Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

G-Phoria Awards Out of The Bag

Posted by Zonk on from the another-crappy-awards-show dept.

Gamasutra has coverage of the winners of this week's G-Phoria awards. Despite the fact that the show won't be televised until August 9th, they've released the winners via the press. Some of the winners: "Best Adaptation: LEGO Star Wars, Best Action Game: God of War, Best Boss: Halo 2 - Scarab Battle, Best Cinematic: God of War, Best Graphics: Half-Life 2, Best Handheld Game: The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Best Innovation: Katamari Damacy"

41 comments

  1. Best Vomit Inducing Network by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    G4..

    Seriously, G4ia? Sigh..

  2. Best Innovation: Katamari Damacy by Conspiracy_Of_Doves · · Score: 1

    Well color me shocked

    --

    Technoli
  3. Halo Fanboys vote in droves... by Wraithfighter · · Score: 2, Interesting
    To be fair, I'm a halo fanboy myself (or at least a Bungie fanboy. Loved Marathon and all that). But come on:

    How the hell did Halo 2 really deserve to win for male voice and best boss battle? I loved fighting that Scarab, and David Cross is a great actor with a unique voice and good lines, but God of War was DEFINED by its boss battles, and Cross's character was a bleeding extra! A freaking marine with some clever lines in the middle of battle!

    Oh, and madden won, big surprise, even though it was clearly not the best in the category. Hell, it wasn't even the best football game last year!

    And the North American made KOTOR 2 won, even though it was horribly imbalenced and clearly unfinished, while a gem of a game, although rather traditional Japanese RPG, Shin Migumi Tensei clearly deserved it.

    Hence the problem with online voting by fans: The real good stuff gets overlooked by the really popular stuff.

    --
    Beyond the Polygons : Because 50,000 polygo
    1. Re:Halo Fanboys vote in droves... by sithsasquatch · · Score: 1

      but God of War was DEFINED by its boss battles

      Definitely. Hell, God of War should get an honorary award: Best Boss Death for the way Kratos took out the Hydra.

      --
      With so many ppl on /., how am I supposed to come up with a unique sig?
    2. Re:Halo Fanboys vote in droves... by ZakuSage · · Score: 1

      Assuming it was included, the best boss battle in the past year was by far the sniper battle with The End in Metal Gear Solid 3. That battle was pure genius.

    3. Re:Halo Fanboys vote in droves... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Best boss death of all time goes to the final battle in Wind Waker.

    4. Re:Halo Fanboys vote in droves... by pyrrhonist · · Score: 1
      I agree, that battle with "The End" was one of the best boss battles that I have ever played in a game. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and when I finally killed him, I was literally out of breath from barely breathing. This battle probably deserves an honorable mention.

      For those who haven't played the game, this boss battle isn't your typical "lock player character into a small stage and fight" battle. This is much more a battle of skill than it is a test of button pushing and pattern recognition. The battle takes place on a very large stage consisting of mountain fields and a river. It is one of the most beautiful and dynamic environments in the game, and you will even encounter short rain showers during the battle. The End is a sniper, and thus, will hide and shoot at you if he sees you. Your task is to hunt down The End (either by finding his footprints or catching the glint from his rifle scope) while constantly hiding from him. He is almost impossible to snipe from a distance without getting hit yourself, so you need to sneak up on him. The good news is that he won't kill you when he shoots you as he only shoots tranquilizer darts at you to lower your stamina. The bad news is that if he lowers your stamina to zero, you will be captured and sent back several stages to a jail cell. If you get close enough to kill The End, but accidentally startle him, he will shoot you and run off to hide again. However, if you are skillful, you can sneak up on him and hold him up! If you do this, he will give you his camouflage suit.

      The character design for The End is truly classic as he is an elderly man who the first time you see him is wheelchair bound (not during the battle, though). He sleeps most of the time and only wakes up to fight (in fact, if you take too long to find him during the battle he will fall asleep and you will hear him snoring). He also has a pet parrot that will tell him where you are (however, you can kill and eat it, which really ticks The End off).

