GRAW gets GOTY at BAFTA

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter gets top honors at UK ceremony, while LocoRoco and Lego Star Wars II pick up two awards each.

Tonight, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts handed out its fourth annual Video Games Awards. This year, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, LocoRoco, Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, and Shadow of the Colossus proved to be the big winners nabbing two awards each, with Advanced Warfighter being named Game of the Year.

Television presenter Vernon Kay hosted the event at North London's Roundhouse, with a total of 18 awards handed out in fairly quick succession. Of the four games that won two awards, only Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy was homegrown, thanks to UK-based Traveller's Tales. Of the other winners, only Lionhead Studios' The Movies (Simulation) and Relentless' Buzz!: The Big Quiz (Casual & Social) were developed in Britain.

Duncan Best, BAFTA's Games Awards Officer, said, "The spread of games reflects the diversity of the industry in its current state. It's great that games as different as Ghost Recon and LocoRoco can be recognised for their individual achievements."

The nominated games for each category have been listed below, with categories in capital letters and winners highlighted in bold.

INNOVATION
Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? (Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day in the US) (Nintendo/Nintendo)
Electroplankton (Nintendo/Nintendo)
Guitar Hero (RedOctane/Harmonix)
LocoRoco (SCEE/SCEJ)
Shadow of the Colossus (SCEE/Sony Computer Entertainment)
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)
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 (LucasArts/Traveller's Tales)
Lara Croft in Tomb Raider: Legend (Eidos Interactive/Crystal Dynamics)
LocoRoco in LocoRoco (SCEE/SCEJ)
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)
Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords (2K/Firaxis Games)
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Ubisoft/Ubisoft Paris)

CASUAL & SOCIAL
Buzz!: The BIG Quiz (SCEE/Relentless Software)
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)
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)
New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo/Nintendo)
We Love Katamari (Electronic Arts/Namco)

GAMEPLAY
Guitar Hero (RedOctane/Harmonix Music Systems Inc)
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (LucasArts/Traveller's Tales)
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)
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)
Guild Wars Factions (NCsoft/ArenaNet)
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Ubisoft/Ubisoft Paris)

ACTION & ADVENTURE
Metroid Prime: Hunters (Nintendo/Nintendo)
Shadow of the Colossus (SCEE/SCEI)
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)

SPORTS
2006 FIFA World Cup (EA Sports/EA Canada)
Fight Night Round 3 (EA Sports/EA Chicago)
Football Manager 2006 (Sega Europe/Sports Interactive)
Moto GP 06 (THQ/Climax)
Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (Konami/Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo)
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)

SOUNDTRACK
B-Boy (SCEE/FreeStyleGames)
Guitar Hero (RedOctane/Harmonix Music Systems Inc)
Reservoir Dogs (Eidos Interactive/Volatile Games)
SingStar Rocks! (SCEE/SCEE)

AUDIO
Black (EA Games/Criterion Games)
Electroplankton (Nintendo/Nintendo)
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
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)

GAMER'S AWARD (Awarded by online vote by readers of the tabloid The Sun)
Civilization
Diner Dash
Lemmings
Namco Classic's Pac-Man
Platinum Sudoku
Sonic the Hedgehog Part One
Tetris Mania
The Sims
24: The Mobile Game
Who Wants to be a Millionaire

158 Comments

  • kratos_karmakar

    Posted Oct 9, 2007 8:45 am PT

    i knew shadow of the collosus wud win. its undeniably the greatest action adventure ever made.

  • XxGeexX

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 2:28 pm PT

    well its understandable why GRAW gets it, its such a good game i mean i have neve played them all but this one impressed the hell outta me

  • Stabby

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 9:01 am PT

    Never played GRAW...

    Why did Oblvion not win any, let alone get nominated for GOTY???!!! I'm from the UK and Oblvion is easily the most popular there...

    ...Black wasn't popular here either WTF???!!!

  • Sanguis_Malus

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 7:48 am PT

    I personally thought that the program was poorly done. Its good that G.r.a.w. got an award, its a well constructed game. There were obviously a lot of other great games that failed to receive a mention, at least if you played them then you enjoyed them !

    It would be good to see an award ceremony that lasts longer and caters more to hard core gamers rather than being so commercial, a combination of both ideally.

    We, the (consumers) are the ones that matter, not celebrities that know nothing about games handing out awards !

  • aliens1234

    Posted Oct 18, 2006 5:04 am PT

    amar GRAW was certainly what we had hoped for and personally - oblivion was not to my liking. Your other comment on how all we are good at in the UK is eating kebab and getting drunk is simply something constructed by media frenzy and the naiveity of folk like you.

