Ask Thomas Allen, the executive director of the National Academy of Video Game Testers and Reviewers, why their annual awards are important, and you'll get an impassioned monologue that touches on everything from the purpose of the game enthusiast press to the industry's rampant "sequelitis." The core of the NAViGaTR awards is much simpler, though: they're voted on by the people who play games the most.
The awards, which cover 55 categories, are voted on by 640 game testers and reviewers. "I think they have more of a trained eye at looking for the polish in games," Allen said last night at the 11th annual NAViGaTR Awards' nomination ceremony in Los Angeles. "There's so many good games every year, and getting it down to five in each category, that's tough. We really appreciate having both perspectives for the awards."
Actress Tara Platt, who's done voices for Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, Saints Row: The Third and more, was enthusiastic as she announced the nominations in each category. "Having testers that play games and really understand the designs of the games from the inside out is a very different way of looking at it," she said. "I think it's really exciting that the NAViGaTR awards exist so that the games that have really pushed the boundaries and pushed technology can be recognized. I think it's important."
"In this industry, people play games but they don't know who really does the stuff, unless you're either already famous before you get involved, or you know, uh, Tim Schafer," said actor Yuri Lowenthal, excited about being nominated for his supporting performance as Tobias Nebbins in Catherine.
"The [Spike TV Video Game Awards] are, you know, for air time and selling advertising, and showing famous people who aren't really associated with the gaming industry," he continued. "This is much more for people who test the games and play the games, and I think it's a much more honest—if you'll excuse that—much more honest way of choosing the games."
The winners will be announced at PAX East in Boston at the beginning of April. The nominations include 13 for Uncharted 3, 12 for Modern Warfare 3, 10 for L.A. Noire and Rayman Origins, 9 for Portal 2, 8 for Catherine, 7 for Dead Space 2 and Little Big Planet 2, 6 for Bastion, and 5 for Arkham City, Deus Ex and Bulletstorm. Check out the full list of nominations on the next page and decide for yourself whether the NAViGaTR awards are indeed a more "honest" take on the gaming industry than other award shows, as Lowenthal believes. "I was in, you know, 50 games last year," he said, "and I could not steal a ticket to the VGAs."
1. Game of the Year
Batman: Arkham City
Battlefield 3
Catherine
Dark Souls
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Minecraft
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
2. Animation
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
L.A. Noire
Rayman Origins
Dead Space 2
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
3. Art Direction, Period
Assassin's Creed Revelations
Total War: Shogun 2
4. Art Direction, Fantasy
Alice: Madness Returns
Bastion
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
Little Big Planet 2
Rayman Origins
5. Art Direction, Contemporary
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
6. Camera Direction in a Game Engine
Dead Space 2
Gears of War 3
Sonic Generations
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
7. Character Design
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten
The Gunstringer
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Stacking
8. Control Design, 2D or Limited 3D
Anomaly: Warzone Earth
Child of Eden
Kung-Fu High Impact
Little Big Planet 2
Rayman Origins
9. Control Design, 3D
Batman: Arkham City
Bulletstorm
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
Gears of War 3
Portal 2
10. Control Precision
Super Mario 3D Land
Dead Space 2
Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Portal 2
Rayman Origins
11. Costume Design
no nominations
12. Direction in a Game Cinema
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Catherine
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
Dead Space 2
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
13. Game Design, New IP
Bastion
From Dust
Frozen Synapse
Solatorobo: Red the Hunter
Spacechem
14. Game Design, Franchise
Batman: Arkham City
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Portal 2
Rayman Origins
15. Game Design, Classic Revival (new category)
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
The ICO™ & Shadow of the Colossus™ Collection HD
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
Okamiden
16. Graphics, Technical
The ICO™ & Shadow of the Colossus™ Collection HD
Crysis 2
Little Big Planet 2
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
L.A. Noire
Sonic Generations
17. Innovation in Game Play
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Minecraft
Rayman Origins
Lost in Shadow
Spacechem
18. Innovation in Game Technology
Child of Eden
Just Dance 3
L.A. Noire
Rayman Origins
Rift
