Introduction: I’m going to open discussion of some of the proposed WSFS rules changes in the Chengdu Worldcon’s Business Meeting agenda by setting the table in a series of topical posts. (Download the English-language version here and the Chinese-language version here.)
Li Xiaojian and Bai Baini propose that a Hugo category be added for Best Game:
This would, of course, duplicate another item on the agenda, the Best Game or Interactive Work which was already run as a test category at DisCon III (2021), and an amendment to make the category a permanent addition to the Hugos received first passage last year at Chicon 8.
Ira Alexandre and 17 cosigners to the motion told the 2022 Business Meeting (page 60-62)
The viability of a Best Video Game category was demonstrated at DisCon III in 2021, with 40.5% of voters casting ballots for finalists. Participation in the nominations phase was comparable to Best Dramatic Presentation: Short Form and more robust than many established categories.
Their amendment is up for ratification at the 2023 Business Meeting.
Just how to keep two largely identical awards amendments from both becoming part of the Constitution is meat and drink to veteran business meeting participants, but how many of them will be in Chengdu? As for anyone who’s against having a game Hugo – they now have to rally opposition to two efforts to pass it.
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I strongly suspect that the Chinese proposers of the Best Game Hugo had no idea that a nigh identical proposal had passed in Chicago and would be up for ratification in Chengdu.
I don’t know the rules of procedure but many times the two almost identical amendments will be brought up to be combined or rewritten so that only one is voted on.
As a person who does not own a gaming counsel, my question is, would there be enough nominations that is, numbers of nominations for a single work to make this work? I suspect there are high quality and low quality games out there but let’s say, I have a Nintendo, the next person has a PlayStation, and another only has an iMac. Our gaming experiences may be very different.
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Yes, this is likely to be thrown out given the aforementioned duplication.
(Besides, if we could have a new category of Hugo, I’d (and some friends would) like it to be for Best Fantasy novel.)