It’s been a good year to be a gamer. A year that will be remembered for its newcomers as much as its onslaught of AAA titles. Narrowing down a list of five of the best games of the year has been uncharacteristically difficult this year. However, when push comes to shove, these are the titles I feel are worthy of GOTY status.

5. Dead Space 2

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. That’s what I imagine Visceral had in mind when they were working on their brilliant sequel, Dead Space 2. The game really doesn’t deviate much from the formula and mechanics of the original Dead Space. You’re Isaac Clark, you kill necromorphs with your trusty Plasma Cutter, and you generally try to survive the whole disturbing ordeal. However, this year’s sequel adds even more details to an already rich narrative and feels much more complete than the original. In 2011, Dead Space 2 held it down for the survival horror genre. More importantly, it has raised the bar higher for where other survival horror games should strive to achieve.

4. Gears of War 3

Just as with Dead Space 2, Gears of War 3 could be misinterpreted as just a more pleasant looking iteration in the Gears saga. However, when Gears 3 launched this September, it was apparent this was not just Gears 2 with a new coat of paint. The game has over a nine-hour story campaign, four-player co-op, two addicting wave-based co-operative modes, and a full-fledged competitive mode with multiple game types and bonus content. In terms of bang for you buck, Gears 3 goes above and beyond the $60 you probably paid for it. Did I mention it’s also absolutely beautiful? Beyond getting your money’s worth, the story is well executed, paced appropriately, and holds quite a few surprises. Gears 3 certainly did not disappoint, and in my opinion may be the richest Gears experience yet. And that’s exactly why it made the list.

3. L.A. Noire

L.A. Noire definitely deserves to be in the running for Game of the Year. In the months leading up to its release, I was concerned that Noire would end up being GTA 1947. After picking it up and giving the game some time, I walked away thoroughly impressed with how balanced the game was among interrogation, clue finding, and the occasional shoot out. Graphically, the game is gorgeous, which makes the interrogation process and exploring the streets of LA an absolute joy. L.A. Noire’s main story is gripping, the characters are memorable, and its overall presentation makes it one of the best games of 2011.

2. Batman: Arkham City

By tweaking their original formula in Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady truly created the closest thing to a perfect Batman game we’ve every played. Beyond the absolutely breathtaking attention to environmental detail in Arkham City, the game’s narrative is excellent. Rocksteady manages to work in every Batman villain and their mother into the main story, which all culminates into an eerie and suspenseful conclusion. Arkham City is a beautifully morose game that consistently pays tribute to one of the greatest icons in comic book history.

1. Skyrim

Skyrim – I know, I know, Skyrim is a no brainer when it comes to a GOTY nomination. However, as I was a bit late in joining the Skyrim bandwagon, I was hesitant about adding it to my own list of GOTY contenders. After having some time to sit down and explore the game, though, it’s becoming painfully apparent to me why this game deserves the accolades it’s received thus far. The deep role-playing experience Skyrim presents so well goes unmatched this year. In addition to the gameplay, Skyrim is absolutely gorgeous. Environments are detailed and almost ask you to explore them for a couple hundred hours. With its insane replayability, rich and addictive gameplay, Skyrim is a masterpiece and worthy of the Game of the Year title.

This year, more so than others, was a year full of must-have titles, making it extremely difficult to pin down a top five for this list. Over the course of the year, many games surprised, while others downright failed to leave even an impression. So, without further ado, here’s my top five for twenty eleven:

5. Batman: Arkham City

Want more Batman? Well then, Arkham City provides that in spades. And if you’re looking for more of the combat that Arkham Asylum perfected, then look no further.

What surprised me most about this game was the sheer amount of things to do. If you weren’t caught up in the game’s 14 hour main quest, then the game’s side missions had you covered. These self-contained stories are so well crafted that they’re able stand on their own, each more interesting and varied than the last, feeling vastly more developed than the run-of-the mill side missions we’re so used to. Throw in all of The Riddler trophies, collectables, challenges and Calendar Man visits, and Arkham City is game that will have you returning all year round – literally.

4. Shadows of the Damned

The love child of Suda and Mikami, Shadows of the Damned takes its place at number 4 on my list. This punk rock adventure through hell features superb writing from start to finish, Evil Dead references, and enough dick jokes to… shake a dick at.

