Portal, BioShock lead Game Developers Choice Awards noms
Wait! Before you flip your desk over in a fit of disgust, give us just one minute to talk you down, okay? First, that's a really nice desk (is that mahagony?) and we wouldn't want you to pull something flipping it over. Second, these aren't just any Game of the Year awards. Yes, fine, we did say the same exact thing yesterday about the Game Critics Awards but these are different. These awards are determined by designers themselves so, if you want an inside peek into the cheek-slapping that goes on in the virtual locker room we call "the game industry," then you'll want to read this post.
There, you're still with us? To be honest, we really wanted to share the nominations with you because they reminded us of something ... what was it again? Oh, that's right, Joystiq's own totally definitive Game of the Year awards. You know why? Not simply because game developers – the people that actually hand carve every game you enjoy so much – had the audacity, the temerity even, to include Portal (note: not The Orange Box) as the most nominated game (a distinction it shares with BioShock) but because they also gave Peggle an impressive three nominations. Yeah, the same Peggle some people thought we were crazy for including in our list.
Did we really just ask you to read this entire post so we could feel vindicated, our selections having been affirmed by the craftspeople we so admire? ... well, yeah, but we included all of the nominees after the break so you don't feel totally ripped off. We'll be liveblogging the GDCA slash IGF ceremony from GDC so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Best Game Design
BioShock
Call of Duty 4
Mass Effect
Portal
Super Mario Galaxy
Best Visual Art
Assassin's Creed
Team Fortress 2
Crysis
BioShock
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Best Technology
Halo 3
Crysis
Call of Duty 4
Portal
Assassin's Creed
Best Writing
Portal
God of War II
Mass Effect
Half-Life 2: Episode 2
BioShock
Best Audio
Call of Duty 4
Everyday Shooter
BioShock
God of War II
Mass Effect
Best Debut
Crackdown (Realtime Worlds)
flOw (ThatGameCompany)
The Witcher (CD Projekt)
Everyday Shooter (Queasy Games)
Aquaria (Bit Blot)
Innovation
Rock Band
Portal
flOw
Peggle
Mass Effect
Best Handheld Game
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of The Warlords
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Phase
Contra 4
Peggle (for iPod)
Best Downloadable Game
Pac-Man Championship Edition
Everyday Shooter
Peggle
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of The Warlords (XBLA version)
Flow
Game of the Year
BioShock
Call of Duty 4
Portal
Rock Band
Super Mario Galaxy