2011 VGAs – all nominees announced, Zelda to be inducted into Video Game Hall of Fame
Spike TV has finally sent out the full list of nominees for the 2011 VGAs. Categories include “Best Wii Game” and “Best Action Adventure Game”. Zelda: Skyward Sword is nominated in both categories, as well as “Best Motion Game” and “Game of the Year”.
Additionally, the company has announced that the Zelda series will be the first franchise to be inducted into the Video Game Hall of Fame. It will receive “a special tribute” during the awards show next month.
The full list of nominees can be found after the break, along with the official press release.
Studio of the Year
Bethesda Game Studios
Naughty Dog
Rocksteady Studios
Valve
Best Xbox 360 Game
Batman: Arkham City
Forza Motorsport 4
Gears of War 3
Portal 2
Best PS3 Game
inFamous 2
Killzone 3
LittleBigPlanet 2
Uncharted 3
Best Wii Game
Epic Mickey
Kirby’s Return to Dream Land
Lost in Shadow
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Best PC Game
Battlefield 3
Minecraft
The Witcher 2
Portal 2
Best Handheld/Mobile Game
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Infinity Blade
Super Mario 3D Land
Jetpack Joyride
Best Shooter
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Gears of War 3
RAGE
Best Action Adventure Game
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Batman: Arkham City
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Best RPG
Dark Souls
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Dragon Age II
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Best Multiplayer
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Gears of War 3
Portal 2
Best Individual Sports Game
Fight Night Champion
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters
Top Spin 4
Virtua Tennis 4
Best Team Sports Game
FIFA Soccer 12
NBA 2K12
NHL 12
MLB ’11: The Show
Best Driving Game
DiRT 3
Driver: San Francisco
Forza Motorsport 4
Need for Speed: The Run
Best Fighting Game
The King of Fighters XIII
Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Mortal Kombat
WWE All Stars
Best Motion Game
Child of Eden
Dance Central 2
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
The Gunstringer
Best Independent Game
Bastion
Minecraft
Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP
The Binding of Isaac
Best Adapted Video Game
Back to the Future: The Game
Batman: Arkham City
Captain America: Super Soldier
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
Best Original Game
Bastion
Batman: Arkham City
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Portal 2
Best Graphics
Batman: Arkham City
L.A. Noire
RAGE
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Best Performance By a Human Male
J.K. Simmons as Cave Johnson – Portal 2
Mark Hamill as the Joker – Batman: Arkham City
Nolan North as Nathan Drake – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Stephen Merchant as Wheatley – Portal 2
Best Downloadable Game
Bastion
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Stacking
Trenched
Best DLC
Fallout: New Vegas – Old World Blues
Mass Effect 2 – Arrival
Mortal Kombat – Freddy Krueger
Portal 2 – Peer Review
GameTrailers.com Trailer of the Year
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – E3 2011 Trailer
Batman: Arkham City – Hugo Strange Reveal Trailer
Dark Souls – Ignite ’11 Debut Trailer
Dead Island – GDC 11 Cinematic Trailer
Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Purity First Infomercial
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – In-Game Debut Trailoer
Hitman: Absolution – E3 2011 Trailer
Prey 2 – E3 2011 Trailer
Tomb Raider – E3 2011 Trailer
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – E3 2011 Trailer
Best Song In A Game
“Build that Wall (Zia’s Theme)” by Darren Korb – Bastion
“Exile Vilify” by The National – Portal 2
“I’m Not Calling You a Liar” by Florence + the Machine – Dragon Age II
“Setting Sail, Coming Home (End Theme)” by Darren Korb – Bastion
Best Original Score
Bastion
Batman: Arkham City
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Portal 2
Most Anticipated Game
BioShock: Infinite
Diablo III
Halo 4
Mass Effect 3
The Last Guardian
Game of the Year
Batman: Arkham City
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Press release
NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Spike TV today announced the creation of its first ever Video Game Hall of Fame Award. This annual honor will recognize the most memorable and innovative video game franchises in history. The inaugural recipient, “The Legend of Zelda,(TM)” is one of the most influential and beloved gaming franchises of all time. The legendary series will take its rightful place as the first entry into the Video Game Hall of Fame, with a special tribute at the 2011 “Video Game Awards” (#VGA) – the network’s ninth annual live televised event to celebrate the best in games. Telecasting from Los Angeles, CA and featuring some of the most notable names in video games, Hollywood, music, sports and more, the two-hour event honoring the outstanding achievements within the video game industry over the past year will premiere LIVE on Spike TV, MTV 2 and Spike.com on Saturday, December 10 at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT.
