People say "GOTY"....but according to whom?....each site/publication will have their GOTY....it´s quite subjective....anyway,I think my picks will be:

PS3-Drake´s Fortune
360-Mass Effect
Wii-Mario Galaxy

Don't get too jelous it's coming out on PC also. Actually a lot of the games that I thought looked awesome for 360/PS3 ended up being PC games also.

I also have to whole-heartedly agree with your GoTY criteria, although I have a feeling that some of the folks who get to decide this stuff may be the bitter fanboys who disagree.

@PS3Owner,

From what I have seen of MP3, and SMG I don't think the graphics issue is going to be that big of a deal. You can argue there is still a gap and this is true, but anyone voting for this objectively will realise that a game needs to be more than just pretty (Which I think MP3 and SMG are). It also needs to be immersive and fun, and by all accounts SMG and MP3 have that in spades.

There are definately games on the PS3 and the 360 that will contend for the title but I think it would be foolish to count Wii games out on looks alone.

...Then again if the folks voting think like you do, maybe we should... lol

Ultimately I don't think this award will impact very much but here are my top contenders...

1) SMG

2) Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway

3) Assassin's Creed

4) MP3

5) (Alternate) Halo 3

SMG: I think this is on most people's list so I don't think I need to go into the reasons for it.

Brothers in Arms: I really don't think the series has gotten the the recognition it deserves. And Hell's Highway looks like it is just adding even more detail into an already beautifully detailed world. The innovation from BA is that you are literally controlling your squad and performing squad tactics throughout the game. With every new addition of a BA game they add some new level of detail or some new innovation. One of the original innovations and one of the best is that unlike other FPS where you can charge your enemy with guns ablaze, in BA you are actually required to take cover, and move around in an intelligent military fassion or risk getting shreded by enemy MG fire. This series, I feel, takes this type of combat to a completely new level of immersion. And this particular new incarnation has added realistic bullet penetration (similar to CoD, except it actually damages the objects which react appropriatly). This opens paths for new depth to the AI possibilities allowing smart enemies to take good cover (stone walls, sandbags, etc) and dumb enemies to hide behind wooden fences and sofas.

Assassin's Creed: This game has a great concept and a great implementation on everything except its combat system. They truly need to fix the combat before release or this game is going to suck. I think that would be pretty unfortunate since they really have taken what crackdown started to a new level, and I must admit the idea of being an assassin roaming a city like a friggin ninja is pretty sweet.

MP3 : For me the biggest reason this game makes the list is controls. I am excited about the game in general but the revamped controls are what gets it on the list in my book. The wii-mote is the true star here honestly, but its the game that brings out the best in the little white remote and makes it shine.

Halo 3: I put this as an alternate basically in the event that Assassins Creed doesn't fix the combat system I would bump it off the list and shift MP3 up one. Now the reason I put it here in number 5 is because quite honestly from what I have seen Halo 3 is Halo 2 with slightly improved graphics and an advancement of the storyline. Their isn't much in the way of innovation from Halo 3 at the moment so I don't know that I can really give it much credit other than to say its a sequel to a solid FPS.

 If you honestly don't think Super Smash Bros Brawl or Super Mario Galaxy will win awards anywhere but Nintendo sites, prepare to be extremely disappointed.  Not saying GTA4 of Halo 3 won't win all over the place, but SSBB and SMG will place well, I can guarantee you.

Super Mario Galaxy

Forget about game journos. Let's pick what we actually think SHOULD win GOTY, not what IGN or any equally worthless site will pick.

COD4 is pretty amazing...I'm a bit disappointed with Assassin's Creed's combat, to be honest.

I'd probably pick Super Mario Galaxy as my GOTY in the end...SSBB is amazing and will probably get many more hours from me, same with GTA4, but I think Mario Galaxy is the most creative and fun game I've seen. LBP would be way up there...but apparently it's not coming out this year.

So my picks, 1)Mario Galaxy
2)SSBB
3)COD4/Bioshock

Strike that I change my 3 picks

mario galaxy
heavenly sword
cod4

Halo 3 isnt looking to good.

I just went and watched a bunch of vids for Mario galaxy and i have to say it does look fun, and i have to say it could win game of the year. But i still love my GTA :P

I think Halo 3 may find itself trumped in the FPS arena by some of the competition. I'm sure it'll be a great game, but given the initial reaction of the beta and the quality of some of the other games in the genre (i.e. Bioshock and CoD4), it will be hard to crown it as GotY.

I hear that Uncharted looks great and plays less so. Hopefully they'll be able to improve the controls before it's released. We don't know enough about GTA IV to be able to judge it. MP3 will control great but be 'dinged' for the lack of multiplayer. And Zelda PH won't win because it's a hand held title.

So that puts Super Mario Galaxy in the lead. There are certainly some interesting concepts being put into the game. We'll have to see how much fun and how long the game lasts before we can declare it the winner.

I don't think Halo 3 will be game of the year as it doesn't look that much different to Halo 2 IMO, and there are already so many FPSs, that it's not gonna get any bonus point as it were for being "innotive". Personally I would give it to either:
Wii Sports
Unreal
Wiifit
GTAIV