It's all a bit hazy at the moment but last night's videogame BAFTAs was a decent stab at sexing up the games industry, even if some of the winners were bizarre. Is Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter really the best game? Host Vernon Kay at least appeared to have played a game in the last 10 years - Ubisoft will have been pleased with his regular references to Ghost Recon - and there was a definite coming of age feeling. Read on for the winners and who I think should have won.
The winners are in bold...
INNOVATION Dr Kawashima's BRAIN TRAINING: How Old Is Your Brain? (Nintendo/Nintendo) - Worthy winner, though Katamari deserved something from the night.. Electroplankton (Nintendo/Nintendo) Guitar Hero (RedOctane/Harmonix Music Systems Inc) LocoRoco (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe(SCEE)/Sony Computer Entertainment Japan(SCEJ)) Shadow of the Colossus (SCEE/Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI)) We Love Katamari (Electronic Arts/Namco)
ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT Black (EA Games/Criterion Games) Hitman: Blood Money (Eidos Interactive/IO Interactive) LocoRoco (SCEE)/ (SCEJ) Shadow of the Colossus (SCEE/(SCEI)) - Had to be really, and seeing it again on the big screen reminded me what a statement this game is. How Hitman was nominated is beyond me. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2K Games/Bethesda Games Studios) We Love Katamari (Electronic Arts/Namco)
CHARACTER Agent 47 in Hitman: Blood Money (Eidos Interactive/IO Interactive) Han Solo in Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (LucasArts/Traveller's Tales) Lara Croft in Tomb Raider: Legend (Eidos Interactive/Crystal Dynamics) LocoRoco in LocoRoco (SCEE/SCEJ) - It was a good night for Sony - and how they need it - with LocoRoco picking up an award which, to be honest, sums up the lack of decent game characters. Rogue in Rogue Trooper (Eidos Interactive/Rebellion & 2000AD)
STRATEGY Age of Empires: The Age Of Kings (Majesco/Backbone) Football Manager 2006 (Sega Europe/Sports Interactive) Medieval II Total War (Sega Europe/Creative Assembly) Rise And Fall: Civilizations At War (Midway/ Midway) - I went to the loo during this one. Sid Meier's Civilization IV Warlords (2K Games/Firaxis Games) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Ubisoft/Ubisoft Paris)
CASUAL & SOCIAL Buzz!: The BIG Quiz (SCEE/Relentless Software) - Had to be really - Buzz was a worthy winner. Dr Kawashima's BRAIN TRAINING: How Old Is Your Brain? (Nintendo/Nintendo) Electroplankton (Nintendo/Nintendo) Guitar Hero (RedOctane/Harmonix Music Systems, Inc) LocoRoco (SCEE/SCEJ) SingStar Rocks! (SCEE/SCEE)
SCREENPLAY 24: The Game (SCEE/SCEE) Psychonauts (Majesco/DoubleFine) - The most deserved award of the night. Rogue Trooper (Eidos Interactive/Rebellion & 2000 AD) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2K Games/Bethesda Games Studios) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Ubisoft/Ubisoft Paris) Tomb Raider: Legend (Eidos Interactive/Crystal Dynamics)
CHILDREN'S Daxter (SCEE/Ready At Dawn) Ice Age II: The Meltdown (Vivendi Games/Eurocom) Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (LucasArts/Traveller's Tales) LocoRoco (SCEE/SCEJ) - Another award for Loco - but is it a kids game? New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo/Nintendo) We Love Katamari (Electronic Arts/Namco)
GAMEPLAY sponsored by Nokia N-Gage Guitar Hero (RedOctane/Harmonix Music Systems Inc) Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (LucasArts/Traveller's Tales) - I love Lego Star Wars, but what the hell is gameplay and how do you judge it? LocoRoco (SCEE/SCEJ) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2K Games/Bethesda Games Studios) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Ubisoft/Ubisoft Paris) We Love Katamari (Electronic Arts/Namco)
