My name is Ira Alexandre, pronouns they/them, and I am the person behind this proposal. After doing exhaustive research into over a decade of Worldcon data and hundreds of games, and incorporating feedback received in person and via a one-response-per-person survey, I am asking you to approve a games Hugo in recognition of the storied and longstanding role of games, game creators, and game players in WSFS history and culture. This Hugo is viable because it includes low-cost and communal games that are easily accessed, because there is a wealth of worthy content every year, and because the uniting element of interactivity is a compelling and unique storytelling tool particularly suited to speculative work.

Games have always been part of WSFS culture, and interactive media of all kinds, whether digital or analog, represents a thriving and indispensable site of speculative fiction work. There is speculative work that only games can do, and this is not adequately covered in Best Dramatic Presentation or Best Related Work. Refusing to recognize this is an act of disengagement with where speculative work is being done today, and is a disservice to a vibrant and vital aspect of WSFS culture.

I have heard some concerns about the cost to nominate and about what would go in the category, and I'd like to briefly address those now. Regarding eligibility, media like Bandersnatch, Sleep No More, and Choose Your Own Adventure novels would unequivocally be eligible in this category, because the uniting factor that sets them apart from all other types of storytelling is their interactive nature and the incorporation of choice into the narrative structure.

In terms of costs, the idea that it is necessary to buy hundreds of dollars of equipment or expensive AAA titles is a myth and also erases analog games, many indie titles, and interactive fiction. Analog games tend to be communally owned, and interactive fiction ranges from inexpensive to free. In video games, about half of the games that top the major awards any given year are indie titles, playable on typical phones and computers already owned by most voters. Such titles generally sell for $20 or less and can be completed in 3-10 hours, comparable to the time and money investment of one or two novels. Those who can't or don't want to play can become informed voters via free widely available guided tours or movie versions of games.

There is no inclusive, medium-neutral speculative fiction award for games. The Hugo Awards can be the first, and the gaming membership of WSFS deserves this recognition just as much as the excellent and widely available titles that fill the field. As always, my full 60-page report is available at gameshugo.com. Thank you.