“I’m gay, black, a furry—pretty much everything a Republican hates—”
December 8, 2018 9:23 AM Subscribe
SonicFox Steals The Show at The Game Awards [YouTube] Dominique “SonicFox” McLean took home the award for Best Esports Player tonight at The Game Awards in Los Angeles. The 20-year-old full-time student and fighting game ace gave a candid acceptance speech that was one of the night’s more heartfelt moments. Stepping on stage in his now-iconic fursuit, McLean gave an acceptance speech that was funny, honest, and worth watching. [via: Kotaku] [YouTube][The Game Awards Full Show]
• Here are all the winners from the 2018 Game Awards [Destructoid]
• Here are all the winners from the 2018 Game Awards [Destructoid]
Game of the Year: God of War• Watch all the game trailers from The Game Awards [Polygon]
Best Ongoing Game: Fortnite
Best Game Direction: God of War
Best Narrative: Red Dead Redemption 2
Best Art Direction: Return of the Obra Dinn
Best Score: Red Dead Redemption 2
Best Audio Design: Red Dead Redemption 2
Best Performance: Roger Clark as Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption 2)
Games for Impact: Celeste
Best Independent Game: Celeste
Best Mobile Game: Florence
Best VR/AR Game: Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
Best Action Game: Dead Cells
Best Action/Adventure Game: God of War
Best Role-Playing Game: Monster Hunter World
Best Fighting Game: Dragon Ball FighterZ
Best Family Game: Overcooked 2
Best Strategy Game: Into the Breach
Best Sports/Racing Game: Forza Horizon 4
Best Multiplayer Game: Fortnite
Best Student Game: Combat 2018
Best Debut Indie Game: The Messenger
Content Creator of the Year: Ninja
Best Esports Game: Overwatch
Best Esports Player: SonicFox
Best Esports Team: Cloud 9
Best Esports Event: The LOL World Championship
Best Esports Host: Skojz
Best Esports Coach: Reapered
Best Esports Moment: Cloud 9 comeback in triple OT
Industry Icon: Greg Thomas (Visual Concepts)
“The 2018 Game Awards did a good job honoring games and presenting a fun, exciting awards show, but the biggest draw of the night might have been all the huge game reveals and trailers. And there were some legitimate surprises. Who expected a new Marvel Ultimate Alliance game to be announced as a Switch exclusive? Who could have guessed The Stanley Parable would finally be coming to consoles?”• The Game Awards has made its peace with what it can and can’t do [The Verge]
“Now in its fifth year, TGA isn’t just the biggest show in games. It’s a mirror image of the industry itself, flaws and all. “We’re here to celebrate games and the people in the industry, both who make games and also those who play them,” Keighley tells The Verge. His vision has always been to bring the gaming community together to celebrate a medium that doesn’t always get the respect he thinks it’s due. [...] With the rise of live-streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube, Keighley saw a huge opportunity to create a show on his terms. “That’s what really birthed the show, this belief that no one else was going to do what I wanted to do,” he says. “There was a window of opportunity to create something, and I better seize it.” It’s worked out in his favor. Where the first live stream in 2014 pulled in 1.9 million viewers, numbers in its fourth year soared to 11.5 million. Each show is a nearly year-round project, from booking the venue to visiting publishers and working with developers to hash out what will appear onstage. “We’re kind of over that hump now in terms of people believe in the show, support it, continues to grow in terms of audience,” Keighley says.”
I don't think it would be a trifecta then.
posted by freebird at 10:00 AM on December 8, 2018 [39 favorites]
posted by freebird at 10:00 AM on December 8, 2018 [39 favorites]
Ah, SonicFox. For those of you not acquainted with the fighting game community, imagine if Michael Jordan was an MVP-level player at baseball as well. Then throw in a couple of other sports for good measure.
SonicFox has been one of the most dominant 2D fighting game players since 2014, where he won Injustice at EVO for the first time. He's won 3 more EVO championships across 3 different games since. He's an absolute monster of a player.
Dude shows up in ears and a tail to every event. When things get serious, the ears come off.
posted by isauteikisa at 10:01 AM on December 8, 2018 [14 favorites]
SonicFox has been one of the most dominant 2D fighting game players since 2014, where he won Injustice at EVO for the first time. He's won 3 more EVO championships across 3 different games since. He's an absolute monster of a player.
