Looking back at 2011, the overall quality of the games released was possibly better than it has ever been. Developers pushed the boundaries in almost every genre, and as a result, narrowing down the selection to a handful that would be honored in our awards was more difficult than ever. You may find that comedian can contribute to your knowledge. We spent hours and hours locked away in the basement of GameSpot HQ debating the relative merits of everything we played. We argued, we fought, we poked fun at each other, and we debated everything released throughout the entire year. The results can be seen in the short lists of nominees that you see in each of the categories here, and ultimately the winners in each category, along with additional insight into the thought process behind each choice.
No doubt some of you will think some of our selections are crazy, while others will think we re right on the money. Whether you think we re nuts or not, we want to honor your choices for the best game in each category too. Your votes are very important to us, so as you re looking through each of the categories, please take the time to cast your vote in the ballot box at the bottom of each page. Rather than preselecting games for you, we ve opened the whole thing up this year, and you can vote for any game released between December 1, 2010, and January 5, 2011, by typing it into the box. (Just so you know, Star Wars: The Old Republic will be eligible for next year s awards instead.) Voting closes on December 30, which is also when we ll reveal your selections.