Role-playing game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has been named ultimate game of the year at the 2006 Golden Joystick Awards.
The Bethesda Softworks title also picked up the game of the year prize for both the PC and Xbox.
Oblivion fought off competition from the likes of Call of Duty 2, Resident Evil 4, Guitar Hero, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Pro Evolution Soccer 5 to scoop the ultimate game accolade.
The honour for the best online game of the year went to Age of Empires III, while Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories took home the online handheld game of year prize.
This year's awards, held at London's Park Lane Hilton hotel, were voted for by more than 500,000 readers of computer and video games magazines.
Resident Evil 4 picked up the PlayStation game of the year award and New Super Mario Bros was crowned Nintendo game of the year.
Sony's highly anticipated PlayStation 3, which is set for release in the US in November, scooped the one to watch for 2007 award.
US-based Electronic Arts was named publisher of the year and Game was named top retailer.
Other winners on the night included Nintendogs for girls' choice and family game.
Event organiser James Ashton-Tyler: "It's great to see that gamers have rewarded Elder Scrolls IV with three awards."
The coveted Golden Joystick Awards were first held back in 1982, when Atari, Commodore and Spectrum ruled the market and Sony were still best known for the Walkman.
This year, for the first time ever, the awards were webcast on the Computer and Video Games website.
Event organiser James Ashton-Tyler said: "It's great to see that gamers have rewarded Elder Scrolls IV with three awards. The game represents a genuine advance for the role-playing genre both in its structure and presentation. Its success at this year's Joysticks is just reward for the talented team responsible for its creation.
"The Golden Joystick Awards are the only way UK gamers can directly tell games publishers which games made their year. With a record number of votes cast in 2006, the Golden Joystick Awards have cemented their position as a benchmark for the industry. Winning an award chosen by expert gamers is the ultimate accolade."
The video game sector is a $10bn industry in the US and more than 90 per cent of all American children and teenagers play video games, on average for about 30 minutes daily.
2006 Golden Joystick Awards winners:
Ultimate Game of the Year - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Editor's Game of the Year - Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
Family Game Award - Nintendogs
Girls Choice Award - Nintendogs
All-Nighter Award - Pro Evolution Soccer 5
PlayStation 2 Game of the Year - Resident Evil 4
Nintendo Game of the Year - New Super Mario Brothers
Xbox Game of the Year - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
PC Game of the Year - Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Handheld Game of the Year - GTA: Liberty City Stories
Online Game of the Year - Age of Empires III
Soundtrack of the Year - Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Innovation Award - Xbox Live Marketplace
The One to Watch for 2007 - Sony PlayStation 3
Favourite Character Award - Lara Croft
Publisher of the Year - Electronic Arts
Retailer of the Year - Game
The article 'Ultimate game' award for role-playing title originally appeared on 999 Today
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