Here Are Your Winners: 2012 PlayStation.Blog Game of the Year Awards

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Here Are Your Winners: 2012 PlayStation.Blog Game of the Year Awards

The polls are closed and the votes have been tallied. Read on for the full list of PlayStation.Blog Game of the Year Awards winners as chosen by you, plus a few Editors’ Choice picks from the extended PlayStation.Blog team.

I want to thank each and every one of you for voting, debating, and commenting on our first annual awards! As predicted, the process wasn’t entirely without its hiccups, but in general I think it was a pretty good first attempt. That said, we absolutely want your feedback on next year’s awards, which will be bigger and better in many ways. Please provide your feedback in the comments – we’ll be referring to it in preparation for next year!

Also, be sure to listen to our new episode of PlayStation Blogcast, where GamesBeat Editor in Chief Dan Hsu joins us for a discussion of our favorite games of the year.

‘Nuff said. Read on to see the very best in PlayStation gaming for 2012 as chosen by PlayStation gamers worldwide.

PS3 Game of the Year

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - PS3 Platinum

Assassin’s Creed III

GotY: Assassins Creed 3
This one was a squeaker, but Ubisoft Montreal’s period epic inched past a strong showing by Gearbox Software’s well-received shooter. FIFA 13 Soccer landed the most write-in votes, but not enough to place in the winner’s circle.

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - Editor's Choice

Dishonored “In my book, this was the smartest, most distinctive FPS of the year, shoehorning adult themes, nuanced characters and sophisticated gameplay mechanics into a wincingly visceral campaign. Oh, and it was great to see so many primary colors too! Sequel please!”

— Fred Dutton, Manager, EU PlayStation.Blog

Borderlands 2 “Sequels don’t always manage to one-up their predecessors, but Borderlands 2 does just that — in nearly every conceivable way. From the vastly improved story, to the motley cast of characters, to the massive volume of guns, Gearbox has planted their foot firmly in the ground as one of this generation’s premier FPS developers.”

— Justin Massongill, US PlayStation.Blog

XCOM: Enemy Unknown “This game scratched an itch I didn’t know I had, weaving tense turn-based firefights into a shockingly addictive management simulation. This is a refreshing and utterly fascinating game with a surprise and a delight around every corner. Highly recommended.”

— Sid Shuman, Manager, US PlayStation.Blog

PS3 Game of the Year (PSN Only)

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - PS3 (PSN) Platinum

Journey

GotY: Journey
Thatgamecompany’s wildly original opus was always the favorite to win this category, though Telltale Games’ heartbreaking series The Walking Dead nearly overtook it in the final hours of voting. Queasy Games’ Sound Shapes took the most write-in votes.

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - Editor's Choice

Journey “I’m going with the obvious choice here. Nothing else I played this year drew me in like thatgamecompany’s Journey. Despite the lack of communication and identity involved, I felt closer to my co-op partners in Journey than in anything else I’ve played this year… maybe ever. It’s an experience I wish I could wipe from my memory, just so I could have it for the first time again.”

— Justin Massongill, US PlayStation.Blog

Journey “I won’t be alone in singling out thatgamecompany’s bewitching quest here. Some complained that it was too brief, but its three hours of playtime will surely live longer in the memory than almost any other release this year. This is joyful, uplifting, must-play material. And, no, there’s no shame in admitting its final moments set your bottom lip aquiver.”

— Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

The Walking Dead: Episodes 1 – 5 “Telltale’s memorable series starts small but slowly builds to towering emotional heights, culminating in what may be the greatest gaming moment of the year. This is a prime example of the narrative potential of videogames — don’t you dare miss it.”

— Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

PS Vita Game of the Year

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - PS Vita Platinum

UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss

GotY: UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss
The closest category in this year’s awards nearly ended in a three-way tie between Gravity Rush, Persona 4: Golden, and UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss. But in a photo finish, Bend Studios claims the Platinum prize. The most popular write-in vote was for Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward, which is also available on PS Vita game card.

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - Editor's Choice

Gravity Rush “Alternately careening and frolicing through the skies of Hekseville provided some of the most enjoyable, empowering moments in gaming this year for me. A lush world and loveable character wrapped around a set of mechanics that feels downright awesome in the palm of your hands.”

