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The Last of Us Part II dominates this year’s D.I.C.E. Awards nominations

By Giovanni Colantonio January 26, 2021

The nominees for this year’s D.I.C.E. Awards are out, and The Last of Us Part II leads the pack with 11 nominations, while 2020 highlights like Hades and Ghost of Tsushima made it into several categories.

The D.I.C.E. Awards are put together by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Last year, Untitled Goose Game scored a surprise Game of the Year win at the event, making this year’s show worth keeping an eye on.

This year’s Game of the Year nominees are The Last of Us Part II, Hades, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Ghost of Tsushima. That’s nearly identical to the crop at this year’s Game Awards, minus Doom Eternal.

The Last of Us Part II could likely repeat its big night at the Game Awards thanks to nominations in most of the show’s biggest categories, including Outstanding Technical Achievement and Outstanding Achievement in Story.

Indie hit Hades is in a great position this year with eight nominations. The game will go up against such major studio titles as Half-Life: Alyx in categories like Best Action Game.

While there are no big surprises here, it’s worth noting that Cyberpunk 2077 was eligible for these awards and scored one nomination for Role-playing Game of the Year. CD Projekt Red’s controversial open-world game was ineligible for this year’s Game Awards due to its December release date and is expected to compete next year.

Noticeably absent from the list is Among Us, which scored multiple wins at the Game Awards. The game received nominations at the 2020 event despite coming out in 2018.

Voting for the D.I.C.E. Awards begins today and the winners will be revealed on April 8 during a digital ceremony.

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Giovanni Colantonio

Section Editor, Gaming

Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…

Gaming

The Last Of Us Part I haptic dialogue feedback enhances accessibility

Ellie looking concerned.

The gaming industry continues to do right by gamers with disabilities by putting accessibility features in upcoming games, including The Last Of Us Part I. Naughty Dog has given us an overview of the accessibility features that will be included in the remake of the 2013 classic PlayStation 3 title.

As Sony wrote in the PlayStation Blog, the studio took most of the features that were available in The Last Of Us Part II and expanded upon them. The two features that stand out the most are audio descriptions for cinematic cutscenes and haptic feedback for dialogue. Game director Mattew Gallant said the studio expanded upon those features to make the game even more accessible to blind and deaf players than in the original game.

Gaming

The Last of Us Part I should launch on PlayStation Plus Premium

Ellie looking concerned.

The Last of Us Part I is one of the most notable PlayStation 5 games to launch this fall. It’s also one of the year’s most controversial titles.
Despite the acclaim associated with The Last of Us series, there is heated debate surrounding the remake’s $70 price tag, which is more than the original release and The Last of Us Remastered cost at release -- even though it's lacking the multiplayer mode that came with both. This situation turned what should be a certified slam dunk for Sony into a divisive release, and Sony could fix it with one key change: making The Last of Us Part I a day-one title on PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium.
This isn’t because The Last of Us Part I isn’t worth $70. In fact, its improved visuals and the vast amount of new accessibility features clearly warrant the price tag in the eyes of some. That said, even defenders of the heightened price can recognize the controversy arising from charging more than ever for a remake of a twice-released game. The Last of Us Part I is in a rough situation, and being a PS Plus game would ease some of those concerns.
Why being on PS Plus would work
As The Last of Us is one of Sony's most popular modern franchises and has a TV show on the way, it's understandable why Sony and developer Naughty Dog eagerly want a modernized version of The Last of Us Part I on store shelves at full price. Still, those who've already bought the game twice and aren't impressed by the visual and accessibility overhaul don't seem as compelled to pick up the game for the third time. Sony would remove this significant roadblock plaguing The Last of Us Part I by putting the game on a subscription service.
The Last of Us Part I Rebuilt for PS5 - Features and Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games
There are plenty of examples showing why this would be a wise idea. The Age of Empire series' Definitive Edition games showed how well remakes work on subscription services. Several years after their original release, many players are still actively engaged with the first three Age of Empire games. While interested players can still purchase the remakes individually, putting those games on Game Pass for PC on day one ensured that the community didn't have to pay full price for a game they were already playing daily. Instead, they could just get the remake through their subscription and continue.
The Last of Us Part I is in a similar situation, even with the multiplayer content removed. This demonstrates why a subscription service release could lessen some of the negative stigmas around the game. The successful Stray, which was included in PS Plus at launch, shows that day one PlayStation Plus games can still generate plenty of positive buzz. The game's subscription service availability ensured that the conversation stayed on the game's cute cats, not the fact that it was a $30 game that only lasted about five hours.
Sony has recognized the power PS Plus can have on embattled games before. Destruction All-Stars was originally a $70 PS5 launch title, but ultimately launched as a PlayStation Plus game that was free to subscribers. Although The Last of Us Part I seems like it’ll be a better game than Destruction All-Stars, a day one game makes even more sense on PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra now than it did on PS Plus in February 2021.

Despite all of those factors, Jim Ryan made it clear that he does not want AAA PlayStation Studios games on PlayStation Plus Premium or Extra on day one during an interview with Games Industry.
“We feel like we are in a good virtuous cycle with the studios where the investment delivers success, which enables yet more investment, which delivers yet more success,” Ryan said. “We like that cycle and we think our gamers like that cycle … We feel if we were to do that with the games that we make at PlayStation Studios, that virtuous cycle will be broken. The level of investment that we need to make in our studios would not be possible, and we think the knock-on effect on the quality of the games that we make would not be something that gamers want."
His argument makes sense from a business standpoint, but data from Microsoft shows that people play more games (and games they might not have played initially) when they are available on a subscription service. Even if it seems unfair to judge, many people weigh the amount of new, entertaining content a game offers to its price tag. Sony's can't truly say whether The Last of Us Part I is worth $70, but it can shift the discussion in its favor with an act of goodwill.
The Last of Us Part I will be released for PS5 on September 2, 2022.

Gaming

The Last of Us Part 1 boasts a groundbreaking accessibility feature

Ellie pets a giraffe in The Last of Us Part I.

Naughty Dog and Sony have released a new 10-minute video featuring gameplay footage of The Last of Us Part 1. The video includes interviews with some of the game's developers, shedding light on many of the remake's improvements, including a range of accessibility features. Most notable is a detailed audio description feature built into the game, which narrates cutscenes, allowing more players to enjoy the experience.

The Last of Us Part I Rebuilt for PS5 - Features and Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games