When people discuss/try and predict Game of the Year contenders, which venue are they actually talking about as the giver of this award? Between IGN and Gamespot (and the other big websites), Spike and G4, and the various Award ceremonies around the world, no one could be called the real GOTY. That said, I've always heard that the Game Developers Conference (GDC) winner of Game of the year is really the most respected among people within the industry, but it could be argued from that the awards from the bigger media outlets are more important because they reach and affect consumer opinion more. Which one do you guys consider the most important, or even, which one do you just like the most?
On a side note, I think the real contenders for GOTY at the GDC this year are Mass Effect, Galaxy, and Bioshock. I think Call of Duty 4 could be nominated on the strength of its technical acheivment alone (running at 60fps with graphics that really are that pretty), but it won't really stand a chance to win, if only because it isnt fresh enough. It seems Assasin's Creed has the opposite problem: the game is original enough, but apparently its playability isn't too strong and/or is repetitive, so I dont think it will be nominated.
Really I'm more interested in the question of venue for Game of the Year though. Thoughts?
