The Escapist Awards 2009 Winners Announcement

We live in a culture that’s been led to believe people deserve recognition for bothering to show up at all. That’s fine. Everyone likes to feel like a winner sometimes. But when everyone is a winner, greatness loses its meaning, achievements become meaningless, and the ideas that will help propel videogaming to the next level go unrecognized. At The Escapist we consider that unacceptable. We’ve been observing the videogame industry for going on five years now. We’ve witnessed some truly remarkable feats of videogame design ingenuity, some monumental shifts in how games are made and played, and the creation of some unforgettable experiences. But so far, we’ve never judged, or evaluated, or rewarded. This year that’s going to change. I’m proud to present to you the inaugural The Escapist Awards, celebrating greatness in videogame design for the year 2009. Some have called 2009 a “weak” year in gaming, but we disagree. Looking back on the games we played, we’ve seen some truly remarkable advancements and achievements, and we’re happy to finally share our opinions with you and to reward those who’ve made it all possible. For 2009 our awards are in three broad categories – Overall Excellence, Professional Excellence and Experiential – recognizing the various ways in which game design has advanced and improved, and the games which we’ll be talking about for years to come. Please join me in congratulating our 2009 The Escapist Awards nominees, and stay tuned for the announcement of our winners. Russ Pitts Editor-in-Chief To learn more about The Escapist Awards click here. This category recognizes areas of broad greatness in videogame design. Each of these awards (with a few exceptions) highlights the accomplishments of teams, not individuals, acknowledging that great things often require time, hard work and communication.

Winner: World of Warcraft (Activision/Blizzard)

Nominees: World of Warcraft (Activision/Blizzard), Halo 2 (Microsoft), Grand Theft Auto III (Rockstar Games) For the 1980s, it was Super Mario Bros. For the 1990s, it was Doom. And while it’s certainly true that Grand Theft Auto III‘s explosion of the “sandbox” genre and Halo 2‘s cementing of online multiplayer as a centerpiece of console gaming were landmark moments in the past 10 years of gaming, there’s no question that the game of this decade is Blizzard’s World of Warcraft. World of Warcraft was not the first MMOG and, depending on whom you ask, it may not be the best. But it was the first MMOG for everyone. There’s no denying that Blizzard’s game is expertly crafted, and that its questing and dungeon-running are head-and-shoulders above the rest of the pack. But more importantly, WoW is accessible. Blizzard took great pains to ensure that almost everyone could get a taste of the world they had created, and showed that you didn’t have to spend five hours every night on your computer camping rare monsters to have epic fantasy adventures. WoW introduced millions of people to the idea of virtual spaces and realities that had previously been considered the sole domain of the reclusive shut-in. WoW isn’t just a game for the hardcore gamer college student in Minneapolis; it’s a game for the public prosecutor in Orlando, the FBI agent in Washington, D.C., and the school librarian in Flagstaff. Heck, WoW is more than a game; it’s a lifestyle on the scale that no other single title has ever achieved. There are 11 million people with active accounts, and two to three times that number have given Azeroth a try over the past few years. It’s spawned a living, breathing culture that surrounds the game, where two complete strangers can meet, learn that they both play WoW and instantly decide whether their new acquaintance should be a trusted friend or someone to watch out for depending on if they’re a member of the (hated) Alliance or (those dirty) Horde. It’s tempting to say that WoW has crept its way into pop culture at large thanks to its appearance in South Park, references in Stargate or even strange homages in Russian deodorant commercials, but even that wouldn’t be entirely accurate. World of Warcraft has made non-gamers into gamers. It’s made millions of people aware of a genre that many never knew existed (or were afraid to try). It’s exploded the popularity of virtual worlds and MMOGs exponentially. It’s given countless people a home away from home where they could be stalwart warriors or sneaky rogues. There is almost no aspect of gaming in the past five years that hasn’t felt the impact of WoW. There is no other game in the past 10 years that will be remembered more than WoW. So for The Escapist, the choice was obvious. World of Warcraft: A reality all its own, and our Game of the Decade. -John Funk, Games Editor

Winner: Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos)

Nominees: Assassin’s Creed 2 (Ubisoft), Dragon Age: Origins (EA), Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos) I won’t lie – it was a tough decision. We debated this one longer and harder than any of the others, but in the end, if we’re being true to what we, as The Escapist value most about the experience of playing a game, then Batman: Arkham Asylum was the clear winner. As brilliant as Assassin’s Creed 2 and as engaging as Dragon Age: Orgins were, the team at Rocksteady Studios created something truly unique and inspiring with Batman: Arkham Asylum. Here is a game that combined elements of stealth shooting, puzzle-gaming, atmospherics, brawling, innovative mechanics, first-rate story, art and level design and the acting talents of some of the best people working on games – or any medium – today. Batman: Arkham Asylum brings so much to the table, moves the bar forward in so many ways, it is easily a game that we’ll be thinking about – and writing about – for years. If that’s not a Game of the Year, I don’t know what is, and that’s why I’m pleased to present Batman: Arkham Asylum as The Escapist’s Game of the Year. -Russ Pitts, Editor-in-Chief

