And the Golden Joystick Awards 2011 Nominees Are…

Gamers all over the globe can now have their say on the year in gaming as the GamesMaster Golden Joystick Awards announces its 2011 shortlist.
Grabbing the headlines is Ultimate Game Of The Year, one of gaming’s biggest accolades and the one everyone in the industry wants in the trophy cabinet. Contenders for 2011 include Call Of Duty: Black Ops, L.A. Noire and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, reflecting a spectacular 12 months in gaming.

While the One To Watch category looks to the future with pre-order essentials like Halo 4, Mass Effect 3 and Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
Voting is live now at www.goldenjoystick.com. Voters who participate in all 14 public categories are in with a chance of winning the GamesMaster Ultimate Gaming Prize – including consoles and many of the award-nominated games.

Robin Alway, Editor-in-Chief of GamesMaster says: “The combination of 1.5 million votes last year and an outstanding 12 months for games meant the pressure was really on when it came to picking the shortlist for the Golden Joysticks. But while that was difficult, voting is easier than ever and we want every gamer to have their say.
“The shortlist features huge sequels living up to the hype, new IP establishing itself, and incredible innovation and creativity wherever you look. There could be some major upsets when the winners are announced.”

Following the success of 2010’s event, with more than 1.5 million votes cast, the GamesMaster Golden Joystick Awards has been enhanced by a number of changes.
New categories, including dedicated gongs for downloadable, mobile and free-to-play games, allow for a wider breadth of games than ever before, including success stories like Minecraft and Angry Birds.
The 2011 shortlist has been selected by a hand-picked panel of Future’s gaming experts, chaired by GamesMaster Editor-in-Chief Robin Alway.
And the brand new website at www.goldenjoystick.com makes voting quick and enjoyable – as well as easy to share thanks to full social media integration.
The new site makes it more straightforward than ever before for games players, creators and publishers alike to mobilise support for their chosen titles – the key to winning a prestigious Golden Joystick.
Winners are announced at the awards ceremony, taking place at the Westminster Bridge Park Plaza on Friday 21st October. Among the surprises on the night will be a number of exclusives and reveals from all across the games industry.

Simon Maxwell, Group Publisher of Future’s Entertainment portfolio, says: “We’re drawing on 29 years of heritage to make this year’s Golden Joysticks the biggest and best ever. Table sales are moving at speed, so don’t delay if you want to be in the room for the gaming event of the year.
“We can’t wait to crown the very best gaming has to offer – get voting and make sure your favourite gets the recognition it deserves.”

To vote in the GamesMaster. Golden Joystick Awards 2011 visit www.goldenjoystick.com.
GamesMaster Golden Joystick Awards 2011 categories

  • Ultimate Game of the Year
  • One To Watch
  • Best Shooter
  • Best Action/Adventure
  • Best RPG [Role-Playing Game]
  • Best MMO [Massively Multiplayer Online game]
  • Best Fighting Game
  • Best Racing Game
  • Best Sports Game
  • Best Strategy Game
  • Best Music-based Game
  • Best Free-to-play Game
  • Best Mobile Game
  • Best Downloadable Game