Edge magazine have published their awards for the year and LittleBigPlanet has scooped the two big ones. Dead Space also got a thoroughly deserved (or so cc_star keeps telling me)  Best Audio Design award. Aside from the obligatory and, I have to say, slightly confusing inclusion of GTA IV in the Audio Design and Best Game categories and the complete absence of Metal Gear Solid 4 there isn’t really much that can be argued with.

But I’ll give it a bash anyway:

The Xbox 360 being named as best hardware is an absolute indefensible joke. It actually makes me a bit angry. Don’t get me wrong, if I had a spare couple of hundred quid I’d buy one, I’d like the chance to play the Gears of War series and Fable II as well as some of the XBLA games. I think it’s a decent (if ugly, noisy and cheap) games machine.

However, under no reasonable definition of the word could it be described as the “Best” Hardware of 2008 (which is a stupid category anyway, 2008’s hardware was the PSP3000 and the DSi). It absolutely is not better than the Playstation 3 in terms of specifications or performance. I know there will probably be fanboys who will disagree with me. They are wrong. The argument is over people, learn to live with the facts: the PS3 is a technologically superior machine that hasn’t (yet) bettered the 360’s ability to ship enjoyable, high quality software. And the 360 breaks if you breath near it. And they reckon MS did know about the disk scratching and chose not be arsed fixing it.

So, fair enough, the 360 would beat the PS3 on hardware or software sales, certainly on popularity. Unfortunately the Wii is a contender for this stupid category too and if we’re measuring on sales or popularity then I’m afraid it pushes your 360 into a puddle and pisses on its shoes.

Seriously, it’s a stupid category and it’s an even more stupid result.

I won’t argue with the rest though. Even though I think Edge is a stupid, biased, crappy publication that I never seem to agree with any more. Maybe I’m wrong, I’m sure some of you will tell me if I am. I’m not though.

Here’s the list, gleaned from *shudder* Neogaf

Best game:

1. LittleBigPlanet
2. GTA IV
3. Fable II

Best Innovation:

1. LittleBigPlanet
2. NXE
3. Left 4 Dead

Best Visual Design:

1. LittleBigPlanet
2. Street Fighter IV
3. Far Cry 2

Best Audio Design:

1. Dead Space
2. GTA IV
3. No More Heroes

Best hardware:

1. Xbox 360
2. PS3
3. Wii

Best Publisher:

1. Microsoft Game Studios
2. Electronic Arts
3. Sony Computer Entertainment

Best Online Experience:

1. Left 4 Dead
2. LittleBigPlanet
3. Gears of War 2

Best Developer:

1. Media Molecule
2. Criterion Games
3. Rockstar North

So there you go, I stayed up late to write this and now I’m too annoyed to sleep. You might not like anything that I write but at least try to appreciate the effort.