Watch_dogs won the Game of the Year award in Canada.

[CaitSeith]

You heard me right! Watch_dogs won the 2014 game of the year award in the 5th Canadian Videogame Awards [http://o.canada.com/technology/gaming/canadian-video-game-awards-2014-live-blog]. Hosted by the Commander Shepard voice actor, Mark Meer, the past November 21th saw happen the Canadian Videogame Awards for 2013 and 2014. Besides of the aforementioned game of the year award, Ubisoft won tons of others (16 in total) with Assassins Creed IV, Far Cry 3 (and Blood Dragon), Child of Light and Watch_dogs. There is not much I can say. I'm speechless... (except that the dubstep music gave me headaches).

You can watch the event recording in Twitch. [http://www.twitch.tv/epn/b/591355238]

 

[tippy2k2]

Does anyone take any award show that has ever existed seriously?

There are two kinds of award shows:
1. The Popular shit wins. How good or bad matters not; if it's popular, it's a winner (see People's Choice Awards, SpikeT)
2. The Snooty "We're so much better than you". If you've never heard of it, it's up for an award because lamestream media doesn't know what true pain is. See The Oscars.

Your Canadian eh award ceremony is obviously #1.

 

[PainInTheAssInternet]

I wasn't aware there was an awards show in Canada. It's probably every bit as useful and meaningful as one would expect. That is to say not at all.

 

[EternallyBored]

Does anyone take any award show that has ever existed seriously?

There are two kinds of award shows:
1. The Popular shit wins. How good or bad matters not; if it's popular, it's a winner (see People's Choice Awards, SpikeT)
2. The Snooty "We're so much better than you". If you've never heard of it, it's up for an award because lamestream media doesn't know what true pain is. See The Oscars.

Your Canadian eh award ceremony is obviously #1.

Well that, and looking at the site seems to indicate that this is an award show for Canadian made games only, which alone means that Ubisoft is pretty much the only AAA developer with any presence there, and likely made up a significant chunk of the available candidates in total.

They had to do both 2013 and 2014 just to get a large enough list to fill the time slot.

Looking at the other games made in Canada in the available time frame would indicate that the only competition that Ubisoft was facing in the AAA arena was Dead Rising 3 and Batman: Arkham Origins, two ok games with their own significant technical issues, and considering both were released in 2013, they weren't even competing with Watch Dogs anyway.

Looking at the 2014 contenders, Watch Dogs was pretty much the only AAA competitor in the ring for the year, and its only real competition seemed to be other Ubisoft games and indie titles.

 

[CaitSeith]

Does anyone take any award show that has ever existed seriously?

There are two kinds of award shows:
1. The Popular shit wins. How good or bad matters not; if it's popular, it's a winner (see People's Choice Awards, SpikeT)
2. The Snooty "We're so much better than you". If you've never heard of it, it's up for an award because lamestream media doesn't know what true pain is. See The Oscars.

Your Canadian eh award ceremony is obviously #1.

Pretty much, but having Mark Meer make fun of the games he participated was interesting. My opinion is that in the case #2, unlike the Oscars, you don't have to go to a snooty theatre to try out the winners and make your forum comment about why they suck (and usually they are cheaper than lamestream media).

 

[CaitSeith]

Does anyone take any award show that has ever existed seriously?

There are two kinds of award shows:
1. The Popular shit wins. How good or bad matters not; if it's popular, it's a winner (see People's Choice Awards, SpikeT)
2. The Snooty "We're so much better than you". If you've never heard of it, it's up for an award because lamestream media doesn't know what true pain is. See The Oscars.

Your Canadian eh award ceremony is obviously #1.

Well that, and looking at the site seems to indicate that this is an award show for Canadian made games only, which alone means that Ubisoft is pretty much the only AAA developer with any presence there, and likely made up a significant chunk of the available candidates in total.

They had to do both 2013 and 2014 just to get a large enough list to fill the time slot.

Looking at the other games made in Canada in the available time frame would indicate that the only competition that Ubisoft was facing in the AAA arena was Dead Rising 3 and Batman: Arkham Origins, two ok games with their own significant technical issues, and considering both were released in 2013, they weren't even competing with Watch Dogs anyway.

Looking at the 2014 contenders, Watch Dogs was pretty much the only AAA competitor in the ring for the year, and its only real competition seemed to be other Ubisoft games and indie titles.

Uh? I didn't know Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon was made in Canada. *no sarcasm* But it's true!

 

[tilmoph]

It's still November! Holiday release season hasn't even kicked off yet. DA:I apparently came out fairly recently (EA product, so no buying it for me), and seems to be shaping up to be rather good. So how has Soviet Canuckistan already picked out a GOTY? Does the Canadian calender just work differently from the bloated burger-muncher one?

 

[Supernova1138]

It's still November! Holiday release season hasn't even kicked off yet. DA:I apparently came out fairly recently (EA product, so no buying it for me), and seems to be shaping up to be rather good. So how has Soviet Canuckistan already picked out a GOTY? Does the Canadian calender just work differently from the bloated burger-muncher one?

