The Video Game Awards happened on Thursday and it celebrated the best of this years games and some games of the future. Many fantastic games, developers and people were nominated this year for a slew of awards ranging from “”Best Handheld all the way to “ESports Game of The Year”. I think it is fair to say that 2015 has been a great time for players and companies.

Below you can read the full list of Categories and Winners

GAME OF THE YEAR                                                                                                                                                                                               The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt Red/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)

DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR                                                                                                                                                                                    CD Projekt Red

BEST ROLE-PLAYING GAME                                                                                                                                                                                The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt Red/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)

I have not played the Witcher 3 but I know that it was a mammoth success in scale and by ratings. I wasn’t sure if this was going to win game of the year but I knew it was in the top 5. What tends to happen is that games that come out early on the year are often left drifting behind the holiday AAA games. Witcher 3 however is such a huge game that it still resonates with people. Well done to CD Projekt Red for creating a great game and for winning “Developer of The Year”.

Food for thought, would it still have won if Fallout 4 wasn’t released so late in the year and as close to the VGA’s?

 

BEST MOBILE/HANDHELD GAME

Lara Croft Go (Square Enix Montreal/Square Enix)

BEST NARRATIVE

Her Story (Sam Barlow)

BEST PERFORMANCE

Viva Seifert (Her Story)

Whilst I have never heard of this game, it must be good. It is an interactive movie game, where you are watching a series of police interview tapes of a woman and trying to solve the mystery of her missing husband.

BEST ART DIRECTION

Ori and the Blind Forest (Moon Studios/Microsoft Studios)

BEST SCORE/SOUNDTRACK

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (Ludvig Forssell, Justin Burnett, Daniel James/Kojima Productions)

BEST ACTION/ADVENTURE GAME

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain (Kojima Productions/Konami)

It was fairly obvious that Metal Gear was going to win an award, there were just debates on which awards. Sadly we were informed that during the fallout of the Hideo Kojima and Konami break down, Kojima was not allowed to turn up to the awards because Konami wouldn’t let him. Konami were able to do this because Kojima is still under employment contract which is rumoured to run out this month. Actor Kiefer Sutherland, the voice of Snake was there to accept the award on behalf of Kojima. He was probably the only one who could since Konami dissolved both Kojima Studios in July. Whilst we do not all the facts of disagreement, we can all agree that this was a bit of a bitch move by Konami. Hideo Kojima has been on the Metal Gear development team since the very beginning in 1987.

GAMES FOR CHANGE

Life is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment/Square Enix)

BEST FIGHTING GAME

Mortal Kombat X (NetherRealm Studios/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)

BEST FAMILY GAME

Super Mario Maker (Nintendo EAD Group No. 4/Nintendo)

BEST SPORTS/RACING GAME

Rocket League (Psyonix)

BEST INDEPENDENT GAME

Rocket League (Psyonix)

I am a little surprised that Rocket League didn’t win game of the year. It may not have been a AAA blockbuster but it is extremely popular and is still supported by developers Psyonix. Recently released a Back To The Future DLC pack where players could drive the Delorean. At the VGA’s, it was announced that Rocket League will be coming to the Xbox One in February 2016.

BEST MULTIPLAYER

Splatoon (Nintendo EAD Group No. 2/Nintendo)

BEST SHOOTER

Splatoon (Nintendo EAD Group No. 2/Nintendo)

Many consider the Wii U to be a failure, they wouldn’t be completely wrong considering that it has been on the market for three years and has only sold 10.73 million units. However Splatoon wiped the floor in the categories above despite being up against giants such as Halo 5 and Black Ops 3. Well done Nintendo. Iwata would be proud

MOST ANTICIPATED GAME

No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)

ESPORTS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kenny “KennyS” Schrub (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive/Team EnVyUs)

ESPORTS TEAM OF THE YEAR

Optic Gaming

ESPORTS GAME OF THE YEAR

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve)

TRENDING GAMER

Greg Miller

I want to give a special congratulations to Greg Miller and the other (best friends) founders of Kinda Funny. Ever since the five members left IGN in January this year, fans were comprehensive and nervous on how they were going to fare in the wild. Nearly one year later and they are building up and empire filled to the brim with exciting content. They have launched two very successful Patreon campaigns with exclusive content coming from both, Kinda Funny and Kinda Funny Games. I have been a fan of Greg Miller for many years now and it is good to know that you don’t have to be someone who has a shouty and over the top act to be recognised. Plus another well done on Gregs amazing speech in where he thanks everyone in games and developers for all the hard work that they do. The people that audiences don’t think of, the hundreds of people that go past in the credits. This is why Greg Miller one and why he and the other founders of Kinda Funny are such inspirations.

BEST FAN CREATION

Portal Stories: Mel (Prism Studios)