So there are two primary reasons why we like to watch the The Game Awards (TGAs). The former would be to bicker or brag about our favorite games winning awards they’re nominated for or were robbed of, depending on who your bets are. The latter would be the marketing that makes the show possible, the trailers and promotional advertising that every PR company would want to bring to as many eyes as possible. And what better place to capture the excitement of a crowd than an awards ceremony that celebrates the very games gamers love so much?

The way things have fallen into place in recent years has turned the VGAs into something that might as well be our 4th quarter E3. It doubles as an arena for companies to win the hearts, and by extension, wallets of their most avid fans.

So today I’d like to hand out some awards on my own, but directed towards the trailers. Those that left us in pleasant surprise, unparalleled excitement, or just generally left a great impression. So at this point maybe it’s good to set some ground rules.

 

First, it has to announce a new game, maybe expansions or sequels can count, but we’re not going to just give them an easy time getting the spot.

Also, the entire awards committee for this article is me, so take the results with a grain of salt.

 

Was That a Movie? (Exodus Cinematic Trailer)

This award goes to the trailer that showed me absolutely nothing in terms of how the game might be played, and might as well be a short film. We know how some studios try to get the hype with purely cinematic trailers, and while they do look cool, I’ve come to learn that they teach nothing about how the game will be played. And that award goes to:

 

 

To the Surprise of Absolutely No One (Elphelt Character Reveal – Guilty Gear Strive)

This award is not making fun of the trailer or reveal itself, just that through some unfortunate event, was leaked shortly before the scheduled reveal of the TGAs. While GTA6 would be the obvious choice, it didn’t make it to the show at all. Which I would guess is to utter frustration of Geoff. One reveal for a fighting game that’s close to my heart made the rounds on Twitter (aka X) which was to the dismay of many, and that is:

 

 

So, What Did I Just Watch? (OD Announcement)

This is aimed toward those trailers that actively try to not tell you anything. And just leaves me puzzled as to why they made it that way. It could be trailers that just leave a faint hint of what the actual name is or a completely new IP that despite my honest efforts, could not make heads or tails of what to expect. I doubt anybody would contest that the man behind the announcement deserves this award, as he has made a reputation for being cryptic in his reveals.

 

 

This is Happening!? (Marvel’s Blade Announcement)

There are times when a game we’ve never heard of or never thought could happen just surprises us out of nowhere. And this time around, I find myself pretty excited to the idea of slashing vampires with a Katana with the edgiest apparel to pair with it. So without further ado, I was most surprised by the announcement of:

 

 

It’s About Time (Final Fantasy VII Rebirth New Trailer)

This one goes out to the titles that we are certain deserve to happen or we are sure are going to drop. But due to the flow of time and the amount of it that’s passed, we may have forgotten about it. So when the big update finally drops, the hype about it is instantly revived. So I think it’s just fair to extend this to the game I absolutely wanted to continue as soon as possible when I finished it. That title is no other than:

 

 

I Thought It Was For Kids (Windblown Announcement)

There will be games that give you this very friendly, bright, and cute aesthetic. Only to remind you that Happy Tree Friends exists. Revealing itself to be more intense, violent, bloody, and well, maybe not for kids. The developers of Dead Cells sure threw us for a loop for this one, and that trailer is definitely this:

 

 

It Came From The Future (Monster Hunter Wilds Reveal Trailer)

This one goes out to those trailers that may gain the excitement of many. But ends up giving us a much longer time to wait than we’d like. Generally, we know that most games are announced within a year of their intended release. But some other titles are just such heavy hitters that learning of a much later or vaguer release window doesn’t tarnish the excitement much for us either way. We’re just happy to know that it exists, somewhere in the future. And that trailer makes me look forward to the future ahead of us, though it would be nice if it was a bit earlier:

 

 

This One’s Got It All (Black Myth: Wukong Release Date Trailer)

When I watch a trailer, I want it to be packed with details and information that I can chew on. To present a compelling setting that makes me want to check it out, and some gameplay that gives me a good understanding of what to expect. And the coup-de-grace, a release window that can be looked forward to. From many of the trailers I’ve looked through the stream and YouTube, I think one title did an excellent job of featuring all three and managed to make me want to pick up the title.

 

 

And that’s it, those are my trailer awards. No nomination process? Don’t worry about it, they were all nominees in the first place. Which trailer do you think won the TGAs this 2023?