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BAFTA announces Audience Award shortlist

  • By Lucy James, GameSpot UK
  • Posted Feb 9, 2012 2:00 am PT

The UK's top games award ceremony releases the shortlist for its one accolade chosen by the general public.

Today the British Academy Video Games Awards released their shortlist for the Audience Award for games released in 2011.

The BAFTA Game Award, which recognises the people's choice for game of the year, is the only award voted for by the general public. Votes can be cast on the BAFTA Game Award website, and the winner will be announced at the ceremony on March 16. More than 110,000 votes were cast last year, with the award going to Call of Duty: Black Ops, over titles such as Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2, and Limbo.

Critically acclaimed Portal 2 is also in the running for the Audience Award.

Critically acclaimed Portal 2 is also in the running for the Audience Award.

The shortlist for the award was compiled by a panel of industry experts, and the nominees are Batman: Arkham City, Battlefield 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, FIFA 12, L.A. Noire, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Minecraft, Portal 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.

The Call of Duty franchise has had previous success in this category, winning the people's choice award not only in 2011, but also in 2010 for Modern Warfare 2 and in 2009 for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. But the series does face some stiff competition this year, with highly critically acclaimed games such as Portal 2, Skyrim, and Arkham City in the running.

Heavy Rain dominated last year's awards, nominated in seven categories and winning in three.

16 Comments

  • RIIIIKU

    Posted Feb 10, 2012 12:35 am GMT

    ...am voting for Portal 2.....but their are TONS of other Games that Should be included in this List....i mean come-on....Fifa ???!!! ..Seriously ???!!!......and then their is Infamous Call of DooDY....How can this Repetitive, Pathetic excuse of a Real Game be included in the List and games like Deus-Ex: HR, Dead Space 2, and Dark Souls are left Out ???

  • Iamtrent424

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 10:00 pm GMT

    and I think Deus Ex: Human Rev should be on it.

  • Iamtrent424

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 9:59 pm GMT

    I voted for Batman. I only played two games on the list

  • LAnoirFAN

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 3:47 pm GMT

    WHERE THE HELL IS DARK SOULS

  • hamedhamedghgh

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 12:02 pm GMT

    UserName: Hamedgh
    Thanks to Mrs. James!
    The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim succeeded about 50 points on 9 of 10 Score. This game from now Mr.Ken Levine and Mr. Cliff B be introduced as the best game 2011.This game will be considered a source for other games and other games of this game will be modeled. To create a Cute & Successful GamePlay, Epic Main Story & Sideway Story at along Graphic Arts and Mucis&Sound; Design and Environmental Design , … created a successful appeal and the role playing genre has progressed. Average Score(PC):93.91% up & Average Score(XBOX360):95.23% up & Average Score(Metacritic) : 96% up
    Mr.VanOrd said of the Game positive points: Immense world stuffed with varied tasks to perform & Dragon battles are a blast & Lovely art design capped by some beautiful, atmospheric touches & Enjoyable battles that you can approach in a variety of way & Lots of compelling, self-contained stories to experience in addition to the main one.
    But…No doubt at along Skyrim, Other Games such as Batman Arkham City and Call of Duty:ModernWar 3 and Portal 2 and Zelda:Skyward Sword and Uncharted 3rake's Deception were able in 2011 to the memorable and attractions for us to bring them.

    for my Dear Friend :
    "Keep Your Heart True and Your Eyes Open"ialogue of Jeffer in The Elder Scroll IV: Oblivion
    "Hear My Thu'um, Feel it in Your Bones, Match it, If You are Dovahkiin"ialogue of Paarthurnax in The Elder Scroll V: Skyrim
    (If You are Dovahkiin so You Have Liked Skirim!)

  • 666Rich666

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 10:17 am GMT

    I guess Dark Souls didn't get nominated because most people who played it didn't get too far, let alone complete it. Simply put, people like easy games. Personally i prefer a game that doesn't hold your hand and tell you exactly what to do. What ever happened to figuring it out yourself? Anyway, Dark Souls is the best game to be developed since the next gen consoles were released. The only reason it's not popular is that most gamers don't have what it takes to actually complete the game.

  • GIXX3R

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 10:08 am GMT

    These awards are nothing more than a popularity contest. Where on earth are games that are not so "popular" like...

    Dark Souls
    Deus Ex: Human Revolution
    Dead Space 2
    Witcher 2

    Those are some of the best games of 2011, yet they are not included. I think credit should be given where it due, and these games deserve recognition.

  • csftar

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 6:47 am GMT

    Witcher 2 Witcher 2 Witcher 2 Witcher 2 Witcher 2 Witcher 2 Witcher 2 Witcher 2 Witcher 2 Witcher 2 Witcher 2 Witcher 2 Witcher 2 Witch-

    *Cough*

    Sorry, that's all i could think of.

  • Twilighten

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 6:31 am GMT

    Call of Duty, Call of Duty, Call of Duty... Ugh. How the hell did it manage to beat Red Dead Redemption or Mass Effect 2!? O_o

  • pokecharm

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 6:06 am GMT

    I voted for Batman

  • BoabDreeps

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 6:00 am GMT

    Might as well give it to COD. Going by previous winners, this is an award for successfully releasing the same game over and over and over again. COD has no competion in that field.

    A vote for LA Noire is a vote against gaming.

  • ZOD777

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 5:54 am GMT

    Somehow I have a feeling that the COD streak is going to end this year.

  • coruscant

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 5:22 am GMT

    Voting for Portal 2 I think. I'd like to vote for MW3 so it would beat Battlefield but Portal 2 deserves it much more than MW3.

  • giocher

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 4:22 am GMT

    I don't see The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings... Why??? It is not just a fanboy lament, but a reasonable question, after all the game has been almost universally critically acclaimed... so why isn't it in the list?

  • ash162

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 4:20 am GMT

    Skyrim will definitely wipe the floor over the others! A small part of me wishes LA Noire does well too! It was pretty different....

  • SolidTy

    Posted Feb 9, 2012 3:33 am GMT


    Thanks Lucy for the GS UK scoop on the British Academy Video Games Audience Award shortlist.

    I see that Last year, Heavy Rain dominated BAFTA, this year I'm guessing Elder Scrolls 5.

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