The Elder Scrolls Online, WildStar, Hearthstone, Final Fantasy XIV and 5 other games are nominated for the Online category at the Golden Joystick.
The video game magazine “Computerandvideogames” has been awarding the Golden Joystick in various categories since 1983. According to its own statements, it’s a kind of Oscar of the gaming industry, but naturally many awards are competing for this title. It is at least the oldest award given in the industry and has quite a reputation.
Classic MMORPGs in the minority – MMOs dominate
This year, the new Pay2Play MMORPGs The Elder Scrolls Online and WildStar are nominated in the “Online Games” category. Additionally, there is a classic MMORPG with Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn among the participants. The trio faces competition from more action-oriented online games like Grand Theft Auto Online and DayZ.
Moreover, the nomination clearly reflects the influence of another current trend: Wargaming is nominated with World of Warplanes and the Xbox 360 edition of World of Tanks. Gaijin is sending War Thunder, Wargaming’s major competitor, into the race.
The likely favorite is the online card game Hearthstone, the surprise hit from Blizzard that was perhaps not so surprising after all. It is also the only title among the nine online contenders that has been nominated for the “Best Game” category.
Previous winners in the “Online Game” or “MMO of the Year” category: World of Tanks (2013/2012), World of Warcraft (2011), League of Legends (2010), Left4Dead (2009).
Who is your favorite among the selected games or is your MMO of the year not included?
The voting takes place until October 20. Here is the link to vote in the online category on computerandvideogames.com.