What I loved most about the game though, was how it did such a great job of humanising the demon world in such an insane and awesome way. I mean, who’d have thought strawberries were so sought after in the underworld? Some of the characters that make up this ride through hell are also worth a mention or two; in particular, Johnson, the charismatic flaming skull side kick that might just be my favourite character of the year next to another “Johnson” on this list. Garcia “Fucking” Hotspur, the game’s protagonist, isn’t too bad either.

And let’s not forget that soundtrack. This hauntingly beautiful arrangement made up of alternative rock and atmospheric jazz composed by Akira Yamaoka gives hell a soundtrack it can be proud of.

Unfortunately this game was pretty much left to rot by EA, and bombed at retail with little to no marketing prior to the game’s launch. I urge anyone remotely interested to check it out. Shadows of the Damned is easily one of this year’s unsung heroes.

3. Dead Space 2

What would this list be without the game that kicked everything off in 2011? I’m talking about Dead Space 2!

Everything from the improved gunplay, to the mind blowing set pieces Visceral employed throughout the game’s stellar 12 hour campaign; Dead Space 2 literally improved upon every aspect from the first game, and then some. The populated metropolis against which the game is set, served as the perfect hub world, giving Issac plenty to explore (schools, malls and churches), and Necromorphs plenty of places to hide.

It’s worth mentioning that I was never a fan of the original Dead Space, which was mostly down to the game’s repetitive nature, and only finished up the original days before the launch of Dead Space 2 – but boy, was that worth it! As a result, every improvement and tweak stood out ten fold. Controls were noticeably tighter, every set piece more epic than the last, and the pacing – well, it barely ever let up.

Oh, and let’s not forget that bit of fan service at the end there. A true sequel in every sense of the word.

2. Portal 2

Speaking of true sequels, let’s talk about Portal 2. Now the original Portal is what I’d like to call a perfect video game, and after finishing Portal 2, I threw it right up there with the first.

Fantastic writing, more puzzles and two of the best characters of the year make up this fantastic sequel to Valve’s first-person puzzle-platformer. Not opting for more of the same, Portal 2 breaks us out of the familiar test chambers and takes us deep into the belly of Aperture Science for more testing, patents, and – you guessed it – science. This slow ride back through time pays off in spades, and making your way back up top through the desolate hidden basement of Aperture Science, all whilst learning the secrets and horrors of a shower curtain manufacturer gone terribly wrong was just damn right amazing!

Furthermore, the inclusion of a two-player co-op mode, Cave Johnson and Wheatley somehow raising the bar Ellen McLain’s character (GlaDOS) set previously, coupled with what is probably the best ending of the year and Portal 2 was an easy choice for my number 2.

1. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP

For me, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP marks the day I started taking iOS games seriously. This fantastically arranged audiovisual style adventure game came out of nowhere, and was so well crafted it deserves its place at the top of my GOTY list.

It’s no secret that iOS gaming has taken off in the last couple of years, and while the likes of Doodle Jump and Fruit Ninja are nods to the arcade era with easy pick-up-and-play games, true fleshed out gaming experiences have been hard to come by on Apple’s mobile devices.

Due to the limitations of these devices – by that I mean that they feature no physical buttons – devs have been forced to explore new and interesting ways to play. It’s not a coincidence that the most popular games on these devices all have one thing in common: intuitive control inputs. One of the many ways Sword & Sworcery rocks the boat.

One control input the game seemed to introduce was the hold-to-move mechanic (at least that’s what I like to call it). Tap and hold either side of the screen and watch your character wander towards the direction of your finger. Want to head up those stairs or down an unbeaten path? It’s as simple moving your finger up or down as your character approaches the split in the road. This new control method allowed movement to feel less cumbersome than other iOS titles that employ far more trickier solutions, while still feeling natural and unobtrusive. This mechanic even made its way across to the recent iOS port of LostWinds, and hopefully many more titles in the near future. Seriously guys, it’s crazy how well it works and how much of a natural fit it is for the platform.

It’s also astonishing how well written the whole package is from top to bottom. The quality literature throughout the game is matched only by a fantastic accompanying soundtrack and interesting supporting characters that make up this unmissable adventure game, the first of its kind for iOS.

