Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Journey, Dishonored and The Room win big with BAFTA game awards]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/05/journey-dishonored-and-the-room-win-big-with-bafta-game-awards/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/05/journey-dishonored-and-the-room-win-big-with-bafta-game-awards/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/05/journey-dishonored-and-the-room-win-big-with-bafta-game-awards/#comments British Academy honors Journey, Dishonored, more with Games AwardsJourney took top honours at this year's BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) game awards, with five different gongs going to thatgamecompany for Artistic Achievement, Audio Achievement, Best Online Multiplayer, Best Game Design, and Best Original Music.

The Unfinished Swan picked up two awards, for Game Innovation and Debut Game. Dishonored won the award for Best Game in 2013, and iOS tactile puzzler The Room picked up an award for the Best British Game.

Valve's Gabe Newell was given an Academy Fellowship award for his storied career, while the "Ones to Watch" award (meant to showcase the best young game dev talent) was given to a game called Starcrossed, made by students working with the Dare to Be Digital competition.

Continue reading Journey, Dishonored and The Room win big with BAFTA game awards

JoystiqJourney, Dishonored and The Room win big with BAFTA game awards originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Mar 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardsbaftabritishbritish-academy-games-awardsdishonoredjourneypcplaystationps3starcrossedthatgamecompanythe-unfinished-swanTue, 05 Mar 2013 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Journey, Walking Dead, Far Cry 3 lead BAFTA 2013 nominations]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/journey-walking-dead-far-cry-3-dominate-bafta-2013-nominations/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/journey-walking-dead-far-cry-3-dominate-bafta-2013-nominations/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/12/journey-walking-dead-far-cry-3-dominate-bafta-2013-nominations/#comments Journey scooped eight nominations in the British Academy of Film and Television's Games Awards this year. As if it hadn't won enough of the like, thatgamecompany's PS3 odyssey is a contender for BAFTA's Best Game award, competing with Dishonored, FIFA 13, Mass Effect 3, Far Cry 3, and The Walking Dead for the prize.

It's the two latter games that also lead the way in terms of nominations; Far Cry 3 received six nods, while The Walking Dead picked up seven, including two in the Performer category for Melissa Hutchinson and Dave Fennoy's respective portrayals of Clementine and Lee.

Dear Esther is also clearly popular at BAFTA HQ. The melancholic game, developed by indie studio thechineseroom, can boast a very impressive five nominations including ones in the British Game and Debut Game categories.

The full list of nominees is after the break. BAFTA's Games Awards take place on March 5.

Continue reading Journey, Walking Dead, Far Cry 3 lead BAFTA 2013 nominations

JoystiqJourney, Walking Dead, Far Cry 3 lead BAFTA 2013 nominations originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Feb 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsandroidawardsbaftaiosipadiphonejourneykinectmacmicrosoftmobilemovenintendopcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3thatgamecompanyvitawii-uxboxTue, 12 Feb 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Notch hopes to be working on one of three games by summer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/17/notch-hopes-to-be-working-on-one-of-three-games-by-summer/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/17/notch-hopes-to-be-working-on-one-of-three-games-by-summer/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/17/notch-hopes-to-be-working-on-one-of-three-games-by-summer/#comments
Recusing himself from regular Minecraft duties has apparently freed up quite a bit of time in Markus Persson's schedule, so much so that he's currently in the process of deciding which of his three ongoing development projects will be come his next game.

"I'm kinda halfway through one, started somewhat the engine on one and prototyping a third, so I hope to pick a project by this summer," Persson told VG247 after accepting the BAFTA Special Award at last night's proceedings. He also commented on the future of Minecraft, saying that he is "not really a huge fan of making sequels" and will instead continue reiterating and adding to the existing title.

We're gonna go out on a limb and guess that since none of these three projects are a Minecraft sequel, at least one of them has to be a Cooking Mama-esque haberdashery and hat repair simulator.
[image credit: Mojang]

JoystiqNotch hopes to be working on one of three games by summer originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BAFTABAFTA-2012Markus-PerssonmojangnotchSat, 17 Mar 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Portal 2, Arkham City and BF3 clean up at 2012 BAFTA game awards]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/17/portal-2-arkham-city-and-bf3-clean-up-at-2012-bafta-game-awards/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/17/portal-2-arkham-city-and-bf3-clean-up-at-2012-bafta-game-awards/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/17/portal-2-arkham-city-and-bf3-clean-up-at-2012-bafta-game-awards/#comments The British Academy of Film and Television Arts had its annual awards ceremony for excellence in gaming last night (or earlier today, depending on your proximity to England), with Portal 2 winning the BAFTA for Best Game. Also in contention for that prize were Batman: Arkham City, which ended up winning the BAFTA for Action, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which didn't win anything.

Battlefield 3 took home top honors in Audio Achievement, Online Multiplayer, and the publicly voted-upon GAME Award of 2011, edging out its bitter rival Modern Warfare 3 in all three categories. Jump past the break for a full list of the evening's winners and nominees.

Continue reading Portal 2, Arkham City and BF3 clean up at 2012 BAFTA game awards

JoystiqPortal 2, Arkham City and BF3 clean up at 2012 BAFTA game awards originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsandroidBAFTABAFTA-2012batman-arkham-cityBattlefield-3dsiosipadiphonemacmicrosoftmobilemodern-warfare-3nintendopcplaystationPortal-2ps3pspskyrimsonywiixboxSat, 17 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BAFTA nominates Arkham City, L.A. Noire, FIFA 12 for best of 2011]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/19/bafta-nominates-arkham-city-l-a-noire-fifa-12-for-best-of-201/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/19/bafta-nominates-arkham-city-l-a-noire-fifa-12-for-best-of-201/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/19/bafta-nominates-arkham-city-l-a-noire-fifa-12-for-best-of-201/#comments The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has released its nominations for the 2012 Video Game Awards, which honors the top games from 2011 as chosen by the charity. The British stand-outs differ from our Yankee choices slightly, stressing the brilliance of Batman: Arkham City, which also made our Top 10 of 2011 list, but also including L.A. Noire, which hit our Best of the Rest, and FIFA 12, which... well. Just because we share a language doesn't automatically mean we share interests.

