With the same unpolished game since oblivion apparently. Everyone is talking about it.
It is not so much about getting away with an unpolished game. I dont think they ever "got away" with anything.
In the past, Bethesda games are huge compared to most other games of its time. Thus, we (players/critics) are more forgiving when it comes to polish. As the years go by, more studios are beginning to tackle huge game worlds; the most recent are Dragon Age Inquisition and The Witcher 3. Credit where credit is due, I dont think anyone can deny that it was the success of Bethesda games like Skyrim that inspired all this.
Bethesda isnt breaking any grounds by using the same old (proven) formula (and engine) for their games while other studios are making huge improvements and providing users with new and fresh experiences. That is why I do not think that Fallout 4 would win and my reason has always been - "We have seen this from Bethesda before, it is more of the same."
I have been playing Fallout 4 whenever I can since its launch. It is very fun. It is a game that I would recommend to anyone who likes past Bethesda games and open world sandbox games. Like The Witcher 3, Fallout 4 is a must own, must play for fans of the genre. It is a game that one can enjoy greatly even if (like me) they hate the story and the dialogue system. It is a game that you can enjoy with the countless glitches (switching weapon glitch every 5 mins) and without giving a darn about the story, the NPC, etc. <--- A game you can enjoy so much when there are so many things that annoy you? It must be a darn great game. The game must be nothing less than awesome.
For the past 4 years, studios were inspired by Bethesda (like Skyrim) and that is why they won (rightfully so) game of the year then. It is now however Bethesda's turn to be inspired by CDPR. I hope they will take this year's loss personally and come back with a vengeance in The Elder Scrolls 6.
CDPR and Bethesda at each other's throat = heaven for us gamers. I also hope Bioware will be in this conversation with the launch of the new Mass Effect and kick CDPR's behind 