2007 BAFTA Video Game Award Nominees Announced

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) have announced the nominees for The 2007 British Academy Video Games Awards (which apparently went down last night). BAFTA first started recognizing video games back in 1998, but it wasn’t until recently that BAFTA started to give video games equal status with television and film. In fact, as we saw earlier, Will Wright (mastermind behind The Sims) was bestowed the prestigious Fellow Award; a first in video game history.

Glancing at the list, the odd thing I’m seeing here (other than being dominated by console titles) is that it contains a few titles that have yet to be released without even so much as a demo. It is my understanding that the entry submissions were closed back in July. Still, how do games that were in development (and still in development) get nomination status? Is hype enough to deserve a nomination? Are these the Standards and Practices BAFTA have chosen for judging video games? It leaves one to debate how “prestigious” the BAFTA Video Game Awards truly are.

Portal should have been judged by itself for Innovation. Heck, Team Fortress 2 deserves some recognition for Artistic Achievement. At least Guitar Hero II is getting some well deserved props. Anyway, you can read the full list of nominees after the break.

Action and Adventure

• Crackdown (Xbox 360)
• Gears of War (Xbox 360)
• God of War 2 (PS2)
• Half-Life 2: The Orange Box (PC)
• Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)

Artistic Achievement

• BioShock (Xbox 360)
• Heavenly Sword (PS3)
• Okami (PS2)
• Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
• Skate (PS3)
• Viva Piñata (Xbox 360)

Best Game

• BioShock (Xbox 360)
• Crysis (PC)
• Gears of War (Xbox 360)
• Guitar Hero II (PS2)
• Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (Xbox 360)
• Wii Sports (Wii)

Casual

• Big Brain Academy for Wii (Wii)
• Cake Mania (DS)
• Guitar Hero II (PS2)
• More Brain Training (DS)
• SingStar (PS3)
• Wii Sports (Wii)

Gameplay

• Crackdown (Xbox 360)
• Gears of War (Xbox 360)
• Sega Rally Revo (PS3)
• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
• Warhawk (PS3)
• Wii Sports (Wii)

Innovation

• fl0w (PSN)
• Okami (PS2)
• Super Paper Mario (Wii)
• The Eye of Judgement (PS3)
• Trauma Center: Second Opinion (Wii)
• Wii Sports (Wii)

Multiplayer

• Battlefield 2142 (PC)
• Crackdown (Xbox 360)
• Guitar Hero II (PS2)
• Wii Sports (Wii)
• World in Conflict (PC)
• World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (PC)

Original Score

• Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
• God of War 2 (PS2)
• Lair (PS3)
• Okami (PS2)
• The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
• Viva Piñata (Xbox 360)

Sports

• Football Manager 2008 (PC)
• Colin McRae: DiRT (Xbox 360)
• FIFA 08 (PS3)
• MotorStorm (PS3)
• Virtua Tennis 3 (Xbox 360)
• Wii Sports (Wii)

Strategy and Simulation

• Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (Xbox 360)
• Forza Motorsport 2 (Xbox 360)
• Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms (PC)
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas (Xbox 360)
• Wii Sports (Wii)
• World in Conflict (PC)

Story and Character

• Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
• God of War 2 (PS2)
• Heavenly Sword (PS3)
• Okami (PS2)
• The Darkness (Xbox 360)
• The Simpsons Game (Xbox 360)

Technical Achievement

• Crackdown (Xbox 360)
• Gears of War (Xbox 360)
• God of War 2 (PS2)
• MotorStorm (PS3)
• Okami (PS2)
• Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS3)

Use of Audio

• Crackdown (Xbox 360)
• Elite Beat Agents (DS)
• Gears of War (Xbox 360)
• God of War 2 (PS2)
• Guitar Hero II (PS2)
• Skate (PS3)

BAFTA One’s To Watch Award (in association with Dare to Be Digital)

• Bear Go Home
• ClimbActic
• Ragnarawk

The PC World Gamers Award (voted for by the public)

• Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training (DS)
• FIFA 07 (PS2)
• Football Manager 2007 (PC)
• Gears of War (Xbox 360)
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (PSP)
• Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3)
• Wii Play (Wii)

Via bavga.co.uk