Last night, at video games’ equivalent to the Oscars, ‘Red Dead Redemption’ racked up the most wins, but ‘Mass Effect 2′ walked away with Game of the Year. It came down to epic space opera vs. lonesome Western drama at the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences’ annual Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony, and Commander Shepard proved the more compelling hero. James Marston didn’t do too shabbily, though, as Red Dead Redemption netted five wins to Mass Effect 2’s three. Angry Birds scooped up a Casual Game of the Year award, netting some critical acclaim for a game that’s already a juggernaut.
The AIAS Awards go down every year in Las Vegas during the organization’s DICE Summit, where leaders in the interactive entertainment business share ideas and discuss the ever-changing landscape of the video game industry. In addition to the awards show, the AIAS added BioWare co-founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk to the Hall of Fame.
Overall, the trophy tally for the 2011 AIAS Awards distributed the love fairly evenly with few surprises:
Action Game of the Year
Winner:
Red Dead Redemption
Nominated Games:
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops
God of War III
Halo: Reach
Adventure Game of the Year
Winner:
LIMBO
Nominated Games:
Alan Wake
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
ENSLAVED: Odyssey to the West
Heavy Rain
Family Game of the Year
Winner:
Dance Central
Nominated Games:
Kirby’s Epic Yarn
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
Rock Band 3
SingStar Dance
Fighting Game of the Year
Winner:
Super Street Fighter IV
Nominated Games:
BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
EA Sports MMA
UFC 2010 Undisputed
For a complete list of nominees and winners, go here.