Geoff Keighley: Here's why there are so many announcements at TGA

The night of the The Game Awards (TGA) 2025 is fast approaching, and like every year, media attention soars in anticipation of both the winners of the various categories of the "video game oscars" and the various new announcements that will be made on stage by the host of the evening, Geoff Keighley.

...and like every year, controversy also rises about the media event itself: what was born as an event to reward and applaud the most beloved games of the year has in fact transformed over time into an increasingly substantial and imposing show – gargantuan according to some – that has swallowed up all the attention towards new announcements originally found in the lamented E3 – and this despite Keighley himself having tried to revive the Los Angeles event with the Summer Game Fest.

In short: some complain that the show is too long, that too many new announcements are made on the event's stage, and that the awards take a back seat, with very little time left for winners' acceptance speeches. However, good Geoff responded to all these controversies in an interview published in The Game Business newsletter [which Keighley co-founded with Chris Dring]:

TGA 2025: Geoff Keighley's words

"There are many constituent elements to synchronize – Keighley declares – and it's a balancing act. You rightly point out that there's the awards aspect of the show, there's the announcements aspect, and yes: there are people who would like to see a show that was just awards. But others would like to see only the announcements."

So for Geoff, it would be a matter of pleasing both those who want it cooked and those who want it raw? Also, but not only: "My opinion is always that announcements create a very large audience that connects to the show, and it's thanks to those that the awards we give are seen by so many people. A lot of games [that are awarded] sell out thanks to TGA. Balatro got a huge boost. So hopefully that's a good thing for developers. But that delicate balance is a difficult thing to hit and we don't always get it right," he finally admits.

That a media showcase works both ways and that therefore every product shown benefits from the visibility guaranteed by the exposure of something new or anticipated is certainly not a novelty in the world of industry and marketing – just think of the sales increases recorded by titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 or Kingdom Come Deliverance II after the candidate announcements – but obviously there is also an economic return for the event itself, given that software houses pay a considerable amount for airtime during the show.

The The Game Awards 2025 will be held tomorrow night, December 11.