Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2011 Nominees Announced

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Posted June 22, 2011 - By Stephen Johnson

Game Critics Association

Now that the show has closed down and the dust has settled, the Game Critics Awards, an independent group of 35 leading North American media outlets that cover the videogame industry, has announced its best of E3 2011 nominees. The big winners, BioShock Infinite and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, each earned four nominations, including Best of Show. Xbox 360 was the most nominated platform with 55 nominations, followed by PS3 with 48 nominations. EA and Sony tied for most nominations with 14 each. The winners will be announced on June 28.

We've included the whole list under the cut.

Best of Show

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady/WB Games for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
BioShock infinite (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog/SCEA for PlayStation 3)

Best Original Game

Bastion (Supergiant Games/WB Games for PC, Xbox 360)
BioShock Infinite (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
From Dust (Ubisoft Montpellier/Ubisoft for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Journey (Thatgamecompany/SCEA for PlayStation 3)
Sound Shapes (Queasy Games/SCEA for PSVita)

Best Console Game

Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady/WB Games for PS3, Xbox 360)
Mass Effect 3 (Bioware/EA Games for PS3, Xbox 360)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda for PS3, Xbox 360)
Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix for PS3, Xbox 360)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog/SCEA for PlayStation 3)

Best Handheld/Mobile Game

Contre Jour (Mokus/Chillingo/EA for iPad, iPhone)
Mario Kart (Nintendo/Nintendo for 3DS)
Sound Shapes (Queasy Games/SCEA for PSVita)
Super Mario (Nintendo EAD Tokyo/Nintendo for 3DS)
Uncharted: Golden Abyss (SCE Bend Studio/Naughty Dog/SCEA for PSVita)

Best PC Game

Battlefield 3 (DICE/EA Games for PC)
BioShock Infinite (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC)
End of Nations (Petroglyph Games/Trion Worlds for PC)
Star Wars: The Old Republic (Bioware Austin/EA Games for PC)
Torchlight 2 (Runic Games/Perfect World for PC)

Best Hardware

PlayStation Vita (Sony Computer Entertainment)
Rocksmith (Ubisoft San Francisco/Ubisoft for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Sony 3D Display (Sony Computer Entertainment)
Wii U (Nintendo)
Zoom for Kinect (Nyko)

Best Action Game

Battlefield 3 (DICE/EA Games for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games/Activision for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Gears of War 3 (Epic Games/Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360)
Prey 2 (Human Head Studios/Bethesda for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360)
Rage (id Software/Bethesda for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360)

Best Action/Adventure Game

Assassin's Creed: Revelations (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360)
Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady/WB Games for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
BioShock infinite (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog/SCEA for PlayStation 3)

Best Role Playing Game

Dark Souls (From Software/Namco Bandai Games for PS3, Xbox 360)
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (Big Huge Games/38 Studios/EAP for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360)
Mass Effect 3 (BioWare/EA Games for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare Austin/EA for PC)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

Best Racing Game

Driver: San Francisco (Ubisoft Reflections/Ubisoft for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Forza 4 (Turn 10 Studios/Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360)
Mario Kart (Nintendo/Nintendo for 3DS)
Need for Speed:The Run (EA Black Box/EA Games for PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
Wipeout 2048 (Studio Liverpool/SCEE for PSVita)

Best Fighting Game

Skullgirls (Reverge Labs/Autumn Games for PS3, Xbox 360)
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition (Iron Galaxy Studios/Capcom for PS3, Xbox 360)
Street Fighter X Tekken (Capcom/Capcom for PS3, Xbox 360, PSVita)
Soul Calibur V (Namco/Namco Bandai for PS3, Xbox 360)
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (Namco Bandai Games for Arcade)
WWE 12 (Yuke's/THQ for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)

Best Sports Game

FIFA Soccer 12 (EA Canada/EA Sports for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Madden NFL 12 (EA Tiburon/EA Sports for PS3, Xbox 360)
NBA 2K12 (Visual Concepts/2K Sports for PS3, Xbox 360)
SSX (EA Canada/EA Sports for PS3, Xbox 360)
UFC Undisputed 3 (Yuke's/THQ for PS3, Xbox 360)

