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Game of the Year 2010 Poll [*RESULTS*]
mcc
glitchRegistered User, ClubPA regular
glitchRegistered User, ClubPA regular
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CLICK HERE TO JUMP TO THE PRETTY COLOR-CODED FULL RESULTS
Every year since 2004 I've been hosting this Game of the Year poll for the users of some forums I read. There are a lot of GOTY polls out there, but this one I think is kind of special. Most polls, you're given a list of four or five options and you're asked to pick the one you liked best. This poll, people are given a list of a couple of hundred options, consisting of every new game released in the previous year-- and asked to rate their top ten or twenty.
This does a few interesting things. First off, we get to see all the information about what people's second, third etc choices are. Second off, because the second, third etc choices count, people are more likely to vote for the game they want to win, rather than the game they think is likely to win-- they're less likely to engage in "strategic voting". Finally, because we have all this information, we're actually able to provide somewhat reasonable rankings for something like the top hundred or so games of last year.
The full results-- showing the exact number of voters who ranked each game first, second, third place etc-- can be found here. In the meantime, the final results were:
- Mass Effect 2 (8125) *** GAME OF THE YEAR ***
- Red Dead Redemption (4887)
- Starcraft 2 (3930)
- Minecraft (3678)
- Fallout: New Vegas (3513)
- Super Meat Boy (3205)
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 (3006)
- Halo Reach (2713)
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (2505)
- Civilization V (2444)
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (2378)
- Bayonetta (2257)
- Darksiders (1967)
- Just Cause 2 (1865)
- World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (1855)
- Angry Birds (1740)
- Alpha Protocol (1677)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops (1604)
- Heavy Rain (1573)
- VVVVVV (1523)
NOTEWORTHY WINNERS
- GOTY 2010:
#1, Mass Effect 2
- Top-ranked PC Exclusive:
#3, Starcraft 2
- Top-ranked Wii Exclusive:
#7, Super Mario Galaxy 2
- Top-ranked 360 Exclusive:
#8, Halo Reach
- Top-ranked iPhone/Android Exclusive:
#16, Angry Birds
- Top-ranked PS3 Exclusive:
#19, Heavy Rain
- Top-ranked DS Exclusive:
#31, Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
- Top-ranked PSP Exclusive:
#64, Valkyria Chronicles 2
- Best RPG:
#1, Mass Effect 2
- Best FPS:
#4, Minecraft
- Best "Indie" Game:
#4, Minecraft
- Best Game Available Through A Console Download Service:
#6, Super Meat Boy
- Best Browser Game:
#48, Robot Unicorn Attack
- "Cult" Award (see below):
#52, Deadly Premonition
- Best Downloadable Game (XBLIG division):
#59, Breath of Death VII: The Beginning
NOTEWORTHY LOSERS
- Best game of 2010 which somehow nobody considered to be their #1 pick: #35, Alien Swarm
- Worst game of 2010 that at least one person considered their #1 pick: #200, 3D Infinity (This is an XBLIG game; Only one person voted for this at all)
- Worst game of 2010: #237, Dead Nation (Only one person voted for this; it was their #20 pick)
There were 23 games on the nominations list no one voted for at all.
ALTERNATE SCORING METHODS
The rankings listed above are based on a version of the Borda count voting method. Each vote cast for a game gives that game a certain number of points. If someone ranks a game #1, that game gets 20 points. If they rank it #2, the game gets 19 points. If they rank it #3 the game gets 18 points... and so on. I have a script that checks a couple of alternate ways of ranking the same data, though.
For example, if we rank games only by the number of first post votes they got, we get a wildly different list, with tons of games listing that otherwise weren't anywhere near the top 20:
First Past the Post
- Mass Effect 2 (231)
- Red Dead Redemption (69)
- Starcraft 2 (47)
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 (40)
- Minecraft (35)
- Fallout: New Vegas (29)
- Bayonetta (20)
- Super Meat Boy (19)
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (18)
- Alpha Protocol (15)
- World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (15)
- Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (14)
- Deadly Premonition (12)
- Rock Band 3 (11)
- Civilization V (10)
- Alan Wake (10)
- Halo Reach (10)
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (10)
- Super Street Fighter 4 (9)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops (9)
I also did two more ways of sorting the rankings: an "approval" vote, where nothing is counted except the number of votes a game received (i.e. a first-place and a twentieth-place ranking count the same-- all the matters is if the game was on someone's list); and an instant runoff vote. Your eyes are probably starting to glaze over at this point, and these rankings very rarely differ from the Borda rankings, so I bolded the places where these two votes differ from the official rank. A small observation: 858 people voted this year. More than half placed some sort of vote for Mass Effect 2.
