Game of the Year

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Game of the Year

Game of the Year (abbreviated GotY or GOTY) is a distinction awarded by various magazine

Magazine

for quarterly in Heraldry see Quartering Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of Article , generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscription, or all three....
s and website

Website

A Web site is a collection of related Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are hosted on one Web server, usually accessible via the Internet....
s to a deserving PC

Personal computer game

A personal computer game is a game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine. Computer games have evolved from the simple graphics and gameplay of early titles like Spacewar!, to a wide range of more visually advanced titles....
or console

Console game

A console game is a form of interactive multimedia used for entertainment. The game consists of manipulable images generated by a video game console, and displayed on a television or similar audio-video system....
video game. Many publications will award a single "Game of the Year" to a single title that they feel represents the pinnacle of gaming achievement that year, as well as smaller awards (e.g. "Best Strategy

Strategy game

A strategy game is a game in which the players' decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome. Many games include this element to a greater or lesser degree, making demarcation difficult....
Game" or "Best Shooter

Shooter game

Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....
"). Organizations and publications awarding some form of Game of the Year include:

winners of the Interactive Achievement Awards are determined by secret ballot of those who work in the game industry.

winners of the Crispy Gamer Game of the Year are chosen by the .

winners of the GameSpot Game of the Year are chosen by GameSpot editors.

PC Console

winners of the IGN Game of the Year are chosen by the professional editors at IGN.

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Encyclopedia

Game of the Year (abbreviated GotY or GOTY) is a distinction awarded by various magazine

Magazine

Website

A Web site is a collection of related Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are hosted on one Web server, usually accessible via the Internet....
s to a deserving PC

Personal computer game

Console game

Strategy game

Shooter game

Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
Interactive Achievement Awards

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has been hosting the Interactive Achievement Awards for video game publication annually since 1998. The game award ceremony is presented at the annual D.I.C.E....
(see below)
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
Computer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World

Computer Gaming World was founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication. Early issues were typically 40-50 pages in length, written in a newsletter style, including submissions by game designers such as Joel Billings , Dan Bunten , and Chris Crawford ....
Crispy Gamer
Crispy Gamer

Crispy Gamer Crispy Gamer is an independent videogaming Web site that provides editorial coverage of the industry and an online community where gamers and experts share opinions, information and videos....
Edge
Edge (magazine)

Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards, and longevity....
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly

Electronic Gaming Monthly was an United States video game magazine. It was published by Ziff Davis as part of the 1UP.com Network and released 12 issues a year ....
(EGM)
Eurogamer
Eurogamer

Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert Loman and Nick Loman....
Games
GameFAQs
GameFAQs

GameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003....
(through user polls
Opinion poll

An opinion poll is a statistical survey of public opinion from a particular sampling . Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence intervals....
)
Game Informer
Game Informer

Game Informer is an United States-based monthly video game journalism featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated video game console....
Gamereactor
Gamereactor

Gamereactor is one of Scandinavia's biggest game magazines that covers pretty much everything about both computer and video games. It started in Denmark in 1999, then Norway and soon after Sweden....
GameSpot
GameSpot

GameSpot is a video game website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1996 by Pete Deemer and Vince Broady....
GameSpy
GameSpy

GameSpy, also known as GameSpy Industries, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software....
GameTrailers
GameTrailers

GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play....
G-Phoria
G-Phoria

G-Phoria is an annual video game awards show started in 2003 and produced by G4 . The awards show is voted on by viewers, much like the People's Choice Awards....
Giant Bomb
Giant Bomb

Giant Bomb is a video gaming news and wiki created by former GameSpot editors Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis in collaboration with Whiskey Media....
IGN
IGN

IGN is a multimedia news and reviews website that focuses heavily on video games. Its corporate parent is IGN Entertainment, which owns and controls separate sites such as GameSpy, GameStats, Rotten Tomatoes and AskMen....
JIVE Magazine
JIVE Magazine

JIVE Magazine is a popular entertainment, technology, and urban culture magazine. It publishes features, reviews, editorials, photo galleries, and art productions on the web as well as quarterly in print....
Kotaku
Kotaku

Kotaku is a blog which focuses on video games. Kotaku is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Lifehacker.com and Jezebel ....
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power

Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US....
PC Gamer
PC Gamer

PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC game and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries....
PC World
PC World (magazine)

PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services....
Pelit
Pelit

Pelit is a Finland video games magazine published 11 times a year by Sanoma Magazines, a division of the SanomaWSOY Group. Being by far the largest of its kind in Finland and covering both Personal computers and Video game consoles, it has for a long time lacked serious competition and is thought by many to be the magazine of its k...
Penny Arcade
Penny Arcade (webcomic)

Penny Arcade is a webcomic focused on video games and gaming culture, written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik. The comic debuted in 1998 on the website loonygames....
Play
Spike TV
X-Play
X-Play

X-Play is a television program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits. The program airs on G4 in the United States, G4techTV Canada in Canada, FUEL TV in Australia, EGO Channel in Israel, GXT in Italy, and Maxxx in the Philippines....

AIAS Overall Game of the Year winners

The winners of the Interactive Achievement Awards are determined by secret ballot of those who work in the game industry.

Year	Game	Genre	Platform(s)	Developer(s)
2008 (12th)	LittleBigPlanet LittleBigPlanet *LittleBigPlanet, commonly abbreviated LBP* and developed under the title *The Next Big Thing*, is a Puzzle video game Platform game and user-generated content video game for the PlayStation 3 first announced on 7 March 2007, by Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California....	Platformer/User Generated	Playstation 3 PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation ....	Media Molecule Media Molecule Media Molecule is a video game developer based in Guildford, Surrey, England. The studio was founded in January 2006 by former Lionhead Studios employees Mark Healey, Alex Evans , Dave Smith, and Kareem Ettouney....
2007 (11th)	Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare *Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare* is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for Mac OS X, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, and the Xbox 360....	Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....	PlayStation 3 PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation .... , Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles.... , Windows Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces ....	Infinity Ward Infinity Ward Infinity Ward, located in Encino, California, is a computer game developer founded in 2002 by 22 former employees of 2015, Inc., developers of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault....
2006 (10th)	Gears of War Gears of War 'Gears of War' is a third-person shooter video game, developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was initially released as an exclusive title for the Xbox 360 in November 2006 in North America, Australia, and most of Europe, and included a "Limited Collector's Edition" with added content and an art book titled Dest...	Tactical shooter Tactical shooter A tactical shooter is a video game genre of video game derived from the first-person shooter or third-person shooter genres that generally attempts to simulate realistic combat....	Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles.... , Windows Microsoft Windows Microsoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces ....	Epic Games Epic Games Epic Games, also known as Epic and formerly Epic MegaGames, is a video game development company based in Cary, North Carolina. Its most recent success has been the Gears of War series of games, although it is also known for its Unreal Engine technology....
2005 (9th)	God of War God of War (video game) *God of War* is a video game for the PlayStation 2 video game console released on March 22, 2005. It is an action-adventure game based on Greek mythology....	Hack and slash Hack and slash Hack and slash or hack and slay can refer to either a Video game genres of action game, or a type of gameplay. In both cases, it describes the emphasis on close combat with short-range weapons.... , Action Action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand-eye coordination and reaction-time. Action games are a vast genre that includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, first-person shooters, and platform games....	PlayStation 2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a History of video game consoles video game console manufactured by Sony. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation of video game consoles....	SCE Studios Santa Monica SCE Studios Santa Monica SCE Santa Monica Studio is a video game developer based in Santa Monica, California. It is part of Sony Computer Entertainment and was merged with a number of other Sony developers in 2005 to form SCE Worldwide Studios....
