UK Autumn Game Awards Announced

Thanks to Eurogamer.net for their 'Muffies' Autumn Game Awards 2003, which tries to differ from the official ECTS awards in "only [allowing] games for which actual real-time code was available", and basing their conclusions on serious time spent with each game at the ECTS and Playstation Experience shows. Stand-out winners include Best PC Game for the so far low-profile Ground Control 2, which "...looks set to be a true strategy classic", and Best Surprise to Rogue Ops, which they describe as "...Metal Gear Solid and then some." Finally, the overall Game Of Show award went to the Euro-centric Pro Evolution Soccer 3 from Konami.

Comments

Hoo-boy

[Otter]

Only games for which actual real-time code was available were eligible for our awards.

Even by the usual standards for the misuse of "real-time" around here, this is pretty bad. Or is it a Britishism?

Re:Hoo-boy

[Otter]

Oh, and then there's:

The GameCube may be having a torrid time this year with poor sell through and seemingly unending delays to key software titles...

I'd give them the benefit of the doubt about that one being a typo if one didn't type "t" and "h" with different hands.

Re:Hoo-boy

[simoniker]

I guess torrid might be a British-ism, or just slightly obscure - but see Dictionary.com for the full skinny.

Re:Hoo-boy

[Otter]

Maybe -- "torrid" isn't a particularly obscure word, but in the US it's always used in a positive sense, as in the dictionary.com listing.

By the way, sorry about filling this story with whining about English usage...I was sincerely curious if the use of "real-time" was appropriate somewhere.

Re:Hoo-boy

[easychord]

I'm no expert, but I think that we British normally use torrid negatively. We don't like it when it gets too hot, y'know.

Probably a bit lazy using it instead of drought, which is probably what he meant.

Real-time is just used incorrectly, in my opinion. He might mean interactive or "hands on". Probably short hand for "Graphics generated in Real-Time" implying that he doesn't always get to play himself and writes previews based on watching others play.

Re:Hoo-boy

[loadquo]

Or maybe compared to rolling demos, those pointless bits of fluff that make you go all "Thats pretty" and then get bored. But interactive would have been a better word by far.

Oh and yeah torrid is used negatively in Britain.

Re:Hoo-boy

[Rob_GIBiz]

Yeah, "torrid" is used in the sense of "unpleasant, arid, too bloody hot and dry". A bit British, I know, but since the English invented the language I think they should have first rights on messing around with it too ;) I don't get the problem with the use of "real-time", though. It implies the distinction between something which was on show using real, live game code, and something which was demonstrated only using pre-rendered footage - be it in-game footage or footage not possible in game (touched up or externally rendered). Oh, and er, no - it doesn't imply that I write previews based on watching others play, but cheers for your cynicism all the same. Honestly, I thought it was us tired old hacks who were meant to be embittered and cynical, not the readers! :)

Re:Hoo-boy

[Otter]

No, actually you guys are supposed to pour your hearts out giving us our free ice cream while we whine and tell you you suck. ;-)

Sorry about giving you a hard time -- I admit I never imagined that "torrid" had a negative connottaion anywhere. Regarding "real-time", I had thought you meant code that existed in reality, not live gameplay as opposed to pre-rendered scenes. It's a term of computer science that does have a proper meaning but is generally used around here to mean "really fast".

Anyway, I did enjoy the article. (You can see that I did at least read it!) I'll go back to venting my bitterness on the Slashdot editors.

Re:Hoo-boy

[Anonymous Coward]

I never imagined that "torrid" had a negative connottaion anywhere.

Walk across the Sahara without water and tell me that "Violently hot; drying or scorching with heat; burning; parching" doesn't have negative connotations.

Soccer

[M3wThr33]

Really, is soccer THAT IMPORTANT over there? I don't see Madden winning any awards, and rightly so, but it's just a sports game.

Or so says some /.'ing nerd.

Re:Soccer

[evilhayama]

Actually, I think this is due to Pro Evolution actually being a very good game. If you're not into soccer/football then it's not going to be any use to you, but it's a very good game none the less.

Re:Soccer

[johndoejersey]

despite the fact EA's FIFA has the rights to official players names, ISS Pro is far far superior to anything EA have ever done.

IIS Pro is worthy winner in the fact it might push EA to stop releasing 2-3 games a year (fifa 2002, fifa 2002 world cup, and so on) and actually develop a game which can challenge IIS Pro in terms of sheer playability.

The "Muffies"?

[quinkin]

Im sorry, but "Muffies" doesn't neccesarily make me think of computer game awards.

Perhaps an adult entertainment award show (or is that already the "Stiffies"?).

Q.