Television's Most Watched Video Game Series Announces Nominees For The Seventh Annual "X-PLAY BEST OF 2009 AWARDS"

Special One-Hour Awards Show Premieres Tuesday, December 15 at 6:00PM on G4

"X-Play," the most watched video game series on television, announces its award nominees for the seventh annual "X-Play Best of 2009 Awards" as selected by G4's team of gaming experts. This year has delivered some of the biggest game titles in history, ensuring intense competition in each of the 20 categories, which include Best Original Game, Best Gameplay Innovation, Best New Character and Best Sound Design. 

In a special one-hour awards show, "X-Play" takes fans through each category to reveal the winners, finally culminating with the highly coveted Game of the Year award. Hosts Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb present "X-Play Best of 2009 Awards" premiering Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 6:00PM ET/PT, only on G4.

"2009 was a standout year in terms of the breadth and quality of games released. The creativity in the industry is strong and is well reflected in these shortlists," said Adam Sessler, Host and Editor-in-Chief, "X-Play." "It was nothing short of pleasurable to afford these games the acclaim they so deserve."

"'X-Play' has been working hard to nominate the best games in every category, from best soundtrack, to most original new character, to the big one - game of the year," says Morgan Webb, Host, "X-Play."  "We know we have a responsibility to our audience, so we've been putting the year's biggest games under a microscope to make sure the right titles get recognized."

"X-Play Best of 2009 Awards" categories and nominees include:

Game of the Year

Assassin's Creed II

Borderlands

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

inFamous

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Best Original Game

Borderlands

Brutal Legend

Flower

Scribblenauts

Shadow Complex

Best Gameplay Innovation

Borderlands (Gun Tech)

Demon's Souls (Multiplayer)

Modern Warfare 2 (Death Perks)

Red Faction: Guerilla (New Geo-Modding)

Scribblenauts (Vocabulary)

Best Multiplayer Game

Borderlands

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Halo 3: ODST

Left 4 Dead 2

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Best Action/Adventure Game

Assassin's Creed II

Batman: Arkham Asylum

inFamous

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Best Shooter

Borderlands

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Halo 3: ODST

Killzone 2

Left 4 Dead 2

Best New Character

Chloe (Uncharted 2: Among Thieves)

Cole (inFamous)

Claptrap (Borderlands)

Eddie (Brutal Legend)

Ezio (Assassin's Creed II)

Best Art Direction

Assassin's Creed II

The Beatles: Rock Band

Borderlands

Brutal Legend

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Best Animation

Assassin's Creed II

Fight Night Round 4

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

Street Fighter IV

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Best Writing

Assassin's Creed II

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Brutal Legend

GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Best Original Soundtrack

Assassin's Creed II

Flower

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Halo 3: ODST

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Best Sound Design

The Beatles: Rock Band

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Killzone 2

Left 4 Dead 2

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Best Downloadable Game

1 vs. 100

Battlefield 1943

Flower

Shadow Complex

'Splosion Man

Best DLC

Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island

Fallout 3: Broken Steel

Fallout 3: Point Lookout

GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony

GTA IV: The Lost & Damned

Best Racing Game

Dirt 2

Forza Motorsport 3

Fuel

Need for Speed: Shift

Best Role-playing Game

Demon's Souls

Dragon Age: Origins

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor

Torchlight

Best Music Game

The Beatles: Rock Band

DJ Hero

Guitar Hero 5

LEGO Rock Band

Rock Band Unplugged

Best Fighting Game

Street Fighter IV

Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny

BlazBlue

Best Handheld Game

GTA: Chinatown Wars (DS)

LittleBigPlanet Portable (PSP)

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

Rock Band Unplugged

Best Sports Game

FIFA 10

Fight Night Round 4

MLB 09: The Show

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Wii)

Wii Sports Resort

For more information on each nominee and the awards, including exclusive content, personal "Best of 2009" lists from the entire G4 editorial staff and more, please visit http://g4tv.com/bestof2009