The event sets sail on Royal Caribbean's premiere vessel Enchantment of the Seas®, leaving Baltimore, Maryland, on Saturday, October 29, 2011, for a 5 night cruise returning Thursday, November 3. Gamers and supporters will be heading to the Bermuda Triangle on Halloween for a Cosplay Caucus Cruise (C3). 

The nominees are:

Animation

• Final Fantasy X
• ICO
• God of War
• Shadow of the Colossus
• Okami

Art Direction

• Final Fantasy X
• ICO
• God of War
• Okami
• Bioshock

Camera Direction in a Game Engine

• ICO
• Sly 2: Band of Thieves
• Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves
• Gears of War
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Character Design

•  Oddworld Munch's Oddysee
• Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
• Viewtiful Joe 2
• Shadow of the Colossus
• Batman: Arkham Asylum

Control Design

• Pikmin
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
• Sly 2: Band of Thieves
• Guitar Hero
• Wii Sports

Control Precision

• Soul Calibur II
• Gran Turismo 4
• Guitar Hero II
• The Orange Box
• inFamous

Costume Design

• Devil May Cry
• Kingdom Hearts
• Final Fantasy X-2
• Devil May Cry 3

Direction in a Game Cinema

• Metal Gear Solid 2
• Final Fantasy XII
• Bioshock
• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Game Design

• ICO
• Shadow of the Colossus
• The Orange Box
• Little Big Planet
• Batman: Arkham Asylum

Graphics, Technical

• Half-Life 2
• Shadow of the Colossus
• Crysis
• Little Big Planet
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Innovation in Game Play

• Pikmin
• Animal Crossing
• Katamari Damacy
• Little Big Planet
• Scribblenauts

Innovation in Game Technology

• Xbox Live
• Eye Toy
• Nintendo DS
• Guitar Hero
• Nintendo Wii

Lighting/Texturing Effects

• ICO
• Resident Evil 4
• Gears of War
• Bioshock
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Original Musical Score

• Kingdom Hearts
• Silent Hill 3
• Halo 2
• Mass Effect
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Original/Adapted Song

• "Late Goodbye," Max Payne 2
• "Katamari on the Swing," We Love Katamari
• "Still Alive," Portal
• "The One Star," The World Ends With You
• "LaLaLa," Klonoa

Sound Effects

• Silent Hill 2
• Doom 3
• Bioshock
• Dead Space
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Use of Sound

• F.E.A.R.
• Gears of War
• Flow
• Dead Space
• Batman: Arkham Asylum

Lead Performance in a Comedy

• Richard Horvitz, "Psychonauts"
• Max Casella, "Daxter"
• David Kaye, "Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction"
• Robin Atkin Downes, "No More Heroes"
• Jack Black, "Brutal Legend"

Lead Performance in a Drama

• Ray Liotta, "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City"
• Thomas Jane, "Gun"
• Jennifer Hale, "Mass Effect"
• Liam Neeson, "Fallout 3"
• Nolan North, "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves"

Supporting Performance in a Comedy

• Sherrie Jackson, "Psychonauts"
•   Peter Vack, "Bully"
• Will Wright, "The Simpsons Game"
• Stephen Fry, "Little Big Planet"
• Bill Murray, "Ghostbusters: The Video Game"

Supporting Performance in a Drama

• Adam West, "XIII"
• Adam Sietz, "Neverwinter Nights 2"
• Cam Clarke, "Mass Effect"
• Timothy Adams, "Grand Theft Auto IV"
• Mark Hamill, "Batman: Arkham Asylum"

Writing in a Comedy

• Psychonauts
• Sam and Max: Episode 1
• The Simpsons Game
• Penny Arcade Adventures Episode 1
• Brutal Legend

Writing in a Drama

• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
• Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
• Indigo Prophecy
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Outstanding Classic Revival Game

• Conker: Live & Reloaded
• Final Fantasy III
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (XBLA)
• Chrono Trigger
• The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition

Outstanding Music or Performance Game

• Frequency
• Guitar Hero
• Guitar Hero II
• Rock Band 2
• The Beatles: Rock Band

Original Action Game

• Max Payne
• Call of Duty
• God of War
• Gears of War
• Bioshock

Original Adventure Game

• ICO
• Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
• Beyond Good & Evil
• Okami
• inFamous

Original Children/Family Game

• Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
• Katamari Damacy
• Viva Pinata
• Little Big Planet
• Scribblenauts

Original Fighting Game

• War of the Monsters
• Custom Robo
• The Warriors
• God Hand
• Madworld

Original Racing Game

• TrackMania
• Jak X: Combat Racing
• Excite Truck
• Motorstorm
• Trials HD

Original Role Playing Game

• Kingdom Hearts
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
• World of Warcraft
• Mass Effect
• Demon's Souls

Original Sports

• World Soccer: Winning Eleven 6 Int'l
• ESPN Major League Baseball
• Mario Superstar Baseball
• Skate

Action Game Sequel

• Grand Theft Auto 3
• Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
• Half-Life 2
• Grand Theft Auto IV
• Batman: Arkham Asylum*

Adventure Game Sequel

• Metal Gear Solid 2
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
• Resident Evil 4
• Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Children/Family Game Sequel

• Super Mario Sunshine
• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
• We Love Katamari
• Super Mario Galaxy
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Fighting Game Sequel

• Dead or Alive 3
• Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance
• Soul Calibur II
• Dead or Alive: Ultimate
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Racing Game Sequel

• Burnout 2: Point of Impact
• Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
• Burnout 3: Takedown
• Burnout Paradise
• Forza Motorsport 3

Role Playing Game Sequel

• Final Fantasy X
• Star Wars KOTOR II: The Sith Lords
• Dragon Quest VIII
• World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
• Fallout 3

Sports Sequel

• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
• ESPN NFL 2K5
• World Soccer Winning Eleven 9
• Madden NFL 08
• Wii Sports Resort

Simulation Game

• Steel Battalion
• The Sims 2
• The Movies
• Sid Meier's Railroads
• Spore

Special Class Game

• Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
• Lumines
• Brain Age
• Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
• Flower

Strategy Game

• Advance Wars
• Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
• Rome: Total War
• Company of Heroes
• PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe

Game of the Decade (cut to 10 by June 9)

• Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Bioshock
• Brain Age
• Burnout 3: Takedown
• Call of Duty
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Dead or Alive 3
• Demon's Souls
• Devil May Cry
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• ESPN NFL 2K5
• Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
• Final Fantasy X
• God of War
• Guitar Hero
• Guitar Hero II
• ICO
• Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
• Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
• Little Big Planet           
•   Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
• Mass Effect
• Max Payne
• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots     
•   Metroid Prime
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii
• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
• Pikmin
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
• Psychonauts
• Resident Evil 4
• Rock Band 2
• Rome: Total War
• Shadow of the Colossus
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
• Super Mario Galaxy
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• World of Warcraft

The following previous Game of the Year winners were eliminated by super-delegates:

• Grand Theft Auto 3
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
• Half-Life 2
• Okami

Super-delegates are contributors from varied outlets such as 1up, About.com, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Austin American-Statesman, Chicago Sun-Times, CNN, Contra Costa Times, Detroit Free Press, Digital Journal, EclipseMagazine.com, FHM, Gannett News Service, LA Weekly, Los Angeles Times, National Post, National Public Radio, NBC, New York Times, The Ottawa Citizen, PC Gamer, Philadelphia Inquirer, Play Magazine, Public Radio International, The Regina Leader-Post, Salon, San Jose Mercury-News, USA Today, The Vancouver Sun, Wired News, Wizard Magazine, WOW Weekly, Ziff-Davis Media, and more.

Donations of $100 from every ticket sold will be contributed to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, in honor of the person named by the ticket holder.