The Game Awards Saw Record Numbers Once Again

gameranx.com:

The Game Awards are always going to be something that is hotly debated for various reasons. But one thing that you must give them, even if you don’t want to, is that because of their platform and being streamed all over the place, they have done incredible numbers from when they started in 2014. They got 1.9 million viewers that first year, which isn’t too bad considering the period. But when you fast forward to 2023, you see just how big things have gotten, as the latest show had 118 million viewers worldwide. That’s a 15% increase from the previous year and proof that the show is still growing.

As one would expect, the official handle for The Game Awards and its showrunner, Geoff Keighley, were quick to praise this development and thank everyone who watched it:

We are humbled to announce that #TheGameAwards reached a new viewership milestone of 118 million global livestreams in 2023, the most watched show in our 10 year history.

Thank you for watching and for your feedback! pic.twitter.com/wbabzF59Cp

While it’s fair to “give them their flowers” for getting such numbers, you’ll see a recurring trend if you look at the comment sections for both posts. Specifically, you’ll see people praising the numbers but asking for big changes with the show.

To recap, the 2023 show was three hours and thirty-seven minutes long, and yet the award winners only got to speak about their victories for a COMBINED ten minutes. Many people called out Geoff Keighley for his lack of empathy on certain “dark matters” in the gaming industry via his complete ignoring of it and only saying that “2023 was an epic year for gaming.”

Others blasted the show for focusing more on the celebrities who were there or for weird bits that took away from the