Call of Duty: Black Ops, Mass Effect 2 win top honors at UK’s BAFTAs

By Adam Rosenberg March 17, 2011

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts held its 7th annual British Academy Video Games Awards ceremony last night in London. BioWare’s space-based role-playing game Mass Effect 2 took home the top prize for Best Game while the popular Activision-published first-person shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops was named by fans for the GAME Award of 2010 in a public vote (GAME being the retail chain that sponsors the event).

The night’s most frequent winner was Heavy Rain, a PlayStation 3-exclusive effort from Quantic Dream, honored for it’s music, story and technical innovation. The game offers a unique interactive experience in which players assume the identity of multiple characters as they explore the mystery surrounding a serial killer. Critics were divided about the game upon its release, though most agreed that the actual, mechanical game served up some interesting, new ideas.

This year’s Video Games Awards were the subject of much discussion after Rockstar Games opted out of entering its award-winning open-world Western, Red Dead Redemption, for consideration as one of the nominees. The developer hasn’t commented on its reasoning, but Eurogamer cites “sources familiar with the matter” as saying there’s been friction between Rockstar and BAFTA since the 2009 awards, when Grand Theft Auto IV failed to win a single award.

Red Dead actually did end up appearing among the night’s nominees in the GAME Award of 2010 category, though that one is selected entirely by public vote. Check out the full list of winners right here:

Best Action Game: Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
Best Family Game: Kinect Sports
Best Technical Innovation: Heavy Rain
Best Social Network Game: My Empire
Best Use of Audio: Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Best Handheld: Cut the Rope
GAME Award of 2010: Call of Duty: Black Ops
Best Original Music: Heavy Rain
Best Strategy: Civilization 5
Best Artistic Achievement: God of War 3
Ones to Watch: Twang (That Game Studio)
Best Gameplay: Super Mario Galaxy 2
Best Sports Game: F1 2010
Best Multiplayer: Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit
Best Story: Heavy Rain
Best Game: Mass Effect 2
BAFTA Fellowship Award: Peter Molyneux

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Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Gaming

What to know about the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War beta

black ops cold war beta details bocw mp event wm 03

Before Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War launches in November, like every other year, the game will be hosting a series of open betas for players to go hands-on with the game to test server load and provide feedback to the development team for last-minute tweaks. Here's everything to know about when, how, and what to play in the Black Ops Cold War beta.
When are the betas happening?
The betas are happening on two separate weekends, one starting October 8, and the other starting October 15. However, access to the beta is split in half both weekends, with different stipulations required for access. Here's a complete breakdown.

October 8 to October 9: The beta is open to PlayStation 4 players that have pre-ordered the game.
October 10 to October 12: The beta is open to all PlayStation 4 players.
October 15 to October 16: The beta is open to all PlayStation 4 players, and those who have pre-ordered on Xbox One and PC.
October 17 to October 19: The beta is open to all players across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Gaming

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War: Everything to know about this year’s launch

Black Ops Cold War Multiplayer

With summer in full swing, reports are swirling about all of Activision's plans for the next Call of Duty game, which will pick up where the original Black Ops left off. That game, called Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, will send players back to the struggle for world dominance between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Only this time, Treyarch, another Activision Blizzard development house, will develop the game.

Read on for our roundup of everything we think we know about Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. And be sure to check back often for updates as new details emerge.
When is the release date for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War?
The game will release on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One consoles, Xbox Series X and S, and PC on November 13, 2020. Those looking to purchase the game on current generation hardware and then upgrade to next-gen consoles will need to spring for a $70 bundle that works within console families.
PlayStation players are getting the beta early
An open beta will be accessible first on October 8 to those that pre-ordered the game through the PlayStation Store. It will then open up to all PlayStation players two days later on October 10 for the weekend. The final days of the beta will be open to players across Xbox and PC on October 15 through 19.
Campaign teaser trailer
During September's PlayStation Showcase, Black Ops Cold War made a splash by showing off a bit of its single-player mode. The trailer starts off slow, with the main characters slinking around in the dark -- before ending with a madcap car chase down an airstrip that ends in multiple explosions.

Gaming

Leak reveals Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War next-gen bundle

Xbox Series X and controller placed on a black background.

According to a leak, the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is getting a special cross-generation bundle, which gives players access to the game on current and new consoles.

Details about the release plan were found within Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s files. Fans discovered three different versions of the upcoming game, which includes standard and ultimate editions.