I Love Death Stranding, But The Game Awards Was Far Too Biased Towards It

I love Death Stranding as much as the next guy, but let’s be real – the game had a massively unfair advantage during this year’s Game Awards. Every year, the Game Awards celebrates the best of the best of the year in terms of video games and this year was no different. Well, it was a little different because there was one title that dominated even in areas it shouldn’t have despite its late release: Death Stranding. 

It’s no secret that Geoff Keighley and Hideo Kojima are BFF roses and after all the crap Kojima had to go through during his time at Konami, the dude deserves all the good things in the world. That being said, the open-world game was in almost in every category – including Game of the Year – and while it was an incredible creative venture, the amount of fanfare was way too much and showed a very clear bias. 

Just imagine this level of bias at something like The Oscars. It wouldn’t happen, there would be an outcry in mainstream Hollywood. The opening ceremony, the pre-show, and the entire showcase itself seemed to be just one big homage to Kojima Productions’ breakout title and with so many studios and amazing talent this year, it just put a shadow over the rest of the community in a way that really left a bitter taste in my mouth. Keep in mind, I love Keighley and Kojima, I respect the two so much, but this is an award ceremony across all of gaming – not just which projects our best friends were a part of. 

 So what exactly is my issue to the point where it looks like someone pissed in my cheerios? Well, nothing technically. I don’t think the voting was biased nor do I think anything was rigged, it just was a little disappointing to see considering how division Death Stranding was to have it almost be the “official sponsor” of the show with how big of a presence it had. 

Death Stranding was definitely unique and had a creative spin that I think will absolutely turn the industry on its head, and I am glad to see it get love during the showcase, but next year? Let’s be a little more open when it comes to coverage and appreciation because it’s been one helluva year and so many of these studios and developers deserve their time to shine.