After his win last year, Larian boss Swen Vincke presented the Game of the Year category at this year's Game Awards.
And the game of the year is… Baldur's Gate 3!
− Wait a minute. We've got something mixed up, because this year the game industry's most important award was won by the seemingly inconspicuous PlayStation platformer Astro Bot.
However, because his development studio took home the coveted trophy with Baldur's Gate 3 last year, Larian boss Swen Vincke was allowed on stage as a presenter at the Game Awards this year. The developer used his eulogy for Astro Bot to remind the assembled big names in the gaming industry that what making games is really about: fun.
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Baldur's Gate 3 is now a year old and the developers want to thank you
A game that they wanted to play themselves
Vincke's speech should be understood as a desire for change in an industry that is characterized by waves of layoffs, high pressure of expectations, crunch phases and greed for profit. Because good games simply couldn't be created in such an environment.
Based on his own experiences with Baldur's Gate, the Larian boss then explains why Astro Bot, of all things, could become game of the year. Many people didn't even have this little Sony game on their radar until it was released.
In short: Because Astro Bot dared to do things differently. However, we don't want to withhold Vincke's moving speech from you.
The formula for being up here as Game of the Year is actually pretty simple. But she is always forgotten! The studio that made Game of the Year won because they made a game that they themselves wanted to play. They developed it because there was nothing like it before.
They didn't do it to increase their market share. They didn't do it to meet specific sales goals or to increase the value of their brand. The creators didn't have to worry about being fired if they didn't hit their sales targets. They had the creative freedom and the explicit instructions not to put anything in the game that didn't belong there.
The developers weren't treated like numbers in an Excel spreadsheet; the players are not like users who must be exploited at all costs. The team didn't make short-sighted decisions just for bonuses or company politics.
And if you put the game and the team first, it will be rewarded! They were driven by idealism and wanted players to have fun with their product. And if the developers aren't having fun with something during the creation process, how is anyone else supposed to have fun?
They understood the value of respect. They understand that if you treat developers and players with respect, they will in return forgive when things don't go as planned. But above all, they loved their game. And this formula is that simple.
Link to YouTube content
You can find Vincke's speech in the YouTube embed at Hour 4:25:20. The Belgian is known for his memorable performances. In 2023 he had the Game of the Year trophy in a knight's armor – and was forced to leave the stage after his speaking time had exceeded.
Regarding this performance, Vincke said with a wink to the Astro-Bot developers: If you are kindly asked to keep it short, you can simply come back next year and then ramble for three minutes like I did right now.
By the way, Baldur's Gate 3 also took home an award again this year – the one for the best community support. The Belgian studio Larian must have done something right here.
There is always critical discussion about the conditions in the gaming industry. Ubisoft recently had to announce that it was closing two studios and evicting over 270 developers. The release of Assassin's Creed Shadows is likely to be crucial for the future fate of the company. You can read more about problems in the industry in the link box above.
In such difficult times, it's good to know that there are still studios whose leadership still has hope for the future of game making.
