"As the movie industry goes to Hollywood for its Oscars, so will the world of video gaming and animation come to Canada for its Elans."
I’m sure many of you have seen (or heard) that line before. The nominees for the second annual Elans Awards (determined by the Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts, or CAEA) were revealed earlier today. I was waiting until a slower time to put them up, but I’ve gotten a few emails now asking about this "travesty" so I thought now was a proper time to do so.
First off, in response to the emails I’ve been getting, remember this is the CANADIAN Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts. Canadian. The criteria for a game to be nominated is that it has to be "developed at least 51% by a Canadian company." That means no Portal, or Mario Galaxy, or Uncharted. Portal wasn’t stiffed; it just isn’t Canadian enough! (Portal, eh?)
Then again, there IS an International Game of the Year award… Surely Portal or Mario will be up for that!
INTERNATIONAL VIDEO GAME OF THE YEAR
1. The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar Turbine, Inc.
2. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction Insomniac Games, Sony
Computer Entertainment America
3. Crysis Crytek/Electronic Arts USA
I take back what I said earlier; Portal and some others WERE screwed. How could you nominate Crysis, R&C, and LotRO for the International Game of the Year category (which I assume means anything NOT 51% Canadian) and not have Mario, Portal, Bioshock, Uncharted, or a plethora of more deserving titles? And why limit it to three when most other categories have four nominees? For shame, CAEA. For shame.
With that out of the way, here’s the rest of the nominees.
GAME OF THE YEAR
1. Assassin’s Creed Ubisoft
2. Company of Heroes: Opposing Forces Relic Entertainment
3. Mass Effect Bioware/Microsoft Games
4. Skate Electronic Arts
BEST CONSOLE GAME
1. Assassin’s Creed Ubisoft
2. Mass Effect Bioware/Microsoft Games
3. Scarface Radical Entertainment
4. Skate Electronic Arts
BEST PC GAME
1. Company of Heroes Relic Entertainment
2. War Hammer 40,000 Dawn of War: Dark Crusade Relic Entertainment
3. Power Rangers: Super Legends Disney Interactive
BEST SOUND DESIGN
1. Crash of the Titans Radical Entertainment
2. Need for Speed ProStreet Electronic Arts
3. Skate Electronic Arts
4. Mass Effect Bioware/Microsoft Games
BEST ORIGINAL MUSICAL SCORE
1. Assasins Creed Ubisoft
2. Mass Effect Bioware/Microsoft Games
3. Company of Heroes Relic Entertainment
4. War Hammer 40,000 Dawn of War: Dark Crusade Relic Entertainment
BEST CHARACTER
1. Commander Shepard (Mass Effect) Bioware/Microsoft Games
2. Crash Bandicoot (Crash of the Titans) Radical Entertainment
3. Death Jr. (Science Fair of Doom) Backbone Entertainment
4. Tony Montana (Scarface) Radical Entertainment
BEST ART DIRECTION
1. Assassin’s Creed Ubisoft
2. Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts Relic Entertainment
3. Mass Effect Bioware/Microsoft Games
4. Skate Electronic Arts
BEST HANDHELD GAME OF THE YEAR (psp, ds, etc…)
1. Chicken Little: Ace in Action Disney Interactive
2. High School Musical Sing It Disney Interactive
3. Socom U.S. Navy Seals: Tactical Strike Slant Six Games
4. Sonic Rivals Backbone Games
BEST GAME DESIGN OF THE YEAR
1. Assassins Creed Ubisoft
2. Mario Strikers Carged Next Level Games
3. Mass Effect Bioware/Microsoft Games
4. Skate Electronic Arts
BEST MOBILE/CASUAL/ARCADE GAME OF THE YEAR
1. Skate Electronic Arts Mobile
2. Candace Kane’s Candy Factory Gnosis Games
BEST WRITING FOR A GAME PRODUCTION
1. Company of Heroes Relic Entertainment
2. Company of Heroes: Opposing Forces Relic Entertainment
3. Mass Effect Bioware/ Microsoft Games
4. Scarface Radical Entertainment
OUTSTANDING INNOVATION IN GAMING
1. Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts Relic Entertainment
2. Mass Effect Bioware/Microsoft Games
3. Skate Electronic Arts
4. War Hammer40,000 Dawn of War: Dark Crusade Relic Entertainment
