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Game Critic Awards nominees announced, Rock Band owns the industry's face photo

Imagine my disappointment when I realized that the e-mail Geoff Keighly sent me this evening was not a love letter to me, telling me how awesome Destructoid is. I was in fact, simply just one of the thousand names on an e-mail blast announcing the nominees for this year's Game Critics Awards.

While everyone at Destructoid has been relying on prescriptions meds to get through the day since learning they were not part of the awards committee (which consists of critics from Electronic Gaming Monthly, Newsweek, Kotaku, and more), we did cover the Spike TV videogame awards. Ignoring this out of spite would be immature, and if Destructoid is one thing, it's certainly not immature.

The list contains no real surprises, but Rock Band certainly is dominating with five nominations; Electronic Arts leads the publishers pack with 14 nominated titles; and the Xbox 360 is the most nominated platform with a whopping 38 nominations. Damn, son.

Hit the jump for the full list of nominated games, and feel free to argue amongst one another in the comments. Please don't get any blood on our new couch.

 

Best of Show
- Bioshock (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC, Xbox 360)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
- Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Mass Effect (Bioware/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)
- Rock Band (Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Original Game
- Bioshock (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC, Xbox 360)
- de Blob (Blue Tongue/THQ for Wii)
- Little Big Planet (Media Molecule/SCEE for PS3)
- Rock Band (Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Wii Fit (Nintendo for Wii)

Best PC Game
- Call of Duty 4 (Infinity Ward/Activision)
- Crysis (Crytek/Electronic Arts)
- Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Splash Damage/id/Activision)
- Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks)
- World in Conflict (Massive Entertainment/Sierra)

Best Console Game
- Bioshock (Irrational Games/2K Games for Xbox 360)
- Call of Duty 4 (Infinity Ward/Activision for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Mass Effect (BioWare/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)
- Rock Band (Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo for Wii)

Best Handheld Game
- Contra 4 (WayForward/Konami for Nintendo DS)
- Dead Head Fred (Vicious Cycle/D3 for PSP)
- God of War: Chains of Olympus (Ready at Dawn/SCEA for PSP)
- Silent Hill: Origins (Climax/Konami for PSP)
- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo for Nintendo DS)

Best Hardware
- PSP-2000 (Sony Computer Entertainment)
- Rock Band Instruments (Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Wii Balance Board (Nintendo for Wii)
- Wii Zapper (Nintendo for Wii)

Best Action Game
- Call of Duty 4 (Infinity Ward/Activision for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Crysis (Crytek/EA for PC)
- Halo 3 (Bungie/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)
- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Retro Studios/Nintendo for Wii)
- Unreal Tournament 3 (Epic Games/Midway for PC, PlayStation 3)

Best Action/Adventure Game
- Assassin’s Creed (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
- Bioshock (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC, Xbox 360)
- Heavenly Sword (Ninja Theory/SCEE for PlayStation 3)
- Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo for Wii)
- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Naughty Dog/SCEA for PlayStation 3)

Best Fighting Game
- Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for Xbox 360)
- Virtua Fighter 5 (Sega for Xbox 360)
- WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2008 (Yuke’s/THQ for Nintendo Wii)

Best Role Playing Game
- Eternal Sonata (Namco Bandai Games for Xbox 360)
- Fable 2 (Lionhead/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)
- Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Hellgate: London (Flagship Studios/EAP for PC)
- Mass Effect (BioWare/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)

Best Racing Game
- Burnout Paradise (Criterion Games/EA for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Need for Speed ProStreet (EA Black Box/EA for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Project Gotham Racing 4 (Bizarre Creations/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)
- Stuntman: Ignition (Paradigm/THQ for PS2, PS3, Xbox 360)