SIMULATION C-130 Hercules (Just Flight/Captain Sim) Championship Manager 2006 (Eidos Interactive/Beautiful Game Studios) Football Manager 2006 (Sega Europe/Sports Interactive) Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis (Take-Two Interactive/Rockstar San Diego) The Movies (Feral Interactive/Lionhead Studios) - The obligatory Molyneux award, but at least Champ Manager 6 didn't win. Trauma Center: Under The Knife (Nintendo/Atlus)
MULTIPLAYER 2006 FIFA World Cup (Electronic Sports/EA Canada) Animal Crossing: Wild World (Nintendo/Nintendo) Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (EA Games/Digital Illusions) Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach (Atari/Turbine) - Atari didn't even turn up to collect their award! Clearly they didn't think D&D deserved it either. That, or they couldn't afford a ticket to the event. Guild Wars Factions (NCsoft/ArenaNet) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Ubisoft/Ubisoft Paris)
ACTION & ADVENTURE sponsored by PC World Metroid Prime: Hunters (Nintendo/Nintendo) Shadow of the Colossus (SCEE/(SCEI)) - I'd have given this to Oblivion - along with Katamari it was the real bridesmaid of the evening. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2K Games/The Bethesda Games Studios) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Ubisoft/Ubisoft Paris) Tomb Raider: Legend (Eidos Interactive/Crystal Dynamics) We Love Katamari (Electronic Arts/Namco)
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT sponsored by Skillset Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (EA Games/Digital Illusions) Black (EA Games/Criterion Games) Burnout Revenge (Electronic Arts/Criterion Games) Just Cause (Eidos Interactive/Avalanche Studios) Shadow of the Colossus (SCEE/SCEI) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Ubisoft/Ubisoft Paris) - Just Cause (environment) or Black (maxing-out the PS2), surely.
SPORTS 2006 FIFA World Cup (EA Sports/EA Canada) Fight Night Round 3 (EA Sports/EA Chicago) - Seeing as it is actually out - unlike PES6 - and damn fine, especially online, you have to say this was the right choice. Football Manager 2006 (Sega Europe/Sports Interactive) Moto GP 06 (THQ/Climax) Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (Konami/Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (KCAT)) Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis (Take-Two Interactive/Rockstar San Diego)
ORIGINAL SCORE Dragon Quest: The Journey of the Cursed King (Square Enix/Level 5) LocoRoco (SCEE/SCEJ) Shadow of the Colossus (SCEE/SCEI) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2K Games/Bethesda Games Studios) The Movies (Feral Interactive/ Lionhead Studios) Tomb Raider: Legend (Eidos Interactive/Crystal Dynamics) - Yeah, go on then.
SOUNDTRACK B-Boy (SCEE/FreeStyleGames) Guitar Hero (RedOctane/Harmonix Music Systems Inc) - Er, pardon? A slightly pointless award goes to probably the right winner. Reservoir Dogs (Eidos Interactive/Volatile Games) SingStar Rocks! (SCEE/SCEE)
AUDIO Black (EA Games/Criterion Games) Electroplankton (Nintendo/Nintendo) - Great stuff - sounded even better after wine and champagne. LocoRoco (SCEE/SCEJ) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Ubisoft/Ubisoft Paris) Tomb Raider: Legend (Eidos Interactive/Crystal Dynamics) We Love Katamari (Electronic Arts/Namco)
GAME sponsored by PC World Black (EA Games/Criterion Games) Dr Kawashima's BRAIN TRAINING: How Old Is Your Brain? (Nintendo/Nintendo) Guitar Hero (RedOctane/Harmonix Music Systems Inc) Hitman: Blood Money (Eidos Interactive/IO Interactive) Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (LucasArts/Traveller's Tales) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Ubisoft/Ubisoft Paris) - Good yes, but there are plenty better, most of which weren't nominated.
The Gamers' Award, Sponsored by Nokia N-Gage ( and voted for by readers of The Sun's 'Something for the Weekend')
Tetris Mania Sonic The Hedgehog Part One Namco Classic's Pac-Man Diner Dash 24: The Mobile Game - Utterly utterly pointless. The Sims Civilization for N-Gage Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Lemmings Platinum Soduku
