Saw this over on NeoGaf

Cover Story:

Top 50 Games of 2012

Final Fantasy XIII-2

Hero Academy

Resident Evil: Revelations

Asura's Wrath

Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack

Mass Effect 3 (Best Role-Playing Downloadable Content)

Journey (Best PS3 Exclusive)

Total War: Shogun 2 Fall of the Samurai

Xenoblade Chronicles (Best Wii Exclusive)

Fez (Best Puzzle)

Trials Evolution

The Walking Dead

Prototype 2

Diablo III

Max Payne 3

Dragon's Dogma

Civilization V: Gods & Kings

10000000 (Best Mobile Exclusive)

Orcs Must Die 2

Sound Shapes

Sleeping Dogs

Dust: An Elysian Tale

Darksiders II

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

Guild Wars 2 (Best MMO)

Mark of the Ninja (Best Downloadable Game)

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (Best Fighting)

Gateways

Torchlight II (Best PC Exclusive)

Borderlands 2 (Best Cooperative Multiplayer)

LittleBigPlanet Vita

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

NBA 2K13

FIFA 13 (Best Sports)

Dishonored (Best Action)

XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Best Strategy)

Dance Central 3 (Best Rhythm/Music)

The Unfinished Swan

Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (Best Handheld Exclusive)

Assassin's Creed III

Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Best Racing)

Halo 4 (Best Xbox 360 Exclusive/Competitive MP/Shooter)

WWE '13

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Lego: The Lord of the Rings

New Super Mario Bros. U

Hitman: Absolution

PlanetSide 2

Far Cry 3

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Reviews:

New Super Mario Bros. U - 9.25/10 (Game of the Month)

Far Cry 3 - 9/10

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two - 5.75/10

Call of Duty: Black Ops II - 8.5/10

Medal of Honor: Warfighter - 5/10

The Walking Dead Episode 5: No Time Left - 8.5/10

Lego: The Lord of the Rings - 8.5/10

Nintendo Land - 7/10

ZombiU - 5/10

Scribblenauts Unlimited - 8.25/10

Rabbids Land - 4/10

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale - 7.5/10

Assassin's Creed III: Liberation - 7.75/10

Persona 4 Golden - 8.5/10

Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified - 3/10

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion - 5/10

Liberation Maiden - 7/10

Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed - 8/10

King's Bounty: Warriors of the North - 7.75/10

Hotline Miami - 7.75/10

To clarify, was ME3 best RPG or best DLC on an RPG?

nice to see cooperative and competitive multiplayer seperated as two categories because those are two totally different things and many play only for co-op or only for competitive.

and isn't there a “best game“? thought dishonored has a chance

Pretty sure that ME3 is also GOTY.

Zero Escape as "Best Handheld Exclusive" is an excellent choice. Somebody at GameInformer has good taste.

and btw their covers are always so nice compared to other magazines

"Game of the Year" should probably be done away with, to be honest. The rise of the smaller downloadable games is changing things and some people hate to see their "blockbusters" judged against something with a lower budget. I think that's silly, for the most part, but the situation could be easily fixed by going with different award titles.

For instance, awards in the literary world often use some variation of Novel, Novella, Novelette, and Short Story. Obviously gaming wouldn't need that many, but the point is that they are separated in a way that doesn't diminish either.

The only thing about game of the year that people need to recognize is different strokes. The broader you define a category for "game of" the more nebulous its going to get.

The issue, of course, is fanboys and publishers, who run with game of the year awards like they actually have meaning.

I don't know...as someone who actually decides these things at least for one tiny site I'm inclined to say "fuck em" to those that don't like smaller downloadable games being judged against the blockbusters.  Just means that the industry is changing and you don't have to make a retail game to get recognition, nothing bad about that in my mind.  It's a change and people hate change, but they'll get over it with time.  

Inside Gaming Awards

Game of the Year: Halo 4

Best Co-operative Multiplayer: Mass Effect 3

Best Competitive Multiplayer: Halo 4

Best Sound Design: Halo 4

Best Art Direction: Journey

Best Animation: Max Payne 3

Best Environmental Design: Dishonored

Best Original Score: Fez

Best Original Game: Hotline Miami

Best Game Cinematography: Mass Effect 3

Best Narrative: Spec Ops: The Line

Best Downloadable Game: The Walking Dead: Season 1

Best Indie Game: Fez

Best Additional Content: Mists of Pandaria: World of Warcraft

Best Character Design: The Walking Dead: Season 1

Best Trailer: Gamescom 2012 Trailer: The Last of Us

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGVBIma5hiw&feature=youtu.be

ZombiU gets a 5/10? Damn...

On the plus side, NSMBU got game of the month and a very deserving score. Nice.