MCV AWARDS 2012: Finalists unveiled

63 different companies from across the games industry are nominated for prizes at this year’s MCV Industry Excellence Awards.

Activision leads the pack with 11 nominations – five for its break-out kids’ hit Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure.

EA closely follows with 10 nominations, including nods for EA Origin, Battlefield and FIFA 12.

Elsewhere big hitters like SCE UK and Bethesda take nine nominations each, with seven nods each for Ubisoft and Microsoft, and six for Warner Bros.

But from physical retail to digital distribution, via publishers and peripheralsbrands, the nominated firms come across the trade, with other nominations also going to GameStop, Insert Coin, Mind Candy, Turtle Beach and 505 Games.

The full list of winners can be found below.

With the finalists now decided, a panel of some 100 UK games industry execs will be asked to vote. Judges will be named after the 10th anniversary award ceremony, which takes place Thurday, April 19th.

Our PR award is voted for separately by a panel of over 100 UK games journalists. There are 11 finalists for this award to ensure as fair a win as possible – for the first time, writers will be asked to pick first and second choices in an Oscars-style voting to declare the best games PR team.

Members of the MCV Retail Advisory Board will decide the winners of the Special Recognition prize, where Rosemary Buahin (SCE UK), Martin Defries (Rising Star Games), Darren Houghton (Gem), Paul Oughton (Bethesda) and Ralph Pitt-Stanley (505 Games) are recognised for the support they have given to retailers in the last 12 months and throughout their careers.

Now all that’s left for finalists, however, is to eagerly wait until the night of the awards – and make sure they have a space booked, of course.

Tables cost 2,599 + VAT with tickets priced 275 + VAT. This year we have introduced a single-price band to make the event more accessible. Contact Kathryn.Humphrey@intentmedia.co.uk or call her on 01992 535 646 to book your place.

The awards this year take place at the Lancaster London Hotel, a new venue for the event.

Nintendo will be the exclusive partner for the Retail category. Other sponsors include Green Man Gaming (event partner), OPM Response (Goodie bag partner), ShopTo.net (Disco & bar partner), and NCsoft (Digital Distribution Team award sponsor).

A wide range of sponsorship opportunities are also available – contact Lesley.Blumson@intentmedia.co.uk or call her on 01992 535 647 to find out more.

MCV AWARDS 2012: THE FINALISTS

Retail – Category sponsored by Nintendo

Independent Retailer – High Street & Online
Console Connections
Games Centre
Game On
See Dee Jons
Xbite
Xpress Games

Star Store
Loading Caf, Falmouth
GAME, Stratford
Gamestation, New Street
Game On, Saffron Walden,
John Lewis Nintendo Shop, Oxford Street

Digital Retailer
EA Origin
Gamersgate
Good Old Games
PlayStation Store
Steam
Xbox Marketplace

Digital Retail Innovation
FIFA 12 Ultimate Edition (EA)
Moshi Monsters merchandising & magazine (Mind Candy)
OnLive
Portal 2 PS3 (EA/Valve)
Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure (Activision)

Specialist Retailer – High Street & Online
Blockbuster
GAME
Gamestation
GameStop
HMV
Play.com
ShoptTo.net

Mainstream Retailer – High Street & Online
Amazon
Asda
Morrisons
Sainsbury’s
Tesco
The Hut Group
Toys ‘R’ Us

PR & Marketing

Peripherals & Accessories Brand
A4T
Bigben
Insert Coin
Moshi Monsters
Power A
Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure
Turtle Beach
Venom

New Game Brand
Bastion (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Dead Island (Deep Silver)
L.A. Noire (Rockstar Games)
PS Vita (SCE UK)
Rage (Bethesda)
Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure (Activision)

Trade Marketing Team
Activision
Bethesda
Microsoft
Nintendo
SCE UK
Sega
Ubisoft
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Best Use of Social Media
Batman: Arkham City (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment/Rocksteady/Microsoft)
Dead Island (Deep Silver)
Just Dance Facebook & iOS (Ubisoft)
PlayStation Access (SCE UK)
Pwned (Electronic Arts)
Skylanders Mumsnet campaign (Activision)
Skyrim viral video (Bethesda/Harry Partridge)

PR Team
Activision
Bethesda
Electronic Arts
Namco Bandai (with Premier PR)
Nintendo (with Good Relations)
SCE UK
Sega (with Mischief PR)
THQ
Ubisoft (with Emanate PR)
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (with Premier PR and Renegade PR)
Xbox (wth JCPR)

Game Campaign
Batman: Arkham City (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Battlefield 3 (Electronic Arts)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Activision)
FIFA 12 (Electronic Arts)
Just Dance 3 (Ubisoft)
Saints Row: The Third (THQ)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (SCE UK)

Marketing Team
Activision
Bethesda
Electronic Arts
Microsoft
Nintendo
SCE UK
Sega
THQ
Ubisoft

People & Industry

Digital Distribution Team – Award sponsored by NCsoft
Bethesda
Green Man Gaming
Sega
Sony DADC
Ztorm

High Street Distribution Team
CentreSoft
EntaTech
Gem
Koch Media
Sony DADC

Sales Triumph
Angry Birds PC (Focus Multimedia/Rovio)
Dead Island (Koch Media)
Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo (Activision/Mind Candy)
Portal 2 (EA/Valve)
Saints Row: The Third (THQ)
Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure (Activision)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda)
Zumba Fitness (505 Games)

Sales Team
Activision
Bethesda
EA
Microsoft
Nintendo
SCE UK
THQ
Ubisoft

Games Publisher
Activision
Electronic Arts
Bethesda
Microsoft
Nintendo
SCE UK
Ubisoft
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Special Awards

MCV Retail Advisory Board: Special Recognition
Rosemary Buahin (SCE UK)
Martin Defries (Rising Star Games)
Darren Houghton (Gem)
Paul Oughton (Bethesda)
Ralph Pitt-Stanley (505 Games)

Grand Prix
The winner of this award is voted for entirely by MCV and is selected based on both historical industry support and stature, plus key successes over the last 12 months. Nothing will be revealed until the awards night on April 19th.

Fore more information about the MCV Awards 2012 go to www.mcvawards.com.