.... It's that time of year again!! We are in the midst of the great game deluge of 2011. The year started off slow but there are some really great games coming out now. Most of the nominees are recent releases within the last month. They are: Batman Arkham City The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Portal 2 Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception There seems to be nothing new under the sun as these are all sequels of some sorts. Is it because all the best developers get first crack at established IP's or something? Who knows. I have played 3 of the 5 on this list ( Uncharted 3, Batman Arkham City and Portal 2) and there is a strong possibility that I'll play the TESV: Skyrim near Christmas. I have no plans to play Zelda at all as I do not own a Wii. My prediction, for what it's worth, is that This will finally be Batman's year. Uncharted 2 won GOTY in 2009 beating out Batman Arkham Asylum and honestly, I think AA deserved it that year. This year, Uncharted 3 was the most immersive and fun experience in gaming this year for me, but the truth is that it was more of the same from Uncharted 2... just a beter context in terms of story and programming. Arkham City on the other hand was a vast departure from Arkham Asylum. It gave you a sense of freedom and choice that AA did not. The fact that the game gave you the tools to feel and perform like Batman and when you failed, it made it feel like you were the one that let Batman down and not some random computer glitch was just awesome. By the end of a game, I'd be sitting in an air conditioning vent over a room full of 13 bad guys... 2 of them with armor, 4 with knives and 2 more with assault rifles... I'd go to my self "I can do that" and jump down in the middle of them. It's awesome that a game can make you feel that way and still give you a challenge the entire time. Reluctantly so, but this is my GOTY. Of course, I haven't played Skyrim. This game has been getting superlative press. It might just win it all this year. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that Portal 2 and Skyward Sword will not win GOTY this year.
Ive only played 2 of those, Portal 2 and Skyrim. Portal 2 is great fun, challenging and enjoyable, Skyrim is simply amazing. Ive a feeling Ill still be playing Skyrim in 3-4 years,... although I am a bit of a TES fan
Portal 2 definitely deserves the win. Very innovative gameplay and builds much further on the first Portal's interface. Not saying the other games aren't deserving, but they're pretty much just a riff (albeit an excellent riff) on FPS/role-playing/fantasy games.
The rest of the nominees in other categories have been announced: GAME OF THE YEAR Batman: Arkham City The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Portal 2 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception STUDIO OF THE YEAR Bethesda Game Studios Naughty Dog Rocksteady Studios Valve BEST XBOX 360 GAME Batman: Arkham City Forza Motorsport 4 Gears of War 3 Portal 2 BEST PS3 GAME inFAMOUS 2 Killzone 3 LittleBigPlanet 2 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception BEST Wii GAME Disney’s Epic Mickey Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Lost in Shadow The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword BEST PC GAME Battlefield 3 Minecraft The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Portal 2 BEST HANDHELD/MOBILE GAME Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Infinity Blade Super Mario 3D Land Jetpack Joyride BEST SHOOTER Battlefield 3 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Gears of War 3 Rage BEST ACTION ADVENTURE GAME Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Batman: Arkham City The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception BEST RPG Dark Souls Deus Ex: Human Revolution Dragon Age II The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim BEST MULTI-PLAYER Battlefield 3 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Gears of War 3 Portal 2 BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME Fight Night Champion Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters Top Spin 4 Virtua Tennis 4 BEST TEAM SPORTS GAME FIFA Soccer 12 NBA 2K12 NHL 12 MLB ’11: The Show BEST DRIVING GAME DiRT 3 Driver: San Francisco Forza Motorsport 4 Need For Speed: The Run BEST FIGHTING GAME The King of Fighters XIII Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Mortal Kombat WWE All Stars BEST MOTION GAME Child of Eden Dance Central 2 The Gunstringer The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword BEST INDEPENDENT GAME Bastion