The Golden Joystick Awards, also known as the People's Gaming Awards, is an annual video game awards ceremony; it rewards the best video games of the year. Although originally solely voted for by the British public,Weston, D.B. "Greatest Moments in Video Game History" Page 47. Published 2011 it is now a global event that is voted for online by millions of fans worldwide via GamesRadar+. Launched in 1983, the Golden Joystick Awards is the longest-running and one of the biggest public-voted video game award shows.
The awards were initially focused on PC games, but were extended to include console games. The ceremony is not directly related to the golden joystick prize awarded to successful contestants on GamesMaster, a British television show, but both properties belong to Future plc.
Winners 1983 Awards were presented by DJ Dave Lee Travis at a ceremony in London's Berkeley Square. Award Winner Runners-up Game of the Year Jetpac Arcadia, Manic Miner, The Hobbit Best Arcade-Style Game of the Year Manic Miner Arcadia, Penetrator, Zalaga Strategy Game of the Year The Hobbit Football Manager, Planet Invasion, Scrabble Best Original Game of the Year Ah Diddums Ant Attack, Pssst, Splat! Software House of the Year Ultimate Play the Game Imagine Software, Llamasoft, Melbourne House
1984 Awards were presented by Jools Holland, at a ceremony in London.
Award Winner Runner-Up Commended Game of the Year Knight Lore Ghostbusters Avalon, Impossible Mission Software House of the Year Ultimate Play the Game Beyond Software Hewson Consultants, Mikro-Gen Best Original Game of the Year Elite Deus Ex Machina Ancipital, Pyjamarama Best Adventure Game of the Year Claymorgue Castle Erik the Viking Eureka, Tir Na Nog Best Strategy Game of the Year Lords of Midnight Beach Head NATO Commander, Battle for Midway Best Arcade-Style Game of the Year Daley Thompson's Decathlon Boulderdash Wanted: Monty Mole, 3D Starstrike Best Programmer of the Year Ultimate Team Mike Singleton Tony Crowther, Acornsoft
1985 Awards were presented by Jools Holland, at a ceremony on a Thames Riverboat. Award Winner Runners-up Game of the Year The Way of the Exploding Fist Elite, Summer Games II Software House of the Year Melbourne House U.S. Gold, Elite Systems, Firebird Software Best Original Game of the Year Little Computer People Spy vs. Spy, Paradroid Adventure Game of the Year Red Moon Gremlins, Bored of the Rings Strategy Game of the Year Theatre Europe Shadowfire, Battle of Britain Arcade-Style Game of the Year Commando Hyper Sports, Dropzone Programmer of the Year Stephen Crow Jeff Minter, Andrew Braybrook, Bo Jangeborg
1986 The ceremony took place at Cadogan Hall. Award Winner Runners-up Game of the Year Gauntlet Uridium, Space Harrier Software House of the Year Elite Systems U.S. Gold, Hewson Consultants Best Original Game of the Year The Sentinel Trap Door, Trivial Pursuit Adventure Game of the Year The Pawn Lord of the Rings, Heavy on the Magick Strategy Game of the Year Nam (Vietnam) Johnny Reb II, Silent Service Arcade-Style Game of the Year Uridium Gauntlet, Ghosts'n Goblins Programmer of the Year Andrew Braybrook Chris Butler, Stephen Crow Best Soundtrack of the Year Sanxion Knucklebusters, Starglider
1987 Awards were presented by Chris Tarrant. Award Winner Runners-up Game of the Year Out Run The Last Ninja, Renegade Software House of the Year U.S. Gold Ocean Software, Elite Systems Best Original Game of the Year Nebulus Wizball, Driller Arcade Game of the Year Out Run Renegade, Bubble Bobble Adventure Game of the Year The Guild of Thieves Knight Orc, Shadows of Mordor Strategy Game of the Year Vulcan Defender of the Crown, Annals of Rome Programmer of the Year Jon Ritman Andrew Braybrook
1988 The ceremony took place at Kensington Roof Gardens. Award Winner (8-bit) Winner (16-bit) Runners-up Computer Game of the Year Operation Wolf Speedball Last Ninja 2, Starglider 2 Console Game of the Year Thunder Blade (Master System) R-Type (PC Engine) Best Graphics of the Year Armalyte Rocket Ranger Last Ninja 2, Starglider 2 Best Soundtrack of the Year Bionic Commando International Karate + RoboCop, Starglider 2 Best Simulation Game of the Year Microprose Soccer Falcon Project Stealth Fighter, F/A-18 Interceptor Adventure Game of the Year Corruption Fish! Ingrid's Back Best Coin-Op Conversion of the Year Operation Wolf Operation Wolf R-Type, Pac-Mania Software House of the Year Ocean Software Mirrorsoft U.S. Gold Programmer of the Year John Phillips The Bitmap Brothers Mev Dink, John Twiddy
1989
The ceremony took place at Kensington Roof Gardens, 11 April 1990. Award Winner (8-bit) Winner (16-bit) Game of the Year The Untouchables Kick Off Best Graphics of the Year Myth Shadow of the Beast Best Soundtrack of the Year Chase H.Q. Future Wars Best Simulation Game of the Year Carrier Command M1 Tank Platoon Best Coin-Op Conversion of the Year Chase H.Q. Hard Drivin' PC Leisure Product of the Year Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure Most Original Game of the Year Populous Software House of the Year Ocean Software
1990 The ceremony took place at Kensington Roof Gardens, 4 April 1991. Award Winner (8-bit) Winner (16-bit) Computer Game of the Year Rick Dangerous 2 Kick Off 2 Console Game of the Year Mega Man (Nintendo Entertainment System) John Madden American Football (Mega Drive) Best Graphics of the Year Midnight Resistance Shadow of the Beast 2 Best Soundtrack of the Year RoboCop 2 Speedball 2 Best Simulation Game of the Year F19 Stealth Fighter F19 Stealth Fighter Best Coin-Op Conversion of the Year Rainbow Islands Golden Axe PC Game of the Year Railroad Tycoon Hardware Manufacturer of the Year Sega Software House of the Year Ocean Software