      The battle with The End was one of the most innovative battles in Metal Gear Solid 3. The best part is that there is more than one way to win the battle. In fact, you don't even have to fight this boss! To win, you can:

      • Track him, and snipe him several times to kill him.
      • Kill him quickly by sneaking up on him and shooting him in the head (one shot, one kill).
      • Track him, and use your own tranquilizer gun to lower his stamina to zero.
      • Save the game during the battle, set the PS2's clock ahead, and then load your save game. You will find out that he has died of old age!
      • Retrieve the sniper rifle early in the game and snipe him when you first see him on the dock (way before the boss battle). When you reach the stage where the boss battle takes place, you will instead have to battle (or sneak past) a group of soldiers. This is good if you're replaying the game and don't want to fight him again.
      That's why I think this boss battle should have been included. It was definitely pure genius, and one of the most fun boss battles I have ever played.

      --
      Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
  4. Credible by generic-man · · Score: 1

    This awards ceremony will honor Katamari Damacy, so it is legitimate.

    --
    For more information, click here.
    1. Re:Credible by badasscat · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This awards ceremony will honor Katamari Damacy, so it is legitimate.

      Only if it were awarded game of the year, which is what it was.

      "Best Innovation"? Come on - that's a copout category if there ever was one. That's the category where you put the games you know are going to be the ones remembered 15 or 20 years from now, but you can't give them "game of the year" because there's some other hot game of the moment. I mean it would be like the music industry giving a "best innovator" award to Beck or Radiohead or something and then giving "artist of the year" to Britney Spears. It's ridiculous.

      I think it's time we realized that, like in all forms of media these days, the most popular games are not necessarily the best ones - in fact, they're almost always not the best ones. This list of winners is really just a popularity contest, so almost inherently meaningless. These are just the games that have the most broadbase appeal, even if that means appealing to the lowest common denominator. With the exception of KD's token entry in a category that was obviously created specifically for street cred appeal, there's nothing on that list that did anything special or that anybody is going to much care about in a few years.

      It's also pretty striking how many sequels are on the list.

    2. Re:Credible by macrom · · Score: 1

      I mean it would be like the music industry giving a "best innovator" award to Beck or Radiohead or something and then giving "artist of the year" to Britney Spears.

      Isn't that what happens when someone(s) like Beck or Radiohead win "Best Alternative Album" and someone(s) like Brittney Spears wins "Artist of the Year"?

    3. Re:Credible by generic-man · · Score: 1

      I love Katamari Damacy and plan to buy the sequel. However, it was not the game of the year. It was a game where you roll a ball through a Japanese acid trip for 15 or so levels all played on one of three stages. It had fantastic music and it stood out in a year where so many popular games were sequels. Most of the acclaim I see about it is on the order of "This is what games should be," "This is why I hate Madden," "This is going to be remembered forever."

      It's a game about rolling a ball. It's very fun. You can finish it in under 10 hours and keep playing just by yourself; its multiplayer is lame. It is a fantastic game, especially for the anti-EA otaku in all of us, but it is not the best game of 2004.

      --
      For more information, click here.
    4. Re:Credible by Captain+Splendid · · Score: 1

      Mod parent up. That's exactly what happens every year, gotta feed the mainstream.

      --
      Linux, you magnificent bastard, I read the fucking manual!
    5. Re:Credible by MilenCent · · Score: 1

      Oh, I can't disagree with you enough.

      Of course, this was the game I paid half on a used PS2 for, and consider it worth it.

      It's just FUN. That's what games are supposed to be, isn't it? I don't have fun playing FPSes anymore. I don't have fun playing fighting games anymore. I've never had fun playing sports games.

      The game that gives you the most fun is the best game. Katamari Damacy gave me the most fun by a factor of ten, so it deserves Game of the Year.