19. Lead Performance in a Comedy
Logan Cunningham as "Narrator/Stranger/Rucks," Bastion
Steve Blum as "Grayson Hunt," Bulletstorm
20. Lead Performance in a Drama
Aaron Staten as "Cole Phelps," L.A. Noire
Adam Harrington as "Roy Earle," L.A. Noire
Troy Baker as "Vincent Brooks," Catherine
Billy Murray as "Price," Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Elias Toufexis as "Adam Jensen," Deus Ex: Human Revolution
21. Lighting/Texturing
Batman: Arkham City
Battlefield 3
Dead Space 2
F.E.A.R. 3
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
22. Original Light Mix Score, New IP
Bastion
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Jetpack Joyride
Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest
PlayStation Move Heroes
23. Original Light Mix Score, Franchise
Kung-Fu High Impact
Little Big Planet 2
Patapon 3
Rayman Origins
24. Original Dramatic Score, New IP
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
Payday: The Heist
Rage
Rise of Nightmares
Shadows of the Damned
25. Original Dramatic Score, Franchise
Assassin's Creed Revelations
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Crysis 2
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
InFamous 2
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
26. Original/Adapted Song
"Victoria's Lab," Little Big Planet 2
"Torched Song," L.A. Noire
"Want You Gone," Portal 2
"Burning Jacob's Ladder," Rage
"Setting Sail, Coming Home," Bastion
27. Song Collection
Abba: You Can Dance
Just Dance 3
L.A. Noire
28. Sound Editing in a Game Cinema
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Child of Eden
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
29. Sound Effects
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Clone Wars Adventures: Battle of Umbara
Dead Space 2
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
30. Supp Performance in a Comedy
Anthony De Longis as "General Sarrano," Bulletstorm
Chris Cox as "Rell," Bulletstorm
Greg Ellis as "Johnson," Shadows of the Damned
Colin McFarlane as "Avalon Centrifuge," Little Big Planet 2
31. Supp Performance in a Drama
Michelle Ruff as "Katherine McBride," Catherine
Will Collyer as "James Tiernan," L.A. Noire
Erika Heynatz as "Elsa Lichtmann," L.A. Noire
Yuri Lowenthal as "Tobias Nebbins," Catherine
Kevin McKidd as "Soap," Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
32. Use of Sound in New IP
Catherine
L.A. Noire
Papa Sangre
Pulse
Rage
33. Use of Sound in a Franchise (new category)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Dead Space 2
F.E.A.R. 3
Rayman Origins
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
34. Writing in a Comedy
The Baconing
Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster
Stacking
35. Writing in a Drama
Brink
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Catherine
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
"OUTSTANDING GAME" categories (by genre)
36. Game, Classic Revival
Beyond Good & Evil HD
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Rayman 3D
Star Fox 64 3D
Oddworld Strangers Wrath HD
37. Game, Music or Performance
The Black Eyed Peas Experience
Disneyland Adventures
Just Dance 3
Rocksmith
Twister Mania
38. Game Original Action
Bulletstorm
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Jetpack Joyride
Payday: The Heist
Rage
39. Game Original Adventure
Catherine
Lost in Shadow
L.A. Noire
Stacking
Superbrothers: Sword And Sworcery EP
40. Game Original Children's
Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster
Solatorobo: Red the Hunter
Skylanders Spyro's Adventure
Where is My Heart?
41. Game Original Fighting
no nominations
42. Game Original Racing
no nominations
43. Game Original RPG
Bastion
The Binding of Isaac
Cave Story 3D
Rift
44. Game Original Sports
no nominations
45. Game Sequel Action
Saints Row: The Third
Batman: Arkham City
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Portal 2
46. Game Sequel Adventure
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
47. Game Sequel Children's
Super Mario 3D Land
Little Big Planet 2
Nintendogs + Cats
Rayman Origins
Sonic Generations
48. Game Sequel Fighting
Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Yakuza 4
Mortal Kombat
WWE All Stars
Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online
49. Game Sequel Racing
Driver: San Francisco
Forza Motorsport 4
Mario Kart 7
Motorstorm: Apocalypse
Need for Speed: The Run
50. Game Sequel RPG
Dark Souls
Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten
Dungeon Siege III
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Star Wars: The Old Republic
51. Game Sequel Sports
Madden NFL 12
NHL 12
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters
Top Spin 4
Virtua Tennis 4
52. Game Simulation Game
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
Steel Diver
53. Game Special Class
Doc Clock: The Toasted Sandwich of Time
Fruit Ninja Kinect
Kung-Fu High Impact
Spacechem
Swarm
54. Game Strategy
Age of Empires Online
From Dust
Frozen Synapse
Total War: Shogun 2
Iron Brigade (Trenched)
55. Honorary Award
Skip Rizzo