GN Expansion Pak: This Game Awards no-show is an absolute travesty

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The nominees for the 2024 edition of The Game Awards were shared this week, and as always, they courted controversy. Not a year goes by without award show gripes from gamers around the world, making it no surprise that people spoke with great frustration when 2024’s list of categories and nominees were revealed. The simple fact of the matter is that it’s literally impossible to please everyone no matter what you do, but it seems extra impossible when it comes to the gaming community.

There are plenty of complaints floating around about 2024’s list of potential award-winners, and there’s no doubt you’ve seen some of them. From DLC being nominated as “Game of the Year” to odd nominees in select categories, gamers have been left scratching their heads, slamming their keyboards and screaming from the virtual rooftops. There’s certainly a fair share of valid grievances and criticisms out there, and they’ll no doubt grow in volume as we inch closer to the big show itself.

I’ll be diving deep into all things 2024 Game Awards in the next episode of the GoNintendo Podcast, but there’s one issue that has filled me with so much vitriol that I couldn’t help but write about it. In my opinion there’s an absolutely massive oversight with this year’s nominees, and it stems from a game that wasn’t even mentioned a single time. Seeing this game 100% ignored is a huge disservice to the developers, the industry, the audience and the whole show in general.

In my eyes, 1000xRESIST not appearing anywhere in The Game Awards 2024 nominees list is a gross oversight on a scale that’s hard to comprehend.

Before we go further, I want to make one thing clear. I understand it’s literally impossible for people to play every single game that releases in a year. That includes you, me and everyone involved with voting for games at The Game Awards. I recognize that games slip through the cracks all the time, and that’s an unfortunate part of every entertainment industry. You simply cannot know of or come in contact with every piece of art (games, movies, music, shows, ect.) that debuts in a year…it’s an unachievable feat.

Now, with that said…

I find it truly shocking that 1000xRESIST didn’t pick up a single nomination in any of the Game Awards categories. Again, in my humble opinion, the title very much deserves to be listed in multiple categories, as there are so many areas where the game not only accels, but thrives on a ridiculous level. After giving the entire list of categories a run-through, here’s the options where I feel 1000xRESIST could/should be named:

• Game of the Year
• Best Game Direction
• Best Narrative
• Best Music and Score
• Best Performance
• Games for Impact
• Best Independent Game
• Best Debut Indie Game

That’s a lot of categories, I know…but I truthfully believe there’s not just an argument, but an extremely strong argument for 1000xRESIST to be considered. Honestly, I cannot understate just how big of a miss this is for the massive jury behind The Game Awards to not get 1000xRESIST anywhere in this rundown.

About that jury…

I went into a semi-deep dive with The Game Awards to find out how titles are nominated, and found this explanation on the organization’s official website:

​​Nominees for most categories of The Game Awards are chosen by an international jury of over 100 global media and influencer outlets, selected for their history of critical video game evaluation. Specialized juries also convene for other categories including esports, accessibility and best adaptation. Each voting outlet completes a confidential, unranked ballot based on the collective and diverse opinion of its entire editorial staff, listing out its top five choices in each category. Ballots are tabulated, and the five games that appear on the most ballots are put forth as nominees. In the event of a tie, six (or more) nominees will be announced in a category. Game Awards producer Geoff Keighley is not a member of the jury and does not vote on the nominees or winners. Similarly, The Game Awards Advisory Board has no involvement in the awards process and learns of the results at the same time as the general public.

I really don’t have any issue with how nominations are handled. It seems like a pretty good way to tackle the situation and the aim is certainly to get a wide enough collection of people/outlets to offer up nominations that both reach far and wide into gaming while also having a finger on the pulse of the industry. Looking into the outlets also shows that the various organizations chosen around the world are ones that are mostly reputable and have a name that is trusted, or at the very least, recognized as a notable contributor in the gaming space.