1991 The ceremony took place at Hyde Park Hotel, London, on 7 April 1992.
Award Winner Developer Overall Game of the Year Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic Team 16-Bit Computer Game of the Year Heimdall Core Design Best Coin-Op Conversion Toki TAD Best Simulation Jimmy White's 'Whirlwind' Snooker Virgin Best Graphics Heimdall Core Design Best Soundtrack The Secret of Monkey Island U.S. Gold Programmer of the Year Archer Maclean Software House of the Year Electronic Arts
1992 The ceremony took place at Kensington, London, in May 1993.
Award Winner Platform Publisher Game of the Year Street Fighter II Super NES Capcom Computer Game of the Year Sensible Soccer Amiga Renegade Software Console Game of the Year Street Fighter II Super NES Capcom Handheld Game of the Year Super Kick Off Game Gear U.S. Gold Best Licensed Console Game Street Fighter II Super NES Capcom Best Licensed Computer Game Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis PC LucasArts Best Original Console Game Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Mega Drive Sega Best Original Computer Game Alone in the Dark PC Infogrames Best Console Original Action Game Desert Strike Mega Drive Electronic Arts Best Computer Simulation Formula One Grand Prix PC Microprose Promotional Campaign of the Year Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Mega Drive Sega Programming Team of the Year LucasArtsSoftware House of the Year Electronic Arts Team17
1993 The ceremony took place in London, on 16 May 1994.
Award Winner Platform Console Game of the Year Super Mario All-Stars Super NES Hand Held Game of the Year The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Game BoyBest Original Computer GameCannon FodderAmigaBest Computer SimulationTFXAmiga Best Advert of the Year The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Game BoyBest Software HouseVirgin InteractiveBest Computer ProgrammerSensible SoftwareServices to the IndustryAcclaim Entertainment
1996/1997 The ceremony took place at Café de Paris, in November 1997.
Award Winner Game of the Year Super Mario 64 PlayStation Plus Best PlayStation Game Resident Evil Sega Saturn Magazine Best Saturn Game Fighters Megamix Nintendo Magazine Best N64 Game Super Mario 64 CVG Best PC Game Quake Best Looking Game Super Mario 64 Best Sounding Game Wipeout 2097 Most Original Game Parappa the Rapper Best Ad Tekken 2 Scoop of the Year GoldenEye 007 Favourite Game Character Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) Best Development Team Rare Best Software House Sony Best Looking Pages Sega Saturn Magazine Showcases Best Review Writer Ed Lomas, CVG
2002 The 2002 ceremony took place at the Dorchester Hotel on 25 October 2002 and was hosted by Jonathan Ross.
Award Winner Runners-up Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto III (Rockstar Games) Halo (Microsoft Studios), Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (EA Games) Online Game of the Year Counter-Strike (Valve Corporation) Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (EA Games), Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (Blizzard) PC Game of the Year Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (EA Games) Grand Theft Auto III (Rockstar Games), Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (Blizzard) Best Use of a Film Licence The Thing (Vivendi Universal Games/Konami) Spider-Man (Activision), The Sum of All Fears (Ubi Soft) Sports Game of the Year Pro Evolution Soccer (Konami) Championship Manager (Eidos), FIFA 2002 (EA Sports) Game Innovation of the Year Grand Theft Auto III (Rockstar Games) Max Payne (Rockstar/3D Realms), The D-Day landing in Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (EA Games) Hardware of the Year Microsoft Xbox AMD Athlon XP Processor, Nintendo GameCube British Developer of the Year Rockstar North Electronic Arts Rare Publisher of the Year Electronic Arts Activision/LucasArts, Microsoft Game Studios Retailer of the Year Gameplay.com GAME, Amazon.co.uk Most Wanted Game for Christmas Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Rockstar Games) Splinter Cell (UbiSoft), Super Mario Sunshine (Nintendo of Europe) Xbox Game of the Year Halo (Microsoft Game Studios) Dead or Alive 3 (Tecmo), Max Payne (Rockstar/3D Realms) GameCube Game of the Year Resident Evil (Capcom Eurosoft) Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (Activision/LucasArts), Super Smash Bros. Melee (Nintendo of Europe) Handheld Game of the Year Golden Sun (Nintendo) Mario Kart: Super Circuit (Nintendo), Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (Nintendo of Europe) PS2 Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto III (Rockstar Games) Final Fantasy X (SCEE), Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (Konami)
2003 The 2003 ceremony took place at the Park Lane Hilton on 28 November 2003 and was hosted by Phill Jupitus.