I had a more sober post scheduled for today, but I guess that gets bumped to Monday, since the Ennie noms got posted today!. Sadly (if unsurprisingly), this blog did not make the cut, but a number of really awesome blogs did, so I wish them luck, and in the absence of luck, perhaps they’ll all kill each other and clear the field for next year! 🙂
However, I’ve no real reason to complain – Evil Hat did very well, with both Dresden Files and Happy Birthday Robot receiving multiple nominations in some very robust categories. The Best Game category is particularly interesting, both for what’s there and what’s not. Also, best Aid/Accessory and Best RPG-Related Product are full of things that I wish had made the Origins list.
As with any such list, one will see omissions. No nods for Smallville or Fiasco, which is more than a bit of a shame, and similarly sad to see no Dragon Age (EDIT: Fiasco was apparently eligible last year, not this year, and received appropriate honors! My error, there.). Some nice surprises, though – Glad to see Block by Bloody Block get a nod, and definitely pleased to see the love for ICONs.
I’ll probably run through the list later, and give my picks and my predictions (because, hey, that’s half the fun), but on the off chance you want to do the same, let me share with you my predictive model, honed through years of observation.
Leverage RPG was also eligible and entered, FYI. I’m disappointed, obviously, but 2010 was a bumper crop of awesome for RPGs.
Yeah, but it would feel self-serving to grumble about Leverage not making the cut (THOUGH IT TOTALLY SHOULD HAVE) so I can just sort of wink and nod to it by talking about Smallville.
I admit, the absence of both hurts, if only because it’s pretty clear to me how big a footprint Cortex+ is leaving, but at the same time I can see the reasons it went that way, as much as I may dislike some of them.
For what its worth, I’ve been ranting and raving at anyone who will listen to me about how much I love the design in the Leverage RPG. You guys did an amazing job.
Again a big shank on the Best Free Product category. Only one truly free product there (Old School Hack). The rest are promotional giveaways for other paid products.
That is an awesome flowchart.
With every passing year, the Ennies prove to be less of an impact for me as the pass on so many of the things I love.
While I understand that it is impossible to cover everything, I think they need to expand the way that the awards are handled and how recognition is doled out. I have no fair way of dividing the awards up other than having some inane number of categories (to the point that it becomes pointless again), but I am sure someone more inclined to such things can come up with a better answer.
Hell, maybe I should just make the “Dave Awards” (obviously only people named Dave can be judges) and see if it can gain some traction.
@OlmanFeelyus – isn’t the Revenge of the Iron Lich a properly free product too?