— Nick Suttner, PlayStation Blogcast co-host

Persona 4 Golden “JRPGs have seen a relative lack of representation in this gaming generation. But now that Atlus has rebuilt one of PS2’s most highly regarded games for PS Vita, they’ve proven that a well-written, visually striking, character-driven RPG can still find an appreciative audience.”

— Justin Massongill, US PlayStation.Blog

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale “A tough choice, but my voracious appetite for portable pugilism ultimately tipped the scales in favor of the All-Stars. SuperBot’s slavish attention to detail shines on the OLED screen and the characters feel intoxicatingly powerful, making this a perfect choice for mobile encounters.”

— Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

PS Vita Game of the Year (PSN Only)

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - PS Vita (PSN) Platinum

Sound Shapes

GotY: Sound Shapes
Innovative indie titles placed strongly in this category, with Queasy Games’ charming musical platformer handily securing the lead. Fun fact: Grasshopper Manufacture’s shooter Sine Mora was the top write-in vote.

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - Editor's Choice

Frobisher Says! “Not many games are silly. Yet Frobisher’s minigame madness is supremely silly in all the right ways, a ton of fun, kind of beautiful, and free, free, free as a bird. Whether I was finding flan, making a terrible din, or not smiling at pandas, it was some of the most fun I’ve had on PS Vita this year.”

— Nick Suttner, PlayStation Blogcast co-host

Sound Shapes “Jonathan Mak’s unique approach to game design yields one of the biggest surprises of the year: A whimsical musical platformer that whisks you away on a magical tour of five imaginative worlds, leading inexorably to a momentous meeting with Beck.”

— Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

When Vikings Attack! “Okay, maybe I’m biased, but I found When Vikings Attack!’s bonkers Britishness impossible to resist. If there was a more satisfying mechanic in gaming in 2013 than flinging a skip at a gang of Viking invaders, I certainly wasn’t privy to it. If you’re after a hidden gem to discover this Christmas, you could do a lot, lot worse.”

— Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

PS Mobile Game of the Year

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - PS Mobile Platinum

Super Crate Box

GotY: Super Crate Box
In a surprisingly tight race with several favorites jockeying for position, Super Crate Box’s accessible, addictive formula came out on top in the PS Mobile arena. The most popular write-in vote? Lemmings.

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - Editor's Choice

Rebel “Super Crate Box is the easy choice, but with that well-trod I want to make sure that no one misses out on Rebel. A sort of anti-Crate Box that has you dodging falling weapons crates while turning enemies against each other, Rebel feels satisfying thanks to a brilliant reward loop of upgrades that turn time-waster into skillful navigator.”

— Nick Suttner, PlayStation Blogcast co-host

Super Crate Box “This feels like the no-brainer of the group, though Bullion Blitz and Puzziball are definite gems. Simple but focused, Super Crate Box is one of those indefinable instant classics that you’ll understand the moment you lay hands on it. A sheer delight.”

— Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

Super Crate Box “Believe it or not, I reckon I’ve played SCB more than any game in any category. Vlambeer’s bite-sized score-attack platformer was an ingenious confection, and nailed that just-one-more-game catchiness better than any other title this year.”

— Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

Best Use of PlayStation Move

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - Best Use of PS Move

Portal 2 In Motion

Another tight race, with Sixense’s Portal 2 expansion pack beating back a potent showing from PlayStation Move favorite Sorcery and close runners-up Wonderbook: Book of Spells and Sports Champions 2, while Okami HD claimed the most write-in votes.

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - Editor's Choice

Datura “Probably the best example yet of how PS Move can open up new ways to interact. Navigating the dreamlike forests of Datura from a first-person perspective using PS Move brings a hypnotic surreal quality, as well as a more tactile interface. Really cool stuff.”

— Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

Datura “I like touching trees.”

— Nick Suttner, PlayStation Blogcast co-host

PixelJunk 4am “Sure, it’s something of an acquired taste and plays best, as advertised, in the small hours after a night on the town, but Q-Game’s music plaything really got its hooks in me over the summer. If you like your digital entertainment arty, freeform and very, very bleepy, this one’s for you.”

— Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

Most Anticipated PS3 Game

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - PS3 Most Anticipated Platinum

The Last of Us

GotY: The Last of Us
Despite powerful resistance from Grand Theft Auto 5, Naughty Dog’s highly anticipated post-apocalyptic journey The Last of Us claimed the coveted Platinum prize. Bronze winner BioShock Infinite topped Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch by just a handful of votes, while Namco Bandai’s RPG Tales of Xillia earned the most write-in votes.

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - Editor's Choice

Puppeteer “A close call between this and BioShock, but my innate predisposition towards anything involving 2D visuals, running, and jumping won through. Japan Studios’ lovely platformer is a true feast for the senses, shot through with a delightfully dark sense of humor and A-grade character design. One to watch out for.”

— Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

The Last of Us “An agonizing decision, but (sorry BioShock Infinite) I’m putting my money on Naughty Dog. I’m drawn to the game’s suffocating atmosphere of hopelessness, but I’m also dying to learn more about the fragile relationship between innocent Ellie and world-weary Joel. Fingers crossed that Naughty Dog pulls off something extraordinary here.”

— Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

Sportsfriends “If you’ve ever managed to catch one at a gaming event such as PAX, you know that Johann Sebastian Joust, Hokra, BaraBariBall and Super Pole Riders are already some of the best local multiplayer games EVER, even in their unreleased forms. Having all of them on PSN, upgraded and collected as Sportsfriends, is just too exciting for words. Get ready to Joust!”

— Nick Suttner, PlayStation Blogcast co-host

Most Anticipated PS Vita Game

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - PS Vita Most Anticipated Platinum

Killzone Mercenary

GotY: Killzone Mercenary
Strong showings from Sly Cooper, Soul Sacrifice, and Tearaway weren’t enough to unseat Guerilla’s upcoming powerhouse. Intriguingly, Atlus USA’s mysterious Dragon’s Crown earned the most write-in votes.

PS.Blog Game of the Year 2012 - Editor's Choice

Guacamelee! “It’s been far too long since I got my hands on a unique exploration-based platformer. Guacamelee’s hyperactive art style and elbow-dropping personality promise to revitalize the genre popularized by games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.”

— Justin Massongill, US PlayStation.Blog

Soul Sacrifice “Inafune’s dark fantasy promises to bring some serious emotional gravity to the co-op battlefields, such as tragic boss monsters that beg for mercy and an alarming array of life-or-death choices. I’m particularly drawn to the grim, almost grotesque art style.”

— Sid Shuman, US PlayStation.Blog

Tearaway “Can’t wait. Expect wild innovation, free-wheeling creativity and charm in abundance. If you don’t covet a PS Vita now, just wait until this one lands on shelves.”

— Fred Dutton, EU PlayStation.Blog

Comments are closed.

176 Comments

3 Author Replies

  • YES! The Last of Us won! Only 139 days until that masterpiece is released! I hopefully am getting a Vita for Christmas or enough money to buy one so Crossplay for LBP 2, Shadow of the Colossus, and more in the future will be sweet! Also I already have the option to download tons of free games since Plus is amazing. I’m excited to try Gravity Rush, LBP Vita, Uncharted Golden Abyss and Tearaway next year. I hope I can find that 1 Year PS+ Bundle, though.

    I still am very hopeful for The Last Guardian also. I swear if we don’t get a release date or time by E3 2013 I think I’ll die.

  • Journey, best game ever! \o/

  • FIFA 13 beaten all the others!!!!

  • Sad to see people complaining about game of the year winners (really?). Not everything I voted for won (I wanted Dark Souls II for most anticipated), but apparently people voted for what they did for a reason. The numbers don’t lie people…But nonetheless this was a pretty cool thing you guys did, and you know what would make it cooler? Sales and Discounts :)

    Happy Holidays everyone and let’s hope we’re all still here on Dec.22!

  • God, Ryumoron is a freakin’ stooge.

    He tells xHeavYx, “how dare people vote for a game you don’t like. idiot “, right after he says, “sigh…can’t believe the overrated Journey beat out Walking Dead. :/ ”

    Yeah, how dare people vote for Journey just because you didn’t like it. How dare they like it. How dare they have different tastes than you. Who’s the idiot…

    Shot yourself in the foot, YET AGAIN. Wow. I hope your parents buy you a dunce cap for Christmas. They’ve gotta know…

  • AC 3 FOR EVER!

