▲
3
▼
During the lead-up to The Game Awards 2023, several people became confused by Dave the Diver's nomination for "Best Independent Game" since Mintrocket, the game's developer, is a subsidiary of the much larger Nexon, who had previously claimed that the game was not necessarily an indie. This sparked debates as to what exactly counts as an "indie" video game, as another game that had received nominations, Baldur's Gate 3, was also technically independent, but was likely not counted due to both Larian Studio's employee count and the use of an existing IP. The Game Awards' host Geoff Keighley would later respond that "independent can mean different things to different people", and that it was up to a jury to decide the final decisions. During this, a similar debate arose in regards to the "Games for Impact" nomination: described as "a locker to stuff all the diverse games into", it was noted that five of the six nominees had not received any other nominations, and seemed limited to independent games despite there being other games that fit the criteria.
Dave the Diver's nomination:
https://www.inverse.com/gaming/game-awards-2023-nomination-snubs-and-surprises
Balder's Gate 3 comparison:
https://www.thegamer.com/indie-games-categories-goty-tga-the-game-awards-dave-diver/
Geoff Keighley response:
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/keighley-weighs-in-on-debate-over-dave-the-diver-qualifying-for-best-indie-game/
Games for Impact discussion:
https://www.thegamer.com/the-game-awards-games-for-impact-goodbye-volcano-high-queerness-culture-inclusivity/
https://www.inverse.com/gaming/game-awards-2023-nomination-snubs-and-surprises
Balder's Gate 3 comparison:
https://www.thegamer.com/indie-games-categories-goty-tga-the-game-awards-dave-diver/
Geoff Keighley response:
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/keighley-weighs-in-on-debate-over-dave-the-diver-qualifying-for-best-indie-game/
Games for Impact discussion:
https://www.thegamer.com/the-game-awards-games-for-impact-goodbye-volcano-high-queerness-culture-inclusivity/
Related Games
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments
Avowed
Bound
Roblox
Kao the Kangaroo
The Sims 4
Disney Speedstorm
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Freddy in Space 2
Oxenfree
The Thing
NBA Live 2003
Disney's Tigger's Honey Hunt
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Petpet Park
Crazy Frog Racer 2
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Touhou Shinkirou: Hopeless Masquerade
Metro: Last Light
Pokémon Shining Pearl
The Darkness II
The Walking Dead
Enemy Zero
Hush Hush: Only Your Love Can Save Them
Desert Bus VR
Wizard101
Limbo of the Lost
Defender
Andy's Apple Farm
Sega Ages Alex Kidd in Miracle World
Chicken Run
Five Nights with Mac Tonight
Payday 3
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2
Fruit Ninja
Double Dragon Advance
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Sleeping Dogs
Moon
Fears to Fathom: Home Alone
Manhunt
Halo: Combat Evolved
Unreal Tournament 2004
The Last Blade
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
SpongeBob SquarePants 3D Obstacle Odyssey
Alan Hansen's Sports Challenge
Star Trek: The Kobayashi Alternative
Carmageddon TDR 2000