Skyrim wins IAA Game of the Year

@vishant... I have been playing for about a hundred hours on PS3 and I have had few issues. The ones I have had mainly have to do with broken quests. Though, none of them were major quests that were particularly interesting. I figure I'll go off and complete one of the other hundred quests in my log and come back to the broken ones once I learn that they have been fixed. I have never had any save problems. As for overall performance, I have not had a single frozen screen.. even after several hours of continuous play. I have experienced next to no frame rate dip except for when the game is auto-saving.. which I switched to occur every 15 minutes instead of 5. Even then, it only happens for a few seconds. Overall, I have found that this is, by far, the best performing Bethesda title among Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 3 and Oblivion. I was concerned about playing this game in its early iterations, but I have been satisfied by the way it plays. Hope that helps.

I've started playing a bit of Witcher 2 and it has possibly taken the number 1 slot for me! Awesome story,graphics, and voice acting! I still may opt for the console version though, but The Witcher 2 can give Skyrim a run for it's money for this award, that's for sure!

@monco59 Well I haven't experienced 1/2 the bugs people complain about. Since the Last PC patch they fixed a ton of issues. If anyone has a right to complain it would be the people with the PS3 version. I didn't say we should reward the developer for issues such as that. Again you’re basing your opinion on your own experience. The fans didn't do the work to make it run smoothly the last patch did for me anyway. Then again if you’re playing Skyrim on a console you’re doing it wrong IMO. Anyone who has bought any of the previous games knows Bethesda is famous for bugs. This is nothing new. You obviously don't know how to program or you would understand that it's almost impossible to catch every bug with game as large as this. Hence why Bethesda patches there games constantly. So name one game that doesn’t have bugs? You are biased you proved that in one of your comments about it being just a re-skin. It’s not a re-skin it’s a new Engine maybe you should do some research instead of posting dribble like that. then again it's your opinion and your entitled to it just as I am mine. Then again you gave GTA4 a high rating.

@Vojtass Thats not a fact thats an opinion. I play tons of games on My PC and have played Witcher 2 in higher Rezs than that crappy 1080p you mentioned. 1080p is a terrible rez for any PC game on monitors. That is a fact.

Before I buy skyrim, has the ps3 save problem been fixed?

@ sammoth: "Having some minor flaws is not a problem on the PC version anyway. Mods will fix/bring out more in that." So you think a developer should be rewarded and revered for making the fans do the work and get the game running smoothly? Shouldn`t those fans get the awards then and not Bethesda? It is no wonder gaming is in such an abysmal state right now, because of views like that. Who cares if a game is even playable, as long as it looks good in screens, right? And after all, someone will eventually fix it with a mod... Sheesh!

@ calvinsora: Since you personally never experienced glitches or bugs, all of this must have been blown out of proportion, right? Also, try playing Morrowind and Oblivion (Skyrim is simply a reskin of Bethesda`s previous games) and tell me if Skyrim really is a masterpiece, or simply a graphical upgrade to a 10-year old game. In order to earn an award for innovation, I would hope you actually need to innovate first.

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"Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year Dark Souls--From Software Deus Ex: Human Revolution--Eidos Montreal Star Wars: The Old Republic--BioWare Austin The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim--Bethesda Game Studios The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings--CD Projekt" is there multilayer in skyrim ??

Skyrim is one of the best gamers ever made.

Well done IAA, you look like another subsidised, subjective, bandwagon and predictable award show. Skyrim won outstanding story and was nominee for innovation? COD 3 won action? ORCS must die won strategy? It's no wonder that nearly all games are clear cut copy's when we fail to reward creativity and innovation year after year.

@Grovilis: I didn't say I never got my money's worth, did I :P

Skyrim deserved it. Congratulations Bethesda!

I really don't want to come across as hater :s...but Outstanding Achievement in story?....that's a bit weird... I never spent this much time with any game, so Skyrim is indeed the best out there...but overall, the story part of the game is average and without impact...there are high points from story POV, but the lows are more in number.

Good job Oblivion 1.5....err i mean Skyrim...

So glad Orcs Must Die! won something. Probably spent most time on that game all year. Fantastically underrated game

so Skyrim Fus Ro Dah the competition? good because it deserve it.

Skyrim was overrated, boring and buggy. Arkham City should have won GOTY. @Lamachina After how terrible SWTOR is Bioware has lost some of its its luster, ME3 might suck like DA2 did. Beta testers for D3 also say it doesnt live up to the hype which is why they are taking so long to bring it out trying to make it better. KOA got average reviews but everyone I know that plays it thinks itsawesome. I have a bunch of friends that never play fantasy/rpg games that love KOA. I hope they use the same engine for the KOA MMO it might be the first successful action MMO.

@chardokufan KOA:Reckoning won't even get rpg of the year. not with me3 and diablo 3 coming out this year. pretty much makes game of the year impossible

how to know which one is the winner WITHOUT watching the video

@sammoth I know what is the difference between art design and graphic engineering. Art design in The Witcher 2 was one of the best, if not the best, in previous year. It's not an opinion, it's a fact. I think you should play TW2 on PC in 1080p - when you're first playing, it's a jaw-dropping experience.

Yeah, I think that the GOTY is well deserved but....nothing for Dark Souls! Come on, give me a break. The features they made online are really original and engaging! Sorry but I think that at the end you favor the American games a litlle bit.

Kingdoms of Amalur will be on this list next year. Guaranteeeeeeeed!!!!

