The Game Awards 2018 Nominations: 4 Ups & 6 Downs
3. The Emphasis On eSports
Of the show's 30 competitive categories, an entire seven are devoted solely to eSports, which seems a tad excessive, if not outright suspicious.
Obviously there's a ton of money in eSports and the scene's never been more lucrative, but even so, does The Game Awards really need "Best eSports Coach" and "Best eSports Host" awards?
It feels like blatant pandering to a section of the industry which can obviously bring a lot of advertising revenue to the show, and to that end it works against Keighley's attempts to make The Game Awards a "serious" awards event akin to the Oscars or the Emmys.
It's precisely for this reason that, despite Keighley's obvious efforts, the show still feels more like an advertising opportunity than a genuine showcase for the best games of the year.