Every year in the third week of March, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts honors gaming excellence with an annual awards ceremony - and they’d much appreciate it if you called it that. Not to be confused with certain “shows” like the Spike VGAs, there’s no Deadmau5 in sight, the awards-to-trailers ratio hovers at a constant 1:0, and Mark Hamill gets VIP seating.
The spit-and-polish ceremony doled out its trophies to the elite games of 2011, and the final list includes an equal share of big name winners and big name losers.
Portal 2 was named 2011’s Best Game and also took home top honors in Best Story and Best Design. Battlefield 3, meanwhile, cleaned up in the categories for Best Online Multiplayer, Best Audio, and the fan-voted GAME Award of 2011 - beating out formidable rival Modern Warfare 3 in each. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, though heavily nominated, came home with an empty inventory.
Read on for the full list of BAFTA award winners and nominees - winners are in BOLD:
Action
- Batman: Arkham City Assassin’s Creed Revelations Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Deus Ex: Human Revolution Portal 2 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Artistic Achievement
- Rayman Origins Batman: Arkham City L.A. Noire LittleBigPlanet 2 The Elder Scrolls V — Skyrim Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Audio Achievement
- Battlefield 3 Batman: Arkham City Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Dead Space 2 The Nightjar Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Best Game
- Portal 2 Batman: Arkham City FIFA 2012 L.A. Noire The Elder Scrolls V — Skyrim The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Debut Game
- Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet Bastion Eufloria L.A. Noire Monstermind RIFT
Design
- Portal 2 Batman: Arkham City L.A. Noire LittleBigPlanet 2 Super Mario 3D Land The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim
Family
- LittleBigPlanet 2 Dance Central 2 Kinect Sports 2 LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars Mario Kart 7
Game Innovation
- LittleBigPlanet 2 Bastion Child of Eden From Dust L.A. Noire The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Mobile & Handheld
- Peggle HD Dead Space iOS Magnetic Billiards: Blueprint Quarrel Super Mario 3D Land The Nightjar
Online — Browser
- Monstermind Gardens of Time I Am Playr Global Resistance Skylanders Spyro’s Universe The Sims Social
Online-Multiplayer
- Battlefield 3 Assassin’s Creed Revelations Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Dark Souls Gears of War 3 LittleBigPlanet 2
Original Music
- L.A. Noire Assassin’s Creed Revelations Batman: Arkham City Deus Ex: Human Revolution The Elder Scrolls V — Skyrim Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Performer
- Mark Hamill (The Joker) — Batman: Arkham City Aaron Staton (Cole Phelps) — L.A. Noire Nolan North (Nathan Drake) — Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Stephen Fry (Narrator) — LittleBigPlanet 2 Stephen Merchant (Wheatley) — Portal 2 Togo Igawa (Dipolomat, Advisor and Military General) — Total War: SHOGUN 2
Sports/Fitness
- Dance Central 2 DiRT 3 F1 2011 FIFA 2012 WINNER: Kinect Sports 2 Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012
Story
- Portal 2 Batman: Arkham City Deus Ex: Human Revolution L.A. Noire The Elder Scrolls V — Skyrim Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Strategy
- Total War: SHOGUN 2 Dark Souls Deus Ex: Human Revolution Football Manager 2012 From Dust Ghost Recon Shadow Wars
BAFTA Ones to Watch Award in association with Dare to Be Digital
- Tick Tock Toys Dreamweaver Joust!
GAME Award of 2011
- Battlefield 3 Batman: Arkham City Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 FIFA 2012 L.A Noire Minecraft Portal 2 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception
Though in potent contrast to the 2011 VGA Award Winners, it’s nice to see that both lists feature categories spanning the technical - in addition to genre-driven - aspects of gaming. Gamers might be surprised that Skyrim got shut out on each of its nominations, but as we noted in our review, it’s very much a greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts type game.
Coincidentally, Game Rant also shared the BAFTA train of thought regarding Portal 2’s triumphant status as the 2011 Game of Year - but we’ll save the bragging for another time.
Ranters, what games do you think should have taken home the BAFTA golden mask? Now that we’re deep into March, what games are already looking primed for next year’s award season?
-
Follow me on Twitter @Brian_Sipple
Source: BAFTA
