The prestigious Golden Joystick Awards are the oldest gaming awards and have taken place each year since 1982, when the video game industry was still in its infancy. The awards ceremony is anticipated by gamers in the UK (where the Golden Joystick Awards originated from) every time, and 2006 will not only turn out as the most successful year for the Golden Joystick Awards, it's also the time of the tightest head-to-head races as there are still no clear winners in most of the categories.

400,000 voters, more than twice more compared to last year, have voiced their favourite games as of now, an impressive number that easily smashed the organisers' expectations.

With console generations currently shifting and the new opponents all aiming for the top spot, gamers seem to be even more passionate to have their say in the Golden Joystick Awards. Voting's still open till Friday, October 12 and everything can still change.

Current Top Five Rankings:

Ultimate Game of the Year

• New Super Mario Brothers
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• Call of Duty 2
• Half Life 2
• Pro Evolution Soccer 5
  

• Halo 3
• Nintendo Wii
• Sony PlayStation 3
• Spore
• Crysis

• Guitar Hero
• Xbox Live Marketplace
• Nintendo Wi-Fi Connect
• Prof Kawashima’s Brain Training
• Nintendo DS Lite

• Game
• Amazon.co.uk
• Play.com
• GameStation
• Gameplay.com

• Ubisoft
• RockStar
• EA Games
• Nintendo
• Microsoft Game Studios