Battlefield 3, Best European Video Game at Bilbao’s Fun & Serious Game Festival

• 2012-11-22 13:38
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Bilbao, November 8, 2011. The Fun & Serious Game Festival has had a gala in style as a tribute to the European video game industry, a sector with an annual turnover of €11,000 million. Celebrities and leading figures from various spheres walked down the red carpet at the Campos Elíseos Theatre in Bilbao at a show wrapped in luxury and glamour. Top car manufacturers like Hummer, Ferrari, or Lamborghini were present too, parading along the streets before the event.


The ceremony had three extraordinary hosts: actors Álex O’Dogherty and Nerea Garmendia, and model Patricia Conde. Happy to be in Bilbao, they enlivened the evening with their humorous remarks. O’Dogherty told the audience he was “in the right place at the right time. Here we are like cats: no matter how many times they kill you, you always have an extra life.” The girls talked about the “spectacular development” of the video game industry, “from Super Mario Bros. to hyperreal 3D environments.”

The award ceremony, which was conducted in three languages (Spanish, Basque, and English), had two parts: Best Serious Games and Best Fun Games. The Serious Game Judges, including leading experts like David Wortley or Gareth Mills, granted four different awards for Best Health Serious Game (Playmancer), Best Culture and Tourism Serious Game (Medieval Dublin), or Best Educational Serious Game (AfterZoom). Nacho García, CEO of Abylight, scooped the prize for Best Educational Game, describing Bilbao as “the Hollywood of video games for a few days.”

Fun Game Judges
The judges in charge of evaluating fun games included specialists like Matthew Mead or Jazno Francoeur, They granted 16 different awards. The big prize, Best European Game of the Year, went to Battlefield 3, which also scooped the award for Best Action Game. Fiachra Synnott, Production Manager at Electronic Arts, said he was “very satisfied” for the recognition. “The key to success is no other than hard work, creativity, and talent plus, of course, a pinch of luck,” he added.

Another big winner was Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. This costly project got the award for Best Non-European Game of the Year. Game developer Justin Richmond is delivering a lecture tomorrow, on day 2 of the Fun & Serious Game Festival. “Video games have not reached their limit yet, and they are becoming more like mega film productions,” Richmond pointed out.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings got awards in three different categories: Best PC Game, Best Role Playing Game, and Best Game Script. Designer Mateusz Kanik and scriptwriter Sebastian Stepien celebrated their game’s success, stressing the importance of listening to fans when it comes to game development. Last but not least, Killzone 3 was considered to be the Best Console Game, whereas NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits and BasketDudes were chosen as Best Mobile/Tablet Game and Best Online/Web Game, respectively.

A Star-Studded Evening
The gala at the Arteria Campos Elíseos Theatre in Bilbao draw leading figures from various spheres. The red carpet was awash with celebrities and authorities, which included Rodolfo Ares (Basque Minister of Home Affairs), Bernabé Unda (Basque Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism), Imanol Pradales (Councillor for Economic Development), Ibon Areso (First Deputy Mayor of Bilbao), Ibone Bengoetxea (President of the Association of Basque Municipalities, Eudel), Santiago de Ybarra (President of El Correo and Honorary President of Vocento), writers Juan Bas and Espido Freire, singers Ainhoa Cantalapiedra and Jon Allende, filmmaker Eduardo Chapero-Jackson, actors Diego Martín, Jesús Olmedo, Alberto Ferreiro, Javier Calvo, and Aida Folch, and sportspeople Unai Basurko (yachting), Virginia Berasategui (triathlon), and Athletic Club star Aitor Ocio (football).