BioShock wins first high-profile 'Game of the Year' award

By Stevie Smith Dec 10, 2007, 12:23 GMT

The Spike TV Video Game Awards present coveted \'Game of the Year\' gong to Xbox 360-exclusive BioShock. Credit: Spike TV.

This weekend saw underwater epic BioShock adorned with its first ‘Game of the Year’ award, courtesy of the glitzy 2007 Spike TV Video Game Awards. With movie celeb Samuel L. Jackson taking the helm for the awards show, BioShock romped home as the night’s biggest winner, taking home Best Orginal Score and Best Xbox 360 game while also securing the coveted top prize.

Following close behind in terms of awards, the likes of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Super Mario Galaxy, and Half-Life 2: The Orange Box all claimed two awards each, with Nintendo’s iconic Italian plumber honoured in the Best Action Game and Best Wii Game categories.

Although Bungie’s hot-selling Halo 3 also took two awards in Best Multiplayer Game of the Year and the Dew-sponsored Most Addictive award, it sadly failed to bag anything in one of the major platform and genre categories.

Other awards saw The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass take the top honour in the Best Handheld Game category, while Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction secured the Best PS3 Game gong.

It is worth noting, however, that the high-profile Game of the Year nominations contained only Xbox 360 releases, with BioShock backed by Mass Effect, The Orange Box, and Halo 3. Perhaps unusually, considering its hugely popular critical reception, Super Mario Galaxy did not make the shortlist, and neither did Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune or Assassin’s Creed.

While failing to beat out BioShock to the top prize, BioWare’s ambitious science fiction RPG Mass Effect still managed to pocket Best RPG, while EA’s Rock Band took top place in the Best Rhythm Game category, and PC extravaganza Crysis left the building sporting the Best Graphics award.

All in all, a good night for gaming, and an especially good night for BioShock. The first of many we suspect.

The full list of winners and nominees as is follows:

Game of the Year: BioShock
Halo 3
Mass Effect
The Orange Box

Best Shooter: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
BioShock
Halo 3
The Orange Box

Best Action Game: Super Mario Galaxy
Assassin’s Creed
God of War 2
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Best Rhythm Game: Rock Band
Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Jam Sessions

Best RPG: Mass Effect
Eternal Sonata
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

Best Driving Game: Colin McRae: DiRT
Forza Motorsport 2
Need for Speed ProStreet
Project Gotham Racing 4

Best Military Game: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas
World in Conflict

Studio of the Year: Harmonix
Bungie Studios
Irrational Games
Valve

Best Graphics: Crysis
BioShock
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Mass Effect

Breakthrough Technology: Portal
Crysis
Halo 3
Rock Band

Best PS3 Game: Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Heavenly Sword
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
Warhawk

Best Wii Game: Super Mario Galaxy
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Super Paper Mario

Best Xbox 360 Game: BioShock
Halo 3
Mass Effect
The Orange Box

Best PC Game: The Orange Box
BioShock
Crysis
World in Conflict

Best Individual Sports Game: Skate
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground
Virtua Tennis 3

Best Team Sports Game: Madden NFL 08
NBA 2K8
NHL 08
Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007

Best Handheld Game: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show: The Simpsons Game
Naruto: Rise of a Ninja
Stranglehold

Best Soundtrack: Rock Band
BioShock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground

Best Original Score: BioShock
God of War 2
Halo 3
Mass Effect

Best Multiplayer Game: Halo 3
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Rock Band
The Orange Box

Most Addictive Game Fueled by Dew: Halo 3
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Team Fortress 2
Wii Sports