D.I.C.E. Awards 2017: The Game of the Year Award Goes to...

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 24 Feb 2017

In all, a total of 56 games spread across 24 award categories were nominated for the 20th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), the non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of the interactive arts.

But you don’t care about all 56 games and all 24 award categories. No, you only care about the games that were nominated for the most prestigious award of all, the Game of the Year award. That being said, here’s a recap of the games that were nominated, culminating with the unveiling of 2017’s D.I.C.E. Awards Game of the Year winner.

D.I.C.E. Awards 2017 – Game of the Year Nominations

1. Battlefield 1

While Call of Duty decided to take its franchise to space, Battlefield decided to go back in time and give you the chance to "experience the dawn of all-out war" – that’s World War I, just to be clear. If you haven’t played the game until now, I have a tip for you: join Origin Access any time before March 7 and you’ll get a free 7-day trial. Then, as an Origin Access member, you’ll get to play Battlefield 1 for free for a full 10 hours.

Quick game facts
  • Game type – first-person shooter; the 14th title in the Battlefield franchise, but the 1st to be based on WW1.
  • Release date – October 21 for PC, Xbox One and PS4.
  • Price – $59.99 for the Standard Edition, $79.99 for the Deluxe Edition, and $129.98 for the Ultimate Edition.
  • System requirements – see this article for the game’s minimum and recommended system requirements.
  • About – Battlefield 1 takes you back to The Great War, WW1, where new technology and worldwide conflict changed the face of warfare forever. Take part in every battle, control every massive vehicle, and execute every maneuver that turns an entire fight around. The whole world is at war – see what’s beyond the trenches.


Learn more about Battlefield 1.

Battlefield 1 did not win D.I.C.E.’s Game of the Year award, but it did win Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design. That’s something, right?


2. Inside

Inside is the sequel to Limbo, Playdead’s very successful puzzle-platform video game. The game focuses on a young boy’s struggles against evil forces that are trying to take over the world through questionable experiments on human bodies.

Quick game facts
  • Game type – puzzle platformer adventure video game.
  • Release date – July 2016 for PC. June 2016 for Xbox One, August 2016 for PS4.
  • Price – $19.99 on Steam.
  • About – Hunted and alone, a boy finds himself drawn into the center of a dark project.


Learn more about Inside.

Inside won Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction, Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, and the D.I.C.E. Sprite award. What it did not win is the covered Game of the Year award.


3. Pokémon Go

Here’s some news that might get you back to playing this mobile game: last week, Niantic announced that it’ll release 80 new Pokémon including Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, and other Pokémon originally discovered in the Johto region in the Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver video games.

Quick game facts
  • Game type – augmented reality mobile game.
  • Release date – July 2016 for iOS and Android.
  • Price – this is a free-to-play mobile game with in-app purchases.
  • About – Now’s your chance to discover and capture the Pokémon all around you—so get your shoes on, step outside, and explore the world. You’ll join one of three teams and battle for the prestige and ownership of Gyms with your Pokémon at your side.


Learn more about Pokémon Go.

The Game of the Year award slipped through Pokémon Go’s fingers. But on the bright side, it managed to win Mobile Game of the Year.


4. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Uncharted 4, as the name points out, is the fourth installment in the Uncharted series. What the name doesn’t point out is that this is the final installment in the series. Nathan Drake and his brother Sam, long believed to be dead, embark on a journey to unmask the conspiracy behind Libertalia and find its fabled pirate treasure.

Quick game facts
  • Game type – action-adventure third-person shooter platform video game.
  • Release date – May 10, 2016 for PlayStation 4.
  • Price – $59.99 on the PlayStation Store.
  • About – Set three years after the events of UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception, Nathan Drake has presumably left the world of fortune hunting behind. However, it doesn’t take long for adventure to come calling when Drake’s brother, Sam, resurfaces seeking his help to save his own life and offering an adventure Drake can’t resist. UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End takes players on a journey around the globe, through jungle isles, urban cities and snow-capped peaks on the search for Captain Henry Avery’s long-lost treasure.


Learn more about Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.

No, Uncharted 4 didn’t win Game of the Year either. It won several other awards instead: Adventure Game of the Year, Outstanding Technical Achievement, Outstanding Achievement in Story, and Outstanding Achievement in Animation.


5. Overwatch

This game’s popularity is astonishing. During the Beta phase, some 9.7 million people signed up to try the game. In May 2016, just a week after the game launched, there were 7 million people playing Overwatch. By June, 10 million, By November, 20 million. And by January 2017, 25 million.

Quick game facts
  • Game type – team-based multiplayer first-person shooter.
  • Release date – May 2016 for PC, Xbox One and PS4.
  • Price –$39.99 for the PC-only version, $59.99 for the Origins Edition which is available for PC and consoles.
  • About – In a time of global crisis, an international task force of heroes banded together to restore peace to a war-torn world: OVERWATCH. Overwatch ended the crisis, and helped maintain peace in the decades that followed, inspiring an era of exploration, innovation, and discovery. But, after many years, Overwatch’s influence waned, and it was eventually disbanded. Now, conflict is rising across the world again, and the call has gone out to heroes old and new. Are you with us?


Learn more about Overwatch.

Five games were nominated for the Game of the Year award. Since this is the 5th game on the list, I’m sure it will come as no surprise when I tell you that…

Overwatch won Game of the Year at the 20th annual D.I.C.E. Awards.

Overwatch also won Action Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Game Design, and Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay.

“For the past 20 years, the D.I.C.E. Awards have been bringing together the most talented, innovative and inspiring minds in interactive entertainment to recognize and celebrate the industry’s most outstanding achievements,” said Mike Fischer, president, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. “We’re thrilled to congratulate all of this year’s award winners whose incredible games have amazed and entertained fans worldwide, and are truly an inspiration to us all.”

If you want to see a complete list of winners for 2017 D.I.C.E. Awards, check out this this press release or this other press release (PDF).

And if you want to take a trip down memory lane, check out the winners for the 2016 D.I.C.E. Awards.



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