If awards are any sort of measure, the Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is just about the very best game ever released, ever.
The controversially buggy game has just received another Game of the Year award – this time at the Game Developer’s conference.
“We never imagined the reception the game would get or the success that it has had,” said Bethesda’s Todd Howard. Adding that that Bethesda simply made the game it wanted to play. “Thank you to everyone who supported us. Thank you to everyone who’s making games that inspire us,” he said, accepting the award with members of his team.
though it didn’t manage the top honour, Valve’s incredible Portal 2 secured 3 accolades; Best Audio, Best Narrative and Best Game Design – all of which it deserved. Adherents to the church of Sony will be well chuffed that Naughty dog’s Uncharted 3 walked off with Best Visual Arts, while Battlefield 3 took Best Technology.
Here’s the full list of winners (in bold) and losers!
Best Audio
- Bastion (Supergiant Games)
- LittleBigPlanet 2 (Media Molecule)
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
- Dead Space 2 (Visceral Games)
- Portal 2 (Valve)
Best Debut
- Supergiant Games (Bastion)
- Team Bondi (L.A. Noire)
- Re-Logic (Terraria)
- Bioware Austin (Star Wars: The Old Republic)
- Eidos Montreal (Deus Ex: Human Revolution)
Best Narrative
- Portal 2 (Valve)
- The Witcher 2 (CD Projekt RED)
- Bastion (Supergiant Games)
- Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Naughty Dog)
- Saints Row: The Third (Volition)
Best Visual Arts
- Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Naughty Dog)
- Rayman Origins (Ubisoft Montpellier)
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
- El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (Ignition Japan)
- Battlefield 3 (DICE)
Best Downloadable Game
- Stacking (Double Fine)
- From Dust (Ubisoft Montpellier)
- Bastion (Supergiant Games)
- Outland (Housemarque)
- Frozen Synapse (Mode 7)
Best Game Design
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
- The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo)
- Portal 2 (Valve)
- Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
- Dark Souls (FromSoftware)
Best Technology
- Battlefield 3 (DICE)
- L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
- Crysis 2 (Crytek Frankfurt/UK)
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
- Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Naughty Dog)
Best Handheld/Mobile Game
- Tiny Tower (NimbleBit)
- Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo)
- Jetpack Joyride (Halfbrick)
- Infinity Blade II (Chair Entertainment)
- Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (Capy Games/Superbrothers)
Innovation Award
- Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure (Toys For Bob)
- Portal 2 (Valve)
- Bastion (Supergiant Games)
- Johann Sebastian Joust (Die Gute Fabrik)
- L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
Game of the Year
- Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
- Portal 2 (Valve)
- Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal)
- Dark Souls (FromSoftware)
12th Annual Special Awards
- Lifetime Achievement Winner: Warren Spector
- Pioneer Award Winner: Dave Theurer
- Ambassador Award Winner: Ken Doroshow and Paul M. Smith
Last Updated: March 8, 2012