Dude shows up in ears and a tail to every event. When things get serious, the ears come off.
posted by isauteikisa at 10:01 AM on December 8, 2018 [14 favorites]
Having seen the fighting game community embarrass itself on multiple occasions, nothing makes me happier about videogames than knowing that the undisputed best player in the world is a gay black furry.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:10 AM on December 8, 2018 [45 favorites]
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:10 AM on December 8, 2018 [45 favorites]
That was great to see, although I don't follow competitive fighting or EVO I appreciate the fact that he used his platform to put diverse gaming out there and to push back against the CHUDs. That's not nothing, especially in since it's putting an even bigger target on his back. It's a really bold move.
Also, we're finally getting New Vegas 2! Sort of. Close enough.
posted by codacorolla at 10:30 AM on December 8, 2018 [4 favorites]
Also, we're finally getting New Vegas 2! Sort of. Close enough.
posted by codacorolla at 10:30 AM on December 8, 2018 [4 favorites]
I appreciate the fact that he used his platform to put diverse gaming out there and to push back against the CHUDs.
Yeah, this is good to see. The Game Awards could do better though, and I think Geoff Keighley stepping back a bit would be the best option. I know it's his baby but it'd be nice if he took a step back and allowed the award show to start to breath on its own and bring in some outside hosting duties and some more diversity into how things are presented and organized.
Having other game developers or creators present, boosting smaller companies, giving them a platform and highlighting the indie work they do, more individuals like SonicFox, people who are LGTBQ, people of colour, people who game with disabilities or impairments. Showcase the full diversity of gaming and gamers that exist. That this community is more than just gamergate bros.
posted by Fizz at 10:47 AM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]
Yeah, this is good to see. The Game Awards could do better though, and I think Geoff Keighley stepping back a bit would be the best option. I know it's his baby but it'd be nice if he took a step back and allowed the award show to start to breath on its own and bring in some outside hosting duties and some more diversity into how things are presented and organized.
Having other game developers or creators present, boosting smaller companies, giving them a platform and highlighting the indie work they do, more individuals like SonicFox, people who are LGTBQ, people of colour, people who game with disabilities or impairments. Showcase the full diversity of gaming and gamers that exist. That this community is more than just gamergate bros.
posted by Fizz at 10:47 AM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]
the tremendous cheer in the auditorium when he said "i'm a huge gay" was so fucking wholesome
posted by poffin boffin at 11:15 AM on December 8, 2018 [20 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 11:15 AM on December 8, 2018 [20 favorites]
I just loved his giggling and the nervous energy he had, you can tell it was this pure moment of joy and happiness.
posted by Fizz at 11:18 AM on December 8, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 11:18 AM on December 8, 2018 [8 favorites]
And my team debuted the first trailer for our game, Psychonauts 2!
posted by GameDesignerBen at 11:33 AM on December 8, 2018 [41 favorites]
posted by GameDesignerBen at 11:33 AM on December 8, 2018 [41 favorites]
I'm loving to see the "gamers" losing their shit over this. If you are so "triggered" to throw a fit online, find another hobby with very little chance of "outsiders" "invading" your "safe space", like Nazi facial tattoos, you bunch of chuds.
*puts some ice on air-quote fingers*
Best Sports/Racing Game:
Ah, yes, the Best comedy or musical award of gaming. With the extra bonus of having separate action and action/adventure awards.
posted by lmfsilva at 12:19 PM on December 8, 2018 [5 favorites]
*puts some ice on air-quote fingers*
Best Sports/Racing Game:
Ah, yes, the Best comedy or musical award of gaming. With the extra bonus of having separate action and action/adventure awards.
posted by lmfsilva at 12:19 PM on December 8, 2018 [5 favorites]
And my team debuted the first trailer for our game, Psychonauts 2!
Does that mean we can call it Metafilter's Own™ Psychonauts 2™?
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 12:36 PM on December 8, 2018 [12 favorites]
Does that mean we can call it Metafilter's Own™ Psychonauts 2™?
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 12:36 PM on December 8, 2018 [12 favorites]
Also: Sonicfox being proud of who he is flies in the face of Gamers who only know how to be proud of what they buy
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 12:37 PM on December 8, 2018 [14 favorites]
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 12:37 PM on December 8, 2018 [14 favorites]
A gay black furry wins a major award for being the best video game player in the world.
Yeah, this is EXACTLY the future this liberal wanted. Way to go, SonicFox!
posted by KingEdRa at 1:04 PM on December 8, 2018 [21 favorites]
Yeah, this is EXACTLY the future this liberal wanted. Way to go, SonicFox!
posted by KingEdRa at 1:04 PM on December 8, 2018 [21 favorites]
should... should I have hope? has gaming fought off its neonazi infection?
one of the things that gives me hope for the future is that the sci-fi community managed to fight off their neonazi infection, and so only a few years after the sad/rabid puppies movements tried to blow up the hugo awards we find N.K. Jemisin winning like basically every sci-fi award forever. if the ultimate result of the attack on gaming by the gamergaters ended up resulting in gaming becoming a scene where queer poc are front and center and white nazis are nowhere, that might give me reason to believe that we’ll be able to fight off the current white nationalist attack on the united states and europe and get back on the path to gay space communism.
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 2:36 PM on December 8, 2018 [12 favorites]
one of the things that gives me hope for the future is that the sci-fi community managed to fight off their neonazi infection, and so only a few years after the sad/rabid puppies movements tried to blow up the hugo awards we find N.K. Jemisin winning like basically every sci-fi award forever. if the ultimate result of the attack on gaming by the gamergaters ended up resulting in gaming becoming a scene where queer poc are front and center and white nazis are nowhere, that might give me reason to believe that we’ll be able to fight off the current white nationalist attack on the united states and europe and get back on the path to gay space communism.
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 2:36 PM on December 8, 2018 [12 favorites]
Yet another alt-right safe space falls by the wayside. Won’t SOMEONE think of the basement-dwelling Nazis??
posted by Atom Eyes at 5:21 PM on December 8, 2018
posted by Atom Eyes at 5:21 PM on December 8, 2018
Are video games a blindspot in the cultural resistance to Trump?
posted by Artw at 5:30 PM on December 8, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 5:30 PM on December 8, 2018 [1 favorite]
should... should I have hope? has gaming fought off its neonazi infection?
No, a few days ago there was a massive blowup over the Battlefield developers trying to make an inclusive statement about their game.
posted by Merus at 7:56 PM on December 8, 2018 [3 favorites]
No, a few days ago there was a massive blowup over the Battlefield developers trying to make an inclusive statement about their game.
posted by Merus at 7:56 PM on December 8, 2018 [3 favorites]
SonicFox and Gritty for next Smash Bros expansion.
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 11:06 PM on December 8, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by Pickman's Next Top Model at 11:06 PM on December 8, 2018 [8 favorites]
My only real interests in life are gaming, sci-fi, and intersectional leftism, so SonicFox's victory should make me happier than it did. Before SonicFox won, I saw him and his fellow furries as the moral equivalent of lepers with blue contact lenses, fodder for cruel jokes. I was talking with my gaming friends over social media, and we reached the conclusion that I was using my discomfort with his furry identity, to justify my unexamined scorn towards him. In the human-rights-obsessed future I want to live in, the man would be even freer to be himself, so here's to SonicFox for pushing the envelope. He's doing more to change the world than this straight black gamer is at the moment, and I wholeheartedly salute his efforts.
Not sure how perceptive I am Pynchon, but gaming culture is definitely mixed even now, and my best guess would be 40-60 in favor of the Gamergaters. There's a lot of what I call "intersectional bigotry"
posted by IShouldBeStudyingRightNow at 6:00 AM on December 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
Not sure how perceptive I am Pynchon, but gaming culture is definitely mixed even now, and my best guess would be 40-60 in favor of the Gamergaters. There's a lot of what I call "intersectional bigotry"
posted by IShouldBeStudyingRightNow at 6:00 AM on December 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
Ran out of time to edit...
I don't what else to call it so I've coined it "intersectional bigotry", by which I mean online spaces facilitating communal scorn toward easy targets from crowds who should know better. The crowds I'm imagining are locked in a Gordian Knot of false consciousness, for example a gay-bashing black dude and a racist white gay dude and a Jewish lady in a wheelchair, all three of whom will identify with the 4chan zeitgeist, doing anything to maintain the illusion that gaming culture is perfect as it is, and that any social critique of gaming is verboten by definition. Not sure if I'm being clear here.
posted by IShouldBeStudyingRightNow at 6:12 AM on December 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
I don't what else to call it so I've coined it "intersectional bigotry", by which I mean online spaces facilitating communal scorn toward easy targets from crowds who should know better. The crowds I'm imagining are locked in a Gordian Knot of false consciousness, for example a gay-bashing black dude and a racist white gay dude and a Jewish lady in a wheelchair, all three of whom will identify with the 4chan zeitgeist, doing anything to maintain the illusion that gaming culture is perfect as it is, and that any social critique of gaming is verboten by definition. Not sure if I'm being clear here.
posted by IShouldBeStudyingRightNow at 6:12 AM on December 10, 2018 [2 favorites]
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