  • amar1234

    Posted Oct 17, 2006 6:27 am PT

    The Uk mainstream can never get anything right. Truth is all the Uk mainstream know and care about is getting drunk in pubs and then going for e kebab, they can not be trusted to host a video game award show. I bet they had like one expert come in from the most biased video game mag they could think off too choose the games for selcetions. The judges were probably rich ass wipes that only came along for an extra buck and could care less about games.

    Yeah I am from the UK and we don't get much choice on tv even on our sky ( satelitte) and so when I heard there was going to be a video game award show on one of our big tv channels I got very excited. I had been waiting to watch ot for about a month. I even voted. I voted for Oblivion and Hitman and a few other games . Not one of my votes seems to have won. When I saw this I realised that this how was a farce. Video games are getting big in our country and some money grabbing excs saw an opprutunity to cash in. I am very dissapointed , I was so looking forward to seeing the Elder Scrolls pick up an award for GOTY. We all know that Elder Scrolls is easily the GOTY, so why on earth it wasn't on the list I have no clue. GRAW should have been in the most hyped game of the year award. It's a good game but no where near as good as we all thought it would be.

    What a shame. The one chance the UK had to be on top of something other than drinking beer and eating fish and chips and they drop the ball.

  • Spearfish_4Ever

    Posted Oct 12, 2006 8:07 am PT

    So no Bafta for 47 Hitman now, eh?

  • _Sam_

    Posted Oct 9, 2006 5:30 pm PT

    that's great

  • syckls

    Posted Oct 9, 2006 2:52 am PT

    Gamespot gets Site of the Year award for most efficient news title. 19-letter title stands for 101-letter expanded definition (Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter gets Game of the Year award at British Academy of Film and Television Arts).

  • Scammeleon

    Posted Oct 9, 2006 2:35 am PT

    I dont think they knew what they were doing really. They've been doing telly stuff for ages, then some nutter suggested doing BAFTAs for videogames, then all of a sudden they were faced with a whole new situation, where they didn't know what to do: "Oh ****, what are we gonna do guys! we don't know anything about games!... Umm, you there, tea boy, go out and write down the games in the discount section of GAME... they'll do"

  • Riverwolf007

    Posted Oct 8, 2006 10:05 am PT

    From the source of the votes im suprised that batboy and the aliens that are secretly in charge of the world got zero awards.

  • tsahi84

    Posted Oct 8, 2006 7:42 am PT

    Shadow of the colossus is a great game, but oblivion is far better and should have won the best action&adventure game.

  • cesare

    Posted Oct 7, 2006 5:18 pm PT

    I must explain as I live in the UK but am an American. This is not the fourth Bafta awards for games, it's the first! So yes, they c@cked it up big time with some of the choices and nominations but then again so did MTV with the first music awards. The only cr@p thing is I voted online for everyone of these categories and I don't think one that I voted for won! Oh well...

  • rulo_rezn0r

    Posted Oct 7, 2006 4:19 pm PT

    good for loco roco and shadow od the colossus
    New super mario deserved an award as well

  • Kinggi

    Posted Oct 7, 2006 11:54 am PT

    Id like to know how oblivion and shadow of the collosus were omitted from goty noms and blood money, black, and lego star wars wasnt/ Im guessing just pure idiocy then?

  • Lub1

    Posted Oct 7, 2006 6:51 am PT

    locoroco as best character? Lolz, that's a bit weird. Ok they have a funny and cute appearance, but I would rather prefer an award as innovation or gameplay. ow well

  • Romanticide

    Posted Oct 7, 2006 2:20 am PT

    "Awarded by online vote by readers of the tabloid The Sun"

    That explains A LOT. If youre american, The Sun is the bottom end of Newspapers. It's pretty much cheap ass paparazzi stories and fuel for idiots.

  • Romanticide

    Posted Oct 7, 2006 2:14 am PT

    what a terrible selection of games. I mean GRAW? seriously...=/

  • ploppy3000

    Posted Oct 7, 2006 12:26 am PT

    GRAW! Game of the year! I wonder which version of GRAW they played? The one I bought for the PC was useless, terrible AI, terrible animation and the graphics weren't as good as BF2. I bought it after seeing the XBOX 360 version which looked a lot more accomplished. I prefer BF2 tbh, who were these so called 'judges' anyway, cretins!

  • The_MrB

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 7:41 pm PT

    Umm... some of those choice of winners was pretty shocking...ly stupid.

  • stubby_01

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 5:06 pm PT

    Casual and Social goes to Buzz instead of Guiter Hero? Lego Star Wars has better gameplay than Oblivion? wtf?

  • calvinx6

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 4:47 pm PT

    Shadow of the colossus is like 2 years old and still getting award.

    I think locoRoco is stupid.

  • thekey

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 4:40 pm PT

    GRAW deserves it.

  • GunslingerMan

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 3:32 pm PT

    those crazy euro, ME2:TW isnt even out .