2004 (8th)	Half-Life 2 Half-Life 2 *Half-Life 2* is a science fiction first-person shooter Video game and the sequel to the highly acclaimed Half-Life . It was developed by Valve Corporation and was released on November 16, 2004, following a protracted five-year, $40 million development cycle during which the game?s source code was leaked to the Internet....	Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....	Windows	Valve Corporation Valve Corporation Valve Corporation is an United States video game developer company based in Bellevue, Washington, USA that was founded in 1996, and made famous by its first product, Half-Life , which was released in November 1998....
2003 (7th)	Call of Duty Call of Duty *Call of Duty* is a first-person shooter video game based on the id Tech 3 engine. This war game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II....	Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....	Windows, Mac OS X	Infinity Ward Infinity Ward Infinity Ward, located in Encino, California, is a computer game developer founded in 2002 by 22 former employees of 2015, Inc., developers of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault....
2002 (6th)	Battlefield 1942 Battlefield 1942 *Battlefield 1942* is a 3D computer graphics World War II first-person shooter computer game developed by Swedish company Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh ....	Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....	Windows, Mac OS Mac OS Mac OS is the trademarked name for a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems....	EA Games
2001 (5th)	Halo: Combat Evolved Halo: Combat Evolved *Halo: Combat Evolved* is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. The first game of the Halo series, it was released on November 15, 2001 as a launch title for the Xbox video game console, and is considered the platform's "killer application." With more than five million copies sold worldwide as of November 9,...	Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....	Xbox Xbox The Xbox is a History of video games video game console produced by Microsoft. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube....	Bungie Studios Bungie Studios Bungie is an United States video game developer founded in May 1991 under the name *Bungie Software Products Corporation* by two undergraduate students at the University of Chicago, Alex Seropian and Jason Jones ....
2000 (4th)	Diablo II Diablo II *Diablo II* is a sequel to the game Diablo , a dark fantasy-themed action role-playing game in a hack and slash and "Dungeon roaming" style....	Action RPG, Hack and slash Hack and slash Hack and slash or hack and slay can refer to either a Video game genres of action game, or a type of gameplay. In both cases, it describes the emphasis on close combat with short-range weapons....	Windows, Mac OS, Mac OS X	Blizzard North Blizzard North Blizzard North was the San Francisco Bay Area division of Blizzard Entertainment, known for the Diablo series. The studio was originally based in Redwood City, California, and then moved a short distance away to San Mateo, California, with Blizzard Entertainment proper being based in Irvine, California ....
1999 (3rd)	The Sims The Sims *The Sims* is a strategy game life simulation game personal computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It was created by game designer Will Wright , also known for developing SimCity....	Life simulation game Life simulation game Life simulation games are simulation games in which the player lives or controls one or more artificial lifeforms. A life simulation game can revolve around "individuals and relationships, or it could be a simulation of an ecosystem"....	Windows, Mac OS, Linux Linux Linux is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed by anyone under the terms of the GNU GPL license...	Maxis Maxis Maxis Software was an United States company that was founded as a video game developer and is now a brand name of Electronic Arts . Maxis' second software title was the seminal SimCity, a city simulation and planning Video game....
1998 (2nd)	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an Action-adventure game video game developed by Nintendo's Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console....	Action-Adventure Action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game computer and video game genres with various action game elements....	Nintendo 64 Nintendo 64 The , often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendo's third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released on June 23, 1996 in Japan, September 29, 1996 in North America, March 1, 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1, 1997 in France and December 10, 1997 in Brazil....	Nintendo EAD
1997 (1st)	GoldenEye 007 GoldenEye 007 *GoldenEye 007* is a 1997 first-person shooter video game developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64 video game console, and based on the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye....	Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....	Nintendo 64 Nintendo 64 The , often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendo's third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released on June 23, 1996 in Japan, September 29, 1996 in North America, March 1, 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1, 1997 in France and December 10, 1997 in Brazil....	Rareware

