The Mercury Prize nominations were announced earlier this week, prompting the usual heated discussions about the artist selections, the controversial omissions and the broader purpose of the entire enterprise itself.
According to the official website, the remit is merely to champion UK music, with no specific agenda concerning eligible styles and genres. However, there's clearly a bias toward the more sonorous, stately end of the mainstream indie spectrum (so, no to Wombats and Pigeon detectives, yes to Elbow and Radiohead), and a determination to represent the sitar-pluckers, drum troublers and folk warblers languishing under the problematic world/roots heading. Agenda or no agenda The Mercury Prize is clearly not The Brits. Or the MTV Awards.
So, my question is, if there were such a prize in the videogame sector - a ceremony that celebrates offbeat, original games, available through mainstream channels - what would you chose from the last 12 months?
You don't have to stick to UK games, and you can opt for XBLA, WiiWare, PSN and Flash titles as well as major retail releases. Just keep in mind, it's got to be a bit offbeat. And no sequels...
My suggestions...
1. The World Ends With You 2. Boom Blox 3. Echochrome 4. Warhawk 5. Mass Effect 6. Spore Creature Maker
