Game critics nominate the best of E3 2010 (reader poll)

The Game Critics Awards group has presented its list of nominees for the best games of E3 2010. Each year, this list turns out to be one of the best ways to predict success for the top games of the year and the game companies that make them.

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Notable facts: id Software’s Rage received the most nominations at five, including Best of Show. Disney’s Epic Mickey, Dance Central, and Portal 2 each received four nominations. Electronic Arts was the most-nominated publisher with 15 nominations, followed by Microsoft Xbox with 11. And the Xbox 360 was the most nominated platform with 46 nominations, followed by PlayStation 3 with 39, the PC had 30 nominations while the Nintendo Wii got 14 nominations. EA’s number is actually down 3 from 2009 and down 6 from 2008. Still, EA’s push to improve quality is making it stand out. It’s worth noting that Activision Blizzard, which got 2 nominations, showed only a few titles at the show and did not have a booth.

The judges include critics from a wide variety of publications in the mainstream and gamer press. This year, I was one of the judges as well. I’ve included my own votes at the bottom. Here’s the official list and please take our poll about your votes for the top “Best of Show” category. (Here’s my list my overall favorite games of E3.) Judges will now vote on the final lists and the winners will be announced on July 6. To be eligible, games had to be playable at the show.

GAME CRITICS AWARDS: BEST OF E3 2010 NOMINATIONS

Best of Show
– Dance Central (developer: Harmonix; publisher: MTV Games; platforms: Microsoft for Xbox 360)
– Disney’s Epic Mickey  (Junction Point/Disney Interactive Studios for Wii)
– Nintendo 3DS  (Nintendo)
– Portal 2 (Valve for PC / Mac, PS3 and Xbox 360)
– Rage (id Software/Bethesda for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360)

Best Original Game
– Bulletstorm (People Can Fly/Epic Games/Electronic Arts for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360)
– Child of Eden (Q Entertainment/Ubisoft for PS3, Xbox 360)
– Dance Central (Harmonix/MTV Games/Microsoft for Xbox 360)
– Disney’s Epic Mickey (Junction Point/Disney Interactive Studios for Wii)
– Rage (id Software/Bethesda for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360)

Best Console Game
– Disney’s Epic Mickey (Junction Point/Disney Interactive Studios for Wii)
– InFamous 2 (Sucker Punch/Sony Computer Entertainment for PS3)
– Kirby’s Epic Yarn  (Good-Feel/Nintendo for Wii)
– Portal 2  (Valve for PC / Mac, PS3, and Xbox 360)
– Rage (id Software/Bethesda for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360)

Best Handheld Game
– Ghost Trick (Capcom for Nintendo DS)
– God of War: Ghost of Sparta  (Ready at Dawn/Sony Santa Monica for PSP)
– Okamiden (Capcom for Nintendo DS)
– SuperScribblenauts (5TH Cell/WBIE for Nintendo DS)
– Valkyria Chronicles  2 (Sega for PSP)

Best PC Game
– Civilization V  (Firaxis/2K Games)
– Crysis 2 (CryTek/Electronic Arts)
– Portal 2 (Valve)
– Rage (id Software/Bethesda)
– Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare Austin/LucasArts/EA)

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Best Hardware
– Kinect (Microsoft for Xbox 360)
– Move (Sony for PlayStation 3)
– Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo)
– Rock Band 3 Pro Guitars (Harmonix/MTV Games/Mad Catz)
– Rock Band 3 Keyboard (Harmonix/MTV Games/Mad Catz)

Best Action Game
– Bulletstorm (People Can Fly/Epic Games/Electronic Arts for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360)
– Call of Duty: Black Ops (TreyArch/Activision for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360)
– Gears of War 3  (Epic Game/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)
– Halo: Reach  (Bungie/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)
– Rage (id Software/Bethesda for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360)

Best Action/Adventure Game
– Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360)
– Dead Space 2 (Visceral Games/Electronic Arts for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360)
– Disney’s Epic Mickey  (Junction Point/Disney Interactive Studios for Wii)
– Portal 2 (Valve for PC / Mac, PS3, and Xbox 360)
– The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo for Wii)

Best Role Playing Game
– Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal/Square-Enix for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
– Fable III (Lionhead/Microsoft Game Studios for PC and Xbox 360)
– Fallout: New Vegas (Obsidian/Bethesda for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360)
– Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare Austin/LucasArts/EA for PC)
– The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (CD Projekt RED STUDIO/Atari for PC)

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Best Racing Game
– Gran Turismo 5  (Polyphony Digital/Sony Computer Entertainment for PS3)
– MotorStorm: Apolcalypse  (Evolution Studios/Sony Computer Entertainment for PS3)
– Need for Speed Hot Pursuit (Criterion Games/Electronic Arts for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360)
– Test Drive Unlimited 2 (Eden Games/Atari for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360)

