Can you judge an industry by its awards shows?

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This week in Protocol Gaming, your weekly guide to the business of video games: The Game Awards airs, World of Warcraft crushes a record and the PS5 is like the Wii.
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For decades, it's seemed like the video game industry has suffered a strong case of Hollywood envy.
It's understandable. Film and television don't actually dominate global culture anymore, but you might think they did if all you judged by was highbrow arts and entertainment media. Even as games have grown to dwarf the film business, in particular, much of the mainstream "cultural conversation" is still stuck in the 1990s. Everyone at some level wants respect, and the game industry has long been, well, disrespected.
This year, however, has proven that any entertainment industry envy should be flowing the other direction. Hollywood was adrift even before the pandemic, while the game business is emerging as a paragon of the new world of global online entertainment.
You will see that clearly this week. First, if you can judge an industry by its award shows, check out The Game Awards on Thursday.
Some of the biggest companies in gaming will use the show to announce, reveal and demonstrate some of their most important products for 2021, making the actual awards themselves almost an afterthought.
"My high goal is to make The Game Awards the biggest award show in the world," Keighley said as part of broader conversations I had with him last week. "[O]ur opportunity is to demonstrate and showcase gaming in a way that not only has meaning for core gamers but also represents the best of gaming as a global community."
It does seem like a nifty coincidence that The Game Awards will happen the same day that the most highly anticipated video game in many years is finally released.
I've been a huge fan of CDPR since reviewing The Witcher 2 in 2011. I haven't played the new game yet but am certainly looking forward to finding out just how edgy it really is. In any case, I am certain that Cyberpunk will generate more thinkpieces than any movie has this year.
Then maybe the industry can shed that envy problem.
— Seth Schiesel
The lockdowns this year have transformed our homes into offices, schools, concert halls, movie theaters and gyms. Our homes are working harder for us, but so is our technology. The device that is working the hardest is perhaps the TV—becoming our lifeline to a far more virtual world.
What was your first gaming system?
Super Nintendo, graciously given as a present from a visiting aunt. From the moment I loaded up Super Mario World and Final Fantasy, I was hooked.
What is the most important trend in the game business in 2020?
Looking back, 2020 will be the year of COVID-19, and how it forced game studios and publishers to rethink how we make games or run esports: from remote development to online events, digital stadiums and, in the case of the League of Legends World Championship, a carefully managed "bubble." Necessity is the mother of invention, and I believe many of these creative solutions will carry forward and perpetually shape the game/esports business long after we get past this particular pandemic.
What has been the most overlooked aspect or development in the game business over the last year?
The strongest esports have thrived in a year when most traditional sports took a large step back in revenue and viewership. As a result, I've seen a large cohort of talented executives and professionals get into esports this year — many coming from traditional sports — willing to bet on its future.
What new technology or technical development are you most looking forward to?
I can't wait to see what gets unlocked by Unreal Engine 5. Not just future lifelike gaming experiences, but how we can bring those to life beyond the game, in streaming, community content and esports.
What games are you playing recently that don't come from your company?
The list is far too long, but between launching new esports and helping raise my two young kids, I'm juggling the new World of Warcraft expansion, Demon's Souls remake and Hades.
It's like the Wii release all over again: PS5 shortages have entered the public consciousness, and now SNL has made a sketch about it. (It's very good.) The big question: Are the folks at Microsoft pleased or disappointed that they didn't get a mention?
— Shakeel Hashim
The lockdowns this year have transformed our homes into offices, schools, concert halls, movie theaters and gyms. Our homes are working harder for us, but so is our technology. The device that is working the hardest is perhaps the TV—becoming our lifeline to a far more virtual world.
Thanks for reading. Tell your friends and colleagues to subscribe here, and send tips, feedback and ideas to sschiesel@protocol.com and shakeel@protocol.com. See you next week.
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