Astro Bot wins The Game Awards 2024 Game of the Year with Nintendo tribute

3D platformer Astro Bot has gained the distinguished Game of the Year award at The Game Awards 2024, however it wasn’t Sony that acquired thanked within the acceptance speech.

It is likely to be known as The Game Awards, however it’s the multitude of latest recreation bulletins and trailers that accompany the ceremony which most individuals are primarily fascinated with, which this yr included every thing from The Witcher 4 and an Elden Ring spin-off to the brand new recreation from The Last Of Us maker Naughty Dog.

The massive exception is the hotly contested Game of the Year award, which is all the time the final to be handed out and which this yr we considered a really open area, with no clear favorite.

That started to look much less true because the evening went on although, as PlayStation 5 unique Astro Bot picked up a number of smaller awards alongside the way in which, earlier than lastly taking house the Game of the Year trophy as effectively.

The different nominees for the Game of the Year award have been Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, and DLC Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

Most of those gained different awards themselves, akin to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth for Best Score and Music, Black Myth: Wukong for Best Action Game, Metaphor: ReFantazio for Best Art Direction and Best RPG, and Balatro for Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and Best Mobile Game.

It was Astro Bot that gained essentially the most awards of the evening although, selecting up 4 for Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Action/Adventure Game, and Best Family Game. Since the latter trio have been all introduced first, it made its eventual win of the grand prize appear inevitable.

What was sudden although, was the acceptance speech by director Nicolas Doucet (regardless of his heavy French accent Team Asobi is a Japanese studio based mostly in Tokyo – Sony’s solely remaining inside studio in Japan).

in what he claimed to be an unplanned tribute, he identified that ‘Even earlier than PlayStation there have been folks making platformers. I bear in mind I used to be a child in 1989 – Christmas – and I acquired a gray field [a NES] and there was a recreation packed in, it was known as Super Mario Bros. and it was actually, actually nice.

‘So we’re Japan, we’re in Tokyo, they’re in Kyoto [the location of Nintendo’s HQ] however I need to pay tribute to the corporate who actually put platformers… and confirmed us innovation and high quality constantly, and impressed us to truly make the sport that we made.

‘So that’s additionally – and I’ve managed to not point out them, have you ever seen? – however you all know who they’re. And many different firms have impressed us through the years, in order that’s very, essential. And we need to pay tribute to them tonight.’

He seemed moderately nervous saying all that, regardless of the loud applause from the group, however it’s unlikely Sony are going to be upset, given how a lot silverware he’s introduced house for them.

It’s unclear what Team Asobi’s subsequent undertaking can be, however it appears truthful to imagine that each they and Astro Bot will return as quickly as is possible.

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