I guess what’s sad to me is that even with so many outlets and influencers involved, 1000xRESIST didn’t accrue enough votes to even make it onto the ballot. I’m endlessly curious as to how many times the game was brought up during the nomination process, if at all. I really cannot express how much of a disappointment it is to not see the game pop up once in this year’s nominees, especially in specific categories, as I found the game to be head-and-shoulders above other titles.

For example, not seeing 1000xRESIST nominated in “Best Narrative” is, to be blunt, an absolute disgrace. This category alone shows the failings of the jury that’s been put together, as they somehow have either missed 1000xRESIST completely, or even more unbelievably, didn’t find the game worthy of a nomination. Perhaps a few ballots were cast for 1000xRESIST and I commend those behind the votes, as there is positively no way the vast majority of jurors played the game and felt it wasn’t worth nominating. That’s not to knock the games that are nominated in the category, but to be brutally honest, there are at least a couple nominees in the category that don’t hold a candle to 1000xRESIST narratively speaking.

Perhaps more distressing is 1000xRESIST not being named in “Best Performance.” I’ve played a TON of games in my time, and I kid you not when I say that I found the actors in 1000xRESIST to be among some of the best I’ve ever heard in a game, and by quite a large margin. The voice acting here is, at worst, the same calibur you hear in games like The Last of Us and Firewatch. I’m talking top-notch stuff that is impressive on a whole different level. It kills me to not see any names from the game get recognition here.

I could keep going on about category disappointments, but the worst might be the one-two punch of “Best Independent Game” and “Best Debut Indie Game.” If 1000xRESIST had a decent chance at grabbing a nomination, these would be the categories. Truth be told, I am flabbergasted that 1000xRESIST wasn’t a lock for “Best Debut Indie Game.” I would imagine that the pool of titles would be much smaller than other categories, especially when you consider that the game has to be a debut and also has to be stellar in quality. It also irks me to no end that Manor Lords got nominated here, as that release is still in Early Access! That’s not me bashing the game or its quality at all…it’s me simply pointing out that the complete game hasn’t even been released yet.

(I could also go into the fact that two of the “Best Debut Indie Game” nominees have lower Metacritic scores than 1000xRESIST, but I know that’s just me being petty/whiny)

There’s so much more I could rant and rave about, but I know it’s pretty much yelling into the void. I think the fact of the matter is that not enough people know about 1000xRESIST. That’s a massive shame in and of itself, but the situation is only made worse by seeing that those who do know about it love it. All you have to do is take a look at the Steam reviews sitting at “Overwhelmingly Positive” for both recent reviews and all reviews (97% and 96% respectively). The ones that know about this game recognize and understand its brilliance, and it’s heartbreaking that more people simply aren’t aware.

That’s another tough pill to swallow with 1000xRESIST not being nominated. Just having the game’s name mentioned at The Game Awards would no doubt raise awareness in general. I’m not saying the game should have been named just so that more people could learn about it, but that would have been a lovely side effect of a nomination. Unfortunately that didn’t come to be, so the small group out there who have come in contact with the game are left to keep trumpeting its staggering quality as best (and loudly) as we can.

I’m not mad at Geoff Keighley, the board of jurors, the nominees, The Game Awards itself or anything else involved with the show. This is how all awards shows work, and it’ll forever be like this. Not everything can be nominated, not every title can be recognized, not every work can win…so on and so on. It’s the nature of the beast and it’s impossible to tame. You just have to go along for the ride and hope it ends well. All I can say is that with the case of 1000xRESIST and the amazing work it is, not being riled up (or downright livid) by the normal ebb and flow of things like this is particularly challenging…perhaps more so than any other moment in the game industry I’ve experienced.

If you take anything from this long-winded, whiny feature, I hope it’s that you give 1000xRESIST a shot. It’s one of the finest pieces of entertainment I’ve ever engaged with, and I only want for it to find a bigger audience. Honestly, I believe it more deserving than just about anything else I’ve ever come across.

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