Check out the entire list below:

Continue reading BAFTA nominates Arkham City, L.A. Noire, FIFA 12 for best of 2011

JoystiqBAFTA nominates Arkham City, L.A. Noire, FIFA 12 for best of 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardsBAFTAbritish-academy-of-film-and-televisionfifa-12fifa-soccer-12microsoftmobilenintendopcplaystationps3wiixboxSun, 19 Feb 2012 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Heavy Rain director encourages more 'personal' stories]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/21/heavy-rain-director-encourages-more-personal-stories/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/21/heavy-rain-director-encourages-more-personal-stories/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/21/heavy-rain-director-encourages-more-personal-stories/#comments Speaking to The Guardian about storytelling in games, Heavy Rain director Cage singled out the FPS genre -- its use of WWII and sci-fi settings in general -- as an example where that aspect of the medium is stagnating. His advice for other game writers: " Don't write about being a rookie soldier in WWII, because you don't have a clue what that's like."

Heavy Rain has drawn accolades, Cage says, because the inspiration for its story is personal and relatable. "Talk about yourself, your life, your emotions, the people around you, what you like, what you hate," he advised. "This is how the industry will make a huge step forward. I'm fed up with space marines."

In his case, inspiration came from something much more down to earth. "It was not about space marines fighting aliens, it was about my relationship with my first son and how he changed my life -- and also about how loving someone without expecting anything in return was something totally new."

So, Modern Warfare 3 writers: instead of "how many people can you shoot?," why not try asking players "how many people would you shoot to save someone you love?"

JoystiqHeavy Rain director encourages more 'personal' stories originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventureBAFTAdavid-cageHeavy-RainInteractive-Dramaplaystationps3quantic-dreamsonywritingMon, 21 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Following Fable 3 disappointment, Molyneux bounces back with BAFTA award]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/18/following-fable-3-disappointment-molyneux-bounces-back-with-baf/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/18/following-fable-3-disappointment-molyneux-bounces-back-with-baf/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/18/following-fable-3-disappointment-molyneux-bounces-back-with-baf/#comments Poor Peter Molyneux was down in the dumps. Following the "justifiably" mixed reception of Fable 3, Molyneux was wondering if his career had already peaked. "We just weren't good enough with the craft of what we did. That always makes you reflect," he recently told The Guardian. Apparently, Molyneux was even doubting his future in game development.

"'Have I already created the greatest game I'm ever going to create? Is the rest just a downhill struggle?'" he asked himself "late one night" a few months back. But then, the very next day he received a letter informing him of a BAFTA Fellowship nomination -- an honor he received in-person this past weekend. "As I walked up on stage I almost fainted. There was this sea of faces, and lots of people I've worked with before, and everyone stood. I was choking up," he admitted. "It was an incredible feeling, and I do immediately want to go home and start proving that I'm really, truly worthy of this."

Molyneux noted during his acceptance speech that his cyclical over-promising isn't a PR tactic as much as it's him "over-believing" in his own products. "I always truly believe that this is going to be the greatest game of all time -- I wouldn't try to do it any other way," he said. And we wouldn't want you to, Molyneux.

JoystiqFollowing Fable 3 disappointment, Molyneux bounces back with BAFTA award originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baftabafta-fellowshipFable-3lionheadlionhead-studiosmicrosoftmicrosoft-game-studios-europepeter-molyneuxFri, 18 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BAFTA names Mass Effect 2 as game of the year, reveals all winners for 2011]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/17/bafta-names-mass-effect-2-as-game-of-the-year-reveals-all-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/17/bafta-names-mass-effect-2-as-game-of-the-year-reveals-all-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/17/bafta-names-mass-effect-2-as-game-of-the-year-reveals-all-2011/#comments Ah, yes, the BAFTAs. The annual UK awards gala aimed at showcasing the game industry's many talented developers by giving them mounted gold masks. Aside from Lionhead Studio's Peter Molyneux receiving a Fellowship this year, BioWare's sci-fi opus Mass Effect 2 took home top honors as "Best Game," while Super Mario Galaxy 2 snagged the award for gameplay.

Like last month's IGF awards ceremony, Cut the Rope once again beat out competition in the "Best Handheld" category, while Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit somehow beat out Battlefield: Bad Company 2 for "Best Multiplayer." Can we demand a recount? Because we totally do.

Check out the full list of winners after the break.

Continue reading BAFTA names Mass Effect 2 as game of the year, reveals all winners for 2011

JoystiqBAFTA names Mass Effect 2 as game of the year, reveals all winners for 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baftabiowareMass-Effect-2microsoftmobilepcplaystationps3ukxboxThu, 17 Mar 2011 11:05:00 EST<![CDATA[PSA: BAFTA award livestream starting right now-ish]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/16/psa-bafta-award-livestream-starting-right-now-ish/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/16/psa-bafta-award-livestream-starting-right-now-ish/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/16/psa-bafta-award-livestream-starting-right-now-ish/#comments If you'd like to see which of your favorite games, or which of your favorite Peter Molyneuxs, wins a BAFTA award tonight, and you don't live in the UK, don't worry -- you don't have to figure out some way to get across the ocean in the next half an hour. Instead, you can just watch a live stream courteously embedded on the BAFTA website. It starts at 8:45PM GMT, which is roughly a few minutes from now EST.

And should you want to watch the BAFTAs afta they've happened, VG247 plans to re-run a recording of the event.

JoystiqPSA: BAFTA award livestream starting right now-ish originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baftabafta-awardsukWed, 16 Mar 2011 16:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Peter Molyneux receiving BAFTA Fellowship]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/21/peter-molyneux-receiving-bafta-fellowship/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/21/peter-molyneux-receiving-bafta-fellowship/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/21/peter-molyneux-receiving-bafta-fellowship/#comments A couple weeks after he picks up his lifetime achievement award at GDC 2011, Peter Molyneux will continue his award tour by picking up a similar accolade with the British Academy of Film and Televisions Arts' (BAFTA) Fellowship. He'll just have to swing by this year's GAME British Academy Video Games Awards on March 16 -- or, they can surely just mail it to him if he's tired of being praised by that point.

