Golden Joysticks 2016 - Winners

[Alex79]

Here's the list, if you're interested. You can argue awards like this don't mean anything (and I agree), but the fact is that this is one of the biggest award ceremonies for this medium, and I'm sure being able to slap 'game of the year' stickers on your box is likely to shift a few more copies. Let's talk about them.

Best Original Game - Overwatch

Best Storytelling - The Witcher 3:Blood and Wine

Best Visual Design - The Witcher 3:Blood and Wine

Best Audio - Fallout 4

Best Indie Game - Firewatch

Gaming Personality of the Year - Sean Plott (Day (9))

Best Multiplayer Game - Overwatch

Competitive Play of the Year - Coldzera's jumping AWP quad kill at MLG Columbus

Best Gaming Moment - Play of the game in Overwatch

YouTube - Upcoming Personality of the Year - Jesse Cox

Studio of the Year - CD Projekt Red

Innovation of the Year - Pokémon GO

Lifetime Achievement Award - Eiji Aonuma

Best Gaming Platform - Steam

Best Gaming Performance - Doug Cockle

Competitive Game of the Year - Overwatch

Nintendo Game of the Year - The Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess HD

Playstation Game of the Year - Uncharted 4:A Thief's End

Xbox Game of the Year - Rise of the Tomb Raider

PC Game of the Year - Overwatch

Handheld/Mobile Game of the Year - Pokémon GO

Breakthrough Award - Eric Barone - Stardew Valley

Hall of Fame - Lara Croft

Critics Choice Award - Titanfall 2

Most Wanted Game - Mass Effect Andromeda

Ultimate Game of the Year - Dark Souls 3

Anything you agree or wildly disagree with there? The two that jump out to me are indie game and ultimate GOTY. I know The Witness was in the indie category, and having played both it and Firewatch I'm amazed Firewatch stole that award. I really enjoyed what I played of it (so far) but The Witness was such a rich and multilayered world, and a far more rewarding experience I felt.

And as for Dark Souls 3 winning the best overall game. Really? That seems an odd one, in what has been a pretty good year for gaming. I didn't think it was even that well received as a Dark Souls game, let alone beat the others in the category to victory!

What say you?

EDIT : I think a HD remake winning best Nintendo game speaks volumes about that company's year too really. Hopefully they'll be back on form with The Switch.

[MagicianArcana]

I'm not too surprised Firewatch won best indie title, but The Witness winning wouldn't have come as a surprise to me either. Both games seemed to be equally well received.

I am kinda surprised to see Pokemon GO up there after hearing so many people talk about how they're disappointed in it. (Unless I'm coincidentally surrounded by people who didn't like the game, and outside of my circle on social media it's more well-liked.) Personally I think it's a pretty cool game and worthy of some recognition. So good for Niantic!

[hazeredmist]

How on earth did they not give Overwatch "Ultimate Game of the Year" when it made up most of the other awards on it's own? Dark Souls 3? Awards lol

I had the same reaction as you with the Nintendo award.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Hmmm... I long ago accepted that awards are really just a marketing tool, a nice little sticker you can put on the cover of movie, album, game, book, etc... That's the true value of awards, and that's the value of winning really: to boast perceived prestige or raise awareness of its very existence. Personal opinions are always going to vary wildly, so it becomes more more fun to analyse why one game/movie/book won over another.

I can understand why Pokemon Go is there. As a game it's not much of a game, but it did get a crap load of media coverage, and got a whole lot of people who don't game at all to game at all.

There's a few choices I don't necessarily agree with (Twilight Princess? Really?), and there's a few games on that list I haven't even played yet, so it's hard to have too much of a passionate reaction to it. It is an interesting reflection of the current gaming landscape, at least according to this organisation...

[Combine Hunter]

Remember, this was a public vote.

[Flabyo]

What Josh said.

The joysticks are one of the few that are completely done by public vote. They're fun ones to win because its always interesting to know what the public are resonating with opposed to peers (the Game Developers Choice awards) or critics (the BAFTAs, Keighley's 'Games Awards')

The results are always going to skew a little more mainstream, a little more towards those who don't have the same breadth of knowledge about what's out there. (The music award in the Joysticks is a great example, I think the nominee's miss out pretty much everything I'd actually give that award to myself...)

And Splatoon not getting best Nintendo game is baffling too

[ThirdDrawing]

Honestly, I almost think Zelda is a more valuable franchise for Nintendo than Mario is.

[ratsoalbion]

In terms of the hearts and minds of some 'core' gamers perhaps, but in pure financial terms it is very much Pokémon then Mario then Zelda (as I understand it).

[Craig]

Mario has a much greater brand presence too. I work with young kids in Japan, there are a lot of Pokémon lunch sets, a few Mario ones but zero Zelda ones. I don't think the kids I work with (5 and 6) even know Zelda. Kirby is still fairly popular though.

[Jobobonobo]

Firewatch winning the best Indie reward has reminded me that I still need to play that someday. Always been interested since seeing the first trailers for it.

As for Twilight princess HD winning the best Nintendo title, it really does go to show the barren landscape that is the Wii U library of 2016. It is a fine game but a remake of a 10 year old game being the most highly regarded among gamers this year? Ouch. Here is hoping the Switch will get Nintendo back into the groove. Personally, if I were to nominate a best Nintendo title, I would have picked Kirby: Planet Robobot. Absolutely wonderful experience and Kirby, to me, is easily Nintendo's most consistent franchise in terms of quality. Never played one that I did not adore.

[ThirdDrawing]

Firewatch winning the best Indie reward has reminded me that I still need to play that someday. Always been interested since seeing the first trailers for it.

Limited Run games recently announced they'll be doing a physical release of them sometime next year.

And I should have clarified my Zelda statement, I meant in North America.

[hazeredmist]

And Splatoon not getting best Nintendo game is baffling too

Came out in 2015!

[Joshihatsumitsu]

What about the 3DS? That does fall under "Nintendo", surely there must have been something released in 2016 that was a better choice?

I personally am drawing a blank though... I'm too lazy to look anything up...

[gallo_pinto]

What about the 3DS? That does fall under "Nintendo", surely there must have been something released in 2016 that was a better choice?

BOXBOXBOY!

[Alex79]

NES Mini?

[Joshihatsumitsu]

NES Mini?

Ha! The only people who own those are currently selling them at inflated prices on eBay! One must first use the item before they can vote for it!

[Jobobonobo]

Firewatch winning the best Indie reward has reminded me that I still need to play that someday. Always been interested since seeing the first trailers for it.

Limited Run games recently announced they'll be doing a physical release of them sometime next year.

And I should have clarified my Zelda statement, I meant in North America.

Yes, I have heard the news on a physical release for Firewatch alright, will definitely keep my eye on whenever that hits the shops!