Last night the New York Video Game Critics Circle hosted the 12th annual New York Video Game Awards. The event recognizes not only the best games but also those who make noteworthy contributions to the industry in some way or another.
Various awards were given in a slew of categories. Among those honored were:
- God of War Ragnarok for “Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Video Game.”
- Metal: Hellsinger for “Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game.”
- Vampire Survivors for “Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game.”
And those are just a few mentions. Elden Ring was the only game to win multiple awards, those being the “Statue of Liberty Award for Best World” and the ultimate prize of the evening: the “Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year.” This likely came to the surprise of no one.
Also acknowledged was Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, who was this year’s recipient of the Andrew Yoon Legend Award. In his acceptance speech Spencer said,
Today, there are so many games, more than ever before, available to more players than ever before. But also, it can feel like there is more despair in the world, a steady stream of bad news. With the ongoing leapfrogging from crisis to crisis, it feels to me that that joy I experienced as a child has become much more elusive for us, for all to find, more of a guilty pleasure. It feels like today, seeking joy is an act of defiance. Yet today, as creators, as leaders, as world-builders, our greatest responsibility is to inspire and invite joy. Each one of the hundreds of titles that players have at their fingertips today and tomorrow is a calling card for joy.
Previous recipients of the Andrew Yoon Legend Award include the likes of Tim Shafer and Hideo Kojima.
