While examining the booths at this year's ECTS exhibition in a very professional manner and having been politely removed from the Ubi area for growling at people approaching them while playing XIII and Far Cry, the Megagames team visiting the show decided to attend the awards ceremony.
The delightful Kate Russell, presenting the awards, surprised with her professional approach to the ceremony, even rescuing an embarassed Italian colleague when words were not coming easy.
The whole award presentation was more of a process than a glamorous event but then again that's how we like it. The awards were divided into two categories, Best of Show and Best of the Year.
Ubi Soft dominated winning both best PC, Console and Online game of the show for Far Cry, XIII and Everquest II respectively. To complete the hand Ubi also won the Overall Best Game of Show award for XIII.
Half - Life 2 however, would not stay out of the limelight for long and did win the The London Games Week Award for its developer, Vivendi Universal.
The award for best Handheld Game of the Show went to Nintendo for Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising.
A quick sprint to Konami's booth, just in case a Pro Evolution Soccer 3 spot was available due to the awards proved fruitless so we had to return to the award proceedings, only to witness ATI receive the PC Hardware of the year award for its RADEON 9800 PRO and Microsoft pick-up the Best Console of the Year award for the XBox while Nintendo were rewarded for publishing new installments of their classic titles by receiving the Best Developer award. While the previous three awards were a result of voting on the ECTS web site, there were also reader and editorial team awards :
Readers voting for Game of the Year in the :
UK, supported by Gamer.tv Pro Evolution Soccer 2, (Konami)
France, supported by JDLI Battlefield 1942, (EA)
Germany, supported by Gamigo.de Splinter Cell, (Ubi Soft)
Italy, supported by Game Live GTA: Vice City, (Rockstar)
Scandinavia, supported by Manual Battlefield 1942, (EA)
Editorial teams voting :
PC Gamer Best PC Games Developer Award Creative Assembly
PC Format Best New Games Kit Award Shuttle for Small Form Factor PC's
The Edge Award Viewtiful Joe, (Capcom)
The Loaded Award GTA: Vice City, Rockstar
The Times Award Sony EyeToy
