DIV is alright, but online game of the year seems questionable. The again one must consider what it is going up against. I've found the seasons a bit mixed when it comes to my personal enjoyment but that's another matter I suppose.
With this slew of launch bombs like Cyberpunk, Starfield, and now Diablo VI, games like Hogwart's Academy, Balder's Gate, (and even Palworld?) gives me hope that there are still commitments to developing excellent games that are complete and very good at launch.
Regarding Diablo VI, for a franchise and studio that holds a tremendous amount of respect and clout, it missed the mark. And yes, while it does have some minor innovations, it seems like it is Diablo 3+ with a few design compromises and at worst some deceit from their "Seasons". The Seasons claim proved to be a marketing appeal to buy their collector's editions. And what a dissapoint they have been.
Hmm, so in the multiverse where some folks live Diablo has six versions? Pretty sure this one still only has 4 unless I slipped into another last evening.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Diablo 4 was their online game of the year. Who did Diablo 4 go up against?
COD MW3 Omega Strikers Street Fighter 6 The Finals
So..yeah, Diablo 4 was the rightful online game of the year winner in a nomination pool like this one.
To chime in: Outside the MMORPG and AAA hype bubbles, Omega Strikers was huge, especially on social media and for a lot of fellow game developers, the voter base and target audience of these awards. And The Finals is one of the biggest online games out there that isn't Palworld at the moment, it re-captured a lot of that Overwatch/Valorant overlapping audience. I wouldn't discount the impact they had in 2023 at all.
Also because this is so developer-focused I'll admit I'm seeing a lot of games I never heard of that I gotta try.
I feel like they shoehorn games like Diablo 4 into these Award categories namely just to have a Blizzard title in there, because if they treated the 'Online game' category with any actual respect for it; they'd have like at least 3 to 4 dozen other games they'd have to consider.
It's also possible they want Diablo 4 because it comes with controversy, and buzz, and clicks- , Diablo 4 fills alot of boxes on the BINGO card versus more respected online titles.
So yes, these Award shows are silly; which is strange because Baldurs Gate 3 and games like Spider-man deserve the attention; while Diablo 4 is just there because it craves the attention.
In your opinion, who should have won?
I don't think i can really answer that; it's the fact that we don't have a real dedicated awards category in the mmorpg-space in any of these shows that bugs me; and when we do, it gets the 'pre-show' treatment.
But i also know why we are left out of major awards categories, because it's not marketable or digestible to a general audience- you can't sell Monster Energy Drinks or Potato Chips in between segments of LoTR Online or EverQuest.
Fishing on Gilgamesh since 2013 Fishing on Bronzebeard since 2005 Fishing in RL since 1992 Born with a fishing rod in my hand in 1979
Just because you hate the game doesn't mean it's not well made.
" These titles frequently offer excellent matchmaking systems, innovative gameplay options, persistent content releases that further evolve gameplay, user customization and fluidity of gameplay"
Anyone who understands the craft of a game of this magnitude can see why they won this award.
There is a difference between being well made and deserving online game of the year. I would put this down more to Blizzard buzz. Oh and I don't "hate" the game, you don't have to hate a game to question if it should be game of the year.
Diablo 4 was their online game of the year. Who did Diablo 4 go up against?
COD MW3 Omega Strikers Street Fighter 6 The Finals
So..yeah, Diablo 4 was the rightful online game of the year winner in a nomination pool like this one.
I find myself in the same category as others posting, though I did know Street Fighter was still going strong ( ) apart from CoD my knowledge of the other contenders is non existent. Rather than skim three games and try to form some opinion of them I am going to say you may well be right.
Comments
Regarding Diablo VI, for a franchise and studio that holds a tremendous amount of respect and clout, it missed the mark. And yes, while it does have some minor innovations, it seems like it is Diablo 3+ with a few design compromises and at worst some deceit from their "Seasons". The Seasons claim proved to be a marketing appeal to buy their collector's editions. And what a dissapoint they have been.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
To chime in: Outside the MMORPG and AAA hype bubbles, Omega Strikers was huge, especially on social media and for a lot of fellow game developers, the voter base and target audience of these awards. And The Finals is one of the biggest online games out there that isn't Palworld at the moment, it re-captured a lot of that Overwatch/Valorant overlapping audience. I wouldn't discount the impact they had in 2023 at all.
Also because this is so developer-focused I'll admit I'm seeing a lot of games I never heard of that I gotta try.
I don't think i can really answer that; it's the fact that we don't have a real dedicated awards category in the mmorpg-space in any of these shows that bugs me; and when we do, it gets the 'pre-show' treatment.
But i also know why we are left out of major awards categories, because it's not marketable or digestible to a general audience- you can't sell Monster Energy Drinks or Potato Chips in between segments of LoTR Online or EverQuest.
Fishing on Gilgamesh since 2013
Fishing on Bronzebeard since 2005
Fishing in RL since 1992
Born with a fishing rod in my hand in 1979