  • rokkuman09

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 3:25 pm PT

    GRAW defienetly deserved awards

  • benleslie5

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 2:27 pm PT

    Shadow of the colossus has got 2 awards

  • rad_2xl

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 1:13 pm PT

    Aahh... this is all wombo numble stuff. Who knows.

  • Kavsta

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 12:23 pm PT

    Congratulations to Ubisoft on a great game and on the award can't wait to play the next installment.

  • Gamer_152

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 10:51 am PT

    I think even the nominations were messed up and Gamer's Award went to 24: The Mobile Game? They should've actually had the poll among proper gamers, not every Tom, Dick and Harry with a mobile.

  • piecake

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 10:46 am PT

    24 the moble game the SUN SUCKS MON THE 360

  • mightywarlord

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 10:25 am PT

    Black, Lego Star Wars and Hitman get BOTY nominations, but not Oblivion?

    Do these people even play games?

  • tehbighead

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 10:07 am PT

    they lost all credibility by having "black" in the running for GOTY.

  • anamnawshad

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 9:49 am PT

    Great!

  • xion2k4

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 9:44 am PT

    wtf lego star wars beat oblivion in best gameplay............wow well mind you in the uk most children play games ,not sayin LSW 2 is a childs game (i actual own a copy of it ) just that i think they went with more of the best sold games rather than games with actual substance to them but mind you if that was the case pixars Cars would have won a bunch of awards

  • TintedChimes

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 9:25 am PT

    wow, a mobile game won an award

  • Tremblay343

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 9:20 am PT

    So...many...acronyms *explodes*

  • peacenutman

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 8:14 am PT

    ...Never liked any Ghost Recon game...two shots death is too much for me...

  • CheddarLimbo

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 8:12 am PT

    At least Shadow of the Collossus got some love. That game was beautiful.

  • steiner666

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 8:09 am PT

    Hmmm. I am in the UK but BAFTA sure aren't on my planet. This list doesn't reflect any sense of taste or merit any technical achievement or follow any sense of logic whatsoever. Was GRAW a FUN game to play? er.. no.

    Company of Heroes should have easily won yet it wasn't even on the list.

    They may as well have given their worthless BAFTA to Andy Millman, of "When The Whistle Blows" comedy sitcom fame... "ARE YOU 'AVIN A LAFF?!?!"

    (Watch episode 4 of series 2 of Extras) HeH

  • j_vega07

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 7:46 am PT

    Just think of OBLIVION and the love for the game will come back .................................LOL

  • tartar23

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 7:41 am PT

    GRAW on 360 is a GREAT game , why the hate ? It's probably the most realistic combat game ever made , it's astonishingly good in hard mode , tremendous AI & it really brings out the best in you .
    People who hated probably sucked at it caz they are no good . The Graphics of GRAW is probably gonna stand out even years from now , a good game - appreciate it .

  • Yuck_Too

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 7:27 am PT

    The hate / love for GRAW is easy to explain:

    Those who enjoy it like Realism
    Those who no not like RAMBO

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 7:18 am PT

    not many good games in categorys thanks to slow game development this year.

  • nomy_129

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 7:18 am PT

    GRAW is simply flawless

  • Nedemis

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 6:47 am PT

    I don't understand why all the hate on GRAW....if you don't like the AI of your team mates? don't use them....it's that simple. From a technical stand point, GRAW looked and played great. Those who don't think so must not have known much about the franchise before they went into it. Seeing how it was the 360 version that won it too, I guess the hermits can finally accept that the PC version wasn't even close to what 360 owners got.

  • jubblerbug

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 6:43 am PT

    Not that im into World of Warcraft anymore... but considering the success it has and the amount of players it has over the UK - how come its not even in the list?
    EDIT: I meant in the multiplayer awards section.

  • DanC1989

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 6:41 am PT

    What a farce.

  • bamf03

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 6:39 am PT

    If GRAW is the best game of this year then I'm never playing a game ever again.

  • DrakeWindwalker

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 6:36 am PT

    Atleast Oblivion didn't win.... Still not sure how GRAW wins(AI of your buddies is dumber then 6 year olds) and in what world do DDO and R&F: Civs at war win anything?!?!

  • bamf03

    Posted Oct 6, 2006 6:27 am PT

    What a load of crap. The BAFTA's are obviously non-gamers who probably do research and talk to developers to work out what games should be nominated. Then I don't believe votes are ever counted, yet again BAFTA trying to work out which is the better game.

    I don't see the point in these awards, they never reflect what gamers are really playing. The UK charts are also don't reflect what we're playing. EA games everywhere. It 's probably EA buying their own games to stay in the top ten so casualers will think their gamers are better and buy EA games based off what they see in the top ten. A bit like how the music industry work.

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