2006 E3 Game Critics Awards Nominees Announced

The 2006 nominees for the Best of E3 Game Critics Awards have been announced, which include the choices of the nomination committee that is made up of representatives from the largest gaming-focused media outlets in America, as well as some of the most prolific freelancers in the industry. The Best of Show category included Ubisoft Montreal's Assassin’s Creed for the PlayStation 3; Irrational Games ' spiritual successor to System Shock 2, Bioshock for the PC and Xbox 360; Epic Games ' visceral squad-based third-person shooter Gears of War for the Xbox 360; Electronic Art's PC strategy epic from Will Wright, Spore; and Nintendo's unique Wii console itself. Gears of War was the most recognized title, with five nominations coming in the Best Original Game, Best Console Game, Best Action Game, and Best Online Multiplayer game categories in addition to its nod for Best of Show. Assassin’s Creed, Bioshock, and Spore were each nominated in three additional categories as well, including nods to each for Best Original Game. Spore was nominated for Best PC Game as well as Best Simulation Game, while both Assassin’s Creed and Bioshock were additionally nominated for Best Console Game and Best Action/Adventure Game. Other titles recognized multiple times included LocoRoco, Hellgate: London, Supreme Commander, Crysis, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Super Mario Galaxy, Mass Effect, and the Wii console. A full list of nominees is available at the Game Critics Awards page. Winners of the awards will be posted on the website the evening of Wednesday, May 31.