New York Videogame Critics Circle
| Formation | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Harold Goldberg |
| Founded at | New York City |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Location |
|
| Website | nygamecritics |
The New York Videogame Critics Circle (NYVGCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes awareness of, and education for, video games writing and journalism in the New York City area.[1]
History[]
The New York Videogame Critics Circle was founded in 2011 by writer Harold Goldberg, along with inaugural members Evan Narcisse, Tracey John, Russ Frushtick, and Andrew Yoon.[2] While the NYVGCC was initially created to advocate for its members, it also provides classes and mentoring to underserved portions of the New York City community. Beginning in 2012, the NYVGCC has hosted an annual awards show that distributes trophies to game studios, individual game contributors, and game journalists.[2] In 2019, former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé joined the NYVGCC's board of directors to help Goldberg and the group continue its outreach to the DreamYard Prep School, and new initiatives such as classes in Bronxworks network of homeless shelters.[3][4]
New York Game Awards[]
Each year, the NYVGCC puts on an awards show that honors the best of the previous year's contributions to the video game industry and showcases the group's education work with underserved communities. The first awards show was held in 2012 as a collaboration with New York University's Game Center. Since then, the NYVGCC has held seven more award ceremonies and has incorporated live music, trailer premieres, and hosting by members of The Daily Show writing staff.[5]
| # | Date | Big Apple Award for Game of the Year | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | February 2, 2012 | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | New York University |
| 2nd | February 5, 2013 | The Walking Dead | |
| 3rd | February 11, 2014 | The Last of Us | |
| 4th | February 16, 2015 | Wolfenstein: The New Order | Villain |
| 5th | February 9, 2016 | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | |
| 6th | January 19, 2017 | Uncharted 4: A Thief's End | Abron Arts Center |
| 7th | January 24, 2018 | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | |
| 8th | January 22, 2019 | God of War | SVA Theatre |
| 9th | January 21, 2020 | The Outer Worlds | |
| 10th | January 26, 2021 | Hades | Virtual |
1st (2012)[]
The First Annual New York Games Awards took place in February 2012 at NYU's Cantor Film Center. 21 games journalists voted on the award winners, and about 250 guests attended. Logan Cunningham, narrator of Bastion, served as the host.[6][7]
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Big Apple Award for Best Game | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim |
| Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game | Portal 2 |
| Battery Park Award for Best Handheld Game | Super Mario 3D Land |
| Manhattan Award for Most NY-Centric Game | Crysis 2 |
| Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game | Bastion |
| A-Train Award for Best Mobile/iOS Game | Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP |
| Off-Broadway Award for Best Indie Game | Bastion |
| Statue of Liberty Award for Best Open-World Game | Saints Row: The Third |
| Great White Way Award for Best Overall Acting in a Game | Portal 2 |
| Algonquin Roundtable Award for Best Book | All Your Base Are Belong to Us by Harold Goldberg |
| Mad Men Award for Best Videogame Commercial | Long Live Play – Michael |
2nd (2013)[]
The Second Annual New York Game Awards were held at NYU-Poly on February 5, 2013.[8] Writer Daniel Radosh of The Daily Show hosted the event, and musical acts MC Frontalot and Schäffer the Darklord performed.[9][10]
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Big Apple Award for Best Videogame | The Walking Dead |
| Herman Melville Award for Best Videogame Writing | The Walking Dead |
| Battery Park Award for Best Handheld Console Game | Sound Shapes |
| Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music | Journey |
| The A Train Award for Best Mobile/iOS Game | The Room |
| The Off Broadway Award for Best Independent Game | The Walking Dead |
| The Statue of Liberty Award for Best World | Dunwall from Dishonored |
| The Best Acting | Melissa Hutchison as Clementine (The Walking Dead) |
| Peter Cooper Locomotive Award for Best Game Machine | PS Vita |
| The Central Park Zoo Award for Best Kids Game | Unfinished Swan |
3rd (2014)[]
The Third Annual New York Game Awards were hosted by Daniel Radosh for the second year in a row. Folk music group Future Folk performed, and Irrational Games premiered a video about the second episode of BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea.[11]
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Big Apple Award for Best Game | The Last of Us |
| Battery Park Award for Best Handheld Game | The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds |
| Central Park Children's Zoo Award for Best Kids Game | Super Mario 3D World |
| Herman Melville Award for Best Writing | The Last of Us |
| A Train Award for Best Mobile Game | Ridiculous Fishing |
| Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game | Gone Home |
| Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game | Bioshock Infinite |
| Statue of Liberty Award for Best World | Grand Theft Auto V |
| Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game | Steven Ogg as Trevor (Grand Theft Auto V) |
4th (2015)[]
In 2015, the New York Game Awards switched venues and took place at Villain, an event space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The awards show routine was written and hosted by The Daily Show's writing staff.[12]
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Big Apple Award for Best Game | Wolfenstein: The New Order |
| Herman Melville Award for Best Writing | South Park: The Stick of Truth |
| Central Park Children's Zoo Award for Best Kids Game | Mario Kart 8 |
| Battery Park Award for Best Handheld Game | Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft |
| A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game | Threes |
| Statue of Liberty Award for Best World | Far Cry 4 |
| Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game | Shovel Knight |
| Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake | Grand Theft Auto V |
| Ebbets Field Award for Best E-Sports Experience | Super Smash Bros. Melee |
| Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game | Transistor |
| Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game | Trey Parker (South Park: The Stick of Truth) |
5th (2016)[]
In 2016, The Daily Show writer Owen Parsons took over writing and hosting the awards. Game studio The Molasses Flood premiered a trailer for The Flame in the Flood, and Wyclef Jean demoed music he contributed to rhythm game Lost in Harmony.[13][14]
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt |
| Herman Melville Award for Best Writing | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt |
| Andrew Yoon Memorial Legend Award | Rockstar Games |
| Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism | Cara Ellison |
| Central Park Children's Zoo Award for Best Kids Game | Super Mario Maker |
| Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game | Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain |
| Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake | Rare Replay |
| Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game | Rocket League |
| A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game | Lara Croft Go |
| Battery Park Award for Best Handheld Game | Boxboy! |
| Statue of Liberty Award for Best World | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt |
| Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game | Viva Seifert as Hannah Smith (Her Story) |
| Ebbetts Field Award for Best Esports Team | SK Telecom T1 (League of Legends) |
6th (2017)[]
The Sixth Annual New York Game Awards were held at the Abron Arts Center and featured a musical performance by all-women accordion band The Main Squeeze.[15][16]
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Big Apple Award for Game of the Year | Uncharted 4: A Thief's End |
| Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game | Mafia III |
| Andrew Yoon Legend Award | Richard Garriott |
| Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism | David Wolinsky |
| Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best VR Game | Superhot |
| A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game | Pokémon Go |
| Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game | Rich Sommer as Henry (Firewatch) |
| Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game | Inside |
| Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game | Thumper |
| Central Park Zoo Award for Best Kids Game | Pokémon Go |
| Statue of Liberty Award for Best World | Hitman |
| Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake | The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD |
| Battery Park Award for Best Handheld Game | Severed |
| Ebbetts Field Award for Best Esports Team | Cloud9 |
7th (2018)[]
The 7th Annual New York Game Awards were hosted by Devin Delliquanti of The Daily Show. Musician Shilpa Ray performed.[17][18]
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Big Apple Award for Game of the Year | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild |
| Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game | Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus |
| Andrew Yoon Legend Award | Todd Howard |
| Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism | Yussef Cole |
| Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best VR Game | Resident Evil 7: Biohazard |
| A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game | HQ Trivia |
| Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game | Melina Juergens as Senua (Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice) |
| Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game | Cuphead |
| Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game | Persona 5 |
| Central Park Zoo Award for Best Kids Game | Super Mario Odyssey |
| Statue of Liberty Award for Best World | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild |
| Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake | Metroid: Samus Returns |
| Ebbetts Field Award for Best Esports Moment | Plup Annihilates Armada |
8th (2019)[]
In 2019, the New York Game Awards moved to the SVA Theatre in Manhattan. The event, hosted again by Devin Delliquanti with appearances by The Daily Show's Daniel Radosh, Josh Johnson and Kat Radley, featured a performance by guitarist and vocalist Maddie Rice, as well as trailer premieres for Inkle title Heaven's Vault and Shawn Alexander Allen's Treachery in Beatdown City.[5][19][20]
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Big Apple Award for Game of the Year | God of War |
| Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game | Red Dead Redemption 2 |
| Andrew Yoon Legend Award | Jade Raymond |
| Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism | Cecilia D'Anastasio |
| Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best VR Game | Tetris Effect |
| A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game | Florence |
| Raging Bull Award for Best Fighting Game | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate |
| Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game | Christopher Judge as Kratos (God of War) |
| Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game | Dead Cells |
| Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game | Tetris Effect |
| Central Park Zoo Award for Best Kids Game | Nintendo Labo Variety Pack |
| Statue of Liberty Award for Best World | Red Dead Redemption 2 |
| Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake | Shadow of the Colossus |
| Captain Award for Best Rookie Esports Team | Knicks Gaming |
9th (2020)[]
The 9th Annual New York Game Awards were held on January 21, 2020. The recipient of the Andrew Yoon Legend award was the former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé.[21][22][23][24][25]
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Big Apple Award for Game of the Year | The Outer Worlds |
| Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game | Disco Elysium |
| Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best VR/AR Game | Minecraft Earth |
| A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game | Sayonara Wild Hearts |
| Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game | Courtney Hope as Jesse (Control) |
| Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game | Disco Elysium |
| Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game | Sayonara Wild Hearts |
| Central Park Zoo Award for Best Kids Game | Luigi's Mansion 3 |
| Statue of Liberty Award for Best World | Outer Wilds |
| Captain Award for Best Rookie Esports Team | FunPlus Phoenix (League of Legends) |
| Joltin' Joe Award for Best Esports Player of the Year | Arslan Ash |
| Andrew Yoon Legend Award | Reggie Fils-Aimé |
10th (2021)[]
The 10th Annual New York Game Awards were held on January 26, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held virtually, co-hosted by Reggie Fils-Aimé. The nominees were announced on January 5, 2021.[26][27][28] Immediately before the show, Fils-Aimé partook in a roundtable discussion with Jack Tretton and Robbie Bach, formerly of Sony and Microsoft, respectively.[29][30][31][32] Hades won the Big Apple Award for Game of the Year.[33][34] The Andrew Yoon Legend Award was given to Hideo Kojima,[35] Jerry Lawson, and Brenda and John Romero.[1]
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Big Apple Award for Game of the Year | Hades |
| Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game | Hades |
| Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best VR/AR Game | Half-Life: Alyx |
| A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game | Genshin Impact |
| Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game | Logan Cunningham as Lord Hades / Poseidon / Achilles / Charon / The Storyteller / Asterius (Hades) |
| Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game | Hades |
| Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game | Hades |
| Central Park Zoo Award for Best Kids Game | Animal Crossing: New Horizons |
| Statue of Liberty Award for Best World | Ghost of Tsushima |
| Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake | Final Fantasy VII Remake |
| Shea Stadium Award for Best Esports Event | Overwatch League |
| Captain Award for Best Rookie Esports Team | Red Bull OG (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive) |
| Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism | Jason Schreier |
| Andrew Yoon Legend Award | Hideo Kojima, Jerry Lawson, Brenda and John Romero |
References[]
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- 501(c)(3) organizations
- Non-profit organizations based in New York City