Game of the Year

Batman: Arkham City is an action-adventure video game developed by Rocksteady Studios. It's the sequel to the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a role-playing video game published by Bethesda Softworks. It's the fifth installment in The Elder Scrolls action role-playing video game series, following The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is an action-adventure title that's the 16th entry in the Legend of Zelda series. It uses the Wii MotionPlus for sword-fighting, with a revised Wii Remote pointing system used for targeting.

Portal 2 is a first-person puzzle platform game developed and published by Valve. As the sequel to the critically successful Portal, Portal 2 had a lot to live up to - and didn't disappoint.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is the third installment in the Uncharted series, and was created by Naughty Dog. This PS3 exclusive title received an average of 92% on several gaming review websites.

Studio of the Year

Bethesda finally released The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim this year, which is nominated for "Game of the Year". Bethesda has a long history of critically well-reviewed titles, and 2011 has definitely been a breakthrough year for this studio.

Naughty Dog is perhaps best known for creating the "Uncharted" series, which has been extremely successful and subject to some very positive reviews.

Batman: Arkham City. Need we say more?

The Valve we all know and love gave us Portal 2 this year, along with some great DLC.

Best 360 Game

Another nomination for Batman: Arkham City - the sequel to the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Forza Motorsport 4 is a racing game released by Turn 10 Studios for the Xbox 360. This latest installment is the first in the series to support the Kinect sensor alongside the traditional controller-based gameplay.

Gears of War 3 is a third-person shooter published by Microsoft Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. It received over one million pre-orders -making it one of the most anticipated games of 2011.

Valve's popular platformer is sure to see a lot of nominations, and was a huge hit among Xbox 360 gamers.

Best PS3 Game

inFAMOUS 2 is a 2011 open-world game for the PS3. It was developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Computer Entertainment.

Killzone 3 is a first-person shooter for the PS3. It was developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment.

LittleBigPlanet 2 is a puzzle platformer developed by Media Molecule and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. This PS3 exclusive title is the sequel to the successful 2008 title LittleBigPlanet.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is the third installment in the Uncharted series, and was created by Naughty Dog.

Best Wii Game

Epic Mickey is an action-adventure platformer developed by Junction Point Studios exclusively for the Wii. In the game, Mickey must save a world in peril by using a magic paintbrush.

Kirby's back! In this 12th installment in the popular Kirby series, cooperative multiplayer gameplay and beautiful environments make for a nostalgic return to the Kirby series.

Lost in Shadow is a unique puzzle platformer developed by Hudson Soft in which players control a boy's shadow - meaning that the majority of the gameplay is in the background of the game environment.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is an action-adventure title that's the 16th entry in the Legend of Zelda series.

Best PC Game

It's no surprise to see Battlefield 3 as a nominee for the best PC game of 2011. This popular shooter was highly anticipated, especially after the beta.

Minecraft is a game that really needs no introduction, after seeing incredibly widespread success during its beta period. Now officially out of beta, Minecraft is still the same sandbox game we've all come to love.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is a third-person RPG developed by CD Projekt RED for PC and Xbox 360. It's the sequel to the 2007 title 'The Witcher'.

Yet another nomination for the popular puzzle game Portal 2! Given its popularity among PC gamers, it's no surprise to see it as a contender in this category.

Best Handheld mobile game

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is an adventure game developed by Capcom for iOS and the Nintendo DS.

Infinity Blade II is an iOS action RPG developed by Chair Entertainment and Epic Games. It was released through the Apple App Store on December 1, 2011.

Yes, another Mario game! Super Mario 3D Land was developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo for the Nintendo 3DS. The game combines elements from both classic 2D side-scrolling Mario games and modern free-roaming 3D Mario games.

Jetpack Joyride is a mobile game developed for iOS by Halfbrick Studios.

Best Shooter

Yet another nomination for the incredibly popular first-person shooter Battlefield 3! What do you think - does BF3 have what it takes to be the best shooter of 2011?

No surprise here - Modern Warfare 3 right now holds the title of the "biggest entertainment launch of all time". But is it the best shooter of 2011?

Gears of War 3 is a third-person shooter published by Microsoft Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360.

Rage is a first-person shooter developed by id Software. This post-apocalyptic title uses the company's new OpenGL based id Tech 5 engine.

Best Action Adventure Game

Ezio, Altair and Desmond are back! Assassin's Creed: Revelations has been confirmed as the final Assassin's Creed game to be set in the Renaissance (and the final game to feature Ezio).

Another nomination for Batman: Arkham City! This action-adventure video game was developed by Rocksteady Studios.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is an action-adventure title that's the 16th entry in the Legend of Zelda series.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is the third installment in the Uncharted series, and was created by Naughty Dog.

Best RPG

This "spiritual successor" to Demon's Souls captivated thousands of gamers this year, earning it some truly impressive review scores.

This title by Square Enix was released after being highly anticipated for quite some time. It received much critical acclaim, with many reviewers praising the weight of social interaction on the outcome of key events.

Thousands of gamers were given the opportunity to return to the world of Ferelden - battling darkspawn, demons and dragons in this fantasy RPG.

After being highly anticipated before its release, this Bethesda title has already become an incredible success among both PC and console gamers.

Best Multi-player Game

What do you think - does Battlefield 3 earn the right to be called the "Best Multi-player Game" of 2011?

Will Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 be crowned the "Best Multi-player Game" of 2011?

Gears of War 3 had a multi-player beta before its official release. Will it dominate in this category?

The only game nominated for this category that's not a shooter, Portal 2 does have some truly unique multiplayer experiences.

Best Driving Game

DiRT 3 is a rally-racing game developed and published by Codemasters.

Driver: San Francisco is a sandbox-style action driving video game published by Ubisoft.

Forza Motorsport 4 is a racing video game released by Turn 10 Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360.

This eighteenth title in the Need for Speed franchise was developed by EA Black Box, and published by Electronic Arts.

Best Fighting Game

The King of Fighters XIII was developed and published by SNK Playmore. It follows the conclusion of Ash Crimson's story arc (which first began in 2003).

This crossover fighting game was developed by Capcom, and features many of the Capcom characters from Marvel Comics. This is the fifth installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise.

Often referred to as "Mortal Kombat (2011)", this fighting game is the ninth installment in the Mortal Kombat series.

This popular wrestling title was published by THQ. It was released for PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS and Wii.

Best Motion Game

This gorgeous rhythm game was developed by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the founder of Q Entertainment. Child of Eden was published by Ubisoft.

Dance Central 2 is a dance game for the Xbox 360 Kinect, developed by Harmonix Music Systems.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword uses the Wii MotionPlus for sword-fighting, with a revised Wii Remote pointing system used for targeting.

Originally planned as an Xbox Live Arcade title, The Gunstringer is a full retail game developed by Twisted Pixel Games.

Best Independent Game

Bastion is an action RPG produced by Supergiant Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The attractive graphics were inspired by Japanese anime.

Minecraft is a game that really needs no introduction, after seeing incredibly widespread success during its beta period. Now officially out of beta, Minecraft is still the same sandbox game we've all come to love.

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP is an adventure game that was released exclusively for iOS devices - using device orientation as a key part of the gameplay.

The Binding of Isaac is an action RPG designed by Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl. Players control a naked crying child, who escapes a monster-filled basement after he learns his mother has been instructed to sacrifice him.