What are The Golden Joystick Awards and why should I care?

Reasons to cast your vote in the ultimate gaming gongs

Words: on August 26, 2010

Sure, there are plenty of gaming awards kicking around, but the Golden Joysticks are the ones to be voted by you, the guys and girls who actually buy and play the games. There are no committees of journos and games industry execs deciding who wins, just a giant online ballot box where gamers cast their votes and a piece of software spits out the final counts. So in a nutshell, that’s why you should care about the Joysticks and head to www.goldenjoystick.com to vote. Now!


But how does the Golden Joysticks work?

There are 16 different categories open for the 2010 Joysticks, ranging from best Action/Adventure, RPG and Shooter to best Puzzle, Download and Portable. You can vote in as many or as few categories as you want.

But which games are eligible, we hear you cry? Well, every game that was released between 25 May 2009 and 25 May 2010 (UK release dates) went into a ‘longlist’. After a month or so of voting, the ten games with the most votes in each category were shovelled into a shortlist, which is what you can see on the website when you go to vote. Voting closes in late October, and the winners will be announced on 29 October at a ceremony in London.


So it’s all pretty simple, really.

Just a couple more points of interest: the Joysticks have been going for 28 years, making them gaming’s longest running gongs. They are also the world’s most popular videogame awards, with over 1.2 million votes cast last year. They’ve got a Guinness World Record certificate to prove it and everything.

So get to voting and make your voice heard!

Aug 26, 2010

Related

Platforms:

Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, PSP, DS, 3DS

24 Comments
Order Comments: Newest First | Oldest First
  • Kieran712

    Kieran712  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    I cant be bothered to post all my nominees on this so ill just say, anyone who doesn't vote for Heavy Rain for soundtrack epicly fails and GOTY smells!

    Sorry my Heavy Rain fanboyism came out a little there.
  • GaryTheGuidoHunter

    GaryTheGuidoHunter  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    Yea! Its the Goldies! Red Dead for game of the fuckin year!Oh and FarmVille? Really? Thats a fuckin contender? Seriously? Goddammit...
  • dan412

    dan412  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    Mass effect 2 ultimate game of the year
  • FunkSoulBrother

    FunkSoulBrother  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    Never mind
  • FunkSoulBrother

    FunkSoulBrother  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    Uh when is it
  • reaperman22

    reaperman22  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    did it a while ago
  • ChrisRapeRazedTylerWildeInTheBackOfBrettsVantista

    ChrisRapeRazedTylerWildeInTheBackOfBrettsVantista  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    "But How does the golden Joysticks work?"

    I don't know! How does they work?
  • RebornKusabi

    RebornKusabi  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    Done; My nominations are, because I had free time to post this:

    Action GotY: Batman: Arkham Asylum
    Downloadable GotY: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
    Fighting GotY: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
    Music GotY: None...
    "One to watch": The Legend Of Zelda Wii
    Online GotY: None
    Portable GotY: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
    Puzzle GotY: None
    Racing GotY: None
    Role Playing GotY: Mass Effect 2
    Shooter GotY: BioShock 2
    Soundtrack of the Year: Mass Effect 2
    Sports GotY: None
    Strategy GotY: None
    UK Developer of the Year: Rocksteady Studios

    Ultimate Ultra Special Awesome Game of the mother****ing Goddamn Year:

    Mass Effect 2! Come on down!
  • oneshotfinch

    oneshotfinch  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    Oh, Uncharted 2 is there. I feel stupid.

    @mahabat Not really. RDR is a lot better than Aion, Dragon Age, MW2, Final Fantasy 13, Heavy Rain, Metro 2033, God of War 3, Plants vs Zombies and STALKER.
  • WickedSid

    WickedSid  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    @mahabat, Have you even played the Single Player? If you could not get into that story and feel for the ending, I believe you are emotionally detached.

    Even though the ending of RDR was spoiled for me by the glorious Talkradar, it may it none the less emotional.
  • mahabat

    mahabat  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    your right it should just be a whole list of ps3 games and nothing else, especially the ones that aren't even out yet, and oneshotfinch ok all but one game there are you happy?
  • Helios

    Helios  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    At first I thought, "Sweet! I can vote for something!" And then I remembered that the most recently released game I own is Red Faction: Guerrilla, and it isn't in any of the shortlist categories (at least that I can see-- I might have missed it). All my other games are from 2008 and back. Ah, well.
  • sleepy92ismypsn

    sleepy92ismypsn  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    And why are their no PS3 exclusives or Bioshock Infinite in the games to watch? They need to add The Last Guardian, Twisted Metal, inFAMOUS 2, Killzone 3, LittleBigPlanet 2, Gran Turismo 5, Resistance 3, Ratchet and Clank: All 4 one, Agent, The Sly Collection.
  • oneshotfinch

    oneshotfinch  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    @mahabat Like Football Manager 2010
  • sleepy92ismypsn

    sleepy92ismypsn  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    WTF is up with all the games that came out in 2009? RDR is GOTY.
  • mahabat

    mahabat  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    red dead redemption? why? because the reviews said it was good? seriously i mean the game is good, but nowhere near as good as the rest of the games on that list
  • Clovin64

    Clovin64  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    I think I already voted about a month ago. Red Dead Redemption for Ultimate Game of the Year!
  • oneshotfinch

    oneshotfinch  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    Out of 12 nominations for GOTY, Uncharted 2 isn't nominated while Aion, Football Manager 2010 and New Super Mario Bros Wii are.
  • batmanboy11

    batmanboy11  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    I'm voting NOW
  • Dabenguin

    Dabenguin  - 1 year, 5 months ago  - Report

    anyone who votes for farmville deserves to be burned alive
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