The Fellowship is awarded for outstanding achievement and contribution to the industry through an individual's body of work. With series like Fable, Populous and Dungeon Keeper attached to his CV, it's not hard to see why the organization wants to give Molyneux another trinket for his collection. According to a BAFTA rep, previous winners include Will Wright, Nolan Bushnell, Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock and, last year's recipient, Shigeru Miyamoto.

JoystiqPeter Molyneux receiving BAFTA Fellowship originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardawardsBAFTAbafta-fellowshipbritish-academy-of-film-and-televisionmicrosoftPeter-MolyneuxxboxMon, 21 Feb 2011 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Black Ops rack up BAFTA nominations]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/16/assassins-creed-brotherhood-black-ops-rack-up-bafta-nomination/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/16/assassins-creed-brotherhood-black-ops-rack-up-bafta-nomination/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/16/assassins-creed-brotherhood-black-ops-rack-up-bafta-nomination/#commentsThe British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced the nominees for its GAME British Academy Video Games Awards, which manage to be prestigious despite the inclusion of a sponsor's name in the title. Even before any winners are announced, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is representing well, with nominations in seven categories including Action, Artistic Achievement, Gameplay, Multiplayer, Technical Innovation, and, of course, Best Game. Call of Duty: Black Ops is also nominated in seven separate categories.

Other nominees include Heavy Rain (six nominations), Mass Effect 2 (five), and XBLA favorite Limbo, receiving nods for Audio and Artistic Achievement. Best Game nominee Super Mario Galaxy 2 is also nominated for Technical Innovation, an area in which that game is not typically lauded. In addition, the first Social Network Game award includes Bejeweled Blitz, Farmerama, FIFA Superstars, My Empire, Zoo Mumba, and Zuma Blitz as nominees.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on March 16. Until then, you can vote for the GAME Award winner online.

JoystiqAssassin's Creed Brotherhood, Black Ops rack up BAFTA nominations originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 09:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>assassins-creed-brotherhoodAssassins-Creed-Multiplayerbaftabaftas-2011dsgame-british-academy-video-game-awardsmass-effect-2microsoftnintendopcplaystationps3pspsonywiixboxWed, 16 Feb 2011 09:49:00 EST<![CDATA[BAFTA-winning God of War writer working on Shank]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/13/bafta-winning-god-of-war-writer-working-on-shank/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/13/bafta-winning-god-of-war-writer-working-on-shank/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/13/bafta-winning-god-of-war-writer-working-on-shank/#comments While you wouldn't think a game with a title as brutally simple as Shank would need a heavyweight in the whole "writing" department, Electronic Arts recently announced that Marianne Krawczyk, who won a BAFTA award for her work on the God of War franchise, will contribute to Klei Entertainment's action-platformer.

In a recent EA press release, Krawczyk said, "we are creating a story that will allow gamers to explore a world where values like integrity and loyalty take on their own twisted meanings." We assume said story will be related between opportunities to stab things using two knives simultaneously -- a genre which is quickly becoming Krawczyk's literary bread-and-butter.

JoystiqBAFTA-winning God of War writer working on Shank originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 May 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baftaeaElectronic-Artsgod-of-warklei-entertainmentMarianne-KrawczykMicrosoftshankwriterwritingxblaXbox-360Thu, 13 May 2010 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[BAFTA announces 2010 Video Games Awards winners, goes batty for Batman]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/19/bafta-announces-2010-video-games-awards-winners-goes-batty-for/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/19/bafta-announces-2010-video-games-awards-winners-goes-batty-for/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/19/bafta-announces-2010-video-games-awards-winners-goes-batty-for/#comments The British Academy of Film and Television Arts handed out its 2010 Video Games Awards in London this evening, but it was a resident of Gotham City who came away the big winner. Although Uncharted 2 bagged yet more trophies -- Best Action Game, Best Use of Audio, Best Story and Best Original Score -- Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Asylum came away as the Academy's choice for Best Game of 2009.

Other notable winners include Flower (Artistic Achievement), LittleBigPlanet PSP (Best Handheld Game) and Wii Sports Resort (Best Family Game). You can see the full list of winners by category after the break. Congrats, Bats!

Continue reading BAFTA announces 2010 Video Games Awards winners, goes batty for Batman

JoystiqBAFTA announces 2010 Video Games Awards winners, goes batty for Batman originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardsbaftabatman-arkham-asylumeidosenglandnaughty-dogrocksteady-studiossonyuncharted-2Uncharted-2-Among-ThievesWarner-Bros-InteractiveFri, 19 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Miyamoto confirms Pikmin 3 development 'well underway']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/19/miyamoto-confirms-pikmin-3-development-well-underway/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/19/miyamoto-confirms-pikmin-3-development-well-underway/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/19/miyamoto-confirms-pikmin-3-development-well-underway/#comments The Official Nintendo Magazine UK is hanging out at tonight's BAFTA Video Game awards, and has punched into its Twitter account that not only did it get to talk to one Shigeru Miyamoto, but that he's confirmed Pikmin 3 is in development and "well under way." Over a year ago, the game was rumored to be released a week-and-a-half from now, but we'll presume it's not quite that far along in development.

Still, good to hear that the game is still going on, considering that we've only seen the barest sprouts of information about it so far. Maybe Miyamoto should give his team a 30-day time limit within which to finish the game, and see how they feel about that.

JoystiqMiyamoto confirms Pikmin 3 development 'well underway' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baftamiyamotoNintendoofficial-nintendo-magazine-ukpikmin-3shigeru-miyamotoWiiFri, 19 Mar 2010 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Bookie suspects Uncharted 2 has highest odds of success at BAFTAs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/02/bookie-suspects-uncharted-2-has-highest-odds-of-success-at-bafta/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/02/bookie-suspects-uncharted-2-has-highest-odds-of-success-at-bafta/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/02/bookie-suspects-uncharted-2-has-highest-odds-of-success-at-bafta/#comments British bookmaker Victor Chandler has a strange sense of what things people should be betting on. For instance, we never would have thought that high-stakes wagering would ever find its way into the British Academy of Film and Television Awards. Yet somehow, gambling on the BAFTAs has becoming a thing, leading Chandler to tally up the odds for each of the awards show's categories.

