Portal 2 Bags GDC Honors, Skyrim GOTY, Battlefield 3 Beats Crysis 2 at Technology

[btarunr]

Portal 2 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim won big at the Game Developers Choice. Bethesda's smash-hit title bagged the coveted "Game of the Year" (GOTY) title, while Portal 2 bagged three top honors, winning "Best Narrative", "Best Game Design", and "Best Audio".

The year 2011 also saw the raising of the technology bar with two new game engines, CryEngine 3 from Crytek, and Frostbite 2 from EA-DICE. The two were implemented in flagship titles, Crysis 2 and Battlefield 3, respectively; both of which were published by EA. In the end, Battlefield 3 won "Best Technology". "Best Visual Arts", however, went to Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.



A list of top honors follows.

Game of the Year

• Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios) WINNER
• Portal 2 (Valve)
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal)
• Dark Souls (FromSoftware)

Best Narrative

• Portal 2 (Valve) WINNER
• The Witcher 2 (CD Projekt RED)
• Bastion (Supergiant Games)
• Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)
• Saints Row: The Third (Volition)

Best Game Design

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
• The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo)
• Portal 2 (Valve) WINNER
• Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
• Dark Souls (FromSoftware)

Best Technology

• Battlefield 3 (DICE) WINNER
• L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
• Crysis 2 (Crytek Frankfurt/UK)
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
• Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog)

Best Visual Arts

• Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Naughty Dog) WINNER
• Rayman Origins (Ubisoft Montpellier)
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
• El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (Ignition Japan)
• Battlefield 3 (DICE)

Best Debut

• Supergiant Games (Bastion) WINNER
• Team Bondi (L.A. Noire)
• Re-Logic (Terraria)
• Bioware Austin (Star Wars: The Old Republic)
• Eidos Montreal (Deus Ex: Human Revolution)

Innovation Award

• Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (Toys For Bob)
• Portal 2 (Valve)
• Bastion (Supergiant Games)
• Johann Sebastian Joust (Die Gute Fabrik) WINNER
• L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)

Best Handheld/Mobile Game

• Tiny Tower (NimbleBit)
• Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo)
• Jetpack Joyride (Halfbrick)
• Infinity Blade II (Chair Entertainment)
• Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (Capy Games/Superbrothers) WINNER

Best Audio

• Bastion (Supergiant Games)
• LittleBigPlanet 2 (Media Molecule)
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
• Dead Space 2 (Visceral Games)
• Portal 2 (Valve) WINNER

Best Downloadable Game

• Stacking (Double Fine)
• From Dust (Ubisoft Montpellier)
• Bastion (Supergiant Games) WINNER
• Outland (Housemarque)
• Frozen Synapse (Mode 7)

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[claylomax]

No Best Multiplayer award?

 

[Soup]

No Best Multiplayer award?

Battlefield 3

 

[Shihab]

Why do they even bother with making so many awards ? Skyrim would just win 'em all. It's like the Chuck Norris of games.

Battlefield 3

But the netcode suuuuckssss..
Or so do they say.

 

[TheMailMan78]

Best Audio should have had Battlefield 3 as a contender also IMO. If you know weapons then you know what I am talking about.

 

[St.Alia-Of-The-Knife]

I would put Dear Esther in the best visual arts.. those caves were amazing

 

[theJesus]

I would put Dear Esther in the best visual arts.. those caves were amazing

Dear Esther wasn't a 2011 game . . .

 

[NC37]

Surprised TOR got in that list at all since it was launched so close to the end of the year. Still, good to see it.

 

[djisas]

Im quite surprised at skyrim, graphics are good but not amazing, music is good but inconsistent, gameplay is the most boring i have had, i really had not much motivation to play, still i managed to complete most of it, at least the main quest a couple hundred side quests until i completely got bored of being an errands boy...

I fount "the Witcher 2" more enjoyable or even crysis 2...

My 1 cent though...

 

[claylomax]

Battlefield 3

I can't see any Best Multiplayer award, I'm sure it would go to Battlefield 3; I'm just surprised there's no award for multiplayer.

 

[kiss4luna]

Why do they even bother with making so many awards ? Skyrim would just win 'em all. It's like the Chuck Norris of games.



But the netcode suuuuckssss..
Or so do they say.

who is Chuck Norris?

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

who is Chuck Norris?

*Head explodes*

 

[BumbleBee]

Miranda Lawson would win GOTY if it was up to Mussels haha

 

[fochkoph]

But guyz, Modurn Warfair 3 is da best game 4 lyfe evr made. It sold lik 20 billion copies! Deez GDC guyz r bunch of noobs LOL!



In all seriousness, how Portal 2 won best audio over Battlefield 3 is what I'm wondering. Sure it had one or two cute songs in it, but that's about it. The sound design for the rest of the game is pretty shallow and nothing that makes your jaw drop. Hell, Bad Company 2 had better sound effects than Portal 2.

But the netcode suuuuckssss..
Or so do they say.

Spreading that kind of misinformation is like saying AMD drivers suck without ever owning one. Sure some people have problems, but they're without a doubt the minority.

 

[BumbleBee]

but guyz, modurn warfair 3 is da best game 4 lyfe evr made. It sold lik 20 billion copies! Deez gdc guyz r bunch of noobs lol!



In all seriousness, how portal 2 won best audio over battlefield 3 is what i'm wondering. sure it had one or two cute songs in it, but that's about it. The sound design for the rest of the game is pretty shallow and nothing that makes your jaw drop. Hell, bad company 2 had better sound effects than portal 2.



Spreading that kind of misinformation is like saying amd drivers suck without ever owning one. Sure some people have problems, but they're without a doubt the minority.

Portal 2 has better music and voice acting. there is more to audio than explosions and bullets.

 

[Frizz]

Agreed battlefield 3 expanded their the while crisis took a leap back to become a console bitch

 

[BumbleBee]

look at that beard haha

that's why Portal 2 won

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Oh GabeN...

What I would give for Half-Life 3.......

 

[Frick]

Why do they even bother with making so many awards ? Skyrim would just win 'em all. It's like the Chuck Norris of games.

But it didn't win them all now did it?

I'm glad Portal 2 got the most.

 

[stupido]

who is Chuck Norris?

the earthly brother of superman and cousin of batman...

 

[Widjaja]

look at that beard haha

that's why Portal 2 won

Daniel Radcliffe if he lets himself go when he gets older.

 

[Bjorn_Of_Iceland]

What? No traces of Modern Warfail?

 

[Mega-Japan]

Skyrim, Overrated Game of the Year.
Meh, at least it wasn't another Modern Warfail...

 

[Pjokerxp_]

why no Witcher 2? best visuals for me.