  • Ff. X HD come on. People that game will. Be sweet

  • Do these top write-ins for Most Anticipated games show we (typing as a PLayStation Plus member) have an interest in RPHs (in particular, for me anyway, JRPGs)?

    And Journey deserves every good thing it gets. It saddens me that my sister tells me of her classmates with PS3s who, somehow, don’t even know what Journey is. Blasted retail and their bigger focus. Definitely get the digital lead out, Sony!

  • how about next time some prizes? 20 or $50 to spend on the PSN Store? 3 months of PS+? game codes to redeem? c’mon your Playstation FFS! you can get this stuff for free!

  • Assassin’s Creed III really the game is cool but boring at sametime i don’t consider that being game of the year

  • Gotta say, I’m a little surprised to not see Little Big Planet 2 on there anywhere.

  • Wow I had to do write in votes for half the categories because you all ignored so many good games.

    Hard to complain about AC3 being tops, but I tried most of the other GOTY games here and couldn’t stand them myself (drake on vita… a let down, Journey, boring as any game I’ve seen, etc…)

    I wonder how different the results would have been if the voting was through the PS3/Vita (therefore more people would see it and vote) instead of a blog only some people visit.

  • Assassin’s Creed 3 definitely was a squeaker, i.e., a fart. Apparently, gamers like the smell. I’m so disappointed in my fellows gamers for voting that piece of garbage as game of the year. I’m aggressive about how much I dislike AC3 to counter how much unwarranted praise it’s being given.

  • Awesome, but sportchampions 2 ?

  • How exactly did ACIII win GOTY, ohh, right, this is a popularity contest.

  • Ive been disappointed by Assassins creed 3, it was not as good as I was hoping it to be. Journey is still my overall favorite game of the year. Cant wait for the Last of us!

  • Now will you guys do the same as last year and offer discounts to the winning games?

  • BLASPHEMY!!! LittleBigPlanet PS Vita wins best Vita game, hands down. Its literally infinite games in one.

  • As a trophy whore myself, I found it quite fitting that you used trophies to grade these votes, haha =)

  • @ Qatsmasher,

    Because other people’s opinion of a game that is different than yours means its wrong?

    How do people like you function with such a flawed way of thinking on a daily basis?

    Its quite funny how you think you are doing (anyone?) a service by calling it garbage as if it somehow undoes the actual vote by the majority of people. Real smart dude.

    One good thing about this blog, you have some easy laughs from what a few say on here and you don’t have to say a word they do it all by themselves.

  • @61 – I’m not surprised that LittleBigPlanet 2 was not on this list, since it released in 2011 =P Unless you’re talking about LittleBigPlanet Vita

  • @PrimeroIncognito
    Though i agree with you that Ryumoau tends to voice his opinion more often that he should, somethings are better left not said.
    i.e. your comment, nobody likes a cyber bully..

  • I agree with @10. I finally finished Golden Abyss last night, and it felt like a grind to me. It was a good game. But there was way too many touch screen/gyroscope uses that it became very annoying and not fun after a while. I personally was not a fan of Bend’s last game either, Resistance: Retribution.

  • Also: Asura’s Wrath. I still have trouble believing it came out this year (surprised me, seeing it in Game Informer’s Top 50). Man, Would’ve written that in, but I went with Spec Ops: The Line; I don’t play many FPSes, but the talk of its twist within its story compelled me to bump it up a vote.

  • I’m just so surprised and stunned by how Uncharted GA beating out P4G. I mean Uncharted GA was good but not best Vita game good. I think Persona 4 The Golden or at the least Gravity Rush deserved best Vita game.
    After that I have no problem with the other awards except for the PS3 game of the year though. Since I’ve never played AC3 yet I can’t really say much, but I’m not sure if it’s game of the year material.

    I hope that Japan after seeing how much we love P4G over here, that they localize more Vita JRPG games. I’m still waiting for Tales of Innocence R over here.

  • Ac3 and COD SUCKS!

  • @SweetReLeaf

    Bullies pick on innocent people who’ve done nothing to the bully. Bullies do it for the power rush.

