BioShock zaps VGAs

Though GameSpot's own Best and Worst of 2007 awards are still over a week away, the year's game-award season kicked off on Friday with SpikeTV's Video Game Awards. Hosted once again by Samuel L. Jackson, the proceedings marked the fifth such annual event. It has also, by nature of being backed by an entire cable network, become the planet's most visible game-awards ceremony.

Though past VGA Game of the Year winners garnered some skepticism, the game that claimed this year's top prize was one of many deserving candidates. A panel of judges, including two current and former GameSpot editors--awarded 2K Games' BioShock (Xbox 360, PC) the year's top prize. The story-driven action title, set in an undersea dystopia, also took home two other prizes--Best Original Score and Best Xbox 360 Game.

BioShock's triumph in the latter category irked many fans of Microsoft-published Halo 3, which had to settle for Best Multiplayer Game and the soft-drink-sponsored, fan-chosen Most Addictive Game prize. Another Microsoft Games Studios Xbox 360 exclusive, Mass Effect, won the Best Role-Playing Game prize.

Though the 360 was well represented, it wasn't the only platform to see exclusives take home top prizes. Wii favorite Super Mario Galaxy won Best Action Game and Best Wii Game, while Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction earned the Best PlayStation 3 Game prize.

With the exception of Best Graphics winner Crysis and Best Handheld Game victor The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, the rest of the VGA winners were multiplatform titles--or in the case of Studio of the Year Harmonix, multiplatform developers. A complete list of winners is below.

Game of the Year
BioShock
Halo 3
Mass Effect
The Orange Box

Best Shooter
BioShock
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Halo 3
The Orange Box

Best Action Game
Assassin's Creed
God of War 2
Super Mario Galaxy
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Best Rhythm Game
Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Jam Sessions
Rock Band

Best RPG
Eternal Sonata
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Mass Effect
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

Best Driving Game
DiRT
Forza Motorsport 2
Need for Speed ProStreet
Project Gotham Racing 4

Best Military Game
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
World in Conflict

Studio of the Year
Bungie Studios
Harmonix
Irrational Games
Valve

Best Graphics
BioShock
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Crysis
Mass Effect

Breakthrough Technology
Crysis
Halo 3
Portal
Rock Band

Best PS3 Game
Heavenly Sword
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Warhawk

Best Wii Game
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Paper Mario

Best Xbox 360 Game
BioShock
Halo 3
Mass Effect
The Orange Box

Best PC Game
BioShock
Crysis
The Orange Box
World in Conflict

Best Individual Sports Game
Skate
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
Virtua Tennis 3

Best Team Sports Game
Madden NFL 08
NBA 2K8
NHL 08
Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007

Best Handheld Game
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show
The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar
Naruto: Rise of a Ninja
The Simpsons Game
Stranglehold

Best Soundtrack
BioShock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
Rock Band

Best Original Score
BioShock
God of War 2
Halo 3
Mass Effect

Best Multiplayer Game
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Halo 3
Rock Band
The Orange Box

Most Addictive Game Fueled by Dew (Popular Vote)
Halo 3
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Team Fortress 2
Wii Sports