@Assassin_O Well said. Too many people focus on the little thing instead of the overall picture. The problem with gamers today is they are very judgemental about eveything. They have there right to opinions but, base it off previous experiences instead of accepting games as a whole or an experience. While Skyrim is not perfect it stands out. Everytime I play it something new happens. Something I didn't expect. Sometimes I love just looking around the enviorment and take it in to how such a massive game like this can look so good. Having some minor flaws is not a problem on the PC version anyway. Mods will fix/bring out more in that. The New HD texture packs by Bethesda is a nice touch too.

Skyrim should have won, although it may get bumped down a half a point for its bugs at launch, but all is forgiven. I hate putting that game in, cause then I won't touch any other game the whole night!!

@Vojtass Don't mistake Art for Graphics they are 2 differnt subjects.

Skyrim wins GOTY not surprised at all. Its awesome minus a bug here or there. this is just one of many it is bound to win.

I've forgot one more thing. The Witcher 2 didn't get nomination for Best Art Direction. It's funny, because Triss Merigold model is one of the most popular character mod in Skyrim. Also one category for RPGs and MMORPGs is just stupid.

Best story award and no nomination for The Witcher 2!? Skyrim and best story!? What a joke. This is just disgraceful and pathetic.

Dark Souls > all.

@widdowson91 75 hours? Most games don't even last that long. Everything is multiplayer now.

Yes, Portal 2 is more polished than Skyrim. In fact, Portal 2 basically does what it sets out to do perfectly. But what Portal 2 sets out to do isn't nearly as ambitious as what Skyrim does. Portal 2 is a nearly flawless set of puzzles and charming storytelling that last for maybe 7 hours. Skyrim is a far from perfect but still amazing world that you can live in for 100 hours and still not see everything. That's why it won GOTY. Valve deserves commendation, but Bethesda made us all feel more immersed and invested in a virtual world than we ever had before.

It's cool to hate Skyrim now that it has been shown to be doing well. The game was fantastic and set a new standard in nearly every aspect it pursued. My only real issue is the story and I feel that's all people can seriously dislike about Skyrim. It was just a bit boring, much like most of the side-quests. After loving the faction quests in Oblivion, the Skyrim quests were really dull and predictable, with the Dark Brotherhood being the only quest to let you feel epic. It should not have won an award for story, but otherwise, it deserves praise.

If a developer releases a game on three platforms and that game is unplayable on one and unfinished on the other two, then that developer has failed and doesn't deserve to even be nominated for awards. Fanboys, however, will be fanboys.

Skyrim won awards for story? JOTY! Joke Of The Year!

Is it just me or are "game awards" always just bad?

@Almajisti Skyrim is pretty high standard even if there were some bug when it was first released, maybe its because I bought it after most bugs were patched I guess because I havent had any serious problems. Give credit where its due, Bethesda put a lot of work into Skyrim and the patches were very prompt. All Eldar Scrolls games have some bugs when first released, because its a huge and dynamic game, Bethesda isnt perfect. What kind of substandard game has the consumers putting 75+ hours on average into it?

Outstanding Achievement in Story - Skyrim? WTF? I love Skyrim... but this?

With Skylanders winning Outstanding Innovation in Gaming is like a big middle finger to all the haters who didn't give it a chance.

COD did not win GOTY? Preposterous!! *sarcasm*

I really wished Xenoblade Chronicles got up there for the 'RPG of the year' award. But i spose it didn't 'cos it wasn't released in America when the rest of the world got it huh...

Uncharted 3 Uncharted 3 Uncharted 3 Uncharted 3 Uncharted 3 Unch.......

I understand that everyone has their opinion, but I'm appalled that Modern Warfare 3 was even acknowledged let alone being the awarded the of best action game of the year.

@widdowson91 If you spent 75 hours then I would say that you got your money's worth. :P

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Skyrim doesn't deserve GotY simply because of the state it was released in. I love the game, but after 75 hours of ridiculous glitches I stopped playing it. Portal 2 would have been more worthy, it's my choice for GotY 2011.

Skyrim has been much playing better since 1.4 but still too early to tell. Thumb me down if you want but KOA is definitely a breath of fresh air as far as fun rpg's. Not comparing it to Skyrim but any game that is at least playable during release will always have my vote. After the whole Skyrim fiasco, bugs and glicthes should also be categories for GOTY nominations. Granted it's an incredible game, that still doesn't make up for Bethesda releasing a damn near broken product. We pay for games, not public betas.

To be clear, I'm not being hard on Skyrim because I'm trolling, I'm being hard on it because I like it sooo much but in the end it let me down. Here's hoping that my next try playing through with 1.4 goes well. (It's just so hard to start over after all that time put in :(

@sknight175216. I'm actually a big fan of Skyrim. Also of Oblivion and Fallout 3. I've sunk 100+ hours into Skyrim, so imagine my dismay when, in addition to the numerous other bugs AND having to hard reset my system at least once per every play session, not one but TWO major missions glitched beyond repair. One of the missions was the Liberation of Skyrim storyline which I was super stoked to finish. Not only that, but the 1.4 update didn't fix either of my games issues. It's frustrating enough that Bethesda released a half finished product and charged me full price, but the fact that I've been a huge fan makes the betrayal all the worse. Dark Souls was has an unbelievable presence and atmosphere, one of the best world designs EVER, and I've put in 170 hours without a single glitch. That's a developer that takes pride in their work.

@Assassin_O : Actually...just to set the record back for those that did,not denying or agreeing with what you said about Skyrim...but Skyward Sword took just as long,if not longer in development..I believe a year or 2 longer.Portal 2 development was also about 4 years.In fact,Uncharted 3 is the only GOTY nominee that was made in under 2 years.I think it is only right to say so considering the time that those did put into it...