Spike TV has announced the nominees for its fifth annual Video Game Awards. The awards show will be airing live this year, which is probably a great improvement over the previous shows, which were pre-taped, so the winners were always given out earlier than the broadcast.
This is my second year as a judge for the awards. Actually, it might be my third. Dude, it's kind of a blur. Anyway, being a judge entails selecting nominees, then voting on those nominees to select a winner. The nominees are listed below. You can find out the winners at the same time I do, when the show broadcasts on Spike on December 14th.
This year, the judges didn't vote on the sponsored "Fueled By Dew" category for best independent game. If we did, I'd be totally torn between Braid and Audiosurf. Nothing says independence quite like Mountain Dew, I say.
And now, the fat list of nominees. Who do you think got robbed? And who do you think will win?
Game of the Year
Gears of War 2
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Grand Theft Auto IV
LittleBigPlanet
Fallout 3
Studio of the Year
Media Molecule
Rockstar North
Harmonix
Bethesda Game Studios
Best Shooter
Far Cry 2
Resistance 2
Gears of War 2
Left 4 Dead
Best RPG
Fable II
Fallout 3
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
The World Ends With You
Best Fighting Game
Soul Calibur IV
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit
Best Individual Sports Game
Shaun White Snowboarding
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
Wii Fit
Skate It
Best Handheld Game
God of War: Chains of Olympus
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Patapon
Castlevania Order of Eccelsia
Best Graphics
Gears of War 2
Fallout 3
LittleBigPlanet
Metal Gear Solid 4
Best Game Based on a Movie or a TV Show
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
Quantum of Solace
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Naruto: The Broken Bond
Best Music Game
Rock Band 2
Guitar Hero: World Tour
Wii Music
SingStar
Best Driving Game
Burnout Paradise
Pure
Midnight Club: Los Angeles
Mario Kart Wii
Best Action Adventure Game
Grand Theft Auto IV
Dead Space
Mirrors Edge
Metal Gear Solid 4
Best Team Sports Game
NHL 09
Madden NFL 09
NBA 2K9
FIFA Soccer 09
Best Soundtrack
LittleBigPlanet
Grand Theft Auto IV
Rock Band 2
Guitar Hero World Tour
Best Xbox 360 Game
Fable II
Gears of War 2
Grand Theft Auto IV
Fallout 3
Best Wii Game
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Boom Blox
Wii Fit
No More Heroes
Best PS3 Game
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Resistance 2
LittleBigPlanet
Grand Theft Auto IV
Best PC Game
Spore
Crysis Warhead
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
Left 4 Dead
Best Original Score
Fallout 3
Spore
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
LittleBigPlanet
Best Multiplayer Game
Gears of War 2
Left 4 Dead
Resistance 2
Call of Duty: World at War
Big Name In The Game (Male)
Michael Hollick (Niko Bellic, Grand Theft Auto IV)
David Hayter (Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid 4)
Stephen Fry (Narrator, LittleBigPlanet)
Jason Zumwalt (Roman Bellic, Grand Theft Auto IV)
Big Name In The Game (Female)
Nathalie Cox (Juno Eclipse, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed)
Debi Mae West (Meryl Silverburgh, Metal Gear Solid 4)
Paula Tiso (Silvia Christel, No More Heroes)
Keeley Hawes (Lara Croft, Tomb Raider: Underworld)
Best Independent Game (Fueled By Dew)
World of Goo
PixelJunk Eden
Braid
Audiosurf
Naja ok Fallout 3
