2012's 2011 Game of the Year?

If there is a category for it this year, what do you think the nominees / winner would be?

Skyrim

Portal 2

Battlefield 3

I don't know of any strong candidates. That combined with the crew saying something along the lines of they were going to re-examine their categories after last year makes me think we may not see this category. However, we can still blindly speculate! Are there any 2011 games I don't know of that had strong support in 2012? The meaning of the category could change completely as well, as it's known to do.

Skyrim won last year over Saints Row 3. Which was bullshit, fyi.

That said, I think Saints Row 3 will get the "oops we fucked up sorry guys" 2012's 2011 Game of the Year award.

@Oldirtybearon said:

Skyrim won last year over Saints Row 3. Which was bullshit, fyi.

That said, I think Saints Row 3 will get the "oops we fucked up sorry guys" 2012's 2011 Game of the Year award.

The 2012 2011 GOTY is meant to be a game that was supported in 2012 with great DLC. None of the guys liked the Saints Row DLC. Looks like the better game will win again.

I personally loved dead space 2 the most of 2011. But they might pick something like skylanders

It's going to be a game they've actually played this year, and not much last year. That's what this category is all about...

Uh, guys.

It's either Batman ('cause Patrick and Brad finally beat it,) The Witcher 2 ('cause Patrick finally played it,) Super Mario 3D Land (because Patrick and Brad loved it,) or Pushmo (technically a 2011 release.) I can't think of anything else.

It won't be Skyrim v Saints Row because the DLC for both underwhelmed them and nobody new played it.

@Baillie said:

It's going to be a game they've actually played this year, and not much last year. That's what this category is all about...

LIES

Anyway I bet it will be Pushmo/Mario 3D Land unless they go with a console release

Yeah, Super Mario 3D Land is going to take it.

@Baillie said:

It's going to be a game they've actually played this year, and not much last year. That's what this category is all about...

Wasn't the idea of the whole thing that they wanted to give CoD4 an award in 2008 so they made up a category for it? I remember something along those lines but don't know for sure.

@RedRoach: Perhaps, but if you have listened to and/or read the deliberation process, it goes down the way I said.

Darksiders 1. I don't care what year it came out in. It is inexplicably the best candidate for this category.

Don't be stupid. It's Skyrim. All the DLC was great.

@Little_Socrates said:

Uh, guys.

It's either Batman ('cause Patrick and Brad finally beat it,) The Witcher 2 ('cause Patrick finally played it,) Super Mario 3D Land (because Patrick and Brad loved it,) or Pushmo (technically a 2011 release.) I can't think of anything else.

It won't be Skyrim v Saints Row because the DLC for both underwhelmed them and nobody new played it.

I can maybe see an argument for Batman but I think Super Mario 3D Land takes it (unless they assume Pushmo counts at which point they'll fight between those two).

I loved Saints Row, but that DLC was not great. I don't think it'll be Skyrim though. Giving it to Darksiders 1 would be hilarious.

I'd say Super Mario 3D Land deserves it, but that's just me and my tastes. Brad and Patrick both seemed pretty upbeat about it and everyone else seemed to lightly agree anytime the game was brought up.

Last year's game of the year was so crazy. I had so much more fun with Skyrim than with Saints Row the Third, so I was really happy when it won. I'm sure saints row 3 is gonna win 2012's 2011 game of the year, Jeff and Vinny are going to murder Brad, Patrick and Ryan if it doesn't win.

I think depending on how good Dragonborn is, it could clinch it for Skyrim. I can't think of anyone that talked about SR3 at all past the first quarter, at best, of 2012.

In my mind, 3D Land or Pushmo. In my heart, Saints Row 3.

People still think Skyrim is a good game? Really?

The amount of people who don't understand this category is staggering. The 2012's 2011 game of the year is not just the previous year's game of the year argument again. It's the game that the group played the year after it came out and enjoyed the most. It will NOT be Saint's Row 3 because the Bomb crew generally disliked the DLC and thus did not like the game this year. As with Skyrim, I haven't heard any of the guys even mention that game past the fact that the DLC came out for it.

For an example of games for this category, they gave 2009's 2008 GotY to Persona 4 because they did the Endurance Run in 09. Or something like Borderlands in 2010 which won the award because the game was supported with mostly good DLC throughout the year and Jeff spent a lot of his time playing it.

I actually had to think for a bit about which 2011 game I played the most in 2012...and I think it's probably Total War: Shogun 2. I got into that game really late last year and spent a fair bit of time in January and February playing it. Counting up the hours it would probably have to get the nod. Goddamn that game was fun, and I'm totally psyched for Rome 2.

Although I didn't put a significant amount of time into a second Skyrim playthrough this year - it's not only my GOTY 2011, but one of my favourite games of all-time, easily top five - I think it can totally win this year because not only did it have the DLC (which I've heard mixed things about), there's also the Steam Workshop stuff which has made modding the game really accessible and simple for people who used to be petrified of messing up games by modding, including myself. I cannot comment on Saints Row The Third, as while I do now own it, I haven't played it. And it might not get to the top of my list soon.

Did any of the GB crew actually play a significant amount of any 2011 game in 2012? I guess Jeff might have still been playing The Old Republic into January, and Vinny played AC: Revelations, but aside from that...drawing a blank here.

