isn’t the appropriate medium to expect a strong story/narrative or at least for it to be a requirement in selection of a game of the year nod. Others have argued that what matters is the replay value and how long one is playing said game after its release. Then there are others who may say that the impact the game has had on the gaming community is a huge factor that cannot go unnoticed and that it alone should out-eclipse anything else.

ALL VALID POINTS!!! Especially when considering game of the year.

With that said, playing Devil’s advocate, could we then make a plausible and valid argument for Pokemon Go being game of the year?

1) What it does it does best (It has already started a trend in mobile games; Mario run.).

2) Correct me if I’m wrong (I haven’t played it so…) but I imagine there is little to no story or single player, but that is not its purpose right (just like an exclusively multiplayer game.)?

3) Has had a HUGE impact not just on the gaming community but in mainstream media which is a big deal. (We’ve all heard the ridiculous news stories about Pokemon go players doing stupid things.)

4) Has probably outsold everything else (Once again, I’m not sure of this but I vaguely remember reading an article about it having a ridiculous amount of downloads.).

5) Seems to have amassed a legion of fans/followers. To believe anything contrary to the fact would be ludicrous (As much as I personally cringe at the thought.).

THOUGHTS?

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@illmatic87: Either way, both would have delivered the same punch lol. Good work and a tip of the ninja hat to you good sir.

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LOVE IT!!! LOL!!!

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Interested to hear your thoughts on this one. Been on the fence about purchasing it myself for a while now thanks in part to it being so "different".

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Good to hear people are going to give RE7 a fair shake. I'm really hoping Capcom actually listened to the feedback from RE6 and took it to heart. The demo seemed promising but we all know that a demo, while useful, is just a snapshot of the overall product. Guess we will all find out come January.

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I haven't played No Man's Sky yet (not sure if I will now lol.) but from what I've heard from a few people I would have to go with that one being the bigger disappointment. I think it's rocky launch also hurt it badly in a lot of people's minds in addition to the lukewarm critic reviews. But, I can see a valid case in regards to destiny as well.

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Man... and the year is not even over yet. I think we all knew this would happen relatively soon considering the news a few days ago.

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Does a multiplayer only game (like Overwatch or perhaps a future MMORPG.) set a bad precedence for what we as gamers should expect as a game of the year?

I don’t intend to start some kind of war of words here so hopefully things won’t get too unruly. The question posed is not whether Overwatch is the best game of the year or is even deserving of that auspicious title. Rather, the real question is does its ascent to the top of many game critics lists for 2016 send a message to developers that investing time, money, and effort in crafting an engaging narrative or single player experience be little more than an afterthought?

Personally speaking some of the most memorable experiences I have ever had in my gaming life have pertained to games where the narrative/story and character development were at the forefront of their respective genres. Whether you like them or not it’s hard to argue with anyone over the deep philosophical musings of war and loyalty in a game like metal gear solid or the impact of loss and love amidst survival in a game like The Last of Us. In fact, if it were not for this attention and focus on storytelling games like those (and many more.) might not have nearly had the impact they did on the gaming community. The other common thread among games like these are the single player experience.

Then there are other games that are almost 100% story based. The Tell Tale games are one example of this while Quantic dreams (Heavy rain/beyond 2 souls etc…) as well as a whole bevy of “Walking simulators” from Firewatch to Gone home, games explicitly developed on the premise of narrative and story being the “main sell” of the game, rely almost entirely on the single player experience to propel their respective stories.

And before anyone argues “Overwatch has a story” please… please… I know. Everyone knows it does, but it is undeniable that it takes a significant backseat to everything else. The lack of single player however is undeniable.

So the question stands? Does a predominantly multiplayer game, that has little to no story and absolutely no single player, winning gaming’s most prestigious award send a message to the developers, and furthermore the gaming industry at large, that story and narrative/singe player isn’t necessarily relevant.

P.S: And before anyone thinks I hate Overwatch, I don’t lol. I think it is actually a great game.

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YES!!!!!!!!!

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