Best Sports Game
- Madden NFL 08 (Tiburon/EA for All Systems)
- Skate (EA Black Box/EA for PS3, Xbox 360)
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (Tiburon/EA Sports for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
- Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (Neversoft/Activision for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Strategy Game
- Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (Firaxis/2K Games for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
- Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts (Relic/THQ for PC)
- Halo Wars (Ensemble Studios/Microsoft Game Studios for PC, Xbox 360)
- Universe at War: Earth Assault (Petroglyph/Sega for PC, Xbox 360)
- World in Conflict (Massive Entertainment/Sierra for PC)

Best Social/Casual/Puzzle Game
- Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Neversoft/Red Octane/ATVI for PS2, PS3, 360, Wii)
- Little Big Planet (Media Molecule/SCEE for PS3)
- Rock Band (Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Wii Fit (Nintendo for Wii)
- Zack and Wiki: Quest for Barbaros Treasure (Capcom for Wii)

Best Online Multiplayer Game
- Burnout Paradise (Criterion Games/EA for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Splash Damage/Nerve/id/ATVI for PC, PS3, 360)
- Halo 3 (Bungie/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)
- Little Big Planet (Media Molecule/SCEE for PlayStation 3)
- Unreal Tournament 3 (Epic Games/Midway for PC, PlayStation 3)

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29 comments | showing # 1 to 29

the GAMEGOBLIN's Avatar
the GAMEGOBLIN at 07/23/2007 21:59
Rock Band's way too overrated in my opinion. I'm glad to see Bioshock's getting the attention it deserves.
Aerox's Avatar
Aerox at 07/23/2007 22:02
Ouch, only 3 PS3 exclusives on the entire list, compared to I think 9 for the 360.
Ignus's Avatar
Ignus at 07/23/2007 22:09
Anyone else not see whats so great about Rock Band/Guitar Hero?
Or am I the only one?
Ignus's Avatar
Ignus at 07/23/2007 22:09
Anyone else not see whats so great about Rock Band/Guitar Hero?Or am I the only one?
Ignus's Avatar
Ignus at 07/23/2007 22:10
No clue how that happened, and I'll be scared if it happens again.
Ignus's Avatar
Ignus at 07/23/2007 22:10
No clue how that happened, and I'll be scared if it happens again.
Niero's Avatar
Niero at 07/23/2007 22:11
Oh hai :) Working on the comments system tonight, will clean up the bugs in a bit.
the GAMEGOBLIN's Avatar
the GAMEGOBLIN at 07/23/2007 22:11
har
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 07/23/2007 22:36
Rock Band? Overrated? NONSENSE! :D
Pangloss's Avatar
Pangloss at 07/23/2007 22:37
@Ignus: I don't know what to believe anymore.

RPG enthusiasts with 360s rejoice: of the five "best RPG" nominees, four are seeing a 360 release, three of which are exclusive.
emotoaster's Avatar
emotoaster at 07/23/2007 22:39
What I don't understand is the fact that A. Most of these games aren't out yet and B. some of these games aren't even going to be out till 08.
Hipple's Avatar
Hipple at 07/23/2007 22:43
@emotoaster

I don't quite get your point. The whole idea is that the people who voted on these games have had a chance to see them in detail AND play them. The awards are based on the quality of the games as they were at the show, not how good they'll be when they're released.
Nyteshade's Avatar
Nyteshade at 07/23/2007 22:44
I... hate... guitar games!!!

Why must I spend more money for less buttons and more plastic?!?!

And now I can pay for a whole band setup so when my idiot fiends come over we can all look like morons pretending to play music with plastic instruments...
HarassmentPanda's Avatar
HarassmentPanda at 07/23/2007 22:45
@ Pangloss

