Australia's Best Games of 2006 - Interactive Entertainment Awards

Last Friday, more than 350 industry types hit Doltone House in Sydney, Australia for the Interactive Entertainment Awards. Twenty awards were handed out - twelve industry voted, and eight based on GfK sales data from January 1 to December 31, 2006. Read on for the unsurprising results of the industry voted awards, and the surprising winners (and some truly bizarre categorisations) of the best sellers.

New categories have been introduced to keep in line with "recent" shifts in gaming - "Girls Games", party games (um, Mario Party debuted 8 years ago, and certainly wasn't the first), and educational games (with prior art dating back to the stone ages) to name a few. At least they're catching up.

"The latest national research shows that today 41 per cent of gamers are females, and more than one third of gamers are parents. The new award categories reflect the changing face of gaming. As the market focuses on these growing demographics, we expect to see more games that Mum, Dad and all the kids can play together prompt social and family interaction in 2008", said Chris Hanlon, CEO of the Interactive Entertainment Association Australia (IEAA).

Sadly only one award went to a game developed in Australia - even sadder that it was an award specifically for games developed in Australia. We'd put money on larrikan hosts Merrick and Rosso having touched on that one.

Industry Voted

• IEAA Online Game of the Year: World of Warcraft (Vivendi)
• Samsung Xbox360 Game of the Year: Gears of War (Microsoft)
• Post Logistics PlayStation Game of the Year: Guitar Hero 2 (Activision)
• IEAA Nintendo Game of the Year: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)
• BigPond Games PC Game of the Year: Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion (Take2)
• Network Ten Australian Developed Game of the Year: Medieval 2: Total War (THQ)
• IEAA Girls Game of the Year: Nintendogs: Dachshund & Friends (Nintendo)
• GAME 1 Ultimate Game of the Year: Gears of War (Microsoft)
• IEAA Most Innovative Game of the Year: Wii Sports (Nintendo)
• IEAA Industry Identity of the Year: Rosemarie Lappin, Director of Sales & Marketing (Nintendo)
• Derwent Howard Sports Game of the Year: Pro Evolution Soccer 2006 (Atari)
• GameSpot AU Editor's Choice Award: Gears of War (Microsoft)
• Australian Marketing Institute Best Marketing Campaign: Lara Croft Tomb Raider Legend (Atari)

Best Sellers

• Adventure: Cars (THQ)
• Role Playing Game: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)
• Action: Lego Star Wars 2 (Activision)
• Racing: Need for Speed: Carbon (EA)
• Sports: WWE Smackdown VS Raw 2007 (THQ)
• Simulator: Nintendogs Dalmatian & Friends (Nintendo)
• Party/Social: Singstar Rocks! (Sony)
• Children's Educational: Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus (Vivendi)