E3 2006 Awards

E3 2006 was held from May 10th to 12th in Los Angeles, California. MMORPG.com had its largest presence ever with eight full time writers on the floor, five of whom have worked on the development end of things. We saw a lot of new titles, evolving titles and games that already made it out the door. Friday, after the show, we debated and came up with a list of winners across seven categories.

Ultimately, the decision came down to an editorial decision, but it was not that simple. We argued, we voted, we voted again. The MMORPG industry has grown so large that no single person can be an expert on everything and while some disagree, I believe these choices are the consensus picks of our group. They are joined by honorable mentions for those games that also received a lot of consideration.

Now, here are the direct links to each category, although you can view each by simply clicking "next page" at the bottom of this article.

• Most Surprising: The game that came out of nowhere and impressed us most.
• Best Booth: The company that provided the best experience for fans, media and other exhibitors in their floor booth.
• Best Graphics: The game that carries the most visual appeal; including models, textures, animations, presentation, style, etc.
• Best Use of a License: The game that we feel uses a license most effectively.
• Most Innovative (Concept): The concept or idea for a game that is not yet at a playable stage that we feel was most original.
• Best Expansion Pack: The expansion pack that we feel adds the most for fans of that title.
• Game of the Show: This is the game, near completion, who we feel was of the highest quality across the board.

• Dana Massey, Senior Editor: Before coming to MMORPG.com, I was the Co-Lead Game Designer of "Wish", an Associate Editor at IGN's Vault Network and Testing Team Lead during Dark Age of Camelot's beta.
• Jon Wood, News Editor: A former Game Master and Writer for Wish, Jon has degrees in English, Theatre and Education.
• Garrett Fuller, Staff Writer: A former reporter for Bloomberg, Garrett joined the site in the middle of 2005 as a Staff Writer.
• Laura Genender, Staff Writer: Laura worked on a range of strategy guides for Prima, by way of Incan Monkey, including Lineage II, Guild Wars and World of WarCraft.
• Carolyn Koh, Staff Writer: The former head of developer relations for the Stratics Network, Carolyn has years of experience covering the MMORPG genre.
• Michael Hampden, Staff Writer: A former Designer and Game Master on Wish, Michael is also a former contributor to Hero's Journey. This show was his last for MMORPG.com as he moves on to opportunities within the industry.
• Sean Dahlberg, Guest Writer: The Community Manager for Wolfpack Studios' Shadowbane. The company was dissolved on May 15th, and while his status remains uncertain, he covered the show for us.
• Danielle Vanderlip, Guest Writer: The Assistant Community Manager for Wolfpack Studios' Shadowbane. She also opted to cover the show as her future is uncertain.