Minecraft Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP The Binding of Isaac BEST ADAPTED VIDEO GAME Back to the Future: The Game Batman: Arkham City Captain America: Super Soldier LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars BEST SONG IN A GAME “Build that Wall (Zia’s Theme)” by Darren Korb – Bastion “Exile Vilify” by The National – Portal 2 “I’m Not Calling You a Liar” by Florence + the Machine – Dragon Age II “Setting Sail, Coming Home (End Theme)” by Darren Korb – Bastion “Want You Gone” by Jonathan Coulton – Portal 2 BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Bastion Batman: Arkham City Deus Ex: Human Revolution Portal 2 BEST GRAPHICS Batman: Arkham City LA Noire Rage Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN MALE J.K. Simmons as Cave Johnson – Portal 2 Mark Hamill as The Joker – Batman: Arkham City Nolan North as Nathan Drake – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Stephen Merchant as Wheatley – Portal 2 BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN FEMALE Claudia Black as Chloe Frazer – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Ellen McLain as GLaDOS – Portal 2 Emily Rose as Elena Fisher – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Tara Strong as Harley Quinn – Batman: Arkham City BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME Bastion Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet Stacking Trenched BEST DLC Fallout: New Vegas – Old World Blues Mass Effect 2: Arrival Mortal Kombat: Freddy Krueger Portal 2 Peer Review MOST ANTICIPATED GAME BioShock: Infinite Diablo III Halo 4 Mass Effect 3 The Last Guardian http://www.spike.com/articles/in9d1...-batman-arkham-city-lead-2011-vga-nominations I have to say that I could not be more dissappointed in the nominees for best shooter than I am right now. Basically, the usual suspects get a blind nomination. I've played all of the games nominated in this category and I wouldn't consider any of them to be the best in that category.... Then the nominations for best multiplayer is basically the same list. For what it's worth, Crysis 2 and Resistance 3 were the best shooters this year. The current nominees are just regurgitated rehashes of their past iterations.
The big day is this saturday... any one care to make some predictions? GAME OF THE YEAR Batman: Arkham City The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Portal 2 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception I really don't know. I'll say Batman because it was my favorite. Skyrim is still buggy especially on the PS3, but it's gotten superlative press. Uncharted was great, but could be dismissed as more of the same. Skyward Sword, also great, but not in HD... but who cares, right? Portal 2 was not my sort of game, but people seem love it. Honestly, I could live with any of them, but I say Batman. STUDIO OF THE YEAR Bethesda Game Studios Naughty Dog Rocksteady Studios Valve How do you win GOTY and loose studio of the year? You release several top rated games in one year. BEST XBOX 360 GAME Batman: Arkham City Forza Motorsport 4 Gears of War 3 Portal 2 Gears. Although Batman was better, Gears is a true Xbox game because it was exclusive. BEST PS3 GAME inFAMOUS 2 Killzone 3 LittleBigPlanet 2 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Uncharted 3... I'd love to see inFAMOUS 2 get some love here, but damn... Uncharted 3 was just awesome. BEST Wii GAME Disney’s Epic Mickey Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Lost in Shadow The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword I don't know... I'll say Skyward Sword because it's nominated for GOTY. BEST PC GAME Battlefield 3 Minecraft The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Portal 2 Witcher 2... BEST HANDHELD/MOBILE GAME Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Infinity Blade Super Mario 3D Land Jetpack Joyride Finally, iOS games get some recognition!! I have no idea becauseI've not played any of these games and I've read no press about any of them. BEST SHOOTER Battlefield 3 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Gears of War 3 Rage Kiss my whole, entire, black ass. Crysis 2 was the best shooter I played this year followed by Resistance 3. Neither were considered here, so I don't really care. BEST ACTION ADVENTURE GAME Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Batman: Arkham City The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception UC3 IMHO. BEST RPG Dark Souls Deus Ex: Human Revolution Dragon Age II The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim At this point, all I've played was Deus