BAFTA has announced the nominations for the 2011 GAME British Academy Video Games Awards. You can vote for your favourite game, but know that only a few of the nominated games are suitable for children and young people.

by Rune H. Rasmussen

The nominations are in for this year’s BAFTA Game Awards, the annual Awards ceremony for the video game industry. In total, 44 games are nominated in 13 categories. Ubisoft's historical adventure Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, has been recognised with an impressive seven nominations, while Call of Duty: Black Ops and Heavy Rain, have six each, with Mass Effect 2 on five and Limbo and Super Mario Galaxy 2 with four each.

The Awards are voted for by the gaming industry and BAFTA members, as well as a series of expert juries.

View the full list of nominations

Vote for your favourite game
It´s not just the professional who get to have a say, because one of the awards will be chosen by the game playing public. The GAME Award 2010 gives you the chance to choose your favourite video game from a shortlist of selected games, and have your say on which video game deserves to be called the best game of 2010.

The shortlist of games are as follows: Super Mario Galaxy 2, Red Dead Redemption, Need For Speed: Hot Persuit, Mass Effect 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Heavy Rain, Halo Reach, Fifa 11, Dance Central, Limbo

Last year, 65,000 people voted Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, as their game of the year.

Submit your vote here: baftagameaward.com

Not suitable for children and young people
Although all of the nominated games are of the highest quality, parents need to know that only a few of them are suitable for children and young people. In fact, of the most nominated games, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the only game that doesn’t have an 18 year age limit.

Here is a brief overview of the PEGI age recommendations and content descriptors for the games on the GAME Award 2010 shortlist:

 

Super Mario Galaxy 2

 

 

 

PEGI: 3
Read our review

 

Red Dead Redemption

 

 

 

PEGI: 18, violence, bad language, drugs, gambling.
Read review: Telegraph

 

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

 

 

 

PEGI: 12
Read review: Guardian

Mass Effect 2

 

 

 

PEGI: 18, violence, bad language
Read review: Telegraph

 

Call of Duty: Black Ops

 

 

 

PEGI: 18, violence, bad language
Read review: Guardian
Related article: Video games parents should know about

Heavy Rain

 

 

 

PEGI: 18, violence, bad language
Read our review

Halo Reach

 

 

 

PEGI: 16, violence
Read review: Telegraph
Related article: Video games parents should know about

Fifa 11

 

 

 

PEGI: 3
Read our review

 

Dance Central

 

 

 

PEGI: 12, bad language, sexual content
Read review: Telegraph

Limbo

 

 

 

PEGI: 18, violence
Read review: Guardian

Kids and Media recommends
Research from all over the world leaves no doubt that a large number of children and young people play games that are not intended for their age group. As the BAFTA nominations clearly show, many of the best video games available have a content that is appropriate for adults only. The quality of the games make them attractive to young gamers, and it is hardly surprising that young people find it exciting to play intense action games with a high age rating.

Related article: Video games parents should know about

We recommend that parents talk to their children, share their experiences with other parents and acquire knowledge about popular games. It is important to follow the age limits and to prevent your children from continuing to play a game with a high age rating.

About BAFTA
BAFTA is the leading independent charity in the UK supporting, developing and promoting the art forms of the moving image. Since 2003 it has celebrated the very best in Video Games. The GAME British Academy Video Games Awards take place on Wednesday 16 March and will be recognising 2010s most innovative and creative releases.

Sources:

Guardian
BAFTA games nominations announced: Assassin's Creed up for seven

BBC
Assassin's Creed leads Bafta video game nominations

bitGamer
Nominations for BAFTA Game awards revealed