What just happened? The Golden Joystick Awards took place yesterday, where some of this year's best games were honored. We also saw the winners of two very interesting categories revealed: the greatest ever piece of hardware and game of all time. It should come as little surprise to learn that the former was won by the PC, and none other than Gabe Newell himself accepted the award. In the case of the latter, Dark Souls was declared the Ultimate Game of All Time.
This year's Golden Joystick Awards---the world's longest-running game awards ceremony, having started in 1983---celebrated '50 years of gaming' with two greatest-of-all-time categories. Voters for the hardware section had to pick from a list that included the best-selling home computer of all time, the Commodore 64, and the most popular console in history, the PlayStation 2. But, as predicted, it was the PC that walked away with the prize after taking 17% of the vote. And who better to accept the award than Valve boss Gabe Newell.
"Gamers and developers have benefited enormously from the relentless innovation in PC gaming hardware," Newell said. "On behalf of all of those who've made the PC the greatest gaming hardware of all time, I am honored to accept this award."
A somewhat less expected result was the Ultimate Game of All Time winner. Again, the public had to vote from a list of 20 titles that included classic (Pac-Man, Tetris) and more modern (GTA V) entries. This writer voted for Half-Life 2, seeing as The Witcher 3 wasn't an option, but it was Dark Souls that took the award with 12% of the vote, though it was good to see 1993's Doom in a very close second place with an 11% share.
Elsewhere, Resident Evil Village, one of our Best PC Games (You Should Be Playing), won game of the year, as well as Best Audio and Best Performer for Maggie Robertson's portrayal of Lady Dimitrescu. The critics' choice went to Deathloop (another of our favorites), which is also up for eight Game Award Nominations.
Full list of Golden Joystick winners:
- Best Storytelling --- Life is Strange: True Colors
- Best Multiplayer Game --- It Takes Two
- Best Audio --- Resident Evil: Village
- Best Visual Design --- Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
- Best Game Expansion --- Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island Expansion
- Mobile Game of the Year --- League of Legends: Wild Rift
- Best Gaming Hardware --- PS5
- Best Indie Game --- Death's Door
- Studio of the Year --- Capcom
- Best Performer --- Maggie Robertson (Lady Dimitrescu)
- Breakthrough Award --- Housemarque
- Best Game Community --- Final Fantasy 14
- Still Playing Award --- Final Fantasy 14
- PC Game of the Year --- Hitman 3
- Nintendo Game of the Year --- Metroid Dread
- Xbox Game of the Year --- Psychonauts 2
- PlayStation Game of the Year --- Resident Evil Village
- Most Wanted Game --- Elden Ring
- Critics Choice Award --- Deathloop
- Ultimate Game of the Year --- Resident Evil Village
- Ultimate Hardware of All Time --- PC
- Ultimate Game of All Time --- Dark Souls