Ninth annual NAViGaTR award winners announced (with audio)

Here’s an acronym that’s more than a mouthful: The National Academy of Video Game Testers and Reviewers Corp. (aka NAViGaTR, pronounced “navigator”) announced the winners of is 2009 awards last week (February 26, 2010).

Unlike most awards – with either a highly exclusive short list of voters or relatively wide open to the public – the nominees and winners are selected by volunteer industry professional and game critics. In this case, more than 950 members (with about 640 actually voting).

Top winners this year include Batman: Arkham Asylum with nine awards (from 17 nominations) including Game of the Year and Best Supporting Performance in a Drama for Mark Hamill. The other was Uncharted 2: Among Thieves which won 10 awards (of 16 nominations). The other multi-award winners, which only received 2 awards each, include Brutal Legend, The Beatles: Rock Band, inFamous, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Scribblenauts.

In terms of publishers, Sony swept with 19 awards and EA came in a distant second with nine. Nintendo, which typically had a strong showing (and still hold the overall award record) had only three wins.

Some notable single award winners include The Sims 3 for Best Game Simulation, Flower for Game Special Class and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days for Game Sequel,

Noticeable non-winners include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which was nominated for 10 awards and only won one for Sound Effects, and Halo 3: ODST, nominated for one award, Lead Performance in a Drama for Nathan Fillion, which it lost to Uncharted 2. Likewise, Dragon Age: Origins was nominated for five awards and did not win any. DJ Hero was also nominated for five awards which it did not win.

If you dig audio commentary, then listen to Gamertell Editor PJ Hruschak’s comments on the NAViGaTR 2009 Awards with PRWeb including a quick look at the trends and surprises of this year’s winners. (That guy is a frickin’ genius. No, I’m not biased, really.)

NAViGaTR 2009 Award Winners

• Animation, 2D or Limited 3D: Patapon 2

• Animation, 3D: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Art Direction: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Camera Direction in a Game Engine: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Character Design: Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Control Design, 2D or Limited 3D: New Super Mario Bros. Wii
• Control Design, 3D: Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Control Precision: inFamous
• Costume Design: Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Direction in a Game Cinema: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Game Design: Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Graphics/Technical: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Innovation in Game Play: Scribblenauts
• Innovation in Game Technology: Red Faction Guerrilla
• Lead Performance in a Comedy: Jack Black, Brutal Legend
• Lead Performance in a Drama: Nolan North, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Lighting/Texturing: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Original Musical Score: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Original/Adapted Song: “LaLaLa,” Klonoa
• Song Collection: The Beatles: Rock Band
• Sound Editing in a Game Cinema: Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Sound Effects: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Supp Performance in a Comedy: Bill Murray, Ghostbusters: The Video Game
• Supp Performance in a Drama: Mark Hamill, Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Use of Sound: Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Writing in a Comedy: Brutal Legend
• Writing in a Drama: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Game Classic Revival: The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
• Game Music or Performance: The Beatles: Rock Band
• Game Original Action: ‘Splosion Man
• Game Original Adventure: inFamous
• Game Original Children/Family: Scribblenauts
• Game Original Fighting: Madworld
• Game Original Racing: Trials HD
• Game Original RPG: Demon Souls
• Game Original Sports: EA Sports Active
• Game Sequel Action: Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Game Sequel Adventure: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Game Sequel Children/Family: New Super Mario Bros. Wii
• Game Sequel Fighting: Street Fighter IV
• Game Sequel Racing: Forza Motorsport 3
• Game Sequel RPG: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
• Game Sequel Sports: Wii Sports Resort
• Game Simulation Game: The Sims 3
• Game Special Class: Flower
• Game Strategy: PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe
• Game of the Year: Batman: Arkham Asylum

Listen [NAViGaTR 2009 @ Gamertell] Site [NAViGaTR] Read [2009 NAViGaTR Awards]