Tetris Wouldn't Win at The Game Awards — Another Award Type May Address This Issue
As any major awards ceremony nears, one notices a demand to include of new categories to honor unsung work and satisfy the passions of enthusiasts dedicated to specific genres.
My colleague previously argued supporting a scary games classification. It would be amazing. Equally deserving are board games, this being a passionate advocate's mission. But they will have to forgive me for pushing forward since similar to blinkered fanatics, I possess a compelling case backing this proposal remains most pressing and important of all. Here's the proposal: It's essential to create an award type for logic-based games.
The Genre Classification Challenge
Categorizing art by genre isn't exact; it remains highly personal, and inevitably generate discussions resulting in unclear classifications. This explains why movie academies don’t do it. Yet it remains an unavoidable compromise within the realm of gaming, showing incredible range they barely qualify one unified medium.
For comprehensive acknowledgment of gaming accomplishments to receive acknowledgment, and for games of all stripes to have a chance for representation, classification by type becomes crucial.
Existing Game Classification System
The major gaming awards presently include genre categories for Action-oriented games, Adventure-action titles, Role-Playing, Fighting, Simulation and strategy titles, and Sports/Racing games. Together, these six categories successfully include a lot of ground, allowing placement for most games within them.
Not so for logic-based experiences. There’s simply nowhere to put them. Consider three of outstanding current releases, each quite distinct: structural challenges in a particular game, intense tile-matching of another game, thought-provoking social scenarios from additional release. Where could they possibly go within current classifications? Simply put, no category fits.
The Representation Problem
Numerous examples exist outstanding logic titles published annually lacking appropriate categories during gaming ceremonies, except when they manage to fit for categories like Mobile Game, VR/AR Game, and the highly challenging Indie races.
- One classic puzzle game wasn’t nominated in any category in 2014
- Another imaginative release was excluded that year
- Popular arranging title got ignored that year
- Just some brain-teasers managed to sneak into small studio or handheld classifications
Importance of Logic Titles
Commonly they're small games, yet the craft of the puzzle game is of massive significance. Famous handheld logic titles stand as most popular titles worldwide maintaining this status for an extended period.
The iconic tile-matching title competes with famous sandbox experiences claiming status as best-selling game of all time; it additionally competes for top gaming experience. Brain-teasers form essential building blocks within interactive entertainment, and they are in conversation with almost every other genre.
The Solution and Justification
Puzzle games wouldn’t have this problem. You could fill multiple candidates with fascinating, diverse, deserving games each ceremony simply — or rather, with difficulty, since numerous excellent so many good games out.
And to reiterate, these include experiences lacking appropriate categories in important events. Puzzle game makers are working at the challenging frontier interactive creation, creating some of essential manifestations of the video game form. Similar to movie stunt professionals, they merit acknowledgment. Let’s not keep them waiting 35 years.