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.
ENDS
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
About the GamesMaster Golden Joysticks
Established in 1982, the GamesMaster Golden Joystick Award is the world’s longest-running and best-known gaming awards. It’s the only annual awards voted for by gamers and a highlight of the games industry calendar. In 2010 attracted a record 1.54 million votes. In 2009, it was named the World’s Most Popular Videogames Awards by Guinness World Records.
The GamesMaster Golden Joystick Awards 2011 ceremony takes place on October 21st at the Westminster Bridge Park Plaza. Voting is open now at www.goldenjoystick.com.
About Future
Future is a leader in the field of digital publishing and was named Consumer Digital Publisher of the Year at the annual Association of Online Publishers Awards – becoming the first magazine publisher to win the Award. Future also won the Grand Prix Award at the event in June. Its web and mobile sites deliver 160 million* page impressions every month to over 25 million unique users. Digital now accounts for a third of all Future’s commercial revenues. And its development of video on demand and apps is rightly regarded as market leading. Technology brand T3 is leading the way on iPad, becoming one of the top grossing apps in the UK and one of the very few five star apps in the world. The Future digital portfolio includes award winning and hugely respected brands including: www.techradar.com, www.cyclingnews.com, www.gamesradar.com, www.computerandvideogames.com, www.musicradar.com and www.bikeradar.com.
For more information
Contact Steve Wright, Communications Executive, on 01225 822803 or steve.wright@futurenet.com
