You like videogames, right? And you like good music? Sometimes they come together, and the organization G.A.N.G (Game Audio Network Guild) picks the best game music and audio from the previous year and awards its creators at their annual G.A.N.G. awards.
Chosen by the game audio industry themselves, this year's finalists are like a short list of the games you turned your TV up for. Winners will be announced at the 7th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards ceremony being held on Thursday, March 26th, 2009 in San Francisco, CA during the Game Developers Conference.
The finalists are listed below the jump. Dead Space looks to be a big winner, as does LittleBigPlanet. And did you play Dark Sector? It got a few nods as well.
AUDIO OF THE YEAR
Dark Sector
Dead Space
Fable II
Gears of War 2
LittleBigPlanet
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
MUSIC OF THE YEAR
Afrika
Dead Space
Fable II
LittleBigPlanet
Lord of the Rings: Mines of Moria
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
SOUND DESIGN OF THE YEAR
Dead Space
LittleBigPlanet
Metal Gear Solid 4
Need For Speed: Undercover
Spore
BEST SOUNDTRACK ALBUM
Afrika
Fable II
Halo Trilogy - The Complete Original Soundtracks
Video Games Live: Volume One
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
BEST INTERACTIVE SCORE
Crysis: Warhead
Left 4 Dead
LittleBigPlanet
PixelJunk Eden
Spore
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
BEST HANDHELD AUDIO
God of War: Chains of Olympus
Monster Hunter 2
Rolando
Secret Agent Clank
WipEout Pulse
BEST AUDIO – OTHER
Disney’s Pixie Hollow
Eternity's Child
Hidden Expedition: Amazon
The Secret Saturdays: Tale of the Cryptids
Watchman motion comic
BEST CINEMATIC/CUT-SCENE AUDIO
Gears of War 2
Left 4 Dead
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Team Fortress 2
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
BEST DIALOGUE
Dark Sector
Grand Theft Auto IV
LittleBigPlanet
Need For Speed: Undercover
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
BEST ORIGINAL INSTRUMENTAL
"Healed Land" - Prince of Persia
"Main Theme" – Afrika
"Oscar Night" - You're In The Movies
"The Gardens" – LittleBigPlanet
"The Heist" - Pictureka Museum Mayhem
BEST ORIGINAL VOCAL – CHORAL
"Hope Runs Deep" - Gears of War 2
"Hymn for King Conan" - Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
"Khazad Düm" - LOTR: Mines of Moria
"Main Theme" - LittleBigPlanet
"Main Title" - World of Warcraft : Wrath of the Lich King
"Menu Theme" - Prince of Persia
BEST ORIGINAL VOCAL – POP
"Night time Journey" - Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventure
"On My Own" – Need For Speed: Undercover
"Out of Darkness" - Devil May Cry 4
"Shorel'Aran" - World of Warcraft: Fury of the Sunwell
"Still Alive" - Mirror's Edge
BEST USE OF LICENSED MUSIC
Fallout 3
Grand Theft Auto IV
Guitar Hero World Tour
LittleBigPlanet
Rock Band 2
BEST GAME AUDIO ARTICLE, PUBLICATION OR BROADCAST
“Making Music Interactive: Elaboration of the Feature Set in Wwise” – Music4Games.net
“The Complete Guide to Game Audio, 2nd Edition” - Thomson/Cengage Publishing
“The Music of Dead Space: Artistic Design and Technical Implementation” – Music4Games.net
“The Music System of Hellgate: London” – Music4Games.net
“The Power of the Sung Word” – Game Developer Magazine
“Tommy Tallarico Tells All” - Electronic Musician Magazine
BEST USE OF MULTI-CHANNEL SURROUND IN A GAME
Call of Duty: World at War
Crysis: Warhead
Dead Space
Fallout 3
Gears of War 2
Left 4 Dead
Contest:
8:30 PM on 02.16.2009
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Honestly never thought I'd see that.
Also, why is Dark Sector nominated in so many categories? I never got around to playing it but what I've heard isn't good.
>Force Unleashed
I can already tell that these awards will be a sham.
Seriously?
I could use that theme in any Epic Movie. If they made a version of The Odyssey that had the epic size feeling of the LOTR movies, I'd use that theme, EVERYWHERE.
And if KHRe: CoM had the Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater, and it did not get nominated, I would break somebody with a rusty chainsaw...and some nails...and a hammer...
...and a golf bat...
By the way, everyone who is complaining about the lack of Japanese games cannot read - Devil May Cry 4 is nominated.