Best Strategy Game

Age of Empires Online (Gas Powered Games/Microsoft Studios for PC)
End of Nations (Petroglyph/Trion Worlds for PC)
From Dust (Ubisoft Montpellier/Ubisoft for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Skulls of the Shogun (Haunted Temple Studios for PC, Xbox 360)
Trenched (Double Fine/Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360)

Best Social/Casual Game

Dance Central 2 (Harmonix/Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360)
Disneyland Adventures (Frontier Developments/Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360)
Rocksmith (Ubisoft San Francisco/Ubisoft for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Rhythm Heaven (TNX/Nintendo for Wii)
Sound Shapes (Queasy Games/SCEA for PSVita)

Best Motion Simulation Game

Dance Central 2 (Harmonix/Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360)
Fruit Ninja Kinect (Halfbrick/Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360)
Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster (Double Fine Productions/WB Games for Xbox 360)
The Gunstringer (Twisted Pixel Games/Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo for Wii)

Best Online Multiplayer Game

Battlefield 3 (DICE/EA for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games/Activision for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Gears of War 3 (Epic Games/Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360)
Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare Austin/EA for PC)
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog/SCEA for PlayStation 3)

Best Downloadable Game

Bastion (Supergiant Games/WB Games for PC, Xbox 360)
From Dust (Ubisoft Montpellier/Ubisoft for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet (Fuelcell Games/Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360)
Journey (Thatgamecompany/SCEA for PlayStation 3)
Papo & Yo (Minority/SCEA for PlayStation 3)

So what do you think of the list? Interesting choices here? Is there anything that didn't make the cut that you felt deserved it?

Tags: E3, E3 2011, Videogames

Comments

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Displaying 1–8 of 8

koolboricua

Im just waiting to see what DPsx7 has to say againts MS. Other than that, congrats to all system.

Posted: June 23, 2011 8:46 AM | Reply | Report

+1 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
StylishHero

Can't hate Microsoft for making good use of it's console. It may have had a bad E3 but with the price tag on it and an endless list of games for a variety of gamers (rather the games be what you like or hate) it shines in whatever aspect it needs to.

Posted: June 23, 2011 5:25 AM | Reply | Report

+4 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
guitarman584

Where's RAGE? That's my Best of E3.

Posted: June 23, 2011 4:46 AM | Reply | Report

+1 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
permanent_nirvana

Why did every other category have 5 nominees and Best Fighting Game had 6?

Bioshock Infinite will be Best of Show.

Posted: June 22, 2011 11:57 PM | Reply | Report

+2 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
SonyNmbrOneGuy

55 nominations for the 360 and it can't produce a game to be nominated best of show?

Posted: June 22, 2011 8:44 PM | Reply | Report

+1 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
bhelfrich

This is just crazy! The system with the worst showing at E3 gets the most nominations? And where is nintendo. You didn't even include them in the paragraph. Zelda's only nomination is for motion simulation? It seems like every media outlet in the video game industry is taking a dump on nintendo.

Posted: June 22, 2011 6:55 PM | Reply | Report

0 thumbs up thumbs down

1 Reply
lucidity

The list of nominees kind of says it all for this generation...most of the games nominated, 55, are on the 360.

Posted: June 22, 2011 5:33 PM | Reply | Report

0 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
Liquid Swords

Best of Show: Uncharted 3
Best original game: Journey
Best console game: Uncharted 3
Best handheld game: Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Best PC game: Battlefield 3
Best hardware: PS Vita
Best action game: Battlefield 3
Best action/adventure game: Uncharted 3
Best RPG: Mass Effect 3
Best racing game: Wipeout 2048
Best fighting game: Tekken Tag 2
Best sports game: NBA 2K12
Best strategy game: From Dust
Best social/casual game: Sound Shapes
Best motion simulation game: The Legend of Zelda: SS
Best online game: Uncharted 3
Best downloadable game: Journey

Posted: June 22, 2011 3:52 PM | Reply | Report

-3 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies