The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has announced the nominees for the 15th annual Interactive Achievement Awards and, to save everybody some time, they just recycled the nominee list from 2010.
OK, not really. But a surprising number of games on this year’s ballot are part of franchises that took home some IAA hardware in 2010. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception leads all nominees with 12 nominations, just like Uncharted 2, which nearly swept the 2010 IAAs. Batman: Arkham Asylum won every award that Uncharted 2 didn’t in 2010, and so it goes in 2012 as Batman: Arkham City racked up six nominations this year.
Other games with more than five nominations include Portal 2 (ten), L.A. Noire (nine), Battlefield 3, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (six each).
Many of those multiple nominees (Arkham City, Skyrim, Portal 2, and Uncharted 3) will be involved in the five-way battle royale for the IAA Game of the Year award. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword rounds out the the category.
Hit the break for a complete list of every nominated game in all categories. And remember, the 2012 AIAS IAAs will be handed out during this year’s DICE Summit on February 9.
AIAS 15th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards Finalists
Game of the Year
Batman: Arkham City
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
L.A. Noire
LittleBigPlanet 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
InFamous 2
Portal 2
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
L.A. Noire
Need For Speed: The Run
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Outstanding Achievement in Story
Bastion
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Outstanding Character Performance
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Adam Jensen)
L.A. Noire (Cole Phelps)
Portal 2 (Wheatley)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Nathan Drake)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Victor Sullivan)
Downloadable Game of the Year
Bastion
Drawn: Trail of Shadows
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Ms. Splosion Man
Orcs Must Die!
Casual Game of the Year
Fruit Ninja Kinect
Tiny Wings
Jetpack Joyride
Monsters Ate My Condo
Where’s My Water?
Social Networking Game of the Year
Army Attack
CastleVille
Gardens of Time
The Sims Social
Triple Town
Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year
Dark Souls
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Star Wars: The Old Republic
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
Outstanding Innovation in Gaming
Bastion
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure
Sports Game of the Year
FIFA 12
Madden NFL 12
MLB 11: The Show
NBA 2K12
NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
Racing Game of the Year
Forza Motorsport 4
Mario Kart 7
Real Racing 2 HD
Fighting Game of the Year
Fight Night Champion
King of Fighters XIII
Mortal Kombat
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
Iron Brigade (AKA Trenched)
Orcs Must Die!
Total War: Shogun II
Toy Soldiers: Cold War
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Retribution
Family Game of the Year
Dance Central 2
Just Dance 3
Kinect Disneyland Adventure
LittleBigPlanet 2
Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure
Mobile Game of the Year
Contre Jour
The Dark Meadow
Dead Space
Infinity Blade II
Tentacles
Handheld Game of the Year
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Kirby Mass Attack
Mario Kart 7
Professor Layton and the Last Specter
Super Mario 3D Land
Adventure Game of the Year
Batman: Arkham City
L.A. Noire
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Gears of War 3
LittleBigPlanet 2
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Outstanding Achievement in Connectivity
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Dragon Age II
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Action Game of the Year
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Dead Space 2
Gears of War 3
Saints Row: The Third
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Batman: Arkham City
L.A. Noire
Rayman Origins
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
Batman: Arkham City
Battlefield 3
Portal 2
Rayman Origins
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering
Battlefield 3
Crysis 2
L.A. Noire
Rage
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering
Batman: Arkham City
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Portal 2
Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
Batman: Arkham City
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception