Thought the world was done bestowing accolades on last year’s games? You thought wrong – but the Academy of Interactive Arts and Science’s awards are a little different. Instead of winners being selected by the public or the gaming media, they’re voted on and chosen by the organisation’s 20 000-strong membership, made up of developers, artists, engineers, animators, game designers et al within the industry; the peers of those nominated.
Here are the winners of the 15th Annual Interactive Achievement awards:
- Best Original Music Composition: Portal 2
- Best Sound Design: Battlefield 3
- Best Story: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Best Character Performance: Wheatley
- Best Downloadable game: Bastion
- Best Casual Game: Fruit Ninja Kinect
- Social Networking Game of the Year: Sims Social
- Role-playing / MMO Game of the year: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Outstanding Innovation in Gaming: Skylanders
- Sports Game of the Year: FIFA 12
- Racing Game of the Year: Forza 4
- Fighting Game of the Year: Mortal Kombat
- Strategy / Simulation Game of the Year: Orcs Must Die
- Hall of Fame 2012 Inductee: Tim Sweeney
- Family Game of the Year: LittleBigPlanet 2
- Mobile Game of the Year: Infinity Blade 2
- Handheld Game of the Year: Super Mario 3D Land
- Adventure Game of the Year: Batman: Arkham City
- Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay: Star Wars: The Old Republic
- Outstanding Achievement in Connectivity: Portal 2
- Action Game of the Year: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- Outstanding Achievement in Animation: Uncharted 3
- Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction: Uncharted 3
- Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering: Uncharted 3
- Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Game of the Year: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
I’m ok with those winners – except perhaps Skyrim receiving the Best Story award. I loved the 85 hours I spent with the game (mostly bug-free!), but its actual narrative was most certainly secondary; you carved your own, through your solitary exploration of the world. It was hardly a story-driven game. I’d go so far as to say even Mortal Kombat had a better story structure – and its narrative was beyond ludicrous. Personally? I’d probably have picked Deus Ex: Human Revolution, but mostly because it’s just not gotten the love it deserved when it comes to awards.
Any others you’d like to contend?
Last Updated: February 10, 2012