Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2 (nearly 3 million in sales) was one of the highlights on the holiday season, drawing nigh universal praise from critics and showing gamers what the PS3 hardware could really do. Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed II (8 million copies shipped) was also very well reviewed, as the development team made substantial improvements to the original formula. Now both games have earned 9 nominations each from the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.), which will announce the winners for the 8th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards at a ceremony being held on Friday, March 12th, during the Game Developers Conference.
The finalists (see full list below) were voted and judged upon by the game audio industry and members of G.A.N.G., which is a "non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of game audio." G.A.N.G. looks to honor outstanding creative, technical and artistic audio achievement in the world of interactive entertainment.
"The level of quality for game audio continues to get higher and higher each year," said Tommy Tallarico, G.A.N.G. Founder, CEO and Chairman. "It's so important to make sure that the talented game audio individuals from around the world get the recognition they deserve." G.A.N.G. President Paul Lipson added, "This was one of our biggest submission years yet and over 70 game audio professionals on our global advisory boards helped in deciding the final nominees. With the level of talent these days, being voted as a final nominee is a remarkable accomplishment."
Here's the list of finalists:
AUDIO OF THE YEAR
Assassin's Creed II
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Need For Speed: Shift
Resident Evil 5
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
MUSIC OF THE YEAR
Assassin's Creed II
AVATAR: The Game
Dragon Age: Origins
Flower
Halo 3: ODST
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Assassin's Creed II
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Need For Speed: Shift
Resident Evil 5
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
BEST SOUNDTRACK ALBUM
Assassin's Creed II
Brutal Legend
Dragon Age: Origins
inFAMOUS
Tom Clancy's: H.A.W.X.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
BEST INTERACTIVE SCORE
Assassin's Creed II
Flower
Halo 3: ODST
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
BEST HANDHELD AUDIO
Gran Turismo (PSP)
Jak & Daxter: The Lost Frontier (PSP)
Mecho Wars (iPhone)
Resistance: Retribution (PSP)
The Secret Of Monkey Island: Special Edition (iPhone)
BEST CINEMATIC/CUT-SCENE AUDIO
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Left 4 Dead 2
Need For Speed: Shift
Resident Evil 5
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
BEST DIALOGUE
Assassin's Creed II
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Brutal Legend
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Resident Evil 5
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
BEST ORIGINAL INSTRUMENTAL
"Ezio's Family" - Assassin's Creed II
"Flight Over Venice" - Assassin's Creed II
"Spirit of Bladehenge" - Brutal Legend
"Sonny Tang" - Eat Lead
"Reunion" - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
BEST ORIGINAL VOCAL - CHORAL
"Venice Rooftops" - Assassin's Creed II
"A Creature Shall Rise" - Brutal Legend
"Sad Theme" - Tom Clancy's: H.A.W.X.
"Washington Under Seige" - Tom Clancy's: H.A.W.X.
"Halls of Iron" - World of Warcraft: Fall of the Lich King
BEST ORIGINAL VOCAL - POP
"I Am The One" (High Fantasy Version) - Dragon Age: Origins
"Lelianna's Song" - Dragon Age: Origins
"Silent Melody" - inFAMOUS
"Best Friends Menu Theme" - Littlest Pet Shop Friends
"Pray - Theme Song" - Resident Evil 5
"Plants vs. Zombies" - Plants vs. Zombies
BEST USE OF MULTI-CHANNEL SURROUND IN A GAME
Bayonetta
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Forza Motorsport 3
Left 4 Dead 2
Resident Evil 5
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
BEST USE OF LICENSED MUSIC
Brutal Legend
DJ Hero
Guitar Hero: Van Halen
Rock Band: The Beatles
SingStar: Queen
BEST GAME AUDIO ARTICLE, PUBLICATION OR BROADCAST
"Avoiding Tedium - Fighting Repetition in Game Audio" - AES Conference Paper
"Dynamics of Narrative" - Gamasutra.com
"The Future of Game Audio / The Game Audio Mixing Revolution" - Gamasutra.com
"Less is More" - Game Developer Magazine
"Surviving the Crunch - Being Healthy Sound Designers" - Designing Sound
"Surviving Your First Composing Gig" - Shockwave-Sound.com