Best Fighting Game
– Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds  (Capcom for PS3 and Xbox 360)
– Mortal Kombat (NetherRealm/WBIE for PS3 and Xbox 360)
– WWE All Stars (THQ San Diego/THQ for PS3 and Xbox 360)

Best Sports Game
– EA Sports MMA (EA Tiburon/EA Sports for PS3, Xbox 360)
– Madden NFL 11 (EA Tiburon/EA Sports for PS3, Xbox 360)
– NBA Jam (EA Canada/EA Sports for Wii)
– NCAA Football 11 (EA Tiburon/EA Sports for PS3, Xbox 360)
– NHL 11 (EA Canada/EA Sports for PS3, Xbox 360)

Best Strategy Game
– Civilization V (Firaxis/2K Games for PC)
– Company of Heroes Online (Relic/THQ for PC)
– End of Nations (Petroglyph/Trion Worlds for PC)
– Shogun 2: Total War (The Creative Assembly/Sega for PC)

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Best Social/Casual Game
– Dance Central  (Harmonix/MTV Games/Microsoft for Xbox 360)
– DJ Hero 2  (FreeStyle Games/Activision for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
– Kinect Adventures  (Good Science Studio/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)
– Rock Band 3   (Harmonix/MTV Games/Electronic Arts for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)

Best Motion Simulation Game
– Child of Eden (Q Entertainment/Ubisoft for PS3 and Xbox 360)
– Dance Central (Harmonix/MTV Games/Microsoft for Xbox 360)
– Socom 4  (Zipper/Sony Computer Entertainment for PS3)
– The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo for Wii)
– Your Shape: Fitness Evolved   (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for Xbox 360)

Best Online Multiplayer Game
– Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360)
– Gears of War 3  (Epic Games/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360 )
– Halo Reach  (Bungie/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)
– Medal of Honor  (EALA/DICE/EA for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
– Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare Austin/LucasArts/EA for PC)

The list below is my own votes as an E3 judge. Please note I voted only for the games I actually saw.

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Best  of Show:
1. Rage
2. Crysis 2
3. Killzone 3
4. Call of Duty Black Ops
5. Civilization V

Best Original Game:
1. Rage
2. End of Nations
3. Dance Central
4. Kinectimals
5. Bulletstorm

Best Game, Console:
1. Rage
2. Crysis 2
3. Killzone 3
4. Call of Duty Black Ops
5. Halo: Reach

Best Game, Handheld/Mobile:
1. Steel Diver
2. Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker
3. Super Scribblenauts

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Best Game, PC
1. Civilization V
2.  Portal 2
3.  End of Nations
4.  Rift: Planes of Telara
5.  Star Wars: The Old Republic

Best Hardware/Peripheral:
1. Nintendo 3DS
2. Microsoft Kinect
3. Sony Move
4. Xbox 360 Slim

Best Action Game:
1. Rage
2. Crysis 2
3. Call of Duty Black Ops
4. Halo: Reach
5.Bulletstorm

Best Action/Adventure Game:
1. Crysis 2
2. Gears of War 3
3. Medal of Honor

Best RPG:
1. Fallout New Vegas
2. Fable III
3. Star Wars: The Old Republic
4. Tera
5. Lord of the Rings: War in the North

Best Fighting Game:
1. Mortal Kombat
2. The Fight: Lights Out
3. Marvel vs. Capcom 3

Best Racing Game:
1. Forza Motorsport for Kinect
2. Motorstorm: Apocalypse
3. Gran Turismo 5
4. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit

Best Sports Game:
1. Kinect Sports
2. EA Sports Active 2
3.  EA Sports MMA

Best Strategy Game:
1. Civ 5
2. End of Nations
3. Shogun II: Total War
4. Company of Heroes Online

Best Social/Casual Game:
1. Dance Central
2. Kinect Adventures
3. Kinect Sports
4. Disney’s Guilty Party
5.LEGO Harry Potter

Best Motion Simulation Game:
1. Dance Central
2. Kinectimals
3. Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
4. Epic Mickey
5. Socom 4

Best Online Multiplayer:
1.  Medal of Honor
2.  End of Nations
3.  Rift: Planes of Telara

Special Commendation for Graphics (Non-Playable Games Eligible in this category)
1. Rage
2. Crysis 2
3. Killzone 3

Special Commendation for Sound (Non-Playable Games Eligible in this category):
1. Call of Duty Black Ops
2. Crysis 2
3.Killzone 3

Special Commendation for Innovation (Non-Playable Games Eligible in this category):

1. Nintendo 3DS
2. Microsoft Kinect
3. Depth Analysis

What are your picks for the best of the show at E3 2010?survey software