Ex. I will play Skyrim but I don't feel comfortable Skyrim FTW... BEST MULTI-PLAYER Battlefield 3 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Gears of War 3 Portal 2 Meh. I wasn't overly impressed with any of these to be honest. I'll say Portal 2. BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME Fight Night Champion Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters Top Spin 4 Virtua Tennis 4 BEST TEAM SPORTS GAME FIFA Soccer 12 NBA 2K12 NHL 12 MLB ’11: The Show BEST DRIVING GAME DiRT 3 Driver: San Francisco Forza Motorsport 4 Need For Speed: The Run BEST FIGHTING GAME The King of Fighters XIII Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Mortal Kombat WWE All Stars BEST MOTION GAME Child of Eden Dance Central 2 The Gunstringer The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword BEST INDEPENDENT GAME Bastion Minecraft Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP The Binding of Isaac Bastion was grest.... Surprised that Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet was not considered here. BEST ADAPTED VIDEO GAME Back to the Future: The Game Batman: Arkham City Captain America: Super Soldier LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars Batman Arkham City. I really need to play Captain America. I heard that was basically a rip off of Batman Arkham Asylum, but it was a good rip off of it. BEST SONG IN A GAME “Build that Wall (Zia’s Theme)” by Darren Korb – Bastion “Exile Vilify” by The National – Portal 2 “I’m Not Calling You a Liar” by Florence + the Machine – Dragon Age II “Setting Sail, Coming Home (End Theme)” by Darren Korb – Bastion “Want You Gone” by Jonathan Coulton – Portal 2 BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Bastion Batman: Arkham City Deus Ex: Human Revolution Portal 2 BEST GRAPHICS Batman: Arkham City LA Noire Rage Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN MALE J.K. Simmons as Cave Johnson – Portal 2 Mark Hamill as The Joker – Batman: Arkham City Nolan North as Nathan Drake – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Stephen Merchant as Wheatley – Portal 2 BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN FEMALE Claudia Black as Chloe Frazer – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Ellen McLain as GLaDOS – Portal 2 Emily Rose as Elena Fisher – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Tara Strong as Harley Quinn – Batman: Arkham City BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME Bastion Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet Stacking Trenched Ahhh!! ITSP is here.... but I'll say Bastion. BEST DLC Fallout: New Vegas – Old World Blues Mass Effect 2: Arrival Mortal Kombat: Freddy Krueger Portal 2 Peer Review Mortal Kombat Freddy Kruger MOST ANTICIPATED GAME BioShock: Infinite Diablo III Halo 4 Mass Effect 3 The Last Guardian BioShock Infinite for me. What do you think?
Sick awards show. It seems like that short montage was really sweet. I feel like this is an awards show we can all feel good – No! – GREAT about! My only complaint is that there were too many awards given, and not enough cool advertisements thrown at me.
I've always seen all awards shows as propaganda. Oscars, Emmys, Grammys... It's all a bunch of people who decide to pat themselves on the back so that the public can gawk at them and buy more of their shit. The VGAs get it and they don't bother with the pretense... That and the fact that I like to see what video games I want to buy in the future is why I watch it. I honestly don't give much credence to who won what from whom. It's not going to change my enjoyment of games that I like.
You don't feel at least a little bummed out when they make terrible teabagging jokes directed at you? Or bring out celebrities that nobody should care about anymore? Or totally leave out any real reason to watch the show except for use as an infomercial? You get more out of the awards if you look at a list online. The fact that they bill this as a legitimate gaming awards show is offensive when the awards are only an afterthought.
Nah... Not really. I thought the teabagging of the MW3 crew was quite hilarious seeing as how that franchise made it famous. Maybe I'm getting more cynical as I get older but everything you see on TV is designed to take your money and make it someone else's money. Atthe same time, I am in the market for good games. I don't see the harm in this. Hell I could do without the awards altogether to be honest. I'd appreciate a special every year where developers show what they've been working on and give the game buying public some insight on their creative choices.