Perhaps a bit unsurprisingly, Chandler's calculations place Uncharted 2: Among Thieves in front of the video game category -- the only award chosen by a public poll -- with odds of 6/4. Modern Warfare 2 falls slightly behind that with 9/4 odds. Check out the full breakdown of nominee's odds to take home the prize after the jump. We went ahead and split our life savings evenly among the ten contenders, guaranteeing us a victory when the BAFTAs are distributed March 19. Man, we're so good at gambling.

Continue reading Bookie suspects Uncharted 2 has highest odds of success at BAFTAs

JoystiqBookie suspects Uncharted 2 has highest odds of success at BAFTAs originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardsbaftaeuropegamblinginfinity-wardmodern-warfare-2naughty-dogukuncharted-2Uncharted-2-Among-ThievesTue, 02 Mar 2010 00:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Miyamoto recognized with prestigious BAFTA Fellowship]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/miyamoto-recognized-with-prestigious-bafta-fellowship/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/miyamoto-recognized-with-prestigious-bafta-fellowship/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/23/miyamoto-recognized-with-prestigious-bafta-fellowship/#comments The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced that it'll be awarding Shigeru Miyamoto with the storied BAFTA Fellowship award, which is "the highest accolade the Academy can bestow on an individual for their creative work." Miyamoto will receive the award in a ceremony next month. It's a pretty high honor for his work in film and television, which includes this Mega64 video and this old kids' television series.

Oh wait, no -- it's actually part of the British Academy's Video Games Awards, and it is honoring him as the creator of Donkey Kong, Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. That makes much more sense. Nobody should be giving anyone awards for the Super Mario Bros. movie.

JoystiqMiyamoto recognized with prestigious BAFTA Fellowship originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardawardsbaftabafta-fellowshipbritish-academy-of-film-and-televisiondonkey-konglegend-of-zeldamariomega64shigeru-miyamotosuper-mario-brosTue, 23 Feb 2010 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[BAFTA video game award nominees announced]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/16/bafta-video-game-award-nominees-announced/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/16/bafta-video-game-award-nominees-announced/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/16/bafta-video-game-award-nominees-announced/#commentsThe BAFTA awards represent a rare opportunity to get the thrill of watching your favorite high-profile games rack up more plaudits long after the end of the year. They also represent the opinions of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, but whatever. The nominations for the 2009 awards have been released, with mostly unsurprising games occupying the "Best Game" category -- Batman, Assassin's Creed II, Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Joystiq.com Game of the Year 2009 Uncharted 2 -- and FIFA 2009.

In the "people's choice" GAME Awards, all of the Best Game nominees but Left 4 Dead 2 make repeat appearances, joined by The Beatles: Rock Band, GTA Chinatown Wars, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Street Fighter IV, and Wii Sports Resort. "Everyone's" tastes are much more diverse! See more nominations for specific genres and achievements at the BAFTA site. The winners will be revealed in an award ceremony on March 19.

JoystiqBAFTA video game award nominees announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>assassins-creed-2baftabafta-awardsbatman-arkham-asylumDSfifa-09Grand-Theft-Auto-Chinatown-Warsleft-4-dead-2Microsoftmodern-warfare-2Nintendothe-legend-of-zelda-spirit-tracksuncharted-2Uncharted-2-Among-ThievesWiiXbox-360Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[BAFTA people's choice GOTY voting now open]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/bafta-peoples-choice-goty-voting-now-open/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/bafta-peoples-choice-goty-voting-now-open/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/12/bafta-peoples-choice-goty-voting-now-open/#comments Do you live in the UK and dream every night about the possibility of one day voting on a people's choice game of the year award? Right, us neither, but if you're into that kinda thing, UK retailer GAME is holding the second annual GAME British Academy Video Games Awards at the London Hilton on March 19 and you can vote for the awards show's top "honour." Sure, you can't actually buy tickets and attend or anything crazy like that (the event is live-streamed online, in fairness), but you still have just over a month to put in your vote for one of the 10 games in the running -- games that were chosen from a list comprising "the top selling games of the year sold in GAME stores."

At the very least, voters will automatically be entered into a contest to win a "Sony Home Entertainment Package," so, if nothing else, there's always the possibility of winning a Sony ... something (or somethings). Click through or glance a few inches up for the people's choice award contestant list.

Continue reading BAFTA people's choice GOTY voting now open

JoystiqBAFTA people's choice GOTY voting now open originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>assassins-creed-2baftabatman-arkham-asylumchinatown-warsDSgame-awardsgame-british-academy-video-games-awardsMicrosoftmodern-warfare-2Nintendostreet-fighter-ivthe-beatles-rock-bandthe-legend-of-zelda-spirit-tracksuncharted-2Uncharted-2-Among-ThievesWiiwii-sports-resortXbox-360Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[LittleBigPlanet wins big at the little BAFTAs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/littlebigplanet-wins-big-at-the-little-baftas/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/littlebigplanet-wins-big-at-the-little-baftas/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/littlebigplanet-wins-big-at-the-little-baftas/#comments Unsatisfied with simply winning the "Artistic Achievement" category of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards earlier this year, Media Molecule and its charming, customizable platforme, LittleBigPlanet, took the BAFTA's Children's Awards show by storm last night. The title took top honors during the ceremony, beating out Boom Blox Bash Party, de Blob and Viva Pinata: Pocket Paradise for the coveted "Best Videogame" award.

Media Molecule's Mark Healey teased GamesIndustry about the future of the infinitely award-winning title, saying, "LittleBigPlanet has a lot more room to absorb a lot more things before we say goodbye to that one. I think every year from now on should be a big year for LittleBigPlanet, hopefully." With the Online Create mode patch out today and the Water Update coming soon, we think the studio's got plenty of big ideas to keep the Planet turning for a long, long time.