Winner: 1 vs. 100 (Microsoft)

Nominees: 1 vs. 100 (Microsoft), Flower (Sony), Shadow Complex (Microsoft) -Susan Arendt, Senior Games Editor

Winner: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)

Nominees: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision), Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve), Borderlands (2K Games) -Jordan Deam, Features Editor

Winner: Empire: Total War (Sega)

Nominees: Empire: Total War (Sega), Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II (THQ), Demigod (Stardock) -Alexander Macris, CEO and Publisher

Winner: Dragon Age: Origins (EA)

Nominees: Dragon Age: Origins (EA), Torchlight (Runic Games), Demon’s Souls (Atlus) -Greg Tito, Games Editor

Winner: Aion (NCSoft)

Nominees: Aion (NCSoft), Runes of Magic (Frogster), Champions Online (Atari) -John Funk, Games Editor

Winner: Sims 3 (EA)

Nominees: Sims 3 (EA), H.A.W.X (Ubisoft), Forza 3 (Microsoft) -Lauren Admire, Editorial Assistant

Winner: Assassin’s Creed 2 (Ubisoft)

Nominees: Assassin’s Creed 2 (Ubisoft), The Godfather II (EA), Brutal Legend (EA) -Russ Pitts, Editor-in-Chief

Winner: Fallout 3: Point Lookout (Bethesda)

Nominees: Fallout 3: Point Lookout, Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned (2K Games), Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (Rockstar Games) This made it all the more exciting that the follow-up DLC adventures each added a new element to the fascinating world of post-apocalypse Washington D.C. Point Lookout, built on the Amer-Asian war backstory, putting the character on the trail of a long-dead Chinese spy, and introduced numerous other adventures and mysteries, cementing Fallout 3‘s place in gaming history as one of the most satisfying and versatile videogame worlds ever created. -Russ Pitts, Editor-in-Chief

Winner: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Sony)

Nominees: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Sony), Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos), Assassin’s Creed 2 (Ubisoft) -Susan Arendt, Senior Games Editor

Winner: Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Marvelous/Ignition Entertainment)

Nominees: Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Marvelous/Ignition Entertainment), Aion (NCSoft), Zeno Clash (Valve/Tripwire/Atlus) -Jordan Deam, Features Editor

Winner: Rock Band: Beatles (MTV Games)

Nominees: Rock Band: Beatles (MTV Games), 1 vs. 100 (Microsoft), Buzz (Sony) -Greg Tito, Games Editor

Winner: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (Level 5/Nintendo)

Nominees: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (Level 5/Nintendo), Flock (Capcom),vPixelJunk Shooter (Q-Games/Sony) -John Funk, Games Editor

Winner: Street Fighter IV (Capcom)

Nominees: Street Fighter IV (Capcom), Punchout (Nintendo), BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (Arc Systemworks) -John Funk, Games Editor

Winner: Plants vs. Zombies (Popcap)

Nominees: Plants vs. Zombies (Popcap), Crayon Physics Deluxe (Petri Purho), Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo) So when it came time to pick our Casual Game of the Year, honestly, there was very little debate. Peggle developer Popcap blew our minds earlier in 2009 when they sent us a preview copy of Plants vs. Zombies. Sure it was a short, little flash game you could play in minute spurts, but it was engaging, fun and inventive. Never in our wildest dreams had we imagined the tower defense genre as a monumental struggle to defend one’s lawn form the shambling undead, armed only with vegetation. In the weeks since we voted PvZ our winner, we’ve been pleased to see the game ported to iPhone and become the top-selling iPhone application of all time. We were not surprised. It’s a well-deserved honor. And so, we believe, is our award for Casual Game of the Year. -Susan Arendt, Senior Games Editor

Winner: Shadow Complex (Chair Entertainment/Epic Games)

Nominees: Shadow Complex (Chair Entertainment/Epic Games), Halo 3: ODST (Microsoft), Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve) -Alexander Macris, CEO and Publisher

Winner: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Sony)

Nominees: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Sony), Demon’s Souls (Atlus), InFamous (Sony) -Susan Arendt, Senior Games Editor

Winner: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo)

Nominees: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Nintendo), House of the Dead: Overkill (Sega), MadWorld (Sega) -Jordan Deam, Features Editor

Winner: Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (Nintendo)

Nominees: Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (Nintendo), GTA: Chinatown Wars (Rockstar Games), Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Nintendo) Such a charming and interesting setting and storyline combined with rock-solid action RPG mechanics have earned this game the title of Best DS Game of the Year. -Andy Rose, Editorial Intern

