ICV2 has just reported that graphic novels will soon be eligible for the prestigious Hugo Award. The notion does have to be ratified, but if it goes through, “‘Any science fiction or fantasy story told in graphic form appearing for the first time in the previous calendar year’ will be eligible.” It got me thinking – if graphic novels are enjoying literary legitimacy these days, could videogames be next?
We all have our favorite examples of which games we feel qualify as bona-fide works of art or pieces of literature. Just to rattle off a few, we’ve got BioShock, Shadow of the Colossus, newcomer Braid, etc. And a case could certainly be made for the satirical/meta stylings of titles such as Grand Theft Auto IV or Metal Gear Solid IV. Sure, these games are the cream of the crop, but so are any other “award-winning” works. And on the flip side, the average beach novel may not be a masterpiece, but it’s no less a cultural artifact than Homer’s Odyssey.
Alright, I may be getting ahead of myself here. But I do see the possibility of games breaking into the “mainstream” award space in the next few years. Mark my words.
Read [ICV2]
I think it unlikely that you'll see a Hugo Award for videogames, because the 2006 Worldcon in Anaheim trialed such a category but dropped it because of lack of interest, as explained in the <a href="official" rel="nofollow">http://www.laconiv.org/2006/hugos/winners.htm">official results announcement. It's highly unlikely that the members of the World Science Fiction Society would be enthusiastic about adding a category for which not enough people make nominations.
(Remember, the Hugo Awards aren't decided by a small group of Secret Judges or something like that. Every member of Worldcon can nominate works, and anyone can become a member of Worldcon. Categories fail or succeed based on the interest of members of Worldcon.)