JoystiqLittleBigPlanet wins big at the little BAFTAs originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardsbaftabafta-awardslittlebigplanetmedia-moleculeplatformersonyukMon, 30 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST<![CDATA[London Games Conference to examine downloadable transition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/london-games-conference-to-examine-downloadable-transition/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/london-games-conference-to-examine-downloadable-transition/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/london-games-conference-to-examine-downloadable-transition/#comments Speakers at the upcoming London Games Conference will be discussing the game industry's impending shift to digital distribution. And by that, we mean that certain speakers are espousing the belief that the industry will soon be run solely via digital distribution. One such speaker will be Nick Parker, of Parker Consulting, who expects new consoles from Sony and Microsoft by 2014 and that the sale of games in boxes will start declining in 2010. According to another unnamed speaker, 40 percent of the industry is not yet prepared for the transition.

Taking place on October 27 at BAFTA, the London Games Conference will address this bleak, dystopian future, and will feature speakers from Sega, Microsoft and Sony. In the meantime, you might want to invest in Mylar sleeves for your games, as they'll soon be collector's items.
[Image: Penny Arcade]

JoystiqLondon Games Conference to examine downloadable transition originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baftabusinessdigital-distributionelpsalondon-games-conferenceThu, 08 Oct 2009 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Masaya Matsuura marches to GameCity Squared]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/27/masaya-matsuura-marches-to-gamecity-squared/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/27/masaya-matsuura-marches-to-gamecity-squared/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/27/masaya-matsuura-marches-to-gamecity-squared/#commentsParappa the Rapper, Vib-Ribbon, and Major Minor's Majestic March creator Masaya Matsuura will deliver the "BAFTA Vision Statement" at GameCity Squared, the fourth annual "videogame culture festival" held in Nottingham. The Vision Statement, presented last year by Media Molecule, is "a unique platform for the most interesting, provocative developers in the World to deliver their thoughts and manifestos independent of any PR constraint," according to GameCity director Iain Simons.

We look forward to hearing about the unique, anthropomorphic animal mentors against whom Matsuura faced off in rap battles during his journey to Nottingham -- said rap battles also instilling Matsuura with the confidence to write and deliver his keynote on October 31.

JoystiqMasaya Matsuura marches to GameCity Squared originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baftabafta-vision-statementgamecitygamecity-squaredmasaya-matsuuraukThu, 27 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BAFTA awards boost UK game sales, stickering begins]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/20/bafta-awards-boost-uk-game-sales-stickering-begins/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/20/bafta-awards-boost-uk-game-sales-stickering-begins/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/20/bafta-awards-boost-uk-game-sales-stickering-begins/#comments
UK game retailers Play.com and GAME are reporting a surge in sales after this month's British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards, according to UK site MCV. GAME's COO Terry Scicluna, speaking with MCV, said that the awards show garnered a "real buzz" from consumers while Play.com reported a 14 percent increase in new customers to their site since the March 10th awards ceremony.

An aggressive stickering campaign at the UK game retailer surrounded the awards, with employees not only stickering nominees leading up to the ceremony but also BAFTA winners immediately following. "In all GAME stores the nominated games were stickered as official BAFTA nominees, and in the last week the winning games have been re-stickered to highlight their Award success," said Scicluna ... likely pondering what to sticker next.

JoystiqBAFTA awards boost UK game sales, stickering begins originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baftagamemcvplay.comstickersUKuk-game-retailersFri, 20 Mar 2009 01:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Call of Duty 4 reaches 15 million online players]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/14/call-of-duty-4-reaches-15-million-online-players/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/14/call-of-duty-4-reaches-15-million-online-players/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/14/call-of-duty-4-reaches-15-million-online-players/#comments
For an almost two-year old game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare still possesses an uncanny amount of pluck. It's become a bellwether for judging modern first-person shooters, and still regularly places high in the Xbox Live activity charts. However, Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling recently revealed the most convincing testimony of the game's success while accepting CoD 4's three BAFTA Awards in London earlier this week -- according to Bowling, the game's online multiplayer component has played host to just over 15 million players.

Bowling clarified that 11 million of said players joined CoD 4's ranks via Xbox Live, while over four million entered the fray on PSN. He didn't even mention how many PC gamers had gotten their war on, though we're sure that when combined with the console players, CoD 4's total online population would rival that of many average-sized countries.

JoystiqCall of Duty 4 reaches 15 million online players originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionbaftacall-of-duty-4cod4infinity-wardMicrosoftpsnrobert-bowlingXbox-360xbox-liveSat, 14 Mar 2009 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Super Mario Galaxy voted 'best game' by BAFTA]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/11/super-mario-galaxy-voted-best-game-by-bafta/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/11/super-mario-galaxy-voted-best-game-by-bafta/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/11/super-mario-galaxy-voted-best-game-by-bafta/#comments
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has handed out its annual video game awards, and this year's top honor went to ... Super Mario Galaxy. Nintendo's topsy-turvy Wii platformer beat out Call of Duty 4, Fallout 3, Fable II, Grand Theft Auto IV and Rock Band in being crowned "Best Game." (Guess that settles it.)

Meanwhile, Call of Duty 4 earned the title of "People's Choice" winner based on votes placed via BAFTA's website. In an epic upset, Grand Theft Auto IV won exactly ... zero awards, despite being nominated in seven categories. That's alright; it's selling just fine. You'll find the full list of categories and respective winners after the break.

