Microsoft Hosts First Annual Xbox Live Arcade Awards

To honor the independent developers who've been building the backlog of Xbox Live Arcade games, Microsoft is hosting its first annual Xbox Live Arcade awards. Visitors to the award website will be eligible to vote between Tuesday, January 22, at 2:00 a.m. PST and runs through Wednesday, January 30, at 11:59 p.m. PST.

The categories available to public voting are:

• Best Overall Arcade Game
• Best Classic Game
• Best Original Game
• Best Family Friendly Game
• Best Competitive Multiplayer Game
• Best Cooperative Multiplayer Game

Nominations in each of the six categories were selected by a panel of industry experts, and write-in options are also available for gamers who feel their favorite titles have been overlooked. Nominees for Best Overall Arcade Game of 2007 include Puzzle Quest, Pac-Man Championship Edition, Carcassonne, Bomberman Live, Alien Hominid and Catan.

Additionally, the Xbox team will be selecting winners in the following areas:

• Best selling game
• Most played game
• Highest rated game
• Staff choice

Award winners will be announced at the 2008 Game Developers Conference, being held in February at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Gamers can vote for their favorite XBLA titles here.