Crispy Gamer Game of the Year winners

The winners of the Crispy Gamer Game of the Year are chosen by the .

Year	Game	Genre	Platform(s)	Developer(s)
2008	Fallout 3 Fallout 3 *Fallout 3* is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and is the third major game in the Fallout . The game was released in North America on October 28, 2008, in Europe and Australia on October 30, 2008, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on October 31, 2008....	Action RPG	Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles.... , PS3, PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator....	Bethesda Game Studios
2007	BioShock Bioshock *BioShock* is a first-person shooter video game, developed by 2K Boston/2K Australia?previously known as Irrational Games?designed by Ken Levine....	Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....	Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles.... , PS3, PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator....	2K Boston/2K Australia

GameSpot Game of the Year winners

The winners of the GameSpot Game of the Year are chosen by GameSpot editors.

Year	Game	Genre	Platform(s)	Developer(s)
2008	Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots , commonly abbreviated to MGS4 is a third person Stealth game video game developed by Kojima Productions exclusively for the PlayStation 3. Guns of the Patriots is the latest addition to the Metal Gear series and was directed by Hideo Kojima, Shuyo Murata and Yoji Shinkawa....	Stealth Game Action Action may refer to:... , Action Action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand-eye coordination and reaction-time. Action games are a vast genre that includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, first-person shooters, and platform games....	PS3	Kojima Productions Kojima Productions Kojima Productions is a video game developer under the guidance of game designer Hideo Kojima. Located in Roppongi Hills in Roppongi, Tokyo, the studio had just under 100 employees in 2005 but has since grown to over 200 people for the development of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots....
2007	Super Mario Galaxy Super Mario Galaxy is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in Japan on November 1, 2007, the United States on November 12, 2007, Canada on November 14, 2007, Europe on November 16, 2007, Australasia on November 27, 2007 and South Korea on September 4, 2008....	Platformer	Wii Wii The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo. As a History of video game consoles console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3....	Nintendo Nintendo is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
2006	Gears of War Gears of War 'Gears of War' is a third-person shooter video game, developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was initially released as an exclusive title for the Xbox 360 in November 2006 in North America, Australia, and most of Europe, and included a "Limited Collector's Edition" with added content and an art book titled Dest...	Tactical Shooter Tactical shooter A tactical shooter is a video game genre of video game derived from the first-person shooter or third-person shooter genres that generally attempts to simulate realistic combat....	Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles....	Epic Games Epic Games Epic Games, also known as Epic and formerly Epic MegaGames, is a video game development company based in Cary, North Carolina. Its most recent success has been the Gears of War series of games, although it is also known for its Unreal Engine technology....
2005	Resident Evil 4 Resident Evil 4 *Resident Evil 4*, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, and Nintendo....	Survival horror, Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....	GameCube, PS2	Capcom Capcom is a leading international video game developer and video game publisher of video games headquartered in Osaka, Japan. It was founded in 1979 as Japan Capsule Computers, a company devoted to the manufacturing and distribution of electronic game machines....
2004	World of Warcraft World of Warcraft *World of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game . It is Blizzard Entertainment's fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans* in 1994 in video gaming....	MMORPG MMORPG A massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of computer role-playing games in which a large number of player interact with one another in a virtual world....	Windows, Mac OS X	Blizzard Blizzard A blizzard is a severe winter storm condition characterized by low temperatures, strong winds, and heavy blowing snow. Blizzards are formed when a high pressure area, also known as a ridge, interacts with a low pressure area; this results in the advection of air from the high pressure zone into the low pressure area....
2003	The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker *The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker*, known in Japan as , is an action-adventure game and the tenth installment in The Legend of Zelda . It was released for the Nintendo GameCube in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, in Europe on May 3, 2003, and in Australia on May 7, 2003....	Action-Adventure Action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game computer and video game genres with various action game elements....	GameCube	Nintendo Nintendo is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
2002	Metroid Prime Metroid Prime title = Metroid Prime\| image = \| caption = North American box art\| developer = Retro Studios\| publisher = Nintendo\| composer = Kenji Yamamoto , Kouichi Kyuma...	Action-Adventure Action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game computer and video game genres with various action game elements....	GameCube	Nintendo Nintendo is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....

From 1996 to 2001, console and PC awards were selected separately. There were no console awards given pre-1998.