Continue reading Super Mario Galaxy voted 'best game' by BAFTA

JoystiqSuper Mario Galaxy voted 'best game' by BAFTA originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardsbaftanintendosuper-mario-galaxyWiiWed, 11 Mar 2009 03:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BAFTA awards to settle the 'Super Mario Galaxy vs. COD4' debate]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/10/bafta-awards-to-settle-the-super-mario-galaxy-vs-cod4-debate/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/10/bafta-awards-to-settle-the-super-mario-galaxy-vs-cod4-debate/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/10/bafta-awards-to-settle-the-super-mario-galaxy-vs-cod4-debate/#comments
Also, sponsored by GAME

Alright, perhaps "debate" is a somewhat enthusiastic label for a question none of us have ever seriously considered. Which is more worthy of a prestigious award -- the cratered theater of war in Activision's Call of Duty 4, or the smiling planetoids of Super Mario Galaxy? We can't come up with a way to decide, which is precisely why we're grateful that the GAME British Academy Video Games Awards (for games that are sold by GAME) have decided to lump both into the "Best Game" category:
  • Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
  • Fable II
  • Fallout 3
  • Grand Theft Auto IV
  • Rock Band
  • Super Mario Galaxy
Before you object to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' seemingly outdated choices, note that the period of valid entries spans October 26, 2007 to December 31, 2008 due to an earlier delay in ceremonies. The messy result, of course, is two Novembers duking it out. You'll see the rest of the quality-riddled categories after the break.

Continue reading BAFTA awards to settle the 'Super Mario Galaxy vs. COD4' debate

JoystiqBAFTA awards to settle the 'Super Mario Galaxy vs. COD4' debate originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AwardsBAFTAbest-of-2008Call-of-Duty-4COD4GAMESuper-Mario-GalaxyTue, 10 Feb 2009 16:54:00 EST<![CDATA[BAFTAs postponed, no chance for Nintendo love in 2008]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/baftas-postponed-no-chance-for-nintendo-love-in-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/baftas-postponed-no-chance-for-nintendo-love-in-2008/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/baftas-postponed-no-chance-for-nintendo-love-in-2008/#commentsFiled under:

No BAFTA game awards this fall? How can this be? The last two years, Nintendo has picked up a few awards and a little bit of sweet, sweet recognition, and we're not sure we want to face a 2008 without the same treatment. The British awards, which lauded Wii Sports in 2007 and Electroplankton and Brain Age in 2006, suffered some problems last year and will be postponed until 2009. Due to the awards' schedule, games that weren't yet released or finished were being considered, and one of the games up for an award last year ultimately wasn't released in 2007. Sounds like the changes are necessary, but an award-free year is a sad proposition indeed.

Maybe they'll make it up to us next year.

JoystiqBAFTAs postponed, no chance for Nintendo love in 2008 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardbaftabrainageelectroplanktonThu, 17 Apr 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[2008 BAFTA game awards postponed to '09]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/2008-bafta-game-awards-postponed-to-09/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/2008-bafta-game-awards-postponed-to-09/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/2008-bafta-game-awards-postponed-to-09/#commentsFiled under: ,

GamesIndustry.biz is reporting the British Academy of Film and Television Arts has decided to postpone this year's announcement of its prestigious game awards for 2008 to March 10, 2009. The move is intended to avoid some of the timing issues with last year awards which required some games to be evaluated before they were done (at least one nominee wasn't even released until 2008). The postponement will also avoid conflict with the competing Golden Joystick awards, which last year were announced just a few days after the BAFTAs.

Joystiq2008 BAFTA game awards postponed to '09 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardsBAFTAbritaingamespostponedThu, 17 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wii Warm Up: Is Wii Fit the next Wii Sports?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/wii-warm-up-is-wii-fit-the-next-wii-sports/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/wii-warm-up-is-wii-fit-the-next-wii-sports/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/27/wii-warm-up-is-wii-fit-the-next-wii-sports/#commentsFiled under:


You might have heard that Wii Sports recently dominated the BAFTA awards. The game has also won some other stuff, too. We wonder if Nintendo knew what a monster Wii Sports would become when they added that little pack-in to U.S. consoles, but we doubt it. Nobody could have predicted that a demo sports game would take off the way Wii Sports did.

Nintendo may not have meant for it to happen, but we're sure that they're (very, very) pleased. Now, with the introduction of Wii Fit, it seems like they're trying to strike gold twice. We're a little skeptical that Wii Fit can follow in Wii Sports' footsteps, but we were also skeptical the first time around (and look how that turned out).

But, what do you think? Will we be hearing the praise of Wii Fit at the BAFTA awards this time next year? Or do you think Wii Fit will never even get close to reaching that kind of success?

JoystiqWii Warm Up: Is Wii Fit the next Wii Sports? originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BAFTAWii-FitWii-SportsSat, 27 Oct 2007 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[BioShock, Crackdown win big at BAFTA]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/24/bioshock-crackdown-win-big-at-bafta/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/24/bioshock-crackdown-win-big-at-bafta/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/24/bioshock-crackdown-win-big-at-bafta/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the official winners of its Video Games Awards and the Xbox 360 has a few awards to stick on its mantle. While Wii Sports managed to take home a staggering six of the thirteen awards, it was BioShock that walked away with the coveted Game of the Year. Crackdown also managed to snag 2 awards, one for Best Action and Adventure and one for Best use of audio. We're willing to bet that this isn't he only game of the year award BioShock is likely to earn by year's end, but the award given to Crackdown was unexpected (though certainly not unwarranted). We're sure the folks at Real Time Worlds are mighty pleased. Check out the full list of awards after the break.

Continue reading BioShock, Crackdown win big at BAFTA

JoystiqBioShock, Crackdown win big at BAFTA originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ActionbaftabioshockcrackdownMicrosoft-Game-StudiosRealtime-WorldsRiot-ActSandboxWed, 24 Oct 2007 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[BAFTA: BioShock game of the year, Wii Sports wins most awards]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/24/bafta-bioshock-game-of-the-year-wii-sports-wins-most-awards/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/24/bafta-bioshock-game-of-the-year-wii-sports-wins-most-awards/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/24/bafta-bioshock-game-of-the-year-wii-sports-wins-most-awards/#commentsFiled under:

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced the winners for their British Academy Video Game Awards and BioShock came out on top, with Wii Sports winning most categories. The full list can be found after break. Wii Sports won six of 13 awards, Crackdown won two awards, as did Okami.

Crackdown developer RealTime Worlds was the most successful European studio at the event, winning Best Action and Adventure and an audio award. Phil Wilson, producer of Crackdown, said, "BAFTA's are awards that are recognized and respected both outside the games industry and internationally, so we're incredibly proud that everyone's hard work has resulted in not just one but two of the prestigious gold masks." Great, now does that mean you'll finally start working on a sequel?

