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 Welcome to the Official Games Forum Year of the Game thread! That's right, not Game of the Year, but Year of the Game. In this thread, we'll decide, once and for all, with scientific rigor, which year was the best ever year for gaming! Come ready to post, because by the time this thread's run its course, we'll have decided what year has contributed most to the magnificent bounty of video games we all love so much. Voting will be open until the end of August in the United States Pacific time zone. UPDATE: The deadline has been extended by one week! The new deadline is now exactly 00:00 AM PDT on Thursday, September 15!! Before you post, make sure you read The Rules below, otherwise your vote won't count!  For the most part, why you vote for any given year is up to you! However, I think the core question to answer is: what year contributed the most to gaming as a whole? That can mean a lot of things, but some criteria you might consider are:
 As stated above, some of these rules are necessary to make sure your vote counts! Others are just good thread guidelines. 1. You may vote for up to three calendar years. Your post (or posts) can include a first, second, and third-place vote. Your first-place year will get 5 points; your second will get 3 points; your third will get 1 point. You do not have to use all three votes--if you want to vote for just one year, or two, that's totally fine. If you do include more than one year, please make it clear which is your first, second, and third choice or I won't be able to count your votes! 2. You must give your reasons. That means a post that is just "I vote for <year>" won't count! The fun of this thread is in the discussion and seeing everyone's reasons for why they think a given year is the best one. So in your official voting post, make sure you write at least something about why the year(s) you're voting for was/were great. Your post can be as fancy and wordy and essay-like as you want, or it can be short and sweet, but just make sure it has good reasons for your vote. If there are no reasons given in your post, your vote won't count! 3. You may edit your post and even change your vote right up until the deadline. However, if you do, please make that very clear so that I don't accidentally count your old vote(s)! 4. Don't be a dick. Much like with our annual Game of the Year threads, this thread is a celebration of gaming, not an opportunity to tear down people's favorite games. Obviously there will be disagreement, discussion, and argument, but just don't be a huge jerk about it and everything will be cool. 5. Please use spoiler tags when applicable. Yes, we're going to be talking about old games in this thread, but someone might discover games they haven't heard about before through these discussions, and it'd be a shame if they were spoiled on them by your post. Use your judgment here, but in general, if your post discussing a game needs you to talk about Big Plot Reveals, it might be a good idea to spoiler tag those parts. 6. Again, your votes must be in by the end of August! Any votes after it's September 1 in the Pacific time zone in the United States will not be counted.  And that's all! Let's get the posting started, and decide in an official, scientific, definitely real capacity what year is the Year of the Game! Harrow fucked around with this message at 13:25 on Sep 8, 2022 |
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Aug 8, 2022 16:00
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| # ¿ May 10, 2024 13:21 |
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I realize now, only too late, that by posting this thread I have obligated myself to have an opinion on this. Gonna have to give it some thought. 1994 is an extremely powerful contender.
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Aug 8, 2022 16:10
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There are a ton of great candidates but I think my vote's probably going to 1994, 97, or 98. Though I think 98 probably beats 97 as much as my heart wants me to vote for "the year FFVII came out."
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Aug 8, 2022 17:01
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:goons are old and therefore '98 will sweep (prolly deservedly), but 2022 is pr much the best gaming year of my life I think 1998 is pretty likely to get a lot of votes, but I know there's a lot of love for 2017 out there, too. That year had some real bangers, and even some games that are proving to perhaps have lasting influence (like Breath of the Wild). I'd definitely be interested in a post about 2022's merits, though, whether that gets your actual vote or not. I know I've played a bunch of good games this year.
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Aug 8, 2022 17:06
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Rarity posted:I've run the numbers and wow it turns out the best year for video games was the year when you were 16, what a result I was 16 in 2002 and that wasn't the best year ever, statement invalidated 
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Aug 8, 2022 17:48
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Muscle Tracer posted:However, Harrow, I think in order to properly rank the years we should also be allowed to place a second-place vote. Hm, I could see this making sense. Is this just to avoid a situation where one year just gets an absolute snowball of votes and a lot of decent years don't even get mentioned? I could see that.
