The Game Awards has confirmed Daniel Craig, of James Bond fame, will present an award during the upcoming ceremony. Joined by Rian Johnson and Jessica Henwick, director and co-star of the soon-to-be-released Knives Out sequel respectively, it suggests viewers can anticipate a showcase of some sort for the film at The Game Awards.
Geoff Keighley's baby The Game Awards is known for many reasons: offering a bounty of trailers and reveals that essentially operate as an end-of-year E3 presentation, a breathtaking orchestral medley comprised of each Game of the Year nominee, and celebrity presenters who have very little, if anything, to do with the gaming industry. There are notable exceptions to this trend, such as Giancarlo Esposito, an actor renowned for his portrayal of villains, notably Breaking Bad's Gus Fring. Esposito's presentation of Best Independent Game at last year's show was met favorably due to his performance as the primary antagonist in Far Cry 6. His presence only garnered further respect from gamers the more that the celebrated actor demonstrated authentic commitment and appreciation for the interactive medium.
However, with the recent announcement gamers can expect less Giancarlo Esposito and more Daniel Craig. Craig, Rian Johnson, and Jessica Henwick all hail from Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which arrives direct to Netflix later this month, and will present awards that are unconfirmed at the time of writing. Although one reply underneath the tweet expressed hope for something to do with GoldenEye to be revealed at The Game Awards, others were much more cynical and dismissive.
A few questioned why celebrities ostensibly from Hollywood, with virtually no video game credits between them, are frequently featured as part of a gaming award ceremony. Others suggested that it would be the perfect opportunity to highlight video game voice actors, directors, and writers, such as how the Golden Joystick Awards are structured, shining a spotlight on aspects of video games that are often criminally overlooked. However, celebrity names bring eyes, recognition, and a degree of respectability to an award ceremony that boasts only a fraction of the prestige held by any done for film or TV.
Furthermore, the phenomenon of other industries bleeding into video game-centric media is hardly novel. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson joined Summer Game Fest this year to promote everything but gaming, albeit for a brief mention of The Foundation cosmetic skin that was already available in Fortnite. A trailer for Black Adam was then shown, prompting a collective groan from viewers tuning in to see video game announcements at a video game showcase. Gamers would undoubtedly choose the iconic appearance of Christopher Judge and Sunny Suljic at The Game Awards 2018 over anything a different medium could offer, where Judge's order to "read it boy" in the voice of Kratos received more impassioned applause than the award itself.
The Game Awards will stream live on December 8 at 4:30 PM PT/7:30 PM ET.