My guess is there aren't any more Canadian developed games slated to come out this year, so they might as well do the awards show now.

 

[EternallyBored]

It's still November! Holiday release season hasn't even kicked off yet. DA:I apparently came out fairly recently (EA product, so no buying it for me), and seems to be shaping up to be rather good. So how has Soviet Canuckistan already picked out a GOTY? Does the Canadian calender just work differently from the bloated burger-muncher one?

My guess is there aren't any more Canadian developed games slated to come out this year, so they might as well do the awards show now.

Other award shows do this too, it's so they can broadcast in the same year as the winners but still allow entries that miss the cutoff into next year's award ceremony.

In this case, DA:I and any other November/December releases would be on the list of candidates for the 2015 awards.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Well why not? Most of the criticism was directed at the hype right?

 

[Catfood220]

Well the Canadians must have a higher threshold for boring things than I do. I have just one question. Was this awards ceremony sponsored by Ubisoft?

And if it was, South Park: The Stick of Truth and Farcry 4 are far better games, so why Watch_Dogs?

(Ok. I know that was 2 questions).

 

[Evonisia]

Well, Canada continues to prove how boring it is. In fact, this could be interesting. Everybody shit on Watch_Dogs so Canada has shown up, cape flowing in the Arctic winds to defend it.

 

[aba1]

Does anyone take any award show that has ever existed seriously?

There are two kinds of award shows:
1. The Popular shit wins. How good or bad matters not; if it's popular, it's a winner (see People's Choice Awards, SpikeT)
2. The Snooty "We're so much better than you". If you've never heard of it, it's up for an award because lamestream media doesn't know what true pain is. See The Oscars.

Your Canadian eh award ceremony is obviously #1.

Well that, and looking at the site seems to indicate that this is an award show for Canadian made games only, which alone means that Ubisoft is pretty much the only AAA developer with any presence there, and likely made up a significant chunk of the available candidates in total.

They had to do both 2013 and 2014 just to get a large enough list to fill the time slot.

Looking at the other games made in Canada in the available time frame would indicate that the only competition that Ubisoft was facing in the AAA arena was Dead Rising 3 and Batman: Arkham Origins, two ok games with their own significant technical issues, and considering both were released in 2013, they weren't even competing with Watch Dogs anyway.

Looking at the 2014 contenders, Watch Dogs was pretty much the only AAA competitor in the ring for the year, and its only real competition seemed to be other Ubisoft games and indie titles.

I could have sworn GTA was made in BC. I know they have a studio there.

 

[aba1]

Well the Canadians must have a higher threshold for boring things than I do. I have just one question. Was this awards ceremony sponsored by Ubisoft?

And if it was, South Park: The Stick of Truth and Farcry 4 are far better games, so why Watch_Dogs?

(Ok. I know that was 2 questions).

I wouldn't put it past them I know Ubisoft has like 3 different studios across Canada

 

[the_great_cessation]

Well the Canadians must have a higher threshold for boring things than I do. I have just one question. Was this awards ceremony sponsored by Ubisoft?

And if it was, South Park: The Stick of Truth and Farcry 4 are far better games, so why Watch_Dogs?

(Ok. I know that was 2 questions).

I don't believe it was but Ubisoft are one of the only AAA developers whose major studios work on games in Canada. They also have a huge presence in Canadian retailers although I don't know how much this would factor in to kind of assessment.
As for your second question, Stick of Truth was only published by Ubi Soft and was developed by Obsidian (who are American) whereas Far Cry 4 is likely too new to be considered.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Why cant they allow non canadian developed games up for the awards? I didnt think the title "canadian video game awards" wouldve been so literal. Are there laws stopping them from branching out?

 

[Something Amyss]

Does anyone take any award show that has ever existed seriously?

Considering how many of my friends get worked up over this crap, I wish nobody did.

But sadly, too many people get worked up over them.

Well that, and looking at the site seems to indicate that this is an award show for Canadian made games only, which alone means that Ubisoft is pretty much the only AAA developer with any presence there, and likely made up a significant chunk of the available candidates in total.

Knowing this also makes it a lot more understandable.

I could have sworn GTA was made in BC. I know they have a studio there.

Rockstar North is British. Rockstar does have a branch in Vancouver, though.

 

[Weaver]

We have a Canadian video game awards show? Wow!

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well as most video game awards shows these days that one was primarily a promotional piece, in this instance promotion for Canadian developers. And guess who is their big dog...

 

[Monkeynet]

Does anyone take any award show that has ever existed seriously?

There are two kinds of award shows:
1. The Popular shit wins. How good or bad matters not; if it's popular, it's a winner (see People's Choice Awards, SpikeT)
2. The Snooty "We're so much better than you". If you've never heard of it, it's up for an award because lamestream media doesn't know what true pain is. See The Oscars.

Your Canadian eh award ceremony is obviously #1.

So true!

Most of the time if I see a video game got some prestigious award I usually ignore it because to me awards ceremonies mostly just exist to generate hype, promote local developers, and/or be in one of the two categories that you just mentioned. Overall, I wish there was a game awards ceremony I could actually take totally seriously.