The Game Awards 2024: Catly, the Mysterious Cat-Based Game
This year’s Game Awards brought us some highly anticipated trailers like The Witcher 4 and Elden Ring Nightreign yet one promo in particular caused an unexpected stir – cat-based open-world adventure, Catly.
A Strange AI-Esque Visuals and Controversy
With its strange AI-esque visuals and distinct shift in quality and tone compared to the other AAA releases, gamers were naturally a little confused as to how it snuck into the coveted Game Awards announcements.
Theories Abound
While there’s no strict formula for making the best video games, Catly stood out like a sore thumb leading some fans to speculate it could be an elaborate pro-NFT/Web3 project.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the game’s official Steam page reeks of AI, but for now, it’s mere speculation. With unofficial evidence wracking up, it seems Catly could be much more than just an innocent moggy adventure.
The Official Trailer and Reception
The short trailer received heated backlash online after many gamers called it “AI slop”. With a soulless AI-esque sheen and a hollow, frustratingly ambiguous plotline, the trailer did little to clarify what Catly actually is – other than a cat-based game available on Steam, Switch and Apple Watch (for some unbeknownst reason).
Influencer Endorsements and Criticism
The game received sponsored endorsements from popular streamers Ninja and Pokimane (who has since removed her tweet). “Catly was straight AI trash. It’s probably not even a game at all. They even went as far as paying some influencers to help hype it up. No shame,” one gamer commented.
Connections to AI, NFT, and Blockchain Gaming
Redditor r/Nat-Chem discovered the dev has “direct ties to AI/NFT/blockchain gaming”. Posting to the r/Games subreddit, Nat-Chem explains how SuperAuthenti’s Co-Founder, Kevin Yeung previously co-founded TenthPlanet – a studio that worked on blockchain games including ‘Alien Meow’, a self-proclaimed “digital cat metaverse”.
Conclusion
While the true nature of Catly remains unclear, the controversy surrounding its announcement has sparked a heated debate about the role of AI in gaming. As gamers, we eagerly await more information about this enigmatic game.
FAQs
Q: What is Catly?
A: Catly is a cat-based open-world adventure game announced at the Game Awards 2024.
Q: Why is there controversy surrounding Catly?
A: The game’s AI-esque visuals, lack of information, and connections to AI, NFT, and blockchain gaming have sparked speculation and criticism.
Q: Are there any connections between Catly and blockchain gaming?
A: Yes, the dev has ties to blockchain gaming, and one of the co-founders previously worked on blockchain games.
Q: What do the streamers who endorsed Catly think about the game?
A: One streamer, Pokimane, has since removed her tweet endorsing the game, while the other streamer, Ninja, has not publicly commented on the controversy.
