Journey leads 16th D.I.C.E. Awards nominations, Chris Hardwick announced as host

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) this morning revealed the nominations for the 16th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards and also revealed that Chris Hardwick will be taking on hosting duties.

As for nominated titles, thatgamecompany’s brilliant PS3 downloadable title, Journey, is up for the most nominations with 11, followed by The Walking Dead, Halo 4, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Far Cry 3 and Borderlands 2.

The awards will take place on February 7th at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas during the 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit.

Read on for the official announcement along with the nominee list.

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) is pleased to announce nominations for the 16th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards (#DICEAwards), the industry?s premier peer-based awards show.  The Academy also revealed self-proclaimed nerd and video game enthusiast Chris Hardwick, founder of Nerdist.com and host of his own Comedy Central stand-up special, AMC?s Talking Dead, and newly announced BBC America?s The Nerdist, will serve as this year?s host.

Showcasing the breadth and depth of an incredible year of games, 63 games representing console to web-based to mobile, received D.I.C.E. Award nominations. Leading the nominations is Journey with 11 nominations, including Game of the Year.  Rounding out the Game of the Year nominations are: Borderlands 2, Far Cry 3, The Walking Dead, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown.  Several titles earned multiple nods, including The Walking Dead with eight nominations, Far Cry 3 with seven, Halo 4 with six, and Borderlands 2 and Dishonored both receiving five each.

The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, February 7th at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas during the 2013 D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit (#DICE2013). The AIAS, in collaboration with media partner Variety, will live stream the Awards on Machinima in its entirety at 7:30pm PT / 10:30pm ET.

“The D.I.C.E. Awards are VERY important to me,? said Hardwick.  ?I have been playing video games since there were video games. I hope there is some type of Dovahkiin Shout that will make sure I don’t mess this up. I will find one! If not, I’ll just look like a psychotic, screaming a**hole leading up to the Awards.”

?We are thrilled to welcome Chris to the D.I.C.E. Awards. He is the ultimate representation of our industry: a nerd at heart with a wicked sense of humor and a deep appreciation for the immense talent and creativity that keeps our industry thriving,? said Martin Rae, president, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. ?As I look at the list of the 2012 finalist games, there is no doubt in my mind that every single nominated title strongly reflects the D.I.C.E. Awards moniker ? Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain.  Across all platforms and through deeply immersive experiences, our industry continues to outdo itself year over year, finding new and interesting ways to evolve and engage audiences.?

Following is a partial list of nominees; the complete list of Awards categories, finalists, and game maker credits is available at: http://www.interactive.org/images/awards/16th-Annual-D.I.C.E.-Finalists-For-Web.pdf 

Game of the Year

Borderlands 2

• Publisher: 2k Games
• Developer: Gearbox Software

Far Cry 3

• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Developer: Ubisoft

Journey

• Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, LLC
• Developer: thatgamecompany

The Walking Dead

• Publisher: Telltale Games
• Developer: Telltale Games

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

• Publisher: 2k Games
• Developer: Firaxis Games

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

Journey

• Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, LLC
• Developer: thatgamecompany

Dishonored

• Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
• Developer: Arkane Studios

Far Cry 3

• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Developer: Ubisoft

The Unfinished Swan

• Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, LLC
• Developer: Giant Sparrow

The Walking Dead

• Publisher: Telltale Games
• Developer: Telltale Games

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming

Journey

• Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, LLC
• Developer: thatgamecompany

Nintendo Land

• Publisher: Nintendo of America Inc.
• Developer: Nintendo

Sound Shapes

• Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, LLC
• Developer: Queasy Games

The Unfinished Swan

• Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America, LLC
• Developer: Giant Sparrow

The Walking Dead

• Publisher: Telltale Games
• Developer: Telltale Games

Action Game of the Year

Borderlands 2

• Publisher: 2k Games
• Developer: Gearbox Software

Far Cry 3

• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Developer: Ubisoft

Halo 4

• Publisher: Microsoft Studios
• Developer: 343 Industries

Hitman: Absolution

• Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
• Developer: IO Interactive A/S

Sleeping Dogs

• Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.
• Developer: United Front Games

Adventure Game of the Year

Assassin’s Creed III

• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Developer: Ubisoft

Darksiders II

• Publisher: THQ
• Developer: Vigil Games

Dishonored

• Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
• Developer: Arkane Studios

New Super Mario Bros. Wii U

• Publisher: Nintendo of America Inc.
• Developer: Nintendo

The Walking Dead

• Publisher: Telltale Games
• Developer: Telltale Games

Mobile Game of the Year

Fairway Solitaire

• Publisher: Big Fish
• Developer: Big Fish

Hero Academy

• Publisher: Robot Entertainment
• Developer: Robot Entertainment

Horn

• Publisher: Zynga
• Developer: Phosphor Games Studio

Rayman Jungle Run

• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Developer: Pastagames, Ubisoft Montpellier