Honoring the Best Publisher, Developer, and Game of 2017
The time has come. After weeks of deliberation, voting, and award coverage, we have arrived at the fourth and final wave of our Best of 2017 feature: Game of the Year!
Our Game of the Year Awards represent the best of the best; there is no higher bar of quality than this. 2017 has been a year filled to the brim with the biggest of releases and the smallest of breakout hits. It is no small feat to top the list. And yet, crowns must be given.
From the developers who dream big and follow their passions, to the publishers who create opportunities and take risks, to the best games of today and brightest of tomorrow, the following awards honor the constant desire to further our industry and push gaming forward.
You know the drill; if you need to catch up on the rest of our Best of 2017 series, you can do so by checking out our nominees, Industry Awards, Storytelling and Presentation Awards, and Platform Awards.
Still here? Let’s get to it!
Publisher of the Year (Winner) – Nintendo
In a nice surprise, Nintendo pretty much only had Ws in 2017.
The Big N somehow followed the disastrous launch and lifespan of the Wii U with one of the most successful console launches in history, and it managed to do so with a March rollout. Unlike previous console releases, Nintendo made the excellent choice of shipping at least one major title for the system every month, starting with the brilliant Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on day one. Following that, Nintendo gave Switch owners Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Arms, Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey, and the massive (and controversial) Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Most console makers could only dream of having a launch year as strong and varied as that.
Meanwhile, Nintendo also continued to support the 3DS, reviving the Metroid series with Samus Returns, a remake of the Game Boy title Metroid II: Return of Samus, and reimaging one of the older Fire Emblem games into Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Pokemon Ultra Sun/Moon gave Pokemon fanatics a little extra juice to tide them over until the inevitable Switch Pokemon exclusive, and owners of the handheld also got the chance to play Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions, Ever Oasis, Layton’s Mystery Journey, Mario Sports Superstars, and Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World.
The Big N also continued its attempts to conquer your iPhones, with successful launches of Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. Those games may be diluted versions of their best selves, but they expanded Nintendo’s mobile offerings in encouraging ways.
Given the sheer volume of great games that Nintendo published this year, it would seem to be a no-brainer that it would pick up the Publisher of the Year award. Still, if you need further convincing, consider this: pretty much everyone had at least one Nintendo-published game on their “Best of 2017” list. How many lists did Bethesda appear on? Microsoft Studios? Activision? Atlus? Ubisoft? Capcom? All those major studios maybe released two or three games all year worth talking about. Nintendo, on the other hand, maintained relevance all throughout 2017 and seemed to have a major release every single month. Like I said before, all Ws.
–Sam Martinelli
Developer of the Year (Winner) – Nintendo EPD
As Sam already mentioned, Nintendo brought the games in amazing number in 2017; the publisher did a phenomenal job garnering third-party support and providing an impressive lineup of titles throughout the year across all of its major platforms. What’s equally impressive, though, is the quantity and quality of first-party titles created in-house by Nintendo’s own developers.
Despite the size of the company, the majority of Nintendo’s developers work under the umbrella of its Entertainment Planning & Development (EPD) division. Created during an internal merger in September 2015 between Nintendo’s Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD) and Software Planning & Development (SPD) divisions, Nintendo EPD had been slow to get going in 2016. Star Fox Zero was a critical flop, while the team’s first forays into mobile, Miitomo and Super Mario Run, struggled to find footing with a consistent, paying user base.
2017, however, has been a completely different story. From The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in March to Super Mario Odyssey in October, Nintendo EPD has had a hand in each major first-party release on Switch this past year.
Breath of the Wild, first announced in 2014 for release in 2015, was delayed to both 2016 and 2017. For a while, it was even believed that the game would miss the launch of the Nintendo Switch in March, a huge blow to a launch lineup that sorely needed a heavy hitter to drive sales. And yet, with all hands on deck, Nintendo EPD successfully managed to meet its now-or-never deadline. After the powerful confirmation of a 03.03.2017 date at the end of its Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 Trailer in January, Breath of the Wild launched to rave reviews.
Although Zelda set the precedent for the rest of the year, Nintendo EPD didn’t rest on its laurels. The studio reinvigorated the Mario Kart fanbase with a fantastic port of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, launched a promising new IP in Arms, and doubled down on content with the release of Splatoon 2. They also had a hand in the creation of the out-of-nowhere remake of Metroid: Samus Returns, ensuring that both the 3DS and Metroid were, contrary to popular belief, very much alive and well.
While this lineup would have already been worthy of merit, Nintendo EPD clenched its victory with the release of the wildly anticipated Super Mario Odyssey. As has become the status quo with Nintendo AAA titles, Super Mario Odyssey wasn’t just well received: it was universally acclaimed.