Year	Game	Genre	Platform(s)	Developer(s)
2001	Serious Sam: The First Encounter	Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....	PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator....	Croteam Croteam Croteam was a video game developer established in Zagreb, Croatia in 1993, initially as a "garage games" company. They only had six employees and four contractors for the development of Serious Sam in 2001 in video gaming....
2000	The Sims The Sims *The Sims* is a strategy game life simulation game personal computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It was created by game designer Will Wright , also known for developing SimCity....	Life simulation game Life simulation game Life simulation games are simulation games in which the player lives or controls one or more artificial lifeforms. A life simulation game can revolve around "individuals and relationships, or it could be a simulation of an ecosystem"....	Windows, Mac OS, Linux Linux Linux is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed by anyone under the terms of the GNU GPL license...	Maxis Maxis Maxis Software was an United States company that was founded as a video game developer and is now a brand name of Electronic Arts . Maxis' second software title was the seminal SimCity, a city simulation and planning Video game....
1999	EverQuest EverQuest *EverQuest*, often called EQ, is a 3D fantasy fiction-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on 16 March 1999....	MMORPG MMORPG A massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of computer role-playing games in which a large number of player interact with one another in a virtual world....	PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator....	Sony Online Entertainment Sony Online Entertainment Sony Online Entertainment is a game development and Video game publisher division of Sony that is best known for creating massively multiplayer online games, including EverQuest, EverQuest II, PlanetSide, Star Wars Galaxies and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes....
1998	Grim Fandango Grim Fandango *Grim Fandango* is a graphic adventure game Personal computer game released by LucasArts in and primarily written by Tim Schafer. It is the first adventure game by LucasArts to use 3D computer graphics overlaid on pre-rendered 2D computer graphics....	Adventure Adventure game An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story that is driven by exploration and puzzle instead of physical challenges such as combat....	Windows	LucasArts LucasArts LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC is an United States video game developer and video game publisher. The company was famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the early 1990s in video gaming....
1997	Total Annihilation Total Annihilation *Total Annihilation* is a real-time strategy computer game created by Cavedog Entertainment and released on September 30, 1997 by GT Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS....	Real-time strategy Real-time strategy Real-time strategy games are a genre of computer wargames which do not progress incrementally in turn-based game.Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....	Windows, Mac OS	Cavedog Ent.
1996	Diablo Diablo (video game) *Diablo* is a dark fantasy-themed action role-playing game Software developer by Blizzard North and released by Blizzard Entertainment on January 2, 1997....	Action RPG, Hack and Slash Hack and slash Hack and slash or hack and slay can refer to either a Video game genres of action game, or a type of gameplay. In both cases, it describes the emphasis on close combat with short-range weapons....	Windows, Mac OS	Blizzard North Blizzard North Blizzard North was the San Francisco Bay Area division of Blizzard Entertainment, known for the Diablo series. The studio was originally based in Redwood City, California, and then moved a short distance away to San Mateo, California, with Blizzard Entertainment proper being based in Irvine, California ....

Console

Year	Game	Genre	Platform(s)	Developer(s)
2001	Grand Theft Auto III Grand Theft Auto III *Grand Theft Auto III* is a Nonlinear gameplay action-adventure game computer game and video game video game developer by DMA Design , and video game publisher by Rockstar Games....	Open World, Action Action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand-eye coordination and reaction-time. Action games are a vast genre that includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, first-person shooters, and platform games....	PS2	Rockstar North Rockstar North Rockstar North Ltd. are Video game developers of computer and video games based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company is a part of Rockstar Games which is owned by Take-Two Interactive....
2000	Chrono Cross Chrono Cross is a console role-playing game video game developer and video game publisher by Square Co. for the Sony Computer Entertainment PlayStation video game console....	RPG Role-playing game A role-playing game is a game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a role-playing game system of rules and guidelines....	Playstation PlayStation The PlayStation is a 32-bit history of video game consoles video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December .The PlayStation was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation ....	Square Co. Square Co. was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It Mergers and acquisitions with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix....
1999	Soul Calibur	Fighter Fighting game File:Street Fighter II.pngFighting game is a type of action orientated video game and one of the major video game Video game genres. In a fighting game, players face off against each other or against computer-controlled characters in close combat....	Dreamcast	Namco Namco , from NAkamura Manufacturing COmpany, is an amusement company based in Japan, best known overseas for video games development. On September 29 2005, Namco officially merged with Japanese toymaker Bandai to form Namco Bandai, one of the largest entertainment companies in Japan.Namco became a wholly owned subsidiary of the holdin...
1998	The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an Action-adventure game video game developed by Nintendo's Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 video game console....	Action-Adventure Action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game computer and video game genres with various action game elements....	Nintendo 64 Nintendo 64 The , often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendo's third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released on June 23, 1996 in Japan, September 29, 1996 in North America, March 1, 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1, 1997 in France and December 10, 1997 in Brazil....	Nintendo Nintendo is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....

IGN Game of the Year winners

The winners of the IGN Game of the Year are chosen by the professional editors at IGN. Results are released about two to three weeks into January so all editors have time to play the most highly esteemed games. IGN is the world's most visited video game web site as of 2008.

