The Ten Ton Hammer E3 Awards of 2010 - Page 10

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Updated Mon, Aug 09, 2010 by B. de la Durantaye

of the Show Award was a fun category this year.

There were so many games we covered, with so many options to choose from. There were several games that impressed us from the show, some more than others, of course.

The winner of the award stood out in several categories, being a winner in other categories, and a serious contender in others. All in all the game is a wonderful one, and one that we can't wait to dig into ourselves when the time comes. It's a game that cannot be overlooked, no matter what your age. There's fun to be had for everyone. It's inventive, creative, beautifully rendered, and innovative to the point of genius.

You've probably guessed it by now. The Ten Ton Hammer Best of Show Award of E3 2010 goes to none other than...

LEGO UNIVERSE
(NetDevil)

If you think it's strange that Ten Ton Hammer is giving our Best of Show award to a kid's game, it's time to check your assumptions. LEGO Universe is one of a select few online games that inspire players of all ages to be more than a mindless level-grinding achiever. Instead, players will use their creativity, logic, and skill not just to build cool LEGO creations, but also to animate and script their LEGO models, then safely share them and interact with them with their "best friends" and (after moderation) the public at large. Best of all, the build and behavior tools announced at E3 2010 are based on RoboTech, meaning that though the programming can become fairly complex, the interface is clean, organized, and simple enough for kids to use.

Add in modular sets that could make an artist out of all-thumbs editors like us and a fun booth presence complete with real customizable mini-figs, LEGO Universe had us talking for weeks afterward. Put simply, it was a great E3 for MMORPGs - gameplay grew more action-oriented yet more refined and comfortably paced, we saw new sub-genre breakouts in RTSs and shooters - but nothing blew our minds quite like LEGO Universe.

More LEGO Universe E3 coverage from Ten Ton Hammer: