The association assumed that the departed companies' games would no longer be eligible for any of the annual "Best of E3" awards, given out by an independent group of Game Critics' Awards judges at each year's show.

But Geoff Keighley, GameTrailers executive producer and co-chairman of the Awards, said that decision hasn't been made yet. The critics' group, of which Kotaku managing editor Brian Crecente is also a member, still needs to meet to discuss the issue and decide how exactly to define which games are and are not eligible.

"The fact that Activision is not a registered exhibitor for E3 has brought to light the issue of how to determine the eligibility of games," Keighley said.

At first blush, the issue seems clear-cut. Not in E3? No "Best of E3" award. But, said Keighley, "A precedent has been set that in the past, judges have voted on games that have been presented off the show floor at hotel suites and across the street from E3."

Adhering too closely to the rules might lead to problems, as with Capcom's disqualification from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' DICE Summit awards show. Neither the critically-acclaimed and highly successful Resident Evil 4 nor the innovative fan-favorite Okami were eligible for any form of recognition, because Capcom had refused to pay membership fees to join the Academy.

"It would be a shame for me if the best game of E3 didn't win the Best of Show award because it was demoed across the street from the show floor," Keighley said. Capcom had no comment on the present issue.

Keighley's co-chair at the Game Critics' Awards, Rob Smith, said it's impossible to decide until the judges know what Activision and Vivendi have planned. At this point, neither of the companies, whose merger will soon be official, have revealed their plans for a possible summer showcase of their games.

"From Activision's standpoint, they were aware it could impact them. But their decision [to leave] the ESA is going to impact their business in a variety of areas," said Smith. "They're dealing with each of those on whatever basis they have to as an organization. They haven't lobbied us to ensure inclusion... the Game Critics' Awards wants to be able to recognize the most exciting games coming out this year, and the politics involved are not really a part of what we're about."

"That all being said... we really don't know what that means, because the game does have to be shown at E3, and nobody knows if they are."

Smith also said that he's yet to hear from either Sony or Microsoft regarding any possible award policy issues involving third-party titles. Neither Sony or Microsoft provided comment to Kotaku, either.

Activision itself declined to comment on the issue, but while the judges have their own criteria on which to make a decision, how do the other publishers feel? After all, all ESA member companies pay dues to the organization and incur heavy expenses to be part of E3. Should Activision and Vivendi receive the same considerations for E3 awards as the ESA's members do, even without being a part of the organization and, by association, the event?

While Electronic Arts, an ESA member company and a supporter of E3, sees that it is an issue, they remained impartial in their response to us.

"The landscape has changed considerably, obviously," said Mariam Sughayer of EA's corporate communications. "But the way we see it is that this is... a debate happening between the ESA and the E3 judges. We don't have comment on the way we think it should go, or which way is right."

"The dust is going to have to settle on this; there's a lot up in the air. We're letting the ESA decide it with the judges."

For its part, the ESA also declined to comment on the issue.

Making the debate somewhat more complex, according to the Awards' Keighley, is the absence of a financial component from the Game Critics Awards, which gives the judges latitude to make their own eligibility determinations.

"The fact we are independent awards [lets us] define our own rules for eligibility," said Keighley. As publishers revise their part on the E3 show floor, you have to consider the best way to move forward, to ensure we are rewarding the most creative and promising games that will shape the future of the industry."

"Our organization isn't for profit," Keighley said. "It's a volunteer organization, a consortium of journalists, so we can be pure."

Nintendo was unavailable for comment due to the Wii Fit launch, and as of press time we are awaiting reply from Vivendi.

This is it, the official list of winners for the Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2007. Before you jump to the full list, some stats:

- Rock Band leads with three wins including Best of Show. Mass Effect earns two including Best Console.
- Xbox 360 is leading platform with 11 wins, followed by eight wins for games playable on PS3
- Electronic Arts leads with six wins total, followed by Microsoft with three

Grats to Rock Band for Best of Show and LittleBigPlanet for Best Original. Hit the jump for the full, official and final list.

Best of Show
Rock Band
(Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Original Game
LittleBigPlanet
(Media Molecule/Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for PS3)

Best Console Game
Mass Effect
(Bioware/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)

Best PC Game
Crysis
(Crytek/EAP)

Best Handheld Game
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
(Nintendo for Nintendo DS)

Best Hardware/Peripheral
Rock Band Instruments
(Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Action Game
Call of Duty 4
(Infinity Ward/Activision for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Action/Adventure Game
Bioshock
(Irrational Games/2K Games for PC, Xbox 360)

Best Role Playing Game
Mass Effect
(Bioware / Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)

Best Racing Game
Burnout Paradise
(Criterion Games/Electronic Arts for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Sports Game
Madden NFL 08
(Electronic Arts for All Platforms)

Best Fighting Game
Virtua Fighter 5
(Sega for Xbox 360)

Best Strategy Game
World in Conflict
(Massive Entertainment/Sierra for PC)

Best Social/Casual/Puzzle
Rock Band
(Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Online Multiplayer
Halo 3
(Bungie/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)

Special Commendation for Graphics
Killzone 2
(Guerilla Games/Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for PS3)

2007 Game Critics Awards [GCA]

Some highlights before you hit the jump:
Rock Band leads with five nominations, followed by Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Bioshock with 4 nominations each

EA leads publishers with 14 nominations, followed by Activision, Microsoft and Nintendo with 8 nominations each

Xbox 360 most nominated platform with 38 nominations, followed by PS3 with 29, PC with 21 and Wii with 14.

Hit the jump for the full break down and to post your choices. Keep in mind these games had to be playable at E3 to be nominated, meaning no Killzone 2, no MGS4, etc, etc. The final list of winners will be unveiled on Tuesday, July 31.

Best of Show
- Bioshock (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC, Xbox 360)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward/Activision for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
- Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Mass Effect (Bioware/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)
- Rock Band (Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Original Game
- Bioshock (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC, Xbox 360)
- de Blob (Blue Tongue/THQ for Wii)
- Little Big Planet (Media Molecule/SCEE for PS3)
- Rock Band (Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Wii Fit (Nintendo for Wii)
Best PC Game
- Call of Duty 4 (Infinity Ward/Activision)
- Crysis (Crytek/Electronic Arts)
- Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Splash Damage/id/Activision)
- Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks)
- World in Conflict (Massive Entertainment/Sierra)
Best Console Game
- Bioshock (Irrational Games/2K Games for Xbox 360)
- Call of Duty 4 (Infinity Ward/Activision for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Mass Effect (BioWare/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)
- Rock Band (Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo for Wii)

Best Handheld Game
- Contra 4 (WayForward/Konami for Nintendo DS)
- Dead Head Fred (Vicious Cycle/D3 for PSP)
- God of War: Chains of Olympus (Ready at Dawn/SCEA for PSP)
- Silent Hill: Origins (Climax/Konami for PSP)
- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo for Nintendo DS)
Best Hardware
- PSP-2000 (Sony Computer Entertainment)
- Rock Band Instruments (Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Wii Balance Board (Nintendo for Wii)
- Wii Zapper (Nintendo for Wii)
Best Action Game
- Call of Duty 4 (Infinity Ward/Activision for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Crysis (Crytek/EA for PC)
- Halo 3 (Bungie/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)
- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Retro Studios/Nintendo for Wii)
- Unreal Tournament 3 (Epic Games/Midway for PC, PlayStation 3)

Best Action/Adventure Game
- Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
- Bioshock (Irrational Games/2K Games for PC, Xbox 360)
- Heavenly Sword (Ninja Theory/SCEE for PlayStation 3)
- Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo for Wii)
- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Naughty Dog/SCEA for PlayStation 3)

Best Fighting Game
- Naruto: Rise of a Ninja (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft for Xbox 360)
- Virtua Fighter 5 (Sega for Xbox 360)
- WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2008 (Yuke's/THQ for Nintendo Wii)

Best Role Playing Game
- Eternal Sonata (Namco Bandai Games for Xbox 360)
- Fable 2 (Lionhead/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)
- Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Hellgate: London (Flagship Studios/EAP for PC)
- Mass Effect (BioWare/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)

Best Racing Game
- Burnout Paradise (Criterion Games/EA for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Need for Speed ProStreet (EA Black Box/EA for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Project Gotham Racing 4 (Bizarre Creations/Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360)
- Stuntman: Ignition (Paradigm/THQ for PS2, PS3, Xbox 360)

Best Sports Game
- Madden NFL 08 (Tiburon/EA for All Systems)
- Skate (EA Black Box/EA for PS3, Xbox 360)
- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (Tiburon/EA Sports for PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
- Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (Neversoft/Activision for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)

Best Strategy Game
- Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (Firaxis/2K Games for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
- Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts (Relic/THQ for PC)
- Halo Wars (Ensemble Studios/Microsoft Game Studios for PC, Xbox 360)
- Universe at War: Earth Assault (Petroglyph/Sega for PC, Xbox 360)
- World in Conflict (Massive Entertainment/Sierra for PC)
Best Social/Casual/Puzzle Game
- Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Neversoft/Red Octane/ATVI for PS2, PS3, 360, Wii)
- Little Big Planet (Media Molecule/SCEE for PS3)
- Rock Band (Harmonix/MTV Games/EAP for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Wii Fit (Nintendo for Wii)
- Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (Capcom for Wii)

Best Online Multiplayer Game
- Burnout Paradise (Criterion Games/EA for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
- Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Splash Damage/Nerve/id/ATVI for PC, PS3, 360)
- Halo 3 (Bungie/Microsoft Games Studio for Xbox 360)
- Little Big Planet (Media Molecule/SCEE for PlayStation 3)
- Unreal Tournament 3 (Epic Games/Midway for PC, PlayStation 3)

2007 Game Critic Nominees [GCA]

We'll be posting up our own Kotaku awards later this week, but for now hit the jump and start complaining.

Best of Show:
1. Rock Band
2. Super Mario Galaxy
3. Fallout 3
4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
5. Wii Fit

Best Original Game:
1. LittleBigPlanet
2. Wii Fit
3. Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros
4. Dewy's Adventure

Best Game, Console:
1. Super Mario Galaxy
2. Mass Effect
3. Rock Band
4. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
5. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Best Game, Handheld:
1. The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass
2. God of War: Chains of Olympus
3. Geometry Wars Galaxies DS
4. Silent Hill Origins

Best Game, PC
1. Crysis
2. Bioshock
3. Fallout 3

Best Hardware/Peripheral:
1. Rock Band Drums
2. Wii Balance Board
3. Wii Party Station

Best Action Game:
1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat
2. Bioshock
3. Fracture
4. Turok
5. Haze

Best Action/Adventure Game:
1. Super Mario Galaxy
2. The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass
3. Ratchet and Clank: Future Tools of Destruction
4. Folklore
5. Assassin's Creed

Best RPG:
1. Mass Effect
2. Fallout 3
3. Blue Dragon
4. Tabula Rasa
5. Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

Best Racing Game:
1. Burnout: Paradise
2. Stuntman: Ignition
3. Project Gotham Racing 4

Best Sports Game:
1. Skate
2. Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
3. Madden 08
4. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08

Best Strategy Game:
1. Universe at War
2. World in Conflict
3. Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts

Best Social/Casual/Puzzle Game:
1. Rock Band
2. LittleBigPlanet
3. Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros
4. Pain
5. De Blob

Best Online Multiplayer:
1. Burnout Paradise
2. Army of Two
3. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
4. Haze

Special Commendation for Graphics (Non-Playable Games Eligible in this category)
1. Metal Gear Solid 4
2. Killzone 2
3. Mass Effect

Special Commendation for Sound (Non-Playable Games Eligible in this category):
1. Everyday Shooter
2. Rock Band
3. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Kotaku was lucky enough to be added to the list of judges for the 2007 Game Critics Awards this year. The E3 judges, there's 36 of us, ramble the show floor and spend tons of time leading up to the show looking for what will end up being the best games of the year's expo.

It's a challenging task, and one meant to reflect each of the judge's publications, not just their personal views. The final vote for the 18 or so categories is due tomorrow and we just wrapped up. But before we lay Kotaku's hard-argued votes on your, I wanted to give the readers a chance to have their own say. Hit the jump to check out the categories and descriptions and then vote in comments.

A couple of rules: For most categories the games had to be playable. To nominate any games in a category you had to nominate at least three, but no more than five. This is true of all but the final two "special commendation categories." Each game can only be nominated in one "genre category". The votes Kotaku casts ( and remember we've already made up our minds) will be worth points toward the final decision by the Game Critics as a whole. Since each category can have up to five nominations, the first choice is worth five points and so on.

I've always viewed the Best of E3 awards with a bit of skepticism, mostly because I had no idea how they worked. Now that I do, I can say that they're not a trivial affair and that the games that earn them, probably deserve them.

Best of Show:
In a nutshell, the "best of show" is an award to reflect the one thing you were talking about on the plane and to your friends when you returned home. Open to ANYTHING on the floor or off — you can nominate a game, a specific company's booth, a new console/handheld system, a piece of hardware, etc. In a nutshell, what was the buzz of the show...so long as it was playable.

Best Original Game:
Open to ANY game on ANY platform, regardless of genre. Game should be nominated for ambition, newness, and creativity, with a bias towards actual gameplay innovation. (Don't fall for the trap of a "cool concept" that sounds innovative but may not turn out to be a very good game). Typically this award goes to an original game series (Previous winners include: Spore, Full Spectrum Warrior, Psychonauts, Majestic and Black & White). Please do not nominate a sequel or franchise extension unless it's mind-blowingly new.

Best Game, Console:

Best Game, Portable:

Best Game, PC:

Best Peripheral/Hardware:
This can include console systems, handheld/mobile gaming devices, graphics cards, sound cards, and other peripheral devices.

Action: First-person shooters and other fast-paced games that focus on enemy combat as the primary means of advancing through the game. In the past, games nominated in this category include: Half-Life, Halo, Call of Duty, Unreal, etc.

Action/Adventure: Third-person action variants where you collect items, solve puzzles, possibly work in teams and also shoot enemies. In the past, games nominated in this category include: Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Ninja Gaiden, Ratchet & Clank, etc.

Fighting: Games focused around hand-to-hand combat against another opponent (or group of opponents). Past examples include Dead or Alive 3, Virtua Fighter, etc.

Role Playing: Games primarily focused around character advancement - Including single-player games and online games (i.e. massively multiplayer games).

Racing: Any racing game - past examples include Mario Kart, Gran Turismo, Burnout, etc.

Simulation: Games that simulate something (with the exception of racing). Past examples include The Sims, Full Spectrum Warrior, Spore, etc.

Sports: Includes all the major sports and also underground/extreme sports.

Strategy: Real-time strategy and turn-based strategy games. Past examples include Command & Conquer, Starcraft, etc.

Social/Casual/Puzzle: A catch-all for games that don't fit into other categories - puzzle games like WarioWare, EyeToy games, music games like Guitar Hero, etc.

OTHER CATEGORIES
Online Multiplayer: A game with a unique online component - it can also have single-player support. You can nominate a game in this category and also in its appropriate genre category.

Special Commendations (sound & graphics): These work differently than the other categories. You have three nominations to reward outstanding graphics and sound in games shown at E3 — This is the only group of categories where non-playable games are eligible. Anything mentioned on over 50% of the nomination lists wins a special commendation.