Year	Game	Genre	Platform(s)	Developer(s)
2008	Fallout 3 Fallout 3 *Fallout 3* is an action role-playing game released by Bethesda Game Studios, and is the third major game in the Fallout . The game was released in North America on October 28, 2008, in Europe and Australia on October 30, 2008, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on October 31, 2008....	Shooter Shooter Shooter may refer to:In music:* Shooter Jennings, born 1979, a country music singer and son of Waylon Jennings* Shooter , a song by Lil Wayne and Robin Thicke... , RPG Role-playing game A role-playing game is a game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a role-playing game system of rules and guidelines....	PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator.... , PS3, Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles....	Bethesda Game Studios
2007	Super Mario Galaxy Super Mario Galaxy is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in Japan on November 1, 2007, the United States on November 12, 2007, Canada on November 14, 2007, Europe on November 16, 2007, Australasia on November 27, 2007 and South Korea on September 4, 2008....	Platformer	Wii Wii The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo. As a History of video game consoles console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3....	Nintendo Nintendo is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
2006	Okami Okami is an action-adventure game video game developed by Clover Studio and distributed by Capcom. It was released for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console in 2006 in Japan and North America, and 2007 in Europe and Australia....	Adventure Adventure An adventure is an activity that comprises risky, dangerous or uncertain experiences. The term is more popularly used in reference to physical activities that have some potential for danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing, and extreme sports....	PS2	Capcom Capcom is a leading international video game developer and video game publisher of video games headquartered in Osaka, Japan. It was founded in 1979 as Japan Capsule Computers, a company devoted to the manufacturing and distribution of electronic game machines....
2005	God of War God of War (video game) *God of War* is a video game for the PlayStation 2 video game console released on March 22, 2005. It is an action-adventure game based on Greek mythology....	Hack and slash Hack and slash Hack and slash or hack and slay can refer to either a Video game genres of action game, or a type of gameplay. In both cases, it describes the emphasis on close combat with short-range weapons.... , Action Action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand-eye coordination and reaction-time. Action games are a vast genre that includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, first-person shooters, and platform games....	PS2	SCE Studios Santa Monica SCE Studios Santa Monica SCE Santa Monica Studio is a video game developer based in Santa Monica, California. It is part of Sony Computer Entertainment and was merged with a number of other Sony developers in 2005 to form SCE Worldwide Studios....
2004	Half-Life 2 Half-Life 2 *Half-Life 2* is a science fiction first-person shooter Video game and the sequel to the highly acclaimed Half-Life . It was developed by Valve Corporation and was released on November 16, 2004, following a protracted five-year, $40 million development cycle during which the game?s source code was leaked to the Internet....	Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....	PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator....	Valve Corporation Valve Corporation Valve Corporation is an United States video game developer company based in Bellevue, Washington, USA that was founded in 1996, and made famous by its first product, Half-Life , which was released in November 1998....
2003	Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic *Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic* is a role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. It was released for the Xbox on July 15, 2003, for Microsoft Windows on November 19, 2003, and later for Mac OS X....	RPG Role-playing game A role-playing game is a game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a role-playing game system of rules and guidelines....	Xbox Xbox The Xbox is a History of video games video game console produced by Microsoft. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube.... , PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator....	BioWare BioWare BioWare is a Canada electronic entertainment company founded in February 1995 by Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip. It is based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada....
2002	Battlefield 1942 Battlefield 1942 *Battlefield 1942* is a 3D computer graphics World War II first-person shooter computer game developed by Swedish company Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh ....	Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....	PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator....	Digital Illusions CE Digital Illusions CE EA Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment Aktiebolag is a Sweden video game developer, wholly owned by Electronic Arts, best known for the Battlefield video game series and the recent Mirror's Edge....
2001	Halo: Combat Evolved Halo: Combat Evolved *Halo: Combat Evolved* is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. The first game of the Halo series, it was released on November 15, 2001 as a launch title for the Xbox video game console, and is considered the platform's "killer application." With more than five million copies sold worldwide as of November 9,...	Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....	Xbox Xbox The Xbox is a History of video games video game console produced by Microsoft. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube....	Bungie Studios Bungie Studios Bungie is an United States video game developer founded in May 1991 under the name *Bungie Software Products Corporation* by two undergraduate students at the University of Chicago, Alex Seropian and Jason Jones ....

Pre 2001 awards were limited to specific platforms with no overall winner announced.

Kotaku Games of the Year winners

The winners of the Kotaku Games of the Year are chosen by the editors of Kotaku.

