The Golden Joystick Awards have been running for 29 years, making the ceremony older than a good amount of the people reading this website. Every year, games compete in a number of categories from shooter to adventure and everything in between, with the voting determined by viewers like you. This year marks the first year that there is a “Best MMO” category, as well as “Best free to play,” meaning Jagex won’t be the only developer with a Golden Joystick (Jagex has won “Best UK Developer” two years in a row, but that category is gone this year).
The Games Developers Choice Online Award is in its second year, and spawned from GDC Austin, and acts as a sister competition to the Games Developers Choice Awards, similar yet focusing on online innovations. The actual awards ceremony will take place on October 12th at Games Developers Conference Online in Austin, Texas.
You can still vote for the Golden Joystick Awards here. For the sake of space, check after the break for the full nominee list.
For the Golden Joystick Awards, the nominees are:
Best MMO (Subscription)
- Age of Conan
- Aion
- DC Universe
- Eve Online
- Rift
- World of Warcraft
Best Free To Play
- Allods Online
- Black Prophecy
- Champions Online
- Forsaken World
- Runes of Magic
- Runescape
- World of Tanks
For the Games Developers Choice Online Award, the nominees are:
BEST ONLINE VISUAL ARTS
- DC Universe Online
- Rift
- Spiral Knights
- Dragons of Atlantis
- Vindictus
BEST SOCIAL NETWORK GAME
- CityVille
- Gardens of Time
- Dragons of Atlantis
- FrontierVille
- Ravenwood Fair
BEST ONLINE GAME DESIGN
- Ravenwood Fair
- Pocket Frogs
- Zuma Blitz
- Spiral Knights
- FrontierVille
ONLINE INNOVATION (New Award Category)
- Dragon Age Legends
- Shadow Cities
- Empire Avenue
- Pocket Frogs
- Zombie Lane
BEST ONLINE TECHNOLOGY
- World of Tanks
- CityVille
- DC Universe Online
- Rift
- LEGO Universe Online
BEST COMMUNITY RELATIONS
- Wizard101
- World of Tanks
- Minecraft
- EA Sports FIFA Superstars
- World of Warcraft
BEST AUDIO for an ONLINE GAME
- Clone Wars Adventures
- Spiral Knights
- Ravenwood Fair
- FrontierVille
- Dragon Age Legends
BEST NEW ONLINE GAME
- Rift
- Gardens of Time
- Vindictus
- Spiral Knights
- Monster Galaxy
BEST LIVE GAME
- Wizard101
- Moshi Monsters
- League of Legends
- World of Warcraft
- Minecraft
MMO Fallout 
I didn’t vote for Runescape this year because of the lack of updates (I mean come on, graphic updates becoming main updates?) and the fact that f2p is no longer enjoyable because of all the ad bots advertising scam websites.
Mod MMG once said that if people aren’t enjoying f2p in it’s own right then they’re not doing their jobs properly… so I guess they’re not doing their jobs properly.
I also clearly remember him calling people ‘trolls’ for giving feedback, so I no longer give any feedback to them in order to improve the game. RS has gone down hill, but I won’t quit because of their morals, I will stay because there is still a little fun left in it.
I think this time round, other games deserve to win.