Winners

Game of the Year > Baldur’s Gate 3
Best Adaptation > The Last of Us
Mobile Game > Honkai: Star Rail
Ongoing Game > Cyberpunk 2077
Community Support > Baldur’s Gate 3
Anticipated Game > Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Independent Game > Sea of Stars
ESports Game > Valorant
Narrative > Alan Wake 2
Content Creator of the Year > Ironmouse
Action Game > ARMORED CORE™ VI FIRES OF RUBICON™
ESports Player > Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok
Art Direction > Alan Wake 2
Family Game > Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Games for Impact > Tchia
Audio Design > Hi-Fi Rush
Fighting Game > Street Fighter 6
Performance > Neil Newbon
VR Game > Resident Evil Village VR Mode
Debut Indie Game > Cocoon
Innovation in Accessibility > Forza Motorsport
Action/Adventure Game > The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
RPG > Baldur’s Gate 3
SIM/Strategy Game > Pikmin 4
Multiplayer Game > Baldur’s Gate 3
Esports Coach > Christine “potter” Chi
Esports Event > 2023 League of Legends World Championship
Esports Team > JD Gaming
Players’ Voice > Baldur’s Gate 3

I normally don’t do live streams, but when I got home from work today, YouTube was heavily promoting the livestream of The Game Awards (happening at exactly the time I turned on my computer).

Since I got a really nice Alienware OLED monitor, and I just picked up a Vizio M-Series All-In-One 2.1 Sound Bar (the monitor didn’t come with built in speakers)… I thought, what the hey, let’s play the live stream and see how the playback and audio sounds.

As you would expect, watching the live stream is just like watching an HD live television over the internet. Since it’s on my computer, at some point, I had the video take up 1/3 of my screen, while I do some work on the left side of the screen.

I have to say that the Game Awards show has high production, with very high-profile creators, such as Hideo Kojima with his upcoming OD game.

There were lots of advertisements… but it didn’t feel like ads, because they’re all trailers for upcoming games or for gaming products.

I also really dug seeing the Viking band Heilung play “Maidjan Song”, the main theme from the upcoming Ninja Theory’s Hellblade 2. They look so metal! And they sounded amazing, complete with fire dancers and war drums. I don’t know much about the band, but, man, the next time they are in the Minneapolis area, I want to see them live.

I was most excited to see some of the main cast (Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell, and Aaron Clifton Moten) for the upcoming Fallout television show from Amazon Prime on stage. They even had a guy in a power armor suit! It looks absolutely amazing! I really want that power armor for a Halloween costume.

Apparently, the three actors will be playing three characters. Ella plays Lucy, the former Vault dweller. Walton (any Justified fans will recognize him) as The Ghoul, a gunslinger. Aaron will be playing Maximus, part of the Brotherhood of Steel. Like I said, I’m very excited for the upcoming show, I just hope that they have good writers and it’s a good show.

No surprise, but the big winner at this year’s Game Award is Baldur’s Gate 3… taking numerous awards, including the coveted “Game of the Year”. Larian Studio’s Swen Vincke, came on stage with his plate armor, along with some key staff to take the grand prize.

As I previously said in August 2023, I felt this game was my personal Game of the Year. I’m just glad everyone else agrees with me.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer