Starfield fans ignite console wars after Game Awards 'snub'
As 2023 winds to a close, the end is nigh for what's been a behemoth of a year in video games. We've had announcements galore and one of the most closely fought races for Game of the Year. That all comes to a head during December 8's The Game Awards, which is the last hurrah for 2023.
There are multiple GOTY awards to be handed out, but much like earning an Oscar, The Game Awards is primarily held as the pinnacle of gaming prowess. With that in mind, it's safe to say there are some angry Starfield fans - left screaming into the cosmos that the game hasn't made the shortlist in 2023.
Starfield misses out on Game of the Year nomination
Click to enlargeThe Game Awards had a slew of big names for Game of The Year, including horror titles like Alan Wake II and the Resident Evil 4 remake, as well as Nintendo exclusives Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Wonder. There's the PlayStation-exclusive Spider-Man 2, but notably, no Starfield.
At the start of the year, many thought the race for Game of the Year would be between Spider-Man 2 and Starfield, with Hogwarts Legacy also being a frontrunner. This wasn't the case, with the controversial wizard game and Bethesda's long-awaited new IP being blasted into the cold abyss of space.
Notably, Starfield only got a single nomination, getting the nod for Best RPG. Looking at the bigger picture, Nintendo leads with 15 nominations, Sony Interactive Entertainment bagged 13, Microsoft earned 10, and Epic Games had nine. Instead of putting Nintendo in its crosshairs, Xbox owners are baying for the blue blood of PlayStation.
Xbox players are furious about The Game Awards
Preempting the hate sure to be thrown his way, The Game Awards boss Geoff Keigley reiterated on Twitter, "As a reminder the games nominated at #TheGameAwards are selected by a global jury of over 120 media outlets." Still, that hasn't stopped angry Xbox fans calling for his head.
As you can imagine, Twitter is a dumpster fire right now. Alongside some PlayStation players saying, "F**k Starfield," Xbox owners are claiming Spider-Man 2 doesn't deserve a GOTY nomination over Starfield. Things are getting ugly, and worryingly, it's only opened up the console war rift further.
Some are vowing to boycott The Game Awards, while one angry gamer added, "Starfield is game of the year, f**k game awards." Another raged, "Good thing my expectations were low for the nominees. Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards fail once again…"
While there's some interesting discourse surrounding RE4 getting nominated because it's a remake, Starfield fans will sadly have to accept that it just isn't Bethesda's year at The Game Awards. We all likely have our opinions on the outcome, but come on everyone, let's play nice.