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Aug 9, 2022 01:21
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Okay, I like it. Let's say something like: You can vote for up to three years. Your first-place choice gets 5 points. Second place gets 3 points. Third place gets 1. You don't have to use all three--if you just want to vote for one or two, that's fine. This applies retroactively so if anyone wants to add to their previous posts, please do. Please clearly label which is your first, second, and third choice.
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Aug 9, 2022 01:47
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My gut feeling is that making a fair rule about release dates would be kind of complicated. I'd want to say "when the game is available to most people" would be a good guideline for what year to use, but sometimes there's a pretty big gap, or a game comes out in Japan and the US but not the EU for a long time (or Japan and EU but not the US, in Xenoblade's case), or things like that, and it all just gets fuzzy. Or games that are really good and important but didn't get an international release for decades (for example Live A Live) would be really hard to actually list. I'd just ask that people not cheat release dates too egregiously. Like I wouldn't attribute Chrono Trigger to 2009 because that's when it finally got an official release in Europe, for example.
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Aug 9, 2022 14:49
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Oh also! So far I think only wuggles has done this, but if people want to write any blurbs and/or paragraphs about why the games listed for a given year are good/important/influential/etc. that would be cool! That's what I plan to do (and why my post is probably going to take a while). It's not required in the rules but it would probably spark more discussion.
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Aug 9, 2022 14:53
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wuggles posted:Harrow, I think you should update the OP too I updated it yesterday! Harrow posted:1. You may vote for up to three calendar years. Your post (or posts) can include a first, second, and third-place vote. Your first-place year will get 5 points; your second will get 3 points; your third will get 1 point. You do not have to use all three votes--if you want to vote for just one year, or two, that's totally fine. If you do include more than one year, please make it clear which is your first, second, and third choice or I won't be able to count your votes!
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Aug 9, 2022 15:36
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Impact is just one of many things to consider. Nobody has to follow the criteria in the OP--like I said, the criteria you use are ultimately up to use. Those are just some questions to get the thinkin'-wheels turning.
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Aug 9, 2022 18:33
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Hell yes, I am ready for Mathpost
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Aug 9, 2022 19:31
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:more recent years tend to have more Ps, and are thewrefore scientifically better 2008 is the winner for having exactly 1000 Ps
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Aug 9, 2022 19:33
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Sherbert Hoover posted:yeah my first thought was 1994 and i'm sticking with it Remember that if you want your vote to count, you have to write something about the year (or years) you're voting for!
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Aug 9, 2022 20:15
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However we cannot see the future, and so we can only vote for the best year in gaming so far
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Aug 9, 2022 20:23
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VideoGames posted:b. poo poo, you're right, that's a really big one. Minecraft has always been kind of a blind spot for me. I'm one of the very rare video game likers who's just never even tried Minecraft at all so sometimes I forget just how huge of a deal it is. That and Dark Souls in the same year adds a lot of weight to 2011 just on their own. THE AWESOME GHOST posted:I thought this would be an easy choice, but it turns out videogames own and have continued to own. I'm reading through the thread and thinking ah poo poo, this was also a very good year lol same, my own vote is probably going to come in right under the wire as I continue to second-guess myself
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Aug 10, 2022 13:13
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Erwin the German posted:Neat thread. Here’s why it’s 2000. This is a really great writeup about 2000! That's a year I hadn't really considered but just scrolling down your post before I read it and seeing the box arts I was like "poo poo, that year was stacked." The Sims is another one of those games whose impact I sometimes forget about because it's not (anymore, at least) the kind of game I spend too much time playing or thinking about. But I loved The Sims when it was new. It was such a weird and different kind of game that absolutely fascinated me at the time. Its impact is important because, at least in the west, it seemed to open up a whole new avenue of gaming for people, and that's cool. Life sims were already a thing, especially in Japan ("dating sims," for example, actually do have pretty in-depth life sim elements as part of them), but The Sims expanding that concept to families and neighborhoods was cool and exciting.
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Aug 10, 2022 18:28
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Oh god I still have to make my list gently caressFeels Villeneuve posted:the whole "your favorite was when you were 16" talk annoys me, people are perfectly capable of critically looking at stuff lol Yeah I always hate that stuff. Or like "the only reason you like your favorite <X> is because it's the one you played when you were 12-16" or whatever, pick a series and an age and just run with it to dismiss any argument.
