Famitsu Awards 2017 Winners Announced! The Legend of Zelda BotW" & "Dragon Quest XI" won the Game of the Year award!

Today, Friday, April 27, the comprehensive gaming information media "Famitsu" held the "Famitsu Awards 2017," in which gaming fans voted to select the best games of 2017.

The winners of each award were announced, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Dragon Quest XI: The Search for a Time Gone By, which won the Game of the Year award, as well as the winning titles and winners of each award.

The Famitsu Awards, now in their 13th year, have been held annually since 2006 to recognize outstanding games, people, and game makers that are highly supported by users and have made significant contributions to the development of the game industry, as voted for by readers of Famitsu Group media. This year's "Famitsu Awards 2017" were given to home video game console software released or distributed in 2017, as well as games that were in service as of 2017. As a result of the voting, two titles were selected as "Game of the Year" for the Famitsu Awards 2017, as the number of votes received was very close and both were great historical works.

The first was "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" (Nintendo Co., Ltd.), a game that completely revamps the series based on the keyword "rethink the ordinary. The reason for the award was that this title fascinated game fans around the world with its fun-filled exploration that overturns the conventional wisdom of open-world games.

The other award-winning title was "Dragon Quest XI: A Time Lost" (Square Enix Co., Ltd.), the latest installment of the nationally popular RPG "Dragon Quest," which has been a social phenomenon with each title. Released simultaneously on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo 3DS, this title surprised many players with its expressions and game systems that take advantage of the characteristics of each hardware.

In addition to the readers' vote, Famitsu also conducted an online survey on "eb-i" (operated by Gz Brain), a large-scale user research system targeting approximately 10,000 men and women aged 5 to 69 nationwide. The "Favourite App Award" was given to the app that was the most played and loved by users in 2017, and "LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum" (LINE Co., Ltd.), which is a persistently popular game, was selected for the second consecutive year.

The award winners in each category are as follows.

＜Game of the Year
This award is given to the most outstanding and memorable game among those released or distributed in Japan in 2017 and those in service as of 2017, and is selected from those nominated for the "Excellence Award.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" / Nintendo
Dragon Quest XI: The Search for a Time Gone by" / SQUARE ENIX

＜ Excellence Award＞ (in alphabetical order)
The Excellence Award is given to games that are outstanding overall in terms of their worldview, novelty, depth, and appeal to game fans.

Super Mario Odyssey" / Nintendo
Splatoon 2" / Nintendo
Xenoblade 2" / Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" / Nintendo
Dai Ace Attorney 2: Narihodo Ryunosuke no Kakugo" / CAPCOM
Animal Crossing Pocket Camp" / Nintendo
Dragon Quest XI : The Last Time I Saw You" / SQUARE ENIX
NieR: Automata" / SQUARE ENIX
New Danganronpa V3: Everybody's Colosseum" / Spike Chunsoft
Resident Evil 7 : Resident Evil" / CAPCOM
Fate/Grand Order" / FGO PROJECT
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS" / PUBG Corporation
Pokemon: Pokemon Ultra Sun Ultra Moon
Monster Strike" / Mixi, Inc.

＜Rookie of the Year Award
This award is given to a new title that is particularly outstanding.

The Rookie Award is given to a new title that is particularly outstanding.
PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS" / PUBG Corporation
Horizon Zero Dawn" / Sony Interactive Entertainment

＜ FAVORITE APP AWARD
This award is given to the game app most loved by users during the year.

LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum" / LINE Inc.

<Special Award
This award is given to the work, technology or product that has brought about a new trend in the game industry with its innovative approach.

Undertale" / Hachinoyon
Nintendo Switch / Nintendo

＜The Best Character Award
This award is given to the most memorable and favorite game character.

Link / Nintendo

<Best Game Maker Award
This award is given to the most successful game maker or developer.

Square Enix

<MVP
This award is given to the most active, influential, and brilliant person in the game industry.

Yuji Horii/Armor Project

The Famitsu Awards 2017 Outline
◆Organized, planned and operated by:
Famitsu Award 2017 Executive Committee
*The Executive Committee consists of Famitsu Group media (Weekly Famitsu, Famitsu.com, Famitsu App, Famitsu's Strategy Book, Terebi Game Magazine, Pikopuri, etc.)
Objective:
The objective is to select, through fan voting, the best game, person, game maker, etc. that is highly supported by users and recognized as having made a significant contribution to the development of the game industry in 2017.
◆Voting period:
December 21, 2017 - January 31, 2018
◆Voting Eligibility:
Games released or distributed between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017, or games in service as of 2017, regardless of hardware type, including home game consoles, smartphones and PCs.
◆Voting and selection method:
During the voting period, voting will be announced in Famitsu Group media and accepted on postcards attached to Weekly Famitsu as well as on the special "Famitsu Award 2017" website. There are four voting categories: Excellence Award, MVP, Character Award, and Game Maker Award. Based on the voting results, the Famitsu Award 2017 Executive Committee will select the winners.