    I don’t pick on innocent people. I defend them. I only bully the bullies and there ain’t a damn thing wrong with that.

    Ryumoaner has deserved every last bit of backlash directed at him. His karma is working through me and being sent right back to him… what else can I say… hope you understand.

  • @bigz12345432 (57)
    I agree with you there buddy. I’m curious to know how many voted for it.

    @Sid
    Will we get to see the how many votes each game got?

  • these awards sucked

  • Persona 4 Golden not #1? Absolute blasphemy, and a sad tearjerker for anyone who hasn’t played that game yet. Even if you’re not into RPG’s, it’s the greatest game on Vita out now.

  • And the worst game of the year goes to Resident Evil 6.

  • @PrimeroIncognito
    I understand and i agree with you, the guy is on here a lot
    but a wise mom(or someone) once said “if you don’t have anything nice to say…”
    and i’ll leave with that..

  • Let me guess: Next there will be posts saying SCEA must have rigged the poll and that’s why games like Uncharted and ACIII won.

    I personally tend to agree with the Vita GOTY, but while I didn’t like ACIII that much, I agree with all the top 4, but I won’t resort to saying other people’s decision to vote for that is stupid. I can respect the results and won’t act like a 8 year old, which I guess it too much to handle for some people.

  • And I will never know truly if Tokyo Jungle is really that great of a game since no demo is available. I still hope to see a day where all PSN games and PS3 games will have demo’s on the store.

  • YEA!!! Oh My GOD!!!! This are, hands down and by far, the best games awards I’ve seen on 2012!!!! I really, really, really loved the whole Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum Trophy awards!!!!! I love you PSBlog!!! I love my PS3 and I LOVE everything SONY!!!! Kudos Team!!! Woot! Woot!!!! :D

  • The Last Guardian

  • Avatar photo

    The God of War Team would like to thank the PlayStation Academy for honoring us with the Silver in 2013-Most Anticipated. We will be looking to take the Platinum in PS3 Game of the Year next year, here we go!

    @Just_Tank
    @SonySantaMonica Community Strategist

  • gives me a good idea of who frequents the blog lol.

    i think gravity rush should have been number one of the vita.

    sound shapes deserves that platinum for psn only…game is a masterpiece.

    i voted for super crate box for ps mobile games. it makes me sad that i havent been interested in psm games since release.

  • wow, LBP Vita is not even on the list? I can’t believe it, it’s my favorite Vita game, with U:GA coming pretty close

  • I like this list, I don’t care if a game I don’t like is on here. I think we can all agree that the winners, whether or not they were our favorite games for that category, was a great game non the less!

  • Nice wins. But (always a but) for PS Vita Game of the Year. I’m a big fan of the Uncharted Series. However, I think Gravity Rush should of won. The game is so Different & Unique. & it utilizes the Vita’s Mechanics in so many ways. Also I do agree with The Last of Us as being The Most Anticipated PS3 Game. But I really don’t agree with
    BioShock Infinite being that low on the list.

  • Gravity Rush should have won best vita game. It is one of the best games I’ve played on any system. Cannot wait for the sequel.

  • there is no way ac3 beat out borderlands 2 with the half-a** story and all the glitches and stupid problems in that game.. and how did a stupid game like sound shapes beat out a game like super stardust delta

    i know last of us will be decent but im looking forward to bioshock more than anything

  • woo AC3 game year!! most of the games i voted for won

  • Ni No Kuni doesn’t even get a bronze? Sad. But no worries, they’ll still get a sale from me.

  • hope fully they can psn studio’s to the list… I think tink create as well as many deserve their praise inthe sun. I was kinda shocked persona 4 didnt win, but always next year i suppose.:).. Congrat to all.

    Mcbuttz78
    vp psn legioniaree group

  • A game that has scored 84% on Metacritic is crowned GOTY 2012. Riiight. Maybe that says something about the poor state of the industry (and don’t start blaming the hardware for this).

  • Congratulations PSN community, you’ve actually managed the impossible: You’ve made the VGA’s look legit!

  • PERSONA 4 GOLDEN was the best game of the year. Not only for the Vita. Period.

    This Uncharted was nothing compared to it… only difference is how many people played Uncharted.

  • Darn, no trophy for Ni No Kuni !!

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