The Game Awards Host Geoff Keighley Denies Death Stranding Conflict of Interest

The Game Awards Host Geoff Keighley Denies Death Stranding Conflict of Interest

Geoff Keighley responds to ethical questions regarding his role in Death Stranding and the game’s nominations at The Game Awards.

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The Game Awards Host Geoff Keighley Denies Death Stranding Conflict of Interest

Geoff Keighley, the creator, producer, and host of the annual The Game Awards event, has responded to accusations that he has a conflict of interest in this year’s show. Keighley, who has close relationships with many notable gaming industry figures, is being questioned regarding his role in Hideo Kojima’s new game Death Stranding. Death Stranding is also nominated for several different award categories at The Game Awards 2019. This connection between Keighley and Kojima is being scrutinized.

To Keighley’s credit, he has now responded to the accusations directly. During a recent Ask Me Anything session hosted on Reddit, Keighley was asked by a fan if he felt there was a conflict of interest being a part of a game that was nominated for an award in an event he was producing. Keighley provided a lengthy and explanatory response in which he detailed how and why he doesn’t vote in the nomination or award processes, so as to maintain the “integrity of the show and the awards.”

He goes on to acknowledge the concern that some have for the association, as he actively considers possible conflicts of interest. Keighley describes how he avoids being part of the development process at all levels, saying, “I don’t make games, don’t invest in games or own game stock.” He says that his role as producer for The Game Awards, as well as his other work through the year, requires him to have relationships with people in the industry. Being transparent about those relationships is, “All I can do,” according to Keighley.

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That said, Keighley does say that he’s giving the issue further thought and does want to continue hearing from those who are concerned. “If people think I shouldn’t allow my image to be in a game in the future maybe I should say no.” If enough people are vocal in their criticism, it sounds like Keighley would be willing to avoid such situations in the future. For now, however, Keighley’s comments are likely the end of the conversation.

By all accounts, Keighley’s comments ring true. The voting process for The Game Awards’ nominees and the eventual winners are separate from the production of the event. Keighley doesn’t even vote, despite his journalistic background. The question then becomes not whether there’s impropriety at work, but whether the appearance of impropriety might harm the integrity of the awards. Keighley bringing Kojima onto the show, then having a part in Death Stranding, and then having Death Stranding win an award definitely looks like an issue, even if there’s no measurable or impactful result. Only Keighley himself can decide whether that’s worth avoiding in the future.

To be fair to Keighley, who has spent years being a cheerleader for awesome video games and creators, getting to be even a small part of a video game is a very cool thing. But so is producing and hosting The Game Awards every year.

Source: Reddit

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