Year	Game	Genre	Platform(s)	Developer(s)
2008	Grand Theft Auto IV Grand Theft Auto IV *Grand Theft Auto IV* is a Nonlinear gameplay Action-adventure game video game developed by Rockstar North. It is the ninth game in the Grand Theft Auto ....	Open World, Action Action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand-eye coordination and reaction-time. Action games are a vast genre that includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, first-person shooters, and platform games....	Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles.... , PS3, PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator....	Rockstar North Rockstar North Rockstar North Ltd. are Video game developers of computer and video games based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company is a part of Rockstar Games which is owned by Take-Two Interactive....
2007	Super Mario Galaxy Super Mario Galaxy is a 3D platform game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was released in Japan on November 1, 2007, the United States on November 12, 2007, Canada on November 14, 2007, Europe on November 16, 2007, Australasia on November 27, 2007 and South Korea on September 4, 2008....	Platformer	Wii Wii The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo. As a History of video game consoles console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3....	Nintendo Nintendo is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....

Spike TV VGAs Game of the Year winners

Spike TV's Video Game Awards have been presented yearly since 2004. It markets itself in a similar vein to the Oscars except for video games. Initially awards were determined by popular vote, however since 2007 it has redefined itself to be based purely on the vote of industry professionals across the globe including journalists and developers.

Year	Game	Genre	Platform(s)	Developer(s)
2008	Grand Theft Auto IV Grand Theft Auto IV *Grand Theft Auto IV* is a Nonlinear gameplay Action-adventure game video game developed by Rockstar North. It is the ninth game in the Grand Theft Auto ....	Open World, Action Action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand-eye coordination and reaction-time. Action games are a vast genre that includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, first-person shooters, and platform games....	PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator.... , PS3, Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles....	Rockstar North Rockstar North Rockstar North Ltd. are Video game developers of computer and video games based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company is a part of Rockstar Games which is owned by Take-Two Interactive....
2007	BioShock Bioshock *BioShock* is a first-person shooter video game, developed by 2K Boston/2K Australia?previously known as Irrational Games?designed by Ken Levine....	Shooter Shooter Shooter may refer to:In music:* Shooter Jennings, born 1979, a country music singer and son of Waylon Jennings* Shooter , a song by Lil Wayne and Robin Thicke...	PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator.... , PS3, Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles.... ,	2K Boston/2K Australia
2006	Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion	Action RPG	PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose original sales price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator.... , PS3, Xbox 360 Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles....	Bethesda Game Studios
2005	Resident Evil 4 Resident Evil 4 *Resident Evil 4*, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, and Nintendo....	Survival horror, Shooter Shooter game Shooter games are a subgenre of action game, which often test the player's speed and reaction time. Because "shooters make up the majority of action games", it is a fairly wide subgenre....	GameCube, PS2	Capcom Capcom is a leading international video game developer and video game publisher of video games headquartered in Osaka, Japan. It was founded in 1979 as Japan Capsule Computers, a company devoted to the manufacturing and distribution of electronic game machines....
2004	Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas *Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas* is a Nonlinear gameplay action-adventure game computer game and video game developed by Rockstar North. It is the third 3D computer graphics game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and fifth original game overall....	Open World, Action Action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand-eye coordination and reaction-time. Action games are a vast genre that includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, first-person shooters, and platform games....	PS2	Rockstar North Rockstar North Rockstar North Ltd. are Video game developers of computer and video games based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company is a part of Rockstar Games which is owned by Take-Two Interactive....

Gamezine Games of the Year winners

The winners of the Gamezine of the Year are chosen only by a reader's poll.

Year	Game	Genre	Platform(s)	Developer(s)
2008	Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots , commonly abbreviated to MGS4 is a third person Stealth game video game developed by Kojima Productions exclusively for the PlayStation 3. Guns of the Patriots is the latest addition to the Metal Gear series and was directed by Hideo Kojima, Shuyo Murata and Yoji Shinkawa....	Stealth Game Action Action may refer to:... , Action Action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand-eye coordination and reaction-time. Action games are a vast genre that includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, first-person shooters, and platform games....	PS3	Kojima Productions Kojima Productions Kojima Productions is a video game developer under the guidance of game designer Hideo Kojima. Located in Roppongi Hills in Roppongi, Tokyo, the studio had just under 100 employees in 2005 but has since grown to over 200 people for the development of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots....

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