For the 19th edition of the event, Fallout 4 and The Witcher 3 ruled the DICE Awards by each winning three separate categories on their own. Not to mention that Bethesda’s title snatched the Game of the Year distinction.
The DICE Awards, which stands for Design, Innovate, Communicate, and Entertain is organized and voted on by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences along with the International Game Developers Association. They decide on the nominees and who gets awards for their outstanding achievements in games, across several platforms.
This year’s edition was DICE’s 19th event, held in Los Angeles, Nevada, with major gaming industry titans in attendance. First and foremost, the awards saw fit to celebrating the achievements of late Satoru Iwata, Nintendo’s former CEO who has unfortunately passed away last year. Iwata represented the true soul of family gaming, inspiring many, and has been awarded the ceremony’s lifetime achievement post-mortem. And there’s no one who deserved it better.
Furthermore, popular game designer Hideo Kojima was inducted into the academy’s Hall of Fame for his outstanding achievements for several titles, including Metal Gear Solid. Kojima, who has been in the news last year for his dramatic parting from Konami, said he hopes he can continue “making games and keep dreaming of new dreams”. While it’s not yet known if his independent studios will come out with a hit game, it’s in the hopes of his fans that he will pull out another spectacular title, away from his former employer.
But, the main event, the game awards aim to reward gaming titles that have achieved outstanding performances with their gameplay, story, and entertainment value. For 2016’s edition, the two most dominating titles were Fallout 4 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. However, Bethesda’s latest game snatched the most sought-after distinction of being named Game of the Year.
To achieve it, Fallout 4 beat out opponents like Bloodborne, Ori and the Blind Forest, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and, of course, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Bethesda’s title has surged in popularity even before its release in the last quarter of last year. The studios shipped around 12 million units only on its first day. The game has been highly praised by both critics and the gaming community, offering high entertainment value and hundreds of hours that can be invested into exploring the post-apocalyptic world.
Not to mention the dog sidekick, which is always a nice touch.
In addition to the highly-esteemed position of Game of the Year, Fallout 4 also won Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction and Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year. Admittedly, some question them, believing that Game Direction should’ve been won by Life is Strange and the RPG/MMO by Pillars of Eternity. Regardless, Bethesda now has them on their shelf. They also snagged the Mobile Game of the Year for the spin-off Fallout Shelter, so it seems like the studios came out on top out of Los Angeles.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, on the other hand, won Outstanding Achievement in Game Design, Outstanding Achievement in Story, and Outstanding Technical Achievement. Its excellent gameplay, stunning visuals, and beautifully-crafted story with complex plots won the epic fantasy title quite a few distinctions. Given the incredible feedback from the gaming community, there little doubt that Projekt RED’s game didn’t deserve them.
However, the same can’t be said for all awarded titles. For example, Star Wars: Battlefront was awarded with Action Game of the Year, beating out Destiny: The Taken King, Just Cause 3, Splatoon, and HELLDRIVERS. This is in spite of the fact that EA’s highly anticipated title fell short of everyone’s expectations due to a drastic lack of content.
Then again, not all awards will have the same outcome. The movie industry has proven that for a very long time.
- Game of the Year: Fallout 4
- Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction: Fallout 4
- Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year: Fallout 4
- Outstanding Achievement in Game Design: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Outstanding Achievement in Story: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Outstanding Technical Achievement: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Action Game of the Year: Star Wars Battlefront
- Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design: Star Wars Battlefront
- Adventure Game of the Year: Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
- Fighting Game of the Year: Mortal Kombat X
- DICE Sprite Award: Rocket League
- Sports Game of the Year: Rocket League
- Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year: Heroes of the Storm
- Outstanding Achievement in Animation: Ori and the Blind Forest
- Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction: Ori and the Blind Forest
- Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition: Ori and the Blind Forest
- Outstanding Achievement in Character: Rise of the Tomb Raider
For the full list of nominees, you can read more here at Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.
Image source: vox-cdn.com
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