@edussz Sony published the game, the best you can hope for is a PC port but that is highly unlikely since TheGameCompany only produces for PS3 and is highly protective of their work as art.

@midoo2004 Have you played Journey? This isn't a game you can just watch someone else play and get the same experience, you have to experience it for yourself.

Also the people's choice setup is terrible, placing Journey and The Walking Dead immediately against each other splits the votes for both games hard. Also popularity doesn't mean a game is good, it just means it is more visible to the average consumer, that's why the Oscars are frequently filled with movies most people have never heard of.

@USAPATRIOT21 @Jag85 Sorry but review scores don't mean anything because it is just one person's subjective scaling. What very well might be 10/10 for you could be an 8/10 or 5/10 for another. Now consider that the GotY nominees were picked by the whole review staff of Gamespot, and you are going to get much more mixed opinions.

@ultimate_saibot @KThxsBy Last Guardian has been actively in development so long that it has me worried that Sony has run out of budget or is about to for the game to still be profitable. If it gets to that point the game will most likely be rushed out the door to get some of the money back and be terrible.

@ultimate_saibot I'm a big fan of minimalism, so my preference tends to favor Journey over Dear Esther. I also didn't connect strongly to Dear Esther as it felt it was aiming to only hit a specific group of people, where as Journey was so raw that it aimed at hitting everyone in some way.

@ultimate_saibot The word "game" has become such a broad term in this industry. To me, "games" have evolved to the point where their core defining feature is direct real-time input to tell a story or evoke an experience or challenge. The game Journey did not play itself, you had to actively be there to move past the obstacles. Journey does not offer any challenge whatsoever, so it doesn't surprise me that some who play games for the challenge wouldn't consider it a game. However all games require real-time input from the player and for the player to be present, even games like Dear Esther.

@ultimate_saibot Dishonored was a good game, and I had a lot of fun playing it, but it at no point hit me emotionally like Journey did or get a 3rd playthrough from me. Dishonored certainly deserves the best gameplay of the year in it's level design and combat, but the overall experience just doesn't cut it compare to Journey.

The Walking Dead is very good and aims for a similar experience as Journey, but the reliance on dialog and scenes and characters make it feel more like a movie than a game. Also there is very little gameplay elements to TWD beyond making dialog choices, where as Journey invokes a thrill every time I jump, slide or fly. The Walkind Dead certainly deserves best writing, but how can it compete with a game that hit me harder emotionally with no writing at all.

@USAPATRIOT21 @Exploding8 only because past years have shown a prevalence for big budget releases to get GotY, for a small downloadable game to win is truly rare. Really the last time gamespot had a widely unexpected winner was 2009 with Demon's Souls, which also deserved it for very similar reasons to Journey.

@USAPATRIOT21 The emotional impact of the game doesn't show through videos, it just one of those things that you have to experience yourself. Having played most of the games nominated, I feel it is easily the best of the year.

If you are hating on this game or confused why it won goty both here and on IGN, then I have a few key points as to why.

- Journey's soundtrack is so good it is nominated for a Grammy this year and is the most sold video game soundtrack of all time. The soundtrack is one I can listen to multiple times and feel every range of emotion I felt while playing the game.

- The visuals are the prettiest stuff I've seen since Okami. I've actually painted 3 watercolor paintings based on this game and they look like they could be game footage.

- The co-op is the most innovative multiplayer I've seen since Demon's Souls in 2009. The game randomly groups you with another person and doesn't tell you, you just have to happen upon them. You can choose to complete the entire game without help but the prevailing sense of loneliness will compel you to follow or lead your anonymous friend. I remember I got attacked by the serpent early on and the other person ran all the way back to make sure I was okay. It's that kind of attachment to another person that the game invokes that makes this game so good.

- Jumping, sliding, flying, and just walking feel natural and fun. I've played through the sand slope city section multiple times simply because it is so exciting and intense. When my character and my anonymous friend finally fell over from the intense cold after trudging for 5 minutes in a snowstorm, I actually cried at the beauty and sadness through seeing the characters slowly get weaker and weaker in their movements.

- This game is only 2 hours long, but I've replayed it probably 5 times now because there is so much extra stuff to find and the game can still tug at my emotions.

- I could hand this game to anyone and they would be able to play it and take something away from it and in a reasonable running time.

The Walking Dead is the only other game this year that comes close to the emotional impact this game had, but I can't rate TWD higher than Journey. Journey conveys everything through minimalist mindset and does it better than TWD which uses mostly dialog and acting to get to you. TWD is less of a game and more of a movie in it's methods than Journey which purely a game in how dependent it is on player to make an emotional impact. Journey just hits at our subconscious and our conscious a a lot more than TWD because of this.