UK gamers crown Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion their "Ultimate Game of the Year"
Critically Acclaimed Game Scoops Three Golden Joysticks As Over 500,000 votes are cast
PRESS INFORMATION: STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 3.30pm Friday, 27th October 2006
Epic role-playing game 'The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion' was today crowned the "PLAY.com Ultimate Game of the Year" at the 24th annual Golden Joystick Awards. The game, developed by Bethesda Softworks, received the accolade at a prestigious ceremony, which took place at the Hilton Hotel on London's exclusive Park Lane. Hosted this year by TV personality Justin Lee-Collins the Golden Joystick Awards attracted over 700 key industry figures that flew in from across the world and were invited to celebrate innovation and achievement from the last 12 months of gaming.
As well as scooping the "PLAY.com Ultimate Game of the Year", 'The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion' also triumphed in the "Xbox Game of the Year" and "ebuyer.com PC Game of the Year" categories. Loved by gamers and reviewers alike for its massive scope, compelling storyline and immersive depth, Oblivion will also be a launch title for Sony's highly anticipated PlayStation 3 console release in early 2007.
Sony's PlayStation 3 has already stamped its authority on the UK games market, picking up the "One to Watch for 2007" award, while Nintendo's amazing pet simulator, 'Nintendogs' picked up two Golden Joysticks in "The Sun Family Game Award" and the "bliss Girls Choice Award" categories. Rockstar Games' five-year winning streak for the Grand Theft Auto series continued, picking up "Handheld Game of the Year" for its PSP debut, 'GTA: Liberty City Stories'.
Microsoft's 'Xbox Live Marketplace', which has brought downloadable games, demos and video content into the front room picked up the "T3 Innovation Award" and the iconic Lara Croft, who recently celebrated her tenth anniversary, picked up the "Favourite Character Award." Electronic Arts walked away with two awards, collecting the "Sonopress Publisher of the Year" as well as the "1Xtra and Rampage Soundtrack of the Year" for its rock and hip-hop flavoured score in 'Need for Speed: Most Wanted'.
From humble beginnings in 1982, the Golden Joystick Awards have grown into gaming's favourite awards show and this year it smashed all previous records. UK gamers, whose votes provided the winners in 16 of the award categories, cast a staggering 540,000 votes, making the Golden Joystick Awards the UK's biggest and most prestigious games awards.
Future Publishing's James Ashton-Tyler is the Event Organiser:
"It's great to see that gamers have rewarded Elder Scrolls IV with three awards. The game represents a genuine advance for the role-playing genre both in its structure and presentation. Its success at this year's Joysticks is just reward for the talented team responsible for its creation".
"The Golden Joystick Awards are the only way UK gamers can directly tell games publishers which games made their year. With a record number of votes cast in 2006, the Golden Joystick Awards have cemented their position as a benchmark for the industry. Winning an award chosen by expert gamers is the ultimate accolade."
The winners of the 2006 Golden Joystick Awards in full are as follows:
PLAY.com Ultimate Game of the Year - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Editor's Game of the Year - Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter The Sun Family Game Award - Nintendogs bliss Girls Choice Award - Nintendogs Nuts All-Nighter Award - Pro Evolution Soccer 5 PlayStation 2 Game of the Year - Resident Evil 4 Nintendo Game of the Year - New Super Mario Brothers Xbox Game of the Year - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion ebuyer.com PC Game of the Year - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Handheld Game of the Year - GTA: Liberty City Stories Intel Online Game of the Year - Age of Empires III 1Xtra and Rampage Soundtrack of the Year - Need for Speed: Most Wanted T3 Innovation Award - Xbox Live Marketplace The One to Watch for 2007- Sony PlayStation 3 Favourite Character Award - Lara Croft Sonopress Publisher of the Year - Electronic Arts Sierra Retailer of the Year - Game More information about the Golden Joystick Awards is available online at www.cvg.co.uk***Ends***
For more information on the Golden Joystick Awards or to speak to a member of the GJA team, please contact:
Dan Walsh @ The Incubator
T: +44 20 87 44 80 60
M: +44 77 75 77 03 79
E: dan@incubtor-music.com
About Future:
Future plc is an international special-interest media group with offices in the UK, US, France and Italy. Founded in 1985 with one UK magazine, today it creates over 150 special-interest publications, websites and events, with strong portfolios in the computing, games, music, automotive, sports, crafts and leisure sectors. Over 100 international editions of Future's magazines are also published under licence in 30 other countries across the world. Future employs over 1,500 people worldwide. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange (symbol FUTR).
For more information please contact:
Will Guyatt, Media Relations Manager, on 01225 822 517 or will.guyatt@futurenet.co.uk