      This is all in my opinion, of course. But it's not an unconsidered opinion.

    6. Re:Credible by generic-man · · Score: 1

      A better alternative is not to put too much stock into awards like "Game of the Year," and to instead buy games based on your own impressions. After all, much of the appeal of Katamari Damacy is that it's obscure: its title is a trivia question in and of itself. If it goes mainstream, its underground appeal is lost.

      --
      For more information, click here.
    7. Re:Credible by MilenCent · · Score: 1

      But, I already don't put much stock in them -- it deserves to win this particular arbitrary little contest, but I have no illusions about it winning.

      In KD's case, I'd say that it's not just the relative obscurity that responsible for its popularity, the game genuinely lives up the hype, however unlikely that may seem.

      But... I don't know how many sequels that profound sense of fun could survive, and sequels more or less imply a lack of obscurity. My experiences with the Japanese sequel are similarly fun and have a wide variety of new level types, but the presentation and music seem a little lacking compared to the original, despite much higher production values.

  5. GAH! SHHHHHH! by Otaku-Man23 · · Score: 1

    Gamasutra informing the others in the game industry who weren't there who the winners are... I can understand!

    BUT DON'T SPOIL IT FOR THE REST OF US! SHHHH!!!

    This would be a good example of a time when Invisotext is needed!

    ~Otaku-Man

  6. Re:GAH! SHHHHHH! by Wraithfighter · · Score: 1
    Well, actually, Gamespot broke the news yesterday. They did take a look at a bunch of new games, so its alright.

    What should be noted, though, is that G4 is still taking votes, all the way until August 8th. So what happens if someone else wins one of the awards on a final count?

    Or do the votes get dropped into that infamous black hole where poorly maintained variables go?

    --
    Beyond the Polygons : Because 50,000 polygo
  7. Not that bad? by SDMX · · Score: 1

    Don't get me wrong, I revile G4 as next as the next sane human, but... this isn't that bad. The parts of Halo 2 they recognize are certainly ones worth noting, they give credit to an amazingly orchestrated soundtrack... and they gave something to Katamari? How can I say no? Certainly it seems like there are only two games here (Halo 2 and God of War) but perhaps this is the first we'll see of G4 pulling its head out and taking a look around at what gamers actually care about. ...Not holding my breath though... =]

  8. Halo 2 is not Game of the Year material. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    It shouldn't even be in the top 5 considerations. Titles that easily beat it in every category:

    Resident Evil 4
    God of War
    World of Warcraft
    Katamari Damacy
    Splinter Cell 3: Chaos Theory
    Half-Life 2
    DooM 3

    All of those titles show more innovation, advancement, cinematic qualities, and pure quality than any single part of Halo 2.

    However, Halo 2 did sell a lot of copies. So I guess that's how it is decided now.

    1. Re:Halo 2 is not Game of the Year material. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I bought Doom 3 & Halo 2 -- I haven't touched Doom 3 after beating it once, but I play Halo 2 nearly every day.

      I haven't purchased any of the other games on your list, but just between Doom 3 and Halo 2, I'd have to give the nod to Halo 2.

      Just my $0.02

    2. Re:Halo 2 is not Game of the Year material. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I haven't purchased any of the other games on your list, but just between Doom 3 and Halo 2, I'd have to give the nod to Halo 2.

      Wow, thats akin to saying.. "I haven't tried any other peices of meat, but this rump roast tastes like ass!"

      HL2, RE4, God of War...

      No offense to a solid console game like Halo 2, but it wasnt even half the game of those 3.

      Doom 3 is only renowned for its ability to make people upgrade their graphics cards.

  9. Scarab Battle by centauri · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Now, I love Halo 2, but that "boss" is not that great. It's an impressive vehicle - until the Covenant drive it into a dead end and it's effectively stuck. You don't end up having to destroy the Scarab (that's done for you in a cutscene). All you do it clear its decks and kill its crew. It doesn't even shoot at you.

