Betty Ginette
For most of the 20th century, the idea of adding a video games category to the Academy Awards would have seemed preposterous. Aside from the argument that gaming and film are different fields, the former was considered a low-brow activity, barely scraping into the category as an art form.
Today, however, it’s not a ridiculous suggestion. And while we would not say there is a committed grassroots campaign to squeeze a gaming category into the Oscars, there is enough chatter about it to consider it a serious proposal. It has permeated mainstream media as an issue worthy of discussion, sparking some interesting philosophical debates on the nature of artistic merit.
Yet, how serious is the idea? Should it be given consideration? And what would gaming categories look like at the Oscars? Let’s dive in with some of the main points:
Why consider it all?
There are numerous gaming awards ceremonies in different fields, ranging from the DICE Awards (basically the equivalent of the Oscars for games) to independent magazine awards. Every genre of gaming has platforms for recognition, from platform games to iGaming awards that recognize the best slot providers, such as Pragmatic Play, one of the key studios showcasing slot games at McLuck. Yet, the Oscars are seen as the pinnacle of visual arts, and the inclusion of a gaming category would recognize that gaming has become, for want of a better term, cinematic.
The evolution of awards
Currently, the Academy’s role is to recognize excellence in “theatrically-released motion pictures,” but we acknowledge that the rise of streaming services has challenged this idea. The Academy is not adverse to adding new categories, either, as evidenced by the inclusion of a new stunt category, so why not one for gaming work?
What sort of awards could be handed out?
This is a matter of opinion, but gaming categories could encompass design, writing, music, voice acting, and technical awards. The problem, of course, is that the Oscars are unlikely to expand to add another half dozen categories suddenly, but perhaps one for voice acting (no need to split the sexes) and an overall best game award would be manageable.
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The complexities
Aside from the overarching argument that gaming should have its own separate award categories, and that the Oscars would be better served launching something akin to the BAFTA Game Awards, as they do in Britain. There is also the argument for brand dilution. The Oscars, standing for excellence in the movie industry, have been a brand for nearly 100 years. In addition, do we expect 75-year-old Academy members to play 100 hours of a God of War game before deciding whether it is worthy of inclusion?
The benefits
Do TV ratings matter? The Academy’s own research has revealed that the average viewer is 51 years old, whereas the gaming audience skews under 35. What’s more, gaming is part of an $180 billion industry that now dwarfs film and music combined. If you want to generate interest (and revenue), you must appeal to the youth.
Will it happen?
Not anytime soon, and certainly not in the scope we have outlined here. Yet, you could easily see a voice actor category added to the Oscars in the coming years. Big names like Angela Bassett, Remi Malek, Sir Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson, and Samuel L. Jackson have all had voice acting roles in recent big-budget games, showing that gaming is becoming a creative outlet for actors. If that’s an undeniable fact, it shouldn’t be a giant leap to say that this acting could be recognized in the most important awards ceremony that honors the actors’ craft.
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