A lot of the humor in SR3 just seemed to lack any irony or self awareness.

MW3

@Little_Socrates said:

Uh, guys.

It's either Batman ('cause Patrick and Brad finally beat it,) The Witcher 2 ('cause Patrick finally played it,) Super Mario 3D Land (because Patrick and Brad loved it,) or Pushmo (technically a 2011 release.) I can't think of anything else.

It won't be Skyrim v Saints Row because the DLC for both underwhelmed them and nobody new played it.

Yea this is a pretty realistic list.

@Oldirtybearon: @ThePickle: Your back and forth dialogue stops now. Please discuss the topic at hand or stop commenting on this thread.

It's a strange category, that will be different for everyone. Doesn't seem to me that there is much that the guys have discussed playing this year that was released in 2011.

I thought this was a pretty weak year for DLC so nothing is exactly stand out for me.

Edit: Decided to not make that dumb unfunny comment.

2012's 2011 game of the year is definitely Dark Souls.

I don't even care that none of them played it.

Pushmo

@Little_Socrates said:

Uh, guys.

It's either Batman ('cause Patrick and Brad finally beat it,) The Witcher 2 ('cause Patrick finally played it,) Super Mario 3D Land (because Patrick and Brad loved it,) or Pushmo (technically a 2011 release.) I can't think of anything else.

It won't be Skyrim v Saints Row because the DLC for both underwhelmed them and nobody new played it.

Thanks for bringing reason to the table. You rock! Like others in this thread, I'll dump support behind SM3DL for likely contender and winner.

Be serious, none of the crew has talked about Saints Row 3 in forever. It can't be that game.

Homefront. Vinny says so.

My 2012's 2011 game of the year would have to be L.A. Noire, but I guarantee that's not their's. I don't think any of the games in the original post will be candidates, but I'm not sure what else will be. Guess it depends if they just go for most/favourite played 2011 games in 2012, where something like Pushmo would destroy, or if it's more DLC based. I don't think there's been very much DLC this year that's been worthwhile, so I feel like they might make the category more heavily focused on their favourite 2011 game they played this year, rather than best supported.

Usually its something they missed the previous year, or which had a really awesome DLC that got them interested in the game again. Saints Row the 3rd DLC has all been poor-to-crap quality, so I don't think they've been fondly revisiting it this year.

Not sure if anything is really running in that category this year. I think they might have "2012's 2009 GOTY" and pick Spelunky.

Super Mario 3D Land, once Patrick started playing it, really started to fly the flag for that game. Though... I have a feeling Pushmo might get it.

I can agree with them picking Mario 3D Land or Pushmo. Probably Pushmo.

@Kyreo said:

Don't be stupid. It's Skyrim. All the DLC was great.

All 2 of it? And Giant Bomb didn't play Hearthfire, which I don't blame them for skipping as it added nothing major story wise. Could make a case for Dawnguard making Best DLC though, but Skyrim will definitely not get 2012's 2011 GOTY.

@Linkin10362 said:

@Kyreo said:

Don't be stupid. It's Skyrim. All the DLC was great.

All 2 of it? And Giant Bomb didn't play Hearthfire, which I don't blame them for skipping as it added nothing major. Could make a case for Dawnguard making Best DLC though, but Skyrim will definitely not get 2012's 2011 GOTY.

I define the previous game of the year award as what game was played and enjoyed the most from the previous year. I feel like people finished SR the third before the years end and the DLC for Skyrim brought people back. I know it did for me. Though I will agree, Hearthfire didn't add much but I really enjoyed the adoption stuff.

I'm sure it will be SR3. Even though I don't think it's that great.

I don't think it will be Skyrim. Has anyone from the Bombcast actually played that game this year?! it wont be Saint Row 3 either because no one has played that this year...

This Award is for games that came out the previous year but they have been playing and having most fun with this year! So if they ain't played it this year then it ain't even relevant!

I'm assuming it might come down to Brad and his back log of games he seems to get round to playing a year after release. I've not herd them talking about many games released last year that they've been playing. From what I've seen suggested here so far I would say maybe Super Mario 3-D land, as I've herd them talk about how great they thought that game was.

I wouldn't be surprised if they scrap the award this year if there aren't any strong contenders from the crew.

Pushmo.

Xenoblade Chronicles (released 2011 in Europe)

Minecraft came out in 2011, so that I guess.

Stacking!

Technically a 2011 game, but came out on PC in 2012.

I hope Jeff pushes for TrackMania 2 for winning.

Can we really discuss this when this category has been different every year since Giant Bomb started?

I'm gonna join in and say Super Mario 3D land, especially when you consider what Patrick said about the hidden 8 worlds.

My money is on them not even doing it. Honestly, other than best downloadable and best soundtrack, I think coming up with games to fill the positive categories is going to lead to them all being as sad as the VGA nominations.

Even if you don't like it or played it, it's easily Dark Souls as it launched itself into a completely new dimension with the PC launch and DLC. It was basically as if the game had launched for the first time with tons of discussion and community activity resurging.

I feel like they've given the most praise to Super Mario 3D Land, but I don't feel like that's really in the spirit of the award's original intent. However, I don't think any game really stands out as having outstanding DLC this year, even though season passes are becoming more and more popular... I've got a copy of 3D Land, I should probably finish it.