“The ‘VGAs’ always celebrate the best games of the year and previews the future with world premieres,” said Casey Patterson executive producer of the “VGAs” and executive vice president of event production for Viacom Media Networks Entertainment Group. “Now our Video Game Hall of Fame will recognize the game franchises throughout history that have brought the industry to where it is today.”
“It is only natural to start with ‘Zelda,'” said Geoff Keighley, executive in charge, publisher relations, Spike. “‘The Legend of Zelda’ is a franchise that inspired many of us to see the potential of games when it debuted 25 years ago, one that has successfully transitioned from one game console generation to the next and has continually shown the narrative and artistic potential of the medium.”
“All of us at Nintendo are truly honored to have ‘The Legend of Zelda’ as the first inductee into Spike’s Video Game Hall of Fame,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales & marketing. “As we mark the 25th anniversary of the ‘Zelda’ series, we look forward to the December 10th ‘VGA’ event as a very special way to celebrate with fans and SPIKE viewers around the globe.”
The 2011 “Video Game Awards” will feature world premieres of the most anticipated games of 2012 and beyond. In addition to the previously announced exclusives debuts of BioWare’s next project, the next “Alan Wake” game and “Metal Gear Solid: Rising,” this year’s viewers will get the first look at footage from “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6 Patriots,” “Transformers: Fall of Cybertron” and Most Anticipated Game nominee, “BioShock Infinite.” Additional exclusives will be announced in the coming weeks.
For additional information about other “VGA” world exclusives and announcements, fans can log onto VGA.spike.com and get updates via Twitter @SPIKE_TV as well as the hashtag #VGA.
Leading the way with 12 nominations is “Portal 2” by Valve. Rocksteady Studios’ second adventure featuring the Dark Knight, “Batman: Arkham City” garnered 10 nominations, while the third chapter in the Nathan Drake adventure, “Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception” by Naughty Dog and independent game “Bastion” rounded out the top most nominated games with 9 and 5 nods each, respectively.
Nominees for Spike TV’s 2011 “Video Game Awards” were determined by the VGA Advisory Council, made up of a group of some of the most well-respected video game journalists from media outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Game Informer Magazine, Kotaku, Joystiq, GameSpot, IGN and WIRED.
Below are several of the nominees and categories for Spike TV’s 2011 “Video Game Awards.” For a full list, please go to VGA.spike.com.
GAME OF THE YEAR”Batman: Arkham City” (Warner Bros Interactive / Rocksteady Studios)”The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” (Bethesda Softworks / Bethesda Game Studios)”The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” (Nintendo)”Portal 2″ (Valve)”Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception” (Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog)
STUDIO OF THE YEARBethesda Game StudiosNaughty DogRocksteady StudiosValve
BEST SHOOTER”Battlefield 3″ (Electronic Arts / DICE)”Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3″ (Activision / Infinity Ward / Sledgehammer Games)”Gears of War 3″ (Microsoft Studios / Epic Games)”Rage” (Bethesda Softworks / Id Software)
BEST INDEPENDENT GAME”Bastion” (Supergiant Games)”Minecraft” (Mojang)”Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP” (Capybara Games)”The Binding of Isaac” (Edmund McMillen)
For the first time, Viacom Media Networks will broaden the reach and impact of the 2011 “VGAs” by simultaneously airing the show LIVE on both Spike TV and MTV2, as well as on Spike.com. Internationally, the “VGAs” will air in over 100 countries and territories around the world. In addition, the show will include unique interactive opportunities only available to viewers during the initial live broadcast. Further details will be announced in the weeks to come.
Mark Burnett, Casey Patterson and Carol Donovan will serve as executive producers of Spike TV’s 2011 “Video Game Awards.”
The presenting sponsors for the 2011 “Video Game Awards” are the all-new Chevy Sonic, Dr Pepper TEN and KFC Hot Wings. Energizer® Ultimate Lithium is the associate sponsor, with AXE and Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol serving as digital sponsors.