Approval
- Mass Effect 2 (440)
- Red Dead Redemption (284)
- Starcraft 2 (241)
- Minecraft (235)
- Fallout: New Vegas (217)
- Super Meat Boy (210)
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 (182)
- Halo Reach (177)
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (165)
- Civilization V (163)
- Bayonetta (155)
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (146)
- Darksiders (144)
- Angry Birds (137)
- Just Cause 2 (135)
- Scott Pilgrim vs The World (115)
- Alpha Protocol (115)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops (115)
- Heavy Rain (114)
- World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (114)
IRV
- Mass Effect 2
- Red Dead Redemption
- Starcraft 2
- Minecraft
- Fallout: New Vegas
- Super Meat Boy
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 [/b]
- Halo Reach
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2
- Civilization V
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- Bayonetta
- Darksiders
- Just Cause 2
- Angry Birds
- World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
- Alpha Protpcol
- Call of Duty: Black Ops
- Alan Wake
- Heavy Rain
FINALLY: PER-FORUM BREAKDOWNS
Since like I mentioned there are a couple other small forums participating in this poll, I also went through and ran numbers using only votes from people who, as far as I could tell from the logs, came from the penny arcade site specifically. These numbers aren't totally accurate because my logging method is not entirely trustworthy, but either way, here you go.
Penny Arcade Forums (666 voters)
- Mass Effect 2
- Red Dead Redemption
- Starcraft 2
- Fallout: New Vegas
- Minecraft
- Halo Reach
- Super Mario Galaxy 2
- Super Meat Boy
- Civilization V
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- Darksiders
- Bayonetta
- World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
- Just Cause 2
- Alpha Protocol
- Angry Birds
- Call of Duty: Black Ops
- Heavy Rain
- God of War 3
mcc on
0
Posts
I can see the fancy list.
Try again?
Mass Effect 2 though hell yea
Two people voted Golden Sun: Dark Dawn as their favorite game of the year! And I thought I was a fanboy!
It beat 999 too despite six people voting 999 as their number one. Take that, cj!
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
I am neither a superstitious nor religious man... but really?
twitch.tv/Taramoor
@TaramoorPlays
Taramoor on Youtube
I can't see your avatar either, which I see is hosted on your site. I can't reach grumpybumpers.com at all. I think the problem might be on my end, though.
But Alpha Protocol at 18 is awesome
And is Minecraft really an FPS?
Now I can't complain about Halo or Zelda or Starcraft winning!
Oh well, I guess I can still complain about 999 only coming 65th.
Also surprised to see (if I'm reading the pretty color-coded results right) that someone else voted Yakuza 3 as their GotY. High-five to whoever that was!
Overall some things are very surprising. It's sad that Minecraft didn't make it in the Top three but its great that its this high up.
Guess it should be the same rule as on Giant Bomb. It either hasn't been released yet, or came out in 2009, or came out this year. Either way it is only eligible once.
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
it just keeps getting funner and funner and has not once dissapointed me, every mission has been fun as hell, quick and too the point. Not a single mission has been unfair or too hard and there have been some absolutely stunning ones (the floating dance club, the japanese WW2 island, just to mention sidequests).
Iits just so refreshing the missions, theres no filler, theres no go here, do this, now go here, and do this
its all linked together and they constantly give you breaks, its all payoff, yet theres always something new to see.
Also the game is fucking hilarious, it took me a while to realise its intentionally a giant comedy but the more you play the more missions run with the over-the-topness and are self-referencial.
Everything about it keeps me playing, its light and easy yet rewarding and fun, you feel challenged but not overwhelmed and you are constantly pulling off stuff you never knew you could do, 30 hours in.
The world is absoutely beautiful too, the locations are stunning and sometimes I just stop and stare at a vista.
Sorry Mass Effect 2 is definately my fav, but Just Cause 2 is increasingly becoming my 'non-serious' fav of 2010. Loving it.
Also makes me realise how much I hated GTA and Red Dead Redemptions missions. I realise in terms of production they were much much better, but most were so frustratingly and unfairly difficult and restrictive they ruined any sense of fun and adrenaline you might have. What i've loved so far is that every mission is like a candy bar bite, quick and simple and tasty, and before you know it you're out of candy.
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
This is why its so damn deadly. Also its really cheap now. Basically buy it you fools.