    I'd say the Prophet you have to fight is a better boss, since you actually have to resort to something other than your high-tech weaponry to beat him.

    --
    Don't blame me, I voted for Durga.
    1. Re:Scarab Battle by Pfhor · · Score: 1

      I take it by alternative killing of the Prophet you mean boarding the vehicle and beating him to a pulp? I never knew you couldn't shoot him with a gun, I only tried boarding his vehicle, because I just bum rushed him and noticed the "press X to board vehicle" symbol. And here I thought I was special.

    2. Re:Scarab Battle by centauri · · Score: 1

      You are special, Pfhor. Just not for that reason.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Durga.
  10. Online Voting for an Awards Show. by pnice · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I think the people allowed to vote for winners should be required to play all of the games nominated for each category and then send in paper ballots or something like that (think The Academy Awards). Right now it's just people voting on the games that the same TV show told them to buy and then voting on it as the best game. I doubt many of the people have honestly played through more than a few of the titles in each category.

    I would like to take a moment to say that Tina Wood is a walking infomercial and nothing more.

    --
    My Xbox Live Gamer Card
  11. Problem with publicly voted awards by turbopunk · · Score: 2, Informative

    Looking through the list, the lack of the words Resident and Evil was clearly obvious.

    The problem with G-Phoria being a publicly voted awards show is the public. Resident Evil 4 and God of War were FAR superiour games to Halo 2. However, Halo 2 has an install base in the millions. People are gong to vote for the game they know.

    I am glad the Katamari damacy won best innovation, but there was no contest. The simple fact that it did NOT win Best Origianal Soundtrack really cements my point.

    1. Re:Problem with publicly voted awards by MrWhitefolkz · · Score: 1

      Your right, your opinion is far more important than the rest of the public. The hard truth is that Resident Evil 4 may be a better game than Halo 2...for those who like those type of games. I've played Resident Evil and have never cared for the series. I've never played Katamari damacy either. I've seen both of them in action and didn't care for either because those aren't my favorite type of games. Its like sports, some people like football instead of baseball. Just because your opinion is diffrent doesn't mean everyone elses is invalid and the public shouldn't have a right to vote for their favorites.

    2. Re:Problem with publicly voted awards by snorklewacker · · Score: 1

      Katamari's soundtrack was cute and infectiously bubbly, but God of War most certainly deserves Best Original Soundtrack (though it's more what I'd term a score, not a soundtrack).

      It was a fun cute game, but it doesn't deserve paeans until the end of days. The multiplayer was wretched, and the challenges were pretty limited (basically only three -- size, collect category, collect 1 in category). The sequel looks somewhat more promising there.

      --
      I am no longer wasting my time with slashdot
    3. Re:Problem with publicly voted awards by turbopunk · · Score: 1

      I wasn't trying to say my opinion was the 1005 correct opinion. I was merely remarking on how you could clearly see that the games with the largest user base got the awards. It almost falls into the idea of games from Nintendo. They're all great games. There are lots of them I don't like, but that's just because I don't like them. Yeah, I voted for some things that didn't win, and that doesn't bother me. It just that the large number of award for Halo 2 shows where people voted for the game they knew.

    4. Re:Problem with publicly voted awards by MrWhitefolkz · · Score: 1

      First of all, let me apologize. Rereading my initial response it seemed to be a little to harsh. Bad day at work :). This though is the problem with all award shows. Any show that features awards voted on by the public are always a popularity contest. Shows voted on by a closed group can sometimes give an award for something you have no idea what it is or know anyone who does. The Oscar's are like that. I think the best way to do it are the way probowls and all-star games typically do it. Where the public and coaches both vote. For video games, I would suggest the public votes along with the developers. The developers of course having their vote weighted so its worth more. Hopefully that's coherent. I've literally been interrupted 3 times to help people change backgrounds on their desktop. Sigh....

