New GOTY Category Suggestions

During the GOTY podcasts it sounded like the guys were having trouble coming up with some categories to fill up day 5. I'm curious what you all think would be great categories for the gang to discuss.

Personally I would like to see a "Developer of the Year" or "Best post-launch support" type of category. Similar to last year's Best Early Access Experience. Some developers go above and beyond when it comes to post-launch support. Even if a game launches in a great state some developers continue to improve upon their game through patches and community managament. Some examples for this year could be Psyonix Studios, CD Projekt RED, or Bungie.

How did you get the impression they were having trouble coming up with categories? They have several that they like to do every year and then maybe they throw in a new one here or there specific to the year's trends (Least Necessary HD Remaster, Animal of the Year, and Incremental/Idle Experience of the Year were the new ones this year I believe). Sounds like they considered doing a best Bloodborne weapon category but said screw it.

I'd like to see a Best New Mechanic or something along those lines. Basically I wanted them to talk some more about how awesome fultoning was.

@citizencoffeecake: At the very end of the Day 4 podcast Brad says something to the tune of "Tomorrow is the final day. We better think of a 4th category".

Ok I see. Weird since they did have 4 categories on the 5th day so I wonder what it was they added last minute or if Brad was just being forgetful. I could have done without the Clicker/Idle Experience category but I don't know what I would put in it's place, probably the best early access experience like you suggested.

Edit: Actually, I want a Ryan Davis Award, games that either embody the spirit and attitudes of Ryan or games that he would have really been into (although that's really impossible to know). I can totally understand why they dudes would never want to do this category and it could get weird, I just think it would be cool.

Wait. Did they even talk about that stuff during GOTY at all!?

Riiiiiiiiiiiiight near the end of Day 5. Someone said, Drew I think, something along the lines of "hold up, we should go back to Best Moment and put fultoning on there"

1. Most Improved - for the game that most improves an existing franchise (counterpart for Best Debut), or the game that's most improved since launch (fixes, balance, updates, dlc).
2. Toys-to-Life Toy of the Year - aka "Amiibo of the Year".
3. Stupidest Product Placement of the Year
4. Alt+F1 Formula One Driver of the Year

Worst Microtransaction Implementation

Mario Maker level of the year.

VR game (or experience) of the year.

Best Horror Game presented by Patrick Klepek

Most Necessary HD Remaster

Most Indie Game

Most Rewarding Game

Best Long-Time Game

Most Offensive Game

Best Game We Didn't Finish

We Were Wrong Award (game they did a complete 180 on and now like or hate)

Best Podcast Game

Hall of Fame Award (10+ year old games)

Best Fighting Game (2016 will have many nominees)

Game That Stopped Us Making More Ranking of Fighters Episodes

Worst Rooster Teeth Video

Most Annoying Fanbase

Least Racist Multiplayer Experience

Most Existential Game

Game That Should Be A Movie

Most Futuristic Game

Game That Captures The Giant Bomb Ethos

Most Attractive Character

Most Inspiring Game

Brokest-Ass Game could be its own category if this trend continues.

@corporalgregg said:

Cool kids were doing this in Peace Walker.

Surprised they didn't bring back Best Console Exclusive game, though it probably would've just gone to Splatoon anyway

I was thinking something along these lines, but expanded out to more of a Best Innovation, so that it could also be for systems, narrative, or hardware innovations, although that might end up being too vague.

I want most nausea inducing VR game.

Sure but that's not a new mechanic.

I miss Most Likely To Be Frog Fractions 2. :(

I'd like to see a complimentary category to 'Best New Character' called 'Best New World' or something similar to it. Basically, while the Best New Character award zeroes in on a single, memorable character, there isn't currently a decent alternative for games with strong overall casts and/or locations (ex: various Undertale characters and interactions with them were mentioned in a good number of the award nominations, but none of them actually won in large part because they were looked at individually rather than as a collective whole).

This award would be for games where there is not necessarily a single stand-out character/event/location, but the world and inhabitants as a whole are so engaging that you actively want to interact with and learn more about them from beginning to end. I don't think 'Most Immersive World' would quite work because immersion generally implies believability and I think it is entirely possible to become heavily invested in a world which isn't present as a particularly realistic one. There is a risk of this award overlapping with the existing Most Style award, but I think an engaging world isn't necessarily 'stylish' and a stylish game doesn't necessarily have a focus on presenting a world and characters so I think it would be fine even if the same game ends up taking both awards once in a while.