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XYZZY Awards

The XYZZY Awards are the annual awards given to works of interactive fiction, serving a similar role to the Academy Awards for film.[1] The awards were inaugurated in 1997 by Eileen Mullin, the editor of XYZZYnews.[2] Any game released during the year prior to the award ceremony is eligible for nomination to receive an award. The decision process takes place in two stages: members of the interactive fiction community nominate works within specific categories and sufficiently supported nominations become finalists within those categories. Community members then vote among the finalists, and the game receiving a plurality of votes is given the award in an online ceremony. [3]

Since 1997, the XYZZY Awards have become one of the most important events within the interactive fiction community.[4] Together with events like the Interactive Fiction Competition and Spring Thing, the XYZZY Awards provide opportunities for the community to encourage and reward the creation and development of new works within a genre that is no longer commercially lucrative.[5]

The name of the awards comes from the magic word "xyzzy" causing teleportation from the popular early text adventure game Adventure.

Awards

The awards have been presented in the following categories.[6]

Best game

The game which is the most enjoyable as a whole; other awards recognize merit in particular qualities.

Best writing

A game which rises above the others in the quality of its descriptive text.

Best story

The game with the deepest or most original story.

Best setting

The most original or best-described locations.

Best puzzles

The most well-crafted, clever, and appropriate puzzles.

Best NPCs

Appropriate, amusing, and well-written casts of non-player characters.

Best individual puzzle

The most inspired, well-crafted, and intriguing puzzle.

Best individual NPC

A particularly well-implemented and well-written non-player character.

Best individual PC

A particularly well-defined and well-written player character.

Best use of medium

The category had no specific criteria given to voters; many chose to interpret this award as a recognition of particularly daring interpretations of the limits and abilities of interactive fiction, especially as regards the relationship between the player, narrator, and player character. This award was retired in 2010, when Best Implementation and Best Use of Innovation were introduced as replacements.

Best implementation

Introduced in 2010 along with Best Use of Innovation, to replace the Best use of Medium award. It recognizes "completeness of implementation, excellence in parser messages, etc".[8]

Best use of innovation

Introduced in 2010 along with Best Implementation, to replace the Best use of Medium award. It recognizes the "most innovative game".[8]

Best technological development

Recognizes "interpreters, authoring systems, libraries, utilities, and so on".[8]

Best supplemental materials

Outstanding non-game content ("feelies") created to accompany specific games. Eligibility is based on the year when the supplemental materials were released, regardless of the year of release of the game.

Best use of multimedia

References

  1. ^ Videogame, Player, Text. Manchester University Press. 2007. p. 189. ISBN 9780719074004.
  2. ^ Nick Montfort (11 February 2005). Twisty Little Passages: An Approach To Interactive Fiction. MIT Press. p. 210. ISBN 9780262633185.
  3. ^ Montfort, Nick; Ashwell, Sam Kabo; Cornelson, Dave; Shiovitz, Dan (2005-04-08). "Interactive Fiction FAQ". Interactive Fiction: Other Poetic and Imaginative Writing for the Computer and Writing on Digital Media Topics. Retrieved 2010-09-01.
  4. ^ Carless, Simon. XYZZY Ranks Top Text Adventures For 2005. GameSetWatch. 28 March 2006.
  5. ^ Davidson, Drew. Well played 1.0: video games, value and meaning. ETC Press. 2009. ISBN 0557069750
  6. ^ Compiled from:
    • "XYZZY Award Results 1996-2004 by Dylan O'Donnell". Archived from the original on 2007-02-10. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZY Awards at Baf's Guide to the IF Archive". Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 1996 finalists (at IF Archive)". Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 1996 winners (at IF Archive)". Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 1997 finalists (at IF Archive)". Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 1997 winners". Archived from the original on 2010-02-28. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 1998 finalists". Archived from the original on 2011-05-17. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 1998 winners". Archived from the original on 2007-02-02. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 1999 finalists". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 1999 winners". Archived from the original on 2000-03-03. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2000 finalists". Archived from the original on 2013-02-10. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2000 winners". Archived from the original on 2008-10-03. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2001 finalists". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2001 winners". Archived from the original on 2002-06-09. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2002 finalists". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2002 winners". Archived from the original on 2007-02-04. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2003 finalists". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2003 winners". Archived from the original on 2007-02-04. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2004 finalists". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2004 winners". Archived from the original on 2005-03-27. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2005 finalists". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2005 winners". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2006 finalists". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2006 winners". Archived from the original on 2007-05-15. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
    • "XYZZYNews 2007 finalists". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
    • "XYZZYNews 2007 winners". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
    • "XYZZY Awards 2008 at IFWiki". Retrieved 2009-04-30.
    • "XYZZY awards winners 2009". Archived from the original on 2010-03-24. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
    • "XYZZY awards finalists 2009". Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
    • "XYZZY awards finalists 2010". Retrieved 2011-03-23.
    • "XYZZY Awards Historical Results". Retrieved 2013-12-20.
  7. ^ Porpentine (May 12, 2013). "PORPENTINE — HOWLING DOGS CONTINUES THE SWEEP". PORPENTINE. Tumblr. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c "What's new with the XYZZY Awards in 2010?". XYZZY Awards FAQ. Archived from the original on 2012-07-27. Retrieved 2013-12-20.

Further reading

External links