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Aug 24, 2022 19:36
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I do think that discussions like these are more interesting when people talk about not only which games were released that year, but also why those games matter, but I didn't want to require that in posts because I thought like three people total would've wanted to write an essay that long. It's why mine's taking so long 
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Aug 24, 2022 19:41
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so much data....... 
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Aug 25, 2022 20:13
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I really shoulda got my post in earlier, I can’t follow Rarity! I mean I’m honor bound to, and yet… Also drat 1998 and 2000 coming in strong, huh?
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Aug 27, 2022 00:43
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It sure is! We've got until midnight Pacific time on Wednesday to get votes in, and then I'll start tallying. I'm gonna try to get my post in today!! Really gonna try
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Aug 29, 2022 12:59
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Cool Kids Club Soda posted:Should I just post a quick rundown for my votes or should I bother with the 2 feature length articles I wrote because I apparently have a lot of thoughts about games 
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Aug 29, 2022 18:15
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Hello everyone, I have received an anonymous request for a deadline extension that is for a very good reason (and is not because I'm procrastinating my own entry, though that is also an added benefit for me) So I'm extending the thread deadline by one week! Trust me, the entries we'll get from the extension will be worth it. The new deadline is now  00:00 AM PDT on Thursday, September 8! Please post all complaints about having to wait longer for results in this thread so as to amp up the post count and make it look even more popular, thank you.
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Aug 29, 2022 20:40
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:the princess! they are in another castle! it's this, I lost the princess and need another week to save her from Bowser
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Aug 29, 2022 21:02
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Hello everyone! A reminder that voting will be closed in about two days! If you have any last-minute additions or changes, make sure you get them in now!
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Sep 6, 2022 18:31
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If Rarity needs more time I'd be happy to extend the deadline, I just didn't want to extend this beyond people's interest in the thread. Then again Rarity's posts probably create more interest so it'd probably be worth it. Up to her, if she wants more time!
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Sep 6, 2022 20:34
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Rarity posted:I would love more time. As I explained to Harrow in a very stressed out PM the free time I had to finish my stuff was eaten up being sick and then having to work super late tonight Would another week do it? I'd hate to close down the thread before some of its best posts could be made.
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Sep 8, 2022 12:44
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The important part of this thread are the good posts, so I'm very happy to keep it running 
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Sep 8, 2022 13:24
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Cool Kids Club Soda posted:Making it real tempting to do another effort post on 2001 here
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Sep 8, 2022 19:07
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I’m afraid Rarity has used science and that means we must trust her methods
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Sep 10, 2022 22:35
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Stux posted:aslo who on earth would mention pyre instead of cuphead for a 2017 indie I think it's good Pyre got included because it's excellent, however leaving out games like Cuphead and Yakuza 0 sadly sandbags 2017 and ignores some of its best games, and for this reason I think 2017 deserves a higher score
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Sep 15, 2022 22:30
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Making me wish there was a way to play Bushido Blade online so Stux and Rarity could settle this with an honorable duel, steel vs steel, with the victorious warrior declared correct by divine right
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Sep 15, 2022 23:19
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I must tabulate!! I will try to have The Official Results by mid-next week. You may yell at me if they are late.
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Sep 18, 2022 00:49
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Oh poo poo!! I forgot!! gently caress!!! I don't know if I will have time this weekend to wrap up this thread but I will try!
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Sep 23, 2022 14:19
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Cool Kids Club Soda posted:Year of the Year of the Game lol lol
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Sep 23, 2022 14:22
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I have brought shame upon the forums
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Sep 23, 2022 14:38
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lmao was not expecting Kyle Bosman
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Sep 23, 2022 15:12
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I'm tabulating! The tabulation is nearly complete! Results tomorrow! We'll be doing a countdown of the top 10 best years in gaming so far, as decided in an official, real, and binding fashion by Something Awful Video Games forum posters.
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Sep 25, 2022 23:24
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| # ¿ May 10, 2024 13:21 |
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A bit of trivia to perhaps spark some discussion: here is the list of years that received zero votes. The earliest year to receive any votes as 1982, so I'm listing any years between 1982 and 2022 that nobody voted for at all. They are: 1983 1984 1987 1988 1990 1991 2006 2009 2014 2015 2020
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Sep 26, 2022 00:15
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