Minecraft Wins GameCity's Video Game Award

The prize was announced at the end of the GameCity videogame culture festival in Nottingham. The title is the work of an independent Swedish company, Mojang. Players have the ability to build objects out of blocks in a completely open environment.

The game was competing against some of the biggest names in the business, like Microsoft and Electronic Arts. "It's a great honor to be compared to those games," said Markus Persson,founder of Mojang. "Winning this award helps us to try to make Minecraft the best game it can be." Almost four million people have already purchased the game online, despite the fact that it’s still in its beta phase. The game’s official release will be next month.

"It just wasn't like anything else... it felt like it had an expanding life of its own. It had an organic nature," said Ed Hall, one of the judges. GameCity's director, Iain Simons, said that he was “delighted” by the judges’ decision.

Diverse Gaming

This was GameCity’s sixth annual festival. Over that span of time Simons says that he’s seen a rise in the average age of gamers, as well as more female gamers. "There is a much broader constituency of people playing games," he said.Simons also calls gamers “more normalized” and “culturally confident” about their gaming habits.

The Video Game Revolution

Part of the rising video game phenomenon is linked to the rise of smart-phone usage. Today’s smart-phones have helped increase the popularity of complex games that used to be restricted to consoles. More powerful computer processors and graphics chips have certainly played a role in making video games available to a wider audience. But, Simons doesn’t give the smart-phone as much credit for making games more people-oriented.

"I think that technology is a real red herring. What technology is driving forward is the ability for games to look more real. To look like what a triple-A blockbuster would look like," Simons commented. It appears as if the contest’s judges agree with Simons, admitting that they picked the most basic looking title. The 13-person judging panel was composed of a diverse group of individuals; among them were Dr. Who actress Frances Barber, Labor MP Tom Watson and the artistic director of London’s Southbank center, Jude Kelly.

Not everyone was convinced that Minecraft would turn out successful. The composer, Nitin Sawhney, who was also a judge on the panel, was very critical of the game’s soundtrack. In the end, neither the game’s look nor its music brought it down. Minecraft does have some elements of traditional games, like monsters that come out at night and the ability to compete in multiplayer battles online.

But it was ultimately chosen because of the game’s overall tone and its ability to encourage creativity in gaming. "It's the broadest definition of art that you can have," said Hall. "But computer games are definitely artistic. There are images and storylines that engage you, ideas that confuse your mind for hours and a whole package that keeps you coming back for days."

BBC