The Game Awards 2024 nominations are here, and as with every year, they’ve sparked some heated debates within the gaming community. While some nominations have raised eyebrows (like certain DLCs being considered for “Game” of the Year), one particular category has left many long-time gamers scratching their heads.
The Best Community Support category has always been about recognizing games and developers that go above and beyond in their interaction with players. It’s about consistent communication, regular updates, and a genuine connection with the community. This year’s nominations, however, seem to have overlooked some of the industry’s most dedicated community supporters.
When Past Success Overshadows Present Merit
Baldur’s Gate 3 is undeniably a masterpiece, as evident by its impressive haul of six awards (including GOTY) at last year’s show. Larian Studios has done an admirable job maintaining communication with its player base, regularly addressing concerns, and implementing community feedback.
However, the question here is: should a game that dominated last year’s awards be competing in categories that traditionally celebrate ongoing, long-term community engagement? Especially when we consider games like Warframe, which has maintained an exceptional level of community interaction for over a decade.
Digital Extremes, Warframe‘s developer, has set industry standards for community engagement with their weekly dev streams, regular updates, and transparent communication about the game’s development. Their absence from the nominations list is particularly noticeable given their 11-year track record of consistent community support.
It’s worth noting that while Larian’s communication style is commendable, it follows a more traditional pattern of patch notes and occasional developer updates. Compare this to Warframe‘s “Devstreams,” where the team regularly plays their own game live, discusses upcoming features with players in real time, and even showcases community-made content. The difference in engagement levels is stark.
The Bigger Picture of Community Support
The situation raises important questions about how we measure and recognize community support in the gaming industry. Is it purely about the volume of updates and patches? The frequency of communication? Or should we be looking at the long-term commitment to building and maintaining a healthy relationship with players?
Some might argue that Baldur’s Gate 3‘s nomination is a recognition of quality over quantity. After all, the game has managed to build an incredibly engaged community in a relatively short time. But when we consider studios that have spent years, even decades, nurturing their communities, the nomination begins to feel more like a popularity contest than a true assessment of community support.
Of course, this isn’t the first eyebrow-raising nomination at The Game Awards 2024. Just like Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree‘s unexpected Game of the Year nomination, Baldur’s Gate 3‘s inclusion in this category seems to prioritize mainstream popularity over specialized excellence.
The gaming industry has evolved significantly over the past decade, and perhaps it’s time for The Game Awards to reconsider how they evaluate categories like Best Community Support. Should there be separate recognition for new games versus long-running titles? Should there be clearer criteria for what constitutes exceptional community support?
What do you think about this year’s nominations? Should long-running games with established community support programs be given more consideration? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
