Below is a sampling of the categories and winners. A complete list of finalists and winners is available at: http://www.gamespot.com/special_features/bestof2006/index.html

In addition to the editorial awards, GameSpot’s audience can cast their votes in more than 40 award categories. The GameSpot Readers’ Choice winners will be revealed on January 26, 2007.

Game of the Year: Gears of War (X360)

Best Action Adventure Game: Dead Rising (X360)

Best Fighting Game: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (X360)

Best Game No One Played: GTR 2 (PC)

Best Game Boy Advance Game: Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation

Best GameCube Game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Best Graphics, Artistic: Okami (PS2)

Best Graphics, Technical: Gears of War (X360)

Best Licensed Music: Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (XBOX, PC, PS2)

Best Multiplayer Game: Gears of War (X360)

Best New Character(s): Delta Squad from Gears of War (X360)

Best New Gaming Hardware: Nintendo Wii

Best Nintendo DS Game: Elite Beat Agents

Best Original Game Mechanic: Free-Motion Controls in Madden NFL 07 (Wii)

Best Original Music: Bully (PS2)

Best PC Game: Company of Heroes

Best Platformer: Daxter (PSP)

Best PlayStation 2 Game: Final Fantasy XII

Best PlayStation 3 Game: Resistance: Fall of Man

Best PSP Game: Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

Best Puzzle Game: Exit (PSP)

Best Rhythm/Music Game: Elite Beat Agents (DS)

Best Role-Playing Game: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PC, X360)

Best Shooter: Gears of War (X360)

Best Strategy Game: Company of Heroes (PC)

Best Traditional Sports Game: Madden NFL ’07 (Wii)

Best Use of Xbox 360 Achievement Points: Dead Rising

Best Nintendo Wii Game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Best Xbox 360 Game: Gears of War

Best Xbox Game: NCAA Football ’07

Biggest News : The Saga of the PlayStation 3 Launch

Most Improved Sequel: Tomb Raider: Legend (X360, Xbox, PS2, GC)

Most Surprisingly Good Game: Saints Row (X360)

A new web site launched that may be of interest to role-playing fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover series of books.

Called The Red Sun, the fan-crafted site launched over the weekend. The RPG uses a blend of in-character message board posts and fan fiction to build the player-generated storylines.

The game is open to the public to create user accounts and join in on the fun. Since it is still in its rough starting stages, The Red Sun may be more malleable in its plot direction (a boon to creative new players) than more established BBS-based RPGs.

The Red Sun describes itself as a “game is set in the Recontact era – Terra discovers Darkover for the first time … again. Shattered Chain, The Winds of Darkover, Spell Sword and Forbidden Tower are books set in this time. Terrans think Darkovans are a primitive, violent people while Darkovans feel pretty much the same things about Terranans.”

In the same introductory message, the main site administrator (with the board nickname of Zandru) warns MZB purists that the “game does not always follow MZB canon. Rather, just like MZB herself did in her work, I’ll make minor changes to allow for the best stories and game balance.”