Nintendo might be a hardware maker, but its consoles would be meaningless without great software. As the late Satoru Iwata famously said during his 2005 GDC keynote, “On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer.” Nintendo EPD showed in 2017 that they share this mindset too.
–David Silbert
Most Anticipated Game of 2018 (Winner) – Red Dead Redemption 2
2018 looks to be another jam-packed year of high profile releases for the video game industry, but there is one game that undisputedly holds the most hype. When Rockstar announced the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 back in October 2016, fans everywhere rejoiced. Over 6 years had passed since the original Red Dead Redemption was released to overwhelming acclaim, and with Rockstar putting in considerable work on Grand Theft Auto V, there was a feeling that there may never be a sequel to RDR. But since the announcement the anticipation has ballooned, even though the release date has been pushed back twice now, from its original Q3/Q4 2017 date to now October 26, 2018.
Nonetheless, there is palpable buzz surrounding the release. Considering RDR was one of the highest selling games of the seventh-generation of consoles, it’s a safe bet to make that RDR2 will become one of the highest selling games at least in 2018. And with the move from the spring to the fall, RDR2 could also have a domino effect on other games released in that same timeframe. Rockstar is no stranger to historically large sales, with GTA V being the third-best selling game of all time. With another delay however, only time will tell if this tempers expectations.
Still, we here at The Punished Backlog are certainly looking forward to the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, and find it only right to award it the Most Anticipated Game of 2018.
–Jack Linnehan
It’s no easy feat narrowing down what was a competitive year for games to one sole victor. Each of our nominees for Game of the Year deserved merit, from the series-reinvigorating Assassin’s Creed: Origins and NieR: Automata to the surprisingly emotional Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice and What Remains of Edith Finch.
Despite the strong showing, there was one game of the bunch that had the biggest impact for us in 2017.
*Cue the Wii Music drumroll, please*
Game of the Year (Winner) – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo’s pattern of success always manages to astound us. One year, the company is giving us Super Mario Galaxy, and the next, they’re giving us Wii Music (see above).
While Nintendo has had about as rocky a history as the Grand Canyon when it comes to their software lineups over the years, there’s little doubt about the fact that Nintendo makes some of the greatest games on the planet. Super Mario Bros. 3, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Metroid Prime, Super Smash Bros. Melee… the list goes on and on.
So when The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild released to a whopping 98 (eventually settling at a modest 97) on Metacritic, we weren’t surprised at all. Of course, scores are just subjective opinions, and it would take some extended hands-on play sessions to be sure, but back at the Switch’s launch, Breath of the Wild seemed like classic Nintendo.
Fast forward to the end of the year, and not much had changed. Numerous impressive games had released since March, many of which had even come from Nintendo itself. However, for us at The Punished Backlog, Breath of the Wild was the title that remained on our minds and in our hearts the most.
There are so many things we could gush about with Breath of the Wild. Its freedom and vastness. Its beauty and serenity. Its boldness in trying something decidedly new for a franchise that has, for over thirty years, been predicated on a system of keys, items, dungeons, and bosses. You’ve likely heard it already, but it’s worth emphasizing once more: Breath of the Wild is a phenomenal game.
Does it has problems? Absolutely. Weapon durability, repetitive combat, lack of dungeon variety… again, you’ve likely heard it already. But as flawed and as unabashedly raw as Breath of the Wild is, there’s something irresistibly endearing about its world and its characters. It may be the breathtaking views from the highest of mountains, or the unique charm of Hateno Village’s tour guide making his daily rounds, or perhaps something completely different. For so many of us, that answer is something that will ultimately depend upon each player and his or her unique experiences.
While we can not speak for all of these players, what we can do is share our own experiences. Here’s what our writers had to say when describing what Breath of the Wild means to them in a single word:
Jack Linnehan: Expansive.
Geron Graham: Explorative.
Keisuke Isobe: Altitudinous.
Augustine Villanueva: Different.
PJ Manning: Unprecedented.
Sam Martinelli: Welcoming.
David Silbert: Free.
Somewhere between the calm of nature and the chaos of the calamity, Breath of the Wild strikes a chord as an exhilarating and groundbreaking title that few should care to miss. It is with great pleasure that we name it our 2017 Game of the Year.
And so our Best of 2017 awards come to a close! Agree with our Game of the Year? Disagree? Let us know your personal Game of the Year down in the comments.
Regardless, we hope you’ve enjoyed this two month series and encourage you to check out more exciting articles on The Punished Backlog’s home page.
Bookmark us, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and get ready: 2018 is going to be better than ever!
