Gametrailers.com has started announcing many of their picks for the best of 2006 in their Gametrailer Game of the Year Awards 2006. For the next few weeks, the site will continue to post videos which announce the winners in the 26 categories for which awards will be named and our Year-End Award Watch will highlight some of the notable wins as they come along. Here are the awards handed out to date:

Best Xbox 360 Game: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
best Xbox Game: Scarface: The World Is Yours
Best GameCube Game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Best Nintendo DS Game: New Super Mario Bros.
Best Story: Dreamfall: The Longest Journey
Best Racing Game: Burnout Revenge
Best Strategy Game: Company of Heroes
Best Fighting Game: Tekken: Dark Resurrection
Best Puzzle Game: Elite Beat Agents
Best Online Game: Rainbow Six: Vegas
Best Simulation: Guitar Hero II
Innovation Award: Nintendo Wii

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As we head into New Year’s weekend, we’re going to kick off the weekend with some more new trailers. Many of which are in Japanese, but they are impressive no less. Highlighting today’s batch include Enchanted Arms, Armored Core 4 and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates.

Enchanted Arms (Software) - PS3

Armored Core 4 (SEGA) - PS3

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (Square Enix) - DS

Spectral Diario (Idea Factory) - Xbox 360

Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology (Namco) -PSP

Puzzle Quest (D3 Publisher) - PSP & DS

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Gamespot’s Best and Worst Games of 2006 have and gone — well not completely as the reader votes will be announced next month — and here are some of the highlights from the awards:

2006 Game of the Year: Gears of War

Best New Gaming Hardware: Nintendo’s Wii

Best Playstation 3 Game: Resistance: Fall of Man

Best Playstation 2 Game: Final Fantasy XII

Best Xbox Game: NCAA Football 07

Best Xbox 360 Game: Gears of War

Best Wii Game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Best Game Boy Advance Game: Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation

Best Nintendo DS Game: Elite Beat Agents

Best PSP Game: Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

Best GameCube Game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Best PC Game: Company of Heroes

Most Disappointing Game: Street Fighter II’ Hyper Fighting

Flat-Out Worst Game: Bomberman: Act Zero

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IGN.com recently released its award lists for it’s various channels. And while we have to wait until January for their choice for overall game of the year, here’s a quick rundown of the big winners for the various consoles:

PC Game of Year: Company of Heroes

PS2 Game of the Year: Final Fantasy XII

PS3 Game of the Year: Resistance: Fall of Man

PSP Game of the Year: Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror

Xbox Game of the Year: Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Double Agent

Xbox 360 Game of the Year: Gears of War

Gamecube Game of the Year: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Wii Game of the Year: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

DS: Game of the Year: Elite Beat Agents

Wireless Game of the Year: Tornado Mania

Best New Console: Playstation 3

Sports Video Game of Year: NBA 2K7 (PS3, Xbox 360)

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Yeah, the holidays can often be light on news, but hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little walk back in the Trailer Park. Today, there’s some serious Japanese trailer love with Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings and Yakuza 2.

Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings (Square Enix) - DS

Yakuza 2 (SEGA) - PS2

Virtua Tennis 3 (SEGA) - PS3, 360

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Twas the night before Christmas and all through the park….

….there were trailers. What else were you expecting? Highlighted by the Jump Festa trailer for Dragon Quest IX, here are some of the latest trailers to help get you excited for 2007.

Dragon Quest IX (Square Enix) - DS

Halo 3 Video Documentary: “Et Tu Brute” (Bungie) - Xbox 360

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI (KOEI) - PS2, PC

Tomb Raider Anniversary (Eidos) - PS2, PC

NBA Street Homecourt (EA Big)

Crazy Frog Racing (Neko Entertainment) - PS2, PC

Gran Turismo HD (SCEA) - PS3

Rafa Nadal Tennis (Codemaster) - DS

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Here are interesting tidbits of note going into Christmas weekend:

In the ever disappearing era of exclusives actually being exclusive, SEGA has announced Virtua Fighter 5, initially releasing Feb. 20 solely on the PS3, to be released for the Xbox 360 late next summer.

Today marked the beginning of the free trial period for the Opera web browser on the Wii. Downloads before July 1, 2007 will be free for the life of the console. Those who wait until then however will have use 500 points from the Wii shop.

1up.com broke light on possible Wii/DS connectivity in the future in an interview with DS Product Manager James Honeywell: “‘You will definitely see Wii and DS interoperability as soon as we have it finished,’ said Honeywell. ‘We haven’t made any announcements over specific software for connectivity, but there are definitely a number of exciting things in creation which we want to bring to market as soon as possible. We’re hopeful that will be next year.’”

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In a move that’s both in the holiday spirit and….well I little weird, Lucas Arts sent out an email that explains how to create jolly Ol’ St. Nick in LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy:
Step 1: At the Mos Eisley Cantina, enter the following two codes:

CL4U5H (for Santa hat and red clothes)

TYH319 (for white beard Extra)

Step 2: Go to the Character Customizer and create the proper costume. Use a human head, the appropriate red clothing…and don’t forget the red cap! Santa can wield the weapon of your choice — we recommend the green or red lightsaber to seasonally complement his shiny red duds. (Remember, the color of his lightsaber decides whether his Force powers are naughty or nice.)

Step 3: In the Extras menu, activate Disguise 3.

Step 4: Enter the character-based level of your choice in Free Play.

Step 5: Spread holiday cheer to a galaxy in pieces.

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Doug Lowenstein, the founding president of the Entertainment Software Association, will resign in early 2007 according to the trade organization. Lowenstein will stay on as president as the ESA searches for his replacement before leaving to start an investment industry trade organization.

“I have been honored to represent the amazing companies of the ESA, to serve as their advocate and to be part of an industry which is having such a profound and positive effect on our culture and the world of entertainment,” Lowenstein said. “Like our industry, the ESA has grown and matured and is now stronger and more robust than ever before. The future of videogames and its trade association is very bright indeed.”

Lowenstein joined the then-called Interactive Digital Software Association back in 1994. He pushed for the name change to Entertainment Software Association, and the ESA has grown from two employees to 32 in his tenure.
“As the founding president of this organization, Doug built ESA into a very effective and influential trade association fully and articulately representing the interests of our members,” said ESA chairman Robbie Bach. “He leaves behind a tremendous record of accomplishments which provides us with the foundation for continued growth and success.

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Last night, Nintendo released a North American update for the Wii that enables the Forecast Channel a day earlier then expected. The Forecast Channel had already been available in Japan and Europe.

Also, former Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa and former Nintendo of America chairman Howard Lincoln will be honored with the first ever Lifetime Achievement Awards to be handed out at the Interactive Achievement Awards. The IAAs, hosted the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences recognize people making strong contributions to the videogame industry.

The awards will be handed out in Las Vegas at the D.I.C.E. Summit on February 8, 2007,

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