I was just thinking the same thing. The most surprising part about this list is that the 360 comes in with 4 best RPG nods and there's only 1 Playstation title mentioned... shooter box, indeed. Sad to see Blue Dragon isn't on that list though; I was hoping that would be a good one.
Ignus's Avatar
Ignus at 07/23/2007 22:52
I think Blue Dragon is gonna be a good game, but the other 5 are just better. I played the XBL demo and it was pretty cool, but I didn't last long since I didn't bother to learn the combat at all and just picked Attack over and over.
Also, isn't Hellgate: London as much an RPG as BioShock? I never really followed the game.
Ignus's Avatar
Ignus at 07/23/2007 22:52
I think Blue Dragon is gonna be a good game, but the other 5 are just better. I played the XBL demo and it was pretty cool, but I didn't last long since I didn't bother to learn the combat at all and just picked Attack over and over.Also, isn't Hellgate: London as much an RPG as BioShock? I never really followed the game.
Pangloss's Avatar
Pangloss at 07/23/2007 22:59
Would the fact that Blue Dragon has already been released in Japan have removed it from the running? Because I haven't heard a negative word about that game so far.

But you picked out the important implications of my observation, which I had missed: the 360 has developed a much more diverse library than a lot of people expected.
Nyteshade's Avatar
Nyteshade at 07/24/2007 00:06
@ Ignus Yeah, you could lump Hellgate: London into the RPG category. It's basically Diablo 2 with guns and first person shooting. The game runs in an instance type setup for multi-player, but stats and items are kept and upgraded...

All depends on how you define an RPG.
Ignus's Avatar
Ignus at 07/24/2007 00:25
Why is UT3 listed as only PC/PS3? It's a timed exclusive, what's the point of doing that? And am I the only one who keep getting the double posts?
Ignus's Avatar
Ignus at 07/24/2007 00:25
Why is UT3 listed as only PC/PS3? It's a timed exclusive, what's the point of doing that? And am I the only one who keep getting the double posts?
SourGr8pes's Avatar
SourGr8pes at 07/24/2007 00:35
How about "Most Expensive to Play"? I know Rock Band will be taking the cake on that one.

And Fallout III like a nuthafucka. I hope it crushes, kills, an d maims it's competition.
thisissami's Avatar
thisissami at 07/24/2007 05:08
what the hell??? why isn't ratchet and clank nominated?!? it should definitely be on the action/adventure, console game, and best game nominations!!
Dmbot's Avatar
Dmbot at 07/24/2007 06:45
Shit, I AM the only one who's not excited about Rock Band. But than again, I never saw the appeal in Guitar Hero as well... DDR was SO much better, really.
Disappointed at Super Mario Galaxy, I thought it was the best looking at E3.
Ignus's Avatar
Ignus at 07/24/2007 09:29
Dmbot, you're incorrect. I also couldn't care less for Rock Band or Guitar Hero.
Ignus's Avatar
Ignus at 07/24/2007 09:29
Dmbot, you're incorrect. I also couldn't care less for Rock Band or Guitar Hero.
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 07/24/2007 10:10
I can see why you might not be interested in playing Guitar Hero, but to turn around say and DDR was SO much better is kind of wild. I'd like to hear the logic in that one. :D
BlackbeardonGuitar's Avatar
BlackbeardonGuitar at 07/24/2007 11:38
I noticed Assassins Creed was nowhere to be found, odd.
Dmbot's Avatar
Dmbot at 07/24/2007 13:05
Well, I just think DDR (by that I mean StepMania, but they're the same thing, really) was near perfect, it was so simple and fun. DDR and Guitar Hero had the same basic gameplay, but I felt guitar hero added some features that took away from DDR's simplicity. Also, DDR made you move around and you could feel the adrenaline rush, Guitar Hero had a toy guitar. It's not that Guitar Hero is bad, it's just that (as I said) DDR is SO much better. I guess I tend to take this opinion to the extreme because of all the hype around Guitar Hero while gamers just wave DDR as crap. (Gamespot gave Guitar Hero a ~9 while DDR is getting in the 6-8 range, for example).
Mr FunGuns's Avatar
Mr FunGuns at 08/09/2007 16:11
Im kinda suprised that Halo 3 isnt seen in more categories
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