Basically I was 30 hours in, and I suddenly realised, I had never once done a mission that annoyed me. There are a few that arent exactly thrilling, but they're over fast. Playing on normal you only ever fail due to your own incompetence, which is nice.
The only thing that I find difficult is the plane races, but since they are entirely optional its no biggy.
Also elites being dropped in by parachute and landing on my rotor blades as im taking off in a heli pretty much bumped this into my "I wish I had voted for this" slot.
How does it compare mission-wise to Mercenaries (awesome) and GTA/RDR (don't really like)?
It has to be an error.
It's an error, right?
Agbhabglalgagblagblabgbaglbalgbalgbahbhlagbh
Ive never played Mercenaries. But personally I always found the GTA and RDR had so much filler in their missions, which is fine for creating atmosphere, but it rarely was done well and often just made the missions frustrating or feel padded.
JC2 missions never have multiple objectives, or rarely do, and have checkpoints throughout. They are varied in location and objective, and all work pretty well.
There are a few absolute gems sprinkled throughout as well.
Its the kind of game where half way in you realise you can do something, and are like, holy shit, this changes everything.
If you can find it cheap its a must buy, ive been wracking my brain trying to think of a single moment where I was like "ugh not this again" or anything I didnt thoroughly enjoy.
Also im pretty sure one of the missions is a dig at Mercenaries. Its called "Mercenaries must die" and you have to kill a mercenary, and they kept saying the word mercenary.
The feeling of being an angry god destroying a country is just pretty neat.
I know this isnt a Just Cause 2 thread, but it totally should be.
You just made a $30 purchase on steam pretty easy.
I suddenly realised that most ofl the games I want to play on PC are open world games.
edit: might wait another week to see if there are any sales. >_>
Also whats this deadly premonition I keep hearing about?
I tried Ramboing that guy and failing miserably. Ended up running away to fight him another day.
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
Yeah I think so.
I just submachined guned him into submission. Best strategy is to avoid the bullet-proof vest guys until you've dealt with their cronies. Or make sure to head shot them first. But that area is pretty hard so if you go straight for him the ants pour out of that base, strangely enough I just finished it as soon as I came into this thread.
I expected Stalker to fare much better. I think I put it in my top 3 with ME2 and JC2 despite having barely played it. It's weird to look at the end list and see something like Angry Birds preceding Alpha Protocol, VVVVVV, and Stalker.
Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
Where are the actual best games of the year? Amnesia? Vanquish? Sin and Punishment?
Apparently they've been discarded in favour of blue alien romance, Rob Liefield Zelda and a beta that should have been disqualified from voting.
Some people were all like, "Wahh waah, PA forums are so biased, of course anything by Nintendo is going to come first."
And then Portal came and bitchslapped everything on the poll.
Also the nerd rage from people who are mad about Minecraft's position is hilarious. Your nerd tears are delicious. The very fact that it got 4th suggests its a great game worthy of inclusion.
Any way you look at it, its a released game, because you pay for it. Just because its still under development does not preclude its inclusion. Hell, World of Warcraft is constantly under development too! Just because a developer says its officially beta that does not make it a non-released game, if you can buy it.
EDIT: that said, it shouldn't be classified as an FPS.
Non sequitur
Also that criteria would clearly make it a 2009 game.
I think it would be perfectly fair to do so given that the developer has chosen to charge for a game he himself says is under development. You would, regardless, have to give some consideration/caveats for the fact that, up until recently, it was developed by a single person.
Which becomes a circular argument. You review it as a finished game so it is a released game and you can then review it as a finished game.
I still don't know why its being considered an FPS, if you were to give it an exclusive award, best indie game would be the one I'd give it. I don't know that it really fits current definitions of games.
Spoken like someone who hasn't actually bothered to play the game properly, and has just decided to form an opinion of it and then be elitist about other tiny insiginicant games.
Mass Effect 2 is a fantastic game. Maybe you don't like it, but that is your opinion, and its a goose opinion because regardless of how much you personally dislike a game, you cannot disregard such an overwhelming majority opinion.
I mean, look at Starcraft 2. One of the most hotly anticipated games ever since the original came out 11 years ago, and it still was completely TROUNCED by ME2.
By that logic the Oscar for Best Picture would go to something like Transformers: Rise of the Fallen and Two and a Half Men would count as sophisticated literature. Just because a majority likes something does not make it de facto high quality.
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
wow....I mean, I think we might have our post of the year already, and only 9 days in
PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126