Continue reading BAFTA: BioShock game of the year, Wii Sports wins most awards

JoystiqBAFTA: BioShock game of the year, Wii Sports wins most awards originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ActionbaftabioshockCrackdownMicrosoftRealtime-WorldsRiot-ActSandboxwiisportsXbox-360Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Wii Sports cleans up at BAFTAs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/24/wii-sports-cleans-up-at-baftas/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/24/wii-sports-cleans-up-at-baftas/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/24/wii-sports-cleans-up-at-baftas/#commentsFiled under:

The entertainment awards competition with the most enjoyable name, the BAFTAs*, have come and gone, leaving Nintendo ordering a new trophy case for Wii Sports. Their flagship title took home six awards, more than any other game. In fact, the only category in which Wii Sports was nominated, but didn't win was Best Game, which went to Bioshock.

The other big winner that Wii fans should be happy about is actually a PS2 game (for now). Clover Studio's brilliant Okami was awarded in the categories of Artistic Achievement and Original Score, both of which are well-deserved. We can gladly concede those categories to Okami over Wii Sports without much controversy.

Check after the break for the full list of nominees and winners!

*British Academy of Film and Television Arts; we didn't know without looking, either.

Continue reading Wii Sports cleans up at BAFTAs

JoystiqWii Sports cleans up at BAFTAs originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardsbaftaokamiWiiSportsWed, 24 Oct 2007 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Will Wright honored with BAFTA Fellowship]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/15/will-wright-honored-with-bafta-fellowship/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/15/will-wright-honored-with-bafta-fellowship/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/15/will-wright-honored-with-bafta-fellowship/#commentsFiled under: ,

will wrightThe man behind the iron mask is Will Wright, the first of his kind to be awarded a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Fellowship (known colloquially as the 'BAFTA award'). This year's ceremony will be held on October 23rd, marking the first time the Academy has honored a figure from the games industry, despite a refusal to stretch out its acronym. (What's wrong with BAFTVGA?). Wright's fellowship "recognizes the massive impact of video games on popular culture and their huge contribution to the whole art form of the moving image," said the BAFTA mouthpiece.

Will Wright is the 'Sim' genre. The decorated designer is currently on the verge of (we hope) releasing his most ambitious project to date, Spore. Much props to you, Mr. Wright -- now get back to work!

JoystiqWill Wright honored with BAFTA Fellowship originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baftawill-wrightWillWrightMon, 15 Oct 2007 13:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Church of England offended by Resistance BAFTA nomination]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/08/church-of-england-offended-by-resistance-bafta-nomination/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/08/church-of-england-offended-by-resistance-bafta-nomination/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/08/church-of-england-offended-by-resistance-bafta-nomination/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If the headline seems a little familiar, it's because we've been here before. First, the Church of England issued a statement regarding the "offensive" presence of Manchester Cathedral in Sony's Resistance: Fall of Man for the PS3. Sony followed up by issuing an apology, stating that they had no intention of offending, but that the content was staying. Church of England responded by saying that the apology wasn't good enough, and Sony responded to the response of the response by apologizing again.

Now, following the announcement of the nominees for this year's BAFTA Video Game Awards, the Church of England is once again up in arms, this time issuing a statement pleading that the nomination for Resistance: Fall of Man be pulled, claiming that the nomination "is like rubbing salt in the wounds" of the Church.

The spokesman for the Church of England claims that the nomination comes from the game's solid sales, which they believe were increased substantially by the controversy. No word yet of a response from either Sony or BAFTA. Resistance: Fall of Man was only nominated for one award by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts: The PC World Gamers Award, which will be decided by a public vote, and not by a BAFTA panel.

JoystiqChurch of England offended by Resistance BAFTA nomination originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Oct 2007 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Actionbaftachurch-of-englandchurchofenglandFPSInsomniacmanchester-cathedralmanchestercathedralPS3resistanceResistance-Fall-of-ManSCEShootersonyMon, 08 Oct 2007 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Wii Sports tops 2007 BAFTA nominees]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/28/wii-sports-tops-2007-bafta-nominees/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/28/wii-sports-tops-2007-bafta-nominees/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/28/wii-sports-tops-2007-bafta-nominees/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced the nominees for its 2007 Video Game Awards. Topping the list with most nominations is Wii Sports with seven, including the Innovation and Best Game categories. There is four-way tie for second most nominations, with Crackdown, Gears of War, Okami and God of War 2 having five nominations apiece.

Other best game nominees include BioShock, Crysis, Gears of War, Guitar Hero II and Kane & Lynch. Of those, two titles haven't yet been released. If Crysis and Kane & Lynch somehow get delayed until 2008, will be the eligible for next year's awards, too?

There are 15 categories, including Artistic Achievement and Best Story/Characters. Winners will be announced October 23; you can view the full list after the break.

Continue reading Wii Sports tops 2007 BAFTA nominees

JoystiqWii Sports tops 2007 BAFTA nominees originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baftaDSPCPS2PS3PSPWiiwii-sportswiisportsXbox-360Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BAFTA noms: battle of the biggies]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/27/bafta-noms-battle-of-the-biggies/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/27/bafta-noms-battle-of-the-biggies/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/27/bafta-noms-battle-of-the-biggies/#commentsFiled under:

A number of Wii games are going up against some of the industry's biggest contenders in this year's BAFTA awards. It should make for an interesting award session, because while the Wii is dominating console sales (along with the DS), many people see games like Gears of War as greater achievements. Despite that, Wii Sports leads the pack of nominations, having picked up the greatest number of nominations; the pack-in boasts nods in seven categories, including Gameplay and Multiplayer.

It's not the only Wii title to pick up recognition, however; The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Trauma Center: Second Opinion are up for awards, along with a few other games. Check out the full list of nominations after the jump.

