RPGVault 2002 Awards

[Mistress]

Tags: Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

<a href="http://rpgvault.ign.com">RPGVault</a> have now posted their <a href="http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/382/382567p1.html">awards</a> for 2002.
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<b>Game of The Year</b> goes to <a href="http://www.morrowind.com">Morrowind</a>, as does <b>RPG of The Year</b>.
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<a href="http://nwn.bioware.com">Neverwinter Nights</a> bags <b>Product of The Year</b> and an honorable mention in the RPG of The Year category.
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<a href="http://www.divinedivinity.com/">Divine Divinity</a> is the <b>Surprise of The Year</b>, and also gets an honorable mention in the RPG of The Year category.
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Spotted over at <a href="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPGDot</a>

 

[Flarnet]

"Product of the year"? What kind of constipated category is that? Is RPGVault an industry site for publishers?

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

"Product of the year"? What kind of constipated category is that? Is RPGVault an industry site for publishers?

If you'll notice, "Product of the Year" was added this year, probably to give two "RPG of the Year" awards.

 

[Mistress]

"Product of the year"? What kind of constipated category is that? Is RPGVault an industry site for publishers?

If you'll notice, "Product of the Year" was added this year, probably to give two "RPG of the Year" awards.

Yep. Can't leave out NWN.

 

[Sabotai]

I'm pretty new around here so could someone please explain to me the difference between Game of the Year award and RPG of the Year award, since RPGVault only seems to be awarding CRPGs?

Fortuntately someone else was also puzzled by the product of the year category, so I won't mention that category.

Seems to me that there is an overabundance of Online Awards. I hadn't noticed this trend before, but the big awards list of NWN Bioware always struck me as odd.

Would it be fair to say that:
-There are a lot of computergames magazines (regular and electronic)

-Each one has its own annual awards

-Each year the number of categories is increasing exponentionally

I mean, looking at RPGVault Awards, why is there a Spokesperson of the Year Award? Not to mention the Outstanding acheivement in Writing Award, the Unsung hero of the Year Award or the Product of the Year Award (by some referred to a the Constipated catergory Award). Even if a game doesn't get an award, some categories have 4 or 5 honorable citations!

-Given the fact that not many CRPG are released each year, it will be pretty hard NOT to get an award or a honorable citation. IMO these awards do not have any intrinsic value anymore.

Is this trend a result of these magazines battling for the favour of the reader? Or is it a "I scratch your back, you scratch my back"-relationship between the game developers and the reviewers (if you give me nice reviews and awards I give you free software, interviews and preview information/screenshots)?

Just some thoughts.

 

[Spazmo]

I would think of the "Honorable Mentions" as runners-up more than anything else.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

That's basically where most of those "GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION" things come from. With all the sites out there giving awards, it's nearly impossible NOT to win something. Back in 2001, Fallout Tactics won an "RPG of the Year" from one site, and John De Marghetti of Micro Forte likes to mention that when he talks about how good Fallout Tactics was.

 

[Spazmo]

About that "best product" thing, perhaps they mean that NWN is more of an app than a game? If so, that would be one of the most apt descriptions of the game I've seen in some time.