GamerNode’s 2011 Nodie Awards are back and, once again, bigger than ever. We’re even outdoing our monstrous 2010 Nodies!

For 2011, we ‘ll be bestowing a grand total of 35 awards, and will be splitting the virtual ceremony into two separate sections: “Special Honors” and “Best Of 2011.” The latter of the two includes the coveted honor of GamerNode Game of the Year. Each individual award will highlight the five nominees the GN staff felt were most worthy of recognition, and then reveal our esteemed winner and runner-up.

Additionally, keep on the lookout for a special VS Node Podcast in which some of the GN staff will discuss our top games of the year in even greater depth, as a companion show to the 2011 Nodies.

Please feel free to chime in via our comments section here on the site, on Facebook, and on Twitter using the #NodieAwards hashtag. We always love to hear from you and to talk games together.

Special Honors

To begin our ceremony, we have a mountain of awards for special achievements in game development. These productions are standouts for things like audio, visuals, writing, and other elements of their design.

Acting on the old proverb, “give credit where credit is due,” we’ve done anything but hold back in this department, and aim to highlight exactly what makes these games, and gaming in general, so great. Every game survives on its individual strengths, and hopefully, this industry can offer something for everyone.

We know we’ve enjoyed it all this year (except maybe our “Most Disappointing” titles), so now it’s time to tell you why. Read on, dear friends…

The Categories:

• Best Technical Visuals
• Best Aesthetic Style
• Best Soundtrack
• Best Sound Design
• Best Voice Work
• Best Male Performance
• Best Female Performance
• Best Story
• Best Game World
• Most Innovative/Original
• Best New IP
• Best Remake
• Best Multiplayer
• Best Boss Fights
• Best Use of Motion Control
• Best New Technology
• Most Pleasant Surprise
• Most Disappointing
• Most Divisive