Winner: LittleBigPlanet (Sony)

Nominees: LittleBigPlanet (Sony), Gran Turismo (Sony), Dissidia: Final Fantasy (Square Enix) The nearly limitless number of levels makes this already enjoyable title endlessly replayable, and when you tire of playing, you can turn the tables and create your own dream level – all while being able to carry the game in your pocket – and that is what has earned LittleBigPlanet the Best PSP Game of the Year award. -Andy Rose, Editorial Intern

Winner: Dragon Age: Origins (EA)

Nominees: Dragon Age: Origins (EA), Spelunky (Derek Yu), Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve) -Alexander Macris, CEO and Publisher

Winner: Canabalt (Semi Secret Software)

Nominees: Canabalt (Semi Secret Software), The Sims 3 (EA), Rolando 2: Quest for the Golden Orchid (ngmoco) -Jordan Deam, Features Editor

Winner: Echo Bazaar (Failbetter Games)

Nominees: Echo Bazaar (Failbetter Games), Time Fcuk (Blubaby), Scary Girl (Nathan Jurevicius) -Susan Arendt, Senior Games Editor To learn more about The Escapist Awards click here. Sometimes one person – or a small team – can make a difference. The Escapist Awards in the category of Professional Excellence recognize achievements in the making of videogames where one or more people’s influence are most clearly felt.

Winner: Dragon Age: Origins (EA)

Nominees: WET (Bethesda), Street Fighter IV (Capcom), Dragon Age: Origins (EA) Best Game Name

Winner: Robot Dinosaurs That Shoot Beams When They Roar (Tom Brien)

Nominees: Zombie Hooker Nightmare (Adult Swim), Robot Dinosaurs That Shoot Lasers When They Roar (Innvo Labs), AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! – A Reckless Disregard for Gravity (Dejobaan Games) Best Writing

Winner: Brutal Legend (EA)

Nominees: Brutal Legend (EA), Emerald City Confidential (PlayFirst), House of the Dead: Overkill (Sega) Best Voice Acting

Winner: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Sony)

Nominees: Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos), Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Sony), Dragon Age: Origins (EA) Best Original Music

Winner: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (Arc Systemworks)

Nominees: PixelJunk Shooter (Q-Games), Flower (Sony), BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (Arc Systemworks) Best Original IP

Winner: Borderlands (2K Games)

Nominees: Borderlands (2K Games), Shadow Complex (Microsoft), Brutal Legend (EA) Best Multiplayer Gameplay

Winner: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)

Nominees: Demigod (Stardock), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision), Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve) Best Cinematic

Winner: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Sony)

Nominees: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Sony), Street Fighter IV (Capcom), Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Atari) Looking back on the games we played, we’ve seen some truly remarkable advancements and achievements, and we’re happy to reward those who’ve made it all possible. Please join us in congratulating our 2009 The Escapist Awards nominees, and stay tuned for the announcement of our winners. To learn more about The Escapist Awards click here. Sometimes, some games present experiences you just have to see to believe. The Escapist Awards in the category of Experiential acknowledge these outrageous, fun, exhilarating, brilliant and happy game play events.

Winner: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)

Nominees: ‘Splosion Man (Twisted Pixel Games), Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision), Borderlands (2K Games) Most Intense Death Scene

Winner: Dragon Age: Origins (EA)

Nominees: Dragon Age: Origins (EA), Demon’s Souls (Atlus), Assassin’s Creed 2 (Ubisoft) Most Escapist

Winner: Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos)

Nominees: Dragon Age: Origins (EA), Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos), Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Sony) Most Senseless Fun

Winner: ‘Splosion Man (Twisted Pixel Games)

Nominees: MadWorld (Sega), BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger (Arc Systemworks), ‘Splosion Man (Twisted Pixel Games) Most Kick-Ass Weapon

Winner: Buffalo of Lies – Worms 2: Armageddon (Team 17)

Nominees: Tactical Nuke – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision), Leichenfaust 44 – Wolfenstein (Activision), Buffalo of Lies – Worms 2: Armageddon (Team 17) Most Ingenious Location

Winner: Screaming Wall – Brutal Legend (EA)

Nominees: Screaming Wall – Brutal Legend (EA), Golem’s Temple – Zeno Clash (Valve/Tripwire/Atlus), The Hotel – Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Sony) Most Laughs

Winner: Brutal Legend (EA)

Nominees: ‘Splosion Man (Twisted Pixel Games), Plants vs. Zombies (Popcap), Brutal Legend (EA) Most Companionable Canine

Winner: Dog – Torchlight (Runic Games)

Nominees: Dog – Torchlight (Runic Games), War Hound – Dragon Age: Origins (EA), Dogmeat – Fallout 3 (Bethesda)