Last year, I nearly hit a home run with my predictions as to how the Bomb Squad would vote during their 2010 Game of the Year deliberations. Either this proves without a shadow of a doubt that I am the long lost descendant of Nostredamus, or it lends credence to Jeff's statement during a "Jar Time" videocast that the current system set up is flawed and gives away the winners well before the plethora of Giantbomb goodness hits the net.

I have no idea how their system will be organized this year. The following predictions of the Bomb Squad's selections are based largely upon conjecture that, though it is flawed, their system will return in a similar fashion to how it was presented a year ago. This year was substantially more difficult to vote on, as 2011 was one of the best years in gaming ever. Without further delay, on to the future!

Game of the Year Selections - Staff

Ryan - Saints Row: The Third

Patrick - Batman: Arkham City

Drew - Batman: Arkham City

Alex - Portal 2

Brad - Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Vinny - The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

Dave - Portal 2

Jeff - Mortal Kombat

Yes, there as a great deal of insane titles in that list (Jeff and Ryan's leap out immediately, I'm sure), but that's the fun of 2011, and of this site. There's is nothing stopping these guys from making bizarre choices for their own Game of the Year, so don't be surprised in a year as loaded as this one to see some truly "whacked" Top 10 selections. I'm completely spit-balling for games when it comes to Alex and Patrick for those playing the home game.

Game of the Year Selections - Categories

Best Art Style - Rayman: Origins

Northie - Nathan Drake, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Best DLC - Fallout New Vegas: Old World Blues

Best Download Only Game - Bastion

Biggest Disappointment - Dragon Age II

Worst Game of the Year - The Conduit 2

I am desperately hoping that Duke Nukem Forever does not take Worst Game of the Year (I oddly loved that game for all the wrong reasons...It's a strangely relaxing platformer...)

Game of the Year Selections - Overall

Wii - Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

PC - The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

X360 - Gears of War 3

PS3 - Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

3DS - Super Mario 3D Land

Multi - Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Top 5 - Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Saints Row: The Third, Portal 2, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

GotY - Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

As Jeff said on the Gametrailer's Game of the Year Bonus Round, Skyrim is the 2,000 pound gorilla in the room. It'll be interesting to see how the glitch-happy tendencies of the PS3 version affect voting. The Bomb Squad has shown itself to be quite willing to overlook Bethesda glitches in the past for the game within (see the year-long love fest with Fallout 3), and I feel it is the least divisive game among the core five Giantbomb employees (Patrick, Vinny, Jeff, Brad, and Ryan).

Potential Suprises

1. Saints Row: The Third steals a lot of air time during deliberations.

2. Skylanders will wander into Jeff's Top 10.

3. Several Top 10's will be missing Gears of War 3, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and L.A. Noire.

4. Other site's favorite Dark Souls, Ghost Trick, and Minecraft will go largely unmentioned or empty handed.

Let's see how well I do this year...

If the past few years have shown me anything, it's that the fellas at Giantbomb have certain gaming/voting tendencies that are traceable. This is the Peanut Gallery's attempt to use its EPIC Nostradamus skills to predict how the 2010 Game of the Year voting goes at Giantbomb. Please note: These predictions operate under the assumption that the boys and girls at Whiskey Media stick to the system they used last year for their Top 10 lists and their GoY vetting process. Without further adieu, here we go!
 
2010 PC GoY: 1 - Starcraft II, 2 - Civilization V, 3 - Amnesia: Dark Descent

• I'm fairly certain that Brad will rip someone's legs off if Starcraft II doesn't win this category. That's not to say it'll be a landslide vote for it. I get the feeling Ryan (and possibly some of the Whiskey Media engineers) are going to put up a strong case for Civilization V that may make this conversation eat up a hefty amount of time in their debates. Amnesia rounds out the Top 3 because of Dave Snider's obsession with obscure "good" games no one is playing. Given how 2010 went for PC Gaming, #3 on this list will be a useless crap shoot. Don't be surprised if Giantbomb says as much during their debate.

• So, some assumptions up front: 1 - Mass Effect 2 gets placed in this pile much like Dragon Age Origins was selectively placed in the PC category in 2009. This is done to avoid a slugfest between Mass Effect 2 and Red Dead Redemption in the multiplatform category and save it for the monstrous showdown for overall Game of the Year; 2 - Last year, Giantbomb shocked even themselves by voting a downloadable title the winner of this category. Look for the adoration of Xbox Live games to continue. Sorry to Halo: Reach fans. I don't see the Bomb Squad putting that title over their two darlings of the download world...unless of course they create a "Best Downloadable Title" category to avoid that conflict...

• Boy oh boy did the Wii have itself one hell of a year game's wise. Look for Jeff and Ryan to lay down the law in this category to ensure that Super Mario Galaxy 2 walks away with the award. I'm sure folks like Alex, Vinny, Brad, etc. will make strong cases for the other titles (and possibly even Goldeneye or No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle), but I'm almost positive Jeff and Ryan will muscle the mustached plumber to victory in this surprisingly competitive group of games. This will probably be the least popular selection  among the Giantbomb community members if other website trends are to be believed. Down with the pipe-diving Italian!
  

• Um, the PS3 had a pretty light list of exclusives this year, no? I'm not one to call a category from the beginning, but does anyone really doubt that Heavy Rain takes this one in a short lived conversation? Somebody (cough::Ryan::cough) will try to stretch this one out in fairness to God of War 3's scale, fluidity, and insanity, but Heavy Rain simply does too many experimental things right for it to not win. I expect Brad or Vinny to step up to bat on this one to make sure this conversation is quick and the story-heavy monster that is Heavy Rain wins in a quick, light-hearted debate. As with PC Games this year, #3 is a crap shoot. It's entirely possible that the guys go insane and vote MLB 10: The Show in out of desperation for a third title.
  

• This is not the forgone conclusion everyone expects it to be. Sure, Red Dead Redemption is walking away with the high profile GoY victories around the internet and popular media world. However, this is Giantbomb, home of the most diehard Assassin's Creed fan in video game journalism: Ryan Davis. I'm calling this category in favor of the wild west purely because it's the anticipated victor. But wait! This could very well be the upset of the year, as many a member of the Whiskey Media world sang nothing but praises for Ezio's romp through Rome. Prepare for the slugfest, folks!

• Starcraft II makes the top 3 because of Brad's unadulterated worship of that title. If Red Dead Redemption wins multi-platform, be prepared for a debate in line with 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum VS Uncharted 2. The argument is likely to take into account Mass Effect 2's total lack of multiplayer, Red Dead Redemption's reskinning of GTA IV, the general improvements on tried formulas made by both titles, etc. I've been wrong the past two years on GoY victors (I thought they'd take Metal Gear Solid IV in 2008 and Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009...whoops), and it looks like the same arguments that sank my picks the past two years will be the ones used against Mass Effect 2. However, third time is a charm and I have faith that one of these days the Giantbomb crew will pick a single player experience over the kitchen sink title one of these days. If Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood topples the Red Dead Redemption behemoth, this debate switches to Starcraft II versus Mass Effect 2, with Mass Effect 2 earning a clean victory.