Continue reading BAFTA noms: battle of the biggies

JoystiqBAFTA noms: battle of the biggies originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BAFTAnominationTrauma-CenterTraumaCenterTwilight-PrincessTwilightPrincessWii-SportsWiiSportsZeldaThu, 27 Sep 2007 18:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Ratchet & Clank, SingStar and Uncharted pick up BAFTA nods]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/ratchet-and-clank-singstar-and-uncharted-pick-up-bafta-nods/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/ratchet-and-clank-singstar-and-uncharted-pick-up-bafta-nods/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/26/ratchet-and-clank-singstar-and-uncharted-pick-up-bafta-nods/#commentsFiled under:


Even before they've reached store shelves, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts have nominated a number of PS3 exclusives for its annual Video Game Awards. Notably, Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction is picking up a nomination for best Action & Adventure game. Heavenly Sword is competing for best Artistic Achievement. SingStar is going for best Casual game. Warhawk is getting a nod for its Gameplay, while both fl0w and The Eye of Judgment are getting nominations for Innovation.

Yes, even Lair picked up a nomination on something that's hard to deny -- the soundtrack. For the complete list of nominations, click here.

[Thanks, LJKelley!]

JoystiqRatchet & Clank, SingStar and Uncharted pick up BAFTA nods originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardsbaftaWed, 26 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Nominations open for British gaming awards]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/21/nominations-open-for-british-gaming-awards/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/21/nominations-open-for-british-gaming-awards/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/21/nominations-open-for-british-gaming-awards/#commentsFiled under:

Nominations are open for this year's BAFTA game awards -- or perhaps we should call them the BAVGAs these days. And despite the fact that nominations close in July, games are eligible so long as they're going to be released in the UK sometime before December 31, 2007. So it's quite possible that games from the future could pick up awards.

This year's categories seem to have some room for Wii: Action and Adventure, Strategy and Simulation, Sports, Multiplayer, Casual, Use of Audio, Original Score, Technical Achievement, Artistic Achievement, Gameplay, Innovation, Story and Character, and Best Game. Casual? Sports? Gameplay? Innovation? Hell, we haven't even started thinking past Wii Sports yet, either. We'll keep an eye out for the full list of nominations and let you know when they're up. Have any Wii predictions? Let us know!

JoystiqNominations open for British gaming awards originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2007baftabavgabritaingame awardsGameAwardsnominationukThu, 21 Jun 2007 17:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Some BAFTA winners baffle; GRAW is game of the year]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/09/some-bafta-winners-baffle-graw-is-game-of-the-year/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/09/some-bafta-winners-baffle-graw-is-game-of-the-year/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/09/some-bafta-winners-baffle-graw-is-game-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under:

Last week the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (that's BAFTA) awarded the British Academy Video Games Awards in seventeen categories. While we're all about mainstream acknowledgment of our favorite entertainment medium, from a respectable organization like BAFTA no less, you know we're never ones to leave well enough alone. Reading through the list of winners is difficult to reconcile with the industry we read and write about everyday. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter was a pretty good game, but game of the year? At least it beat out game of the year competitor Black!

While there are plenty of dubious winners, and even more dubious nominees, there are still plenty of welcome winners on the list, like Electroplankton, Guitar Hero, Shadow of the Colossus, and Psychonauts.

While the US has separate academies for movies (The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), television (The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences), and video games (The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences), BAFTA treats video games comparably with film and television. This is vastly different from many of the other video games awards ceremonies handed out by organizations tasked solely with judging the merits of interactive entertainment ... like, say, the Spike VGA awards. Sure, mainstream awards ceremonies may go a long way towards encouraging mainstream acceptance of video games, but we're pretty sure Joystiq readers aren't looking to awards shows to let them know what the best game of the year was. So 'stiq, was it GRAW?

JoystiqSome BAFTA winners baffle; GRAW is game of the year originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Oct 2006 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AwardsBAFTAMon, 09 Oct 2006 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[UK government: There is more to life than video games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/06/uk-government-there-is-more-to-life-than-video-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/06/uk-government-there-is-more-to-life-than-video-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/06/uk-government-there-is-more-to-life-than-video-games/#commentsFiled under:

Shaun Woodward, the UK's Creative Industries and Tourism minister, wants the game industry to help curtail the amount of time kids spend playing games. Which is more than a bit ironic considering he took no such umbrage last month, telling a crowd assembled for the announcement of the BAFTA video game awards, "Video games are a huge part of the creative industries in the UK and deserve full recognition for their vital role in our economy. The huge diversity of games, from entertainment to education, put them at the centre of culture in Britain."

He's being a bit equivocal, last month heaping loads of praise on the same industry he's wagging his finger at this week, but he's far better than opportunistic American politicians who would rather play the parental role for you. Woodward goes on to say, "We want to help parents have the facts to help them in their parenting, and we want games to be a responsible part of this mix." So, first he doesn't want children to play games, now he wants games to help people be better parents? Make up your mind, man!

Woodward advocates that parents should be the ones raising their kids, not the government, which is a stance we can fully support. If your kid is locked in his room playing World of Warcraft for twelve hours a day, you need to be a better parent instead of waiting for men in black suits to show up and take his paladin away. Don't let a television or a joystick raise your kid, either hire an au pair or roll up your sleeves and get involved.

JoystiqUK government: There is more to life than video games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Oct 2006 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BAFTAchildrengame industrykldsShaun WoodwardShaunWoodwardUKFri, 06 Oct 2006 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Nintendo DS brings home the BAFTAs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/06/nintendo-ds-brings-home-the-baftas/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/06/nintendo-ds-brings-home-the-baftas/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/06/nintendo-ds-brings-home-the-baftas/#commentsFiled under:

Though they were both nominated in multiple categories, Brain Age (aka Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain?) and Electroplankton each picked up a single award in yesterday's British Academy of Film and Television Awards. Electroplankton was acknowledged for audio achievement (color us unsuprised at that one) and Brain Age was named the most innovative of the year's titles by the British organization.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter for the Xbox 360 picked up the nod for game of the year, beating out Brain Age. Trauma Center and New Super Mario Bros. were both nominated as well, but picked up no awards. We're pretty sure that's probably a crime against humanity, but just this once, we'll let it slide.

[Thanks, elbono!]

JoystiqNintendo DS brings home the BAFTAs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Oct 2006 07:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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