Game of the Year Goes to Skyrim - Again

If you've played the game then you know why it was a shoe-in for game of the year regardless of who was doing the awarding. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim took home the coveted award at Machinima's Inside Gaming Awards, Spike's Video Game Awards and X-Play's Best of 2011 Awards. If this is somewhat new to you, think of it being the equivalent to your favorite movie winning the Screen Actor's Guild, the MTV Movie Awards and the People's Choice Awards.

While many of the winners of the X-Play Best of 2011 where clear frontrunners, there were a couple of surprises as well. Here is the list of winners:

Game of the Year 
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Other Nominees:
Batman: Arkham City
Gears of War 3
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
Saints Row: The Third
Super Mario 3D Land

Most Original Game
Minecraft

Other Nominees:
Catherine
L.A. Noire
Stacking
Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery

Best Gameplay Innovation
Rocksmith – Teaching real guitar

Other Nominees:
L.A. Noire – Facial animation/capture
League of Legends – Dominions mode
Minecraft – Creative freedom
Skylanders – Figurine integration

Best Multiplayer Game
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Other Nominees:
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Battlefield 3
Dark Souls
Gears of War 3

Best Multiplayer Co-Op Game
Portal 2
 

Other Nominees:
Dance Central 2
Gears of War 3
Ilomilo
Saints Row: The Third

Best Sports Game
NBA 2K12

Other Nominees:
FIFA 12
MLB 11: The Show
NHL 12 WWE ‘12

Best Downloadable Game
Stacking

Other Nominees:
Bastion
inFamous: Festival of Blood
Insanely Twisted
Shadow Planet
Iron Brigade

Best Downloadable Content
Fallout: New Vegas – Old World Blues

Other Nominees:
Call of Duty: Black Ops – Rezurrection
Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Missing Link
Gears of War 3 – Raam’s Shadow
Portal 2 – Co-Op Challenges

Best Shooter
Gears of War 3

Other Nominees:
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Rage
Resistance 3

Best Role-Playing Game
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Other Nominees:
Dark Souls Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
The Witcher 2

Best Fighting Game
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

Other Nominees:
King of Fighters XIII
Mortal Kombat
Street Fighter III 3rd Strike Online Edition
Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition

Best Art Direction Winner
Batman: Arkham City

Other Nominees:
Alice: Madness Returns
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Best Animation
NBA 2K12
 

Other Nominees:
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Batman: Arkham City
Rage
Rayman

Origins Best Writing
Portal 2
 

Other Nominees:
Batman: Arkham City
L.A. Noire
Saints Row: The Third
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Best Soundtrack
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Other Nominees:
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Portal 2
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery

Best Sound Design
Battlefield 3

Other Nominees:
Batman: Arkham City
Dead Space 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Portal 2

Best Action/Adventure Game
Batman: Arkham City

Other Nominees:
L.A. Noire
Rayman Origins
Super Mario 3D Land
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Best Racing Game
Forza Motorsport 4

Other Nominees:
Dirt 3
F1
Motorstorm: Apocalypse
Shift 2: Unleashed

Best Motion Control Game
Dance Central 2

Other Nominees:
Just Dance 3
Killzone 3 w/Sharpshooter
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Seasame Street: Once Upon A Monster

Best Handheld Game
Super Mario 3D Land

Other Nominees:
Dissidia 012
Final Fantasy
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Pokemon Black & White
Professor Layton and the Last Specter

Best Puzzle/Strategy Game
Portal 2

Other Nominees:
Achron
Catherine
Professor Layton and the Last Specter
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

Best Performance By Nolan North
Nathan Drake – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
 

Other Nominees:
Adventure/Space/Fact Cores – Portal 2
Deadpool – Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Desmond Miles – Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
The Penguin – Batman: Arkham City

Best Performance Not By Nolan North
Stephen Merchant – Wheatley, Portal 2

Other Nominees:
Aaron Staton – Cole Phelps, L.A. Noire
JK Simmons – Cave Johnson, Portal 2
John DiMaggio – Marcus Fenix, Gears of War 3
Mark Hamill – The Joker, Batman: Arkham City

Best Remake/Retro Release
Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection

Other Nominees:
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
Street Fighter III 3rd Strike Online Edition

Best Trailer
Dead Island

Other Nominees:
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Live Action
OverStrike

Here, Broken Pixels take the theme music and create an original song about Dead Island. My choice for Best Adaptation of Award Winning Material!