New Delhi, Dec. 11 -- In 2012, dishonoured developers Harvey Smith and Raphael Colantonio flew on a private jet to the Spike Video Game Awards, where their game won the award for Best Action-Adventure Game. Smith recalled, "We literally cried" when receiving the award, describing the experience as life-changing (Smith, video call interview). Back then, studios like Arkane had publisher backing that covered travel and lodging, as per Kotaku.

Today, the Game Awards are fully streaming-based, with fewer Hollywood stars, and tickets can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

According to sources familiar with the 2025 show, tickets for the Peacock Theater range from $58 for upper seats to nearly $1,000 for prime resale locations. Devel...