    5. Re:Problem with publicly voted awards by StocDred · · Score: 1
      That's interesting, because I'm playing God of War right now, and I couldn't identify a single portion of the soundtrack if you played it for me. It alls sounds like epic fantasy Lord of the Rings action adventure to me. You're right about it being more of a score.

      Katamari, on the other hand, I played through months ago, bought the soundtrack, and still enjoy. I'm already ordered the Katamari 2 soundtrack sight unseen. (Or is that audio unheard?) Katamari is worthy of all three words in the category name: Best, Original, and Soundtrack.

  12. Legend Award by dsparil · · Score: 1

    It's nice to see Ralph Baer get the respect that he deserves even if it's from G4.

  13. G4 Awards.... by evilnissan · · Score: 1

    Who cares, the show will be as crappy like 90% of everything else they air on that network.

    --
    This Sig for rent.
  14. halo 2 awards by schwal · · Score: 2, Informative

    First, let me clear. I am a Halo fanboy. I bought the special edition and the map pack. I even shelled out $50 bucks for the headset, cause I broke my communicator.

    There, now that I have that off my chest, let me say this: I had to think had to what the scarab battle was. Frankly it wasn't a boss, it was covenent inside a vehicle you had to get into. Admitily it was a 3 story tall vehicle with a plasma cannnon, but still.

    That said, Halo 2 deserved the soundtrack award, and the multiplayer one. I'm indifferent on the voice acting.

    --
    -schwal "Hanging is too good for punners, they should be drawn and quoted"
  15. Where's the RE4? by sketch7 · · Score: 1

    Man, what where the voters thinking? Resident Evil 4 totally got shafted! Not one single award, when it was clearly the best of game of the year in my opinion.

    1. Re:Where's the RE4? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's G4: the voters don't think. That's why the only games getting "..of the year" awards came out in the last three months of the gaming "year" the awards operate on.

      Does anyone remember how many great games came out this year? How many were rehashes? I used to look forward to new games. I can't think of a single title, off hand, that gets me doing the no-pants-dance anymore. I guess I lost faith around the time Sega started making murder-porn.

      Besides, of course Halo2 is going to win bigger than Resident Evil. I mean, Microsoft is heavily vested in the network, and it is their flagship title.

      What I'd really like to see is proof that awards were based on the votes cast by viewers, and not just picked by a guy under pressure from financial supporters. Then again, an award show that holds what professional critics think about a game above average Joe fratboy (in the case of Halo, or recluse in the case of any number of those Japanese import RPGs that frighten and confuse my western values) would also be super.

  16. Best Soundtrack? by tenchi90 · · Score: 1

    Ive never liked G4 since they stated airing, but Most of Halo's music is ambient, im suprised that World of Warcraft did not win, Jason Hayes IMHO is one of the best video game music composers, along with Fat Man, WoWs soundtrack was beautifuly composed like real music and is not just overly quiet to hide its flaws like quite a few other games. Also, they used an entire full orchestra to produce it, unlike other games that still are mostly synthesized.

  17. Who cares!?! by j2asghar · · Score: 1

    Ever since g4 bought out techtv and turned it into a PR station, i lost complete interest. I admit i still watch x-play, morgan is funny not to mention hot, x-play though still has completely gone down hill also. gphoria? more like g"whoria"!

  18. A few days late... by rohlfinator · · Score: 1

    Resident Evil 4 released in January of 2005. You'll be able to complain about this time next year when it gets shafted again. Voters will have long forgotten about RE4 while they're playing Twilight Princess and their Xbox 360s. Sad, because the game deserves some major recognition.

    1. Re:A few days late... by MendicantMonkey · · Score: 1

      That would make sense if it weren't on the ballot this year.

    2. Re:A few days late... by rohlfinator · · Score: 1

      Heh, I feel stupid now. Although maybe G4 should feel stupid since their list is a random assortment of games from 2004 and 2005. What's the point of a "Game of the Year" award when it spans multiple years?