AFP, LOS ANGELES
Astro Bot — a family-friendly sci-fi adventure video game — on Thursday was named Game of the Year at the Game Awards in Los Angeles.
The platform game featuring the adventures of a small space robot was also awarded Best Family Game, Best Game Direction and Best Action/Adventure Game.
It has sold more than 1.5 million copies according to Sony, which owns the 65-person Japanese studio Team Asobi responsible for the mega-hit.
Team Asobi studio director Nicolas Doucet reacts after Astro Bot was named Game of the Year during the Game Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Onstage at the Peacock Theater, Team Asobi studio director Nicolas Doucet praised the studio for designing a game that “put the user first.”
“It was just about the kids,” Doucet said. “Especially because we had this huge, huge privilege to be potentially the first game to be in the hands of children.”
As video games have exploded into the mainstream, The Game Awards have emerged as the industry’s most prestigious prize for developers.
Last year’s ceremony garnered 118 million global livestreams, organizers said.
By comparison the movie industry’s Academy Awards last year pulled in fewer than 19 million viewers, US media reported.
Medieval fantasy saga Metaphor: ReFantazio was another major winner on Thursday, taking the titles of Best Role-playing Game and Best Narrative.
The game was also produced by a Japanese studio — Atlus — and published by gaming giant Sega.
Poker game Balatro won Best Mobile Game and Best Independent Game.
For their 11th edition, the Game Awards invited celebrities including actor Harrison Ford and rapper Snoop Dogg, who performed a song from his new album Missionary.
Ceremony host Geoff Keighley acknowledged the “sad reality” of widespread layoffs plaguing the industry.
“Over the last three years we’ve lost more than 34,000 jobs,” Keighley said. “This has consequences. You can’t make great games without great people.”