I do believe, in time, that we’ll look back on Sword & Sworcery as a title that played a huge role in the maturation of iOS games. Moments; the soft tones and hard drums of “Lone Star” that pumped through my headphones as Logfella led me through the woods; the sheer fright I felt when being chased after stealing the Megatome, or even that first time you raised your sword skyward to open the doorway to Mingi Taw. These moments, these unadulterated gaming moments were more pure than any game on this list or any game released this year. Moments I feel will inspire, influence, and define the growth of this platform over the next couple years.

I’ve started to notice a trend when it comes to limited edition SKUs of Wii games released in Europe. I bought the Xenoblade Chronicles Bundle Pack (you know the one with the Red Classic Controller) back in September, and was surprised to see that the box inside differed from the regular edition I’d seen on the store shelf earlier that evening when making my purchase.

Xenoblade Chronicles Bundle Pack

Now it’s quite common to receive different cover arts with special editions, but this wasn’t different, instead it was a compromised version of the regular box art. What do I mean? Instead of the blurb and accompanying text we’re used to seeing alongside images of the game, the back cover is filled with two thirds of disclaimer text (or whatever you call that shit) in, wait for it… SEVEN DIFFERENT FUCKING LANGUAGES!!!

And if that isn’t enough, the front has PEGI and USK ratings on it. Yes, two ratings from two different boards, with “Not to be sold separately” spelt out seven times. I guess there wasn’t enough room on the back, huh?

Regular Edition/Compromised Edition

I know I’m probably part of a handful of people who actually care about this kind of thing, but it really puts me off buying these special editions, so much so that I’ve opted for the regular edition of Skyward Sword. I know, I know, gold Wiimote. How will I live?

Why do they do this? I don’t know. Probably to save money I guess. Whatever the reason, it just seems like a lazy effort on Nintendo’s part. They go to all the trouble of creating different PAL boxes for each territory with the regular editions, but they won’t do the same for the edition you end up paying more for, instead they give you the 7-in-1 edition, take it or leave it. I just don’t get it.

Anyways, here’s your Skyward Sword Limited Edition packaging incase you were wondering:

So I went down to the official Modern Warfare 3 launch in London (Oxford Street) on Monday evening, and to be fair Activision and Microsoft put on a good show, I just couldn’t help but feel EA missed a trick here. As you do at these launches, I got talking with some friends in the queue and thought that it would have been awesome to see EA make an appearance in some capacity, to crash the party so to speak, which got me thinking.

I wanted a repeat of this

How awesome would it have been, with like thirty minutes to go before the clock strikes twelve, to pull up on Oxford Street, theme blaring, with soldiers jumping out the Battlefield 3 tank (they brought one along with them to the launch two weeks ago), handing out free copies to everyone in line (around 750 people)? Totally stealing the show away from Activision in the process.

Now, it would be stupid to assume gamers would walk away from the queue they’ve been standing in for hours, go home with their new copy of Battlefield 3 and live happily ever after, but putting copies of the competition in the hands of the competitor’s user base wouldn’t have been a bad thing – would it? Some might already own Battlefield 3 yes, but for a lot of people in that queue Modern Warfare 3 will be one of the only gaming purchases they’ll make this year – trust me I was there. Better yet, a stunt like that would get people talking, tweeting and definitely steal at least a bit of the limelight away from Activision’s money making machine, especially on the gaming sites and in the morning papers. Who knows, you might even get some converts from it. If not for the new players a stunt like that would bring in, it’s something that would have been worth the press alone right?

Going off EA’s aggressive marketing prior to the game’s release, I, for one wouldn’t have put it past them, and with thirty minutes left to go I was still checking my watch like an anxious kid, waiting for EA to land one final blow. Unfortunately, this never happened

Present-day. San Andreas. These were the answers to two of the most important questions answered within seconds of the trailer going up online. Because on Wednesday afternoon, Rockstar pulled the curtain back for the first time on the industry’s worst kept secret, Grand Theft Auto V.

Rockstar have hardly been absent this generation

From the moment Grand Theft Auto IV hit shelves back in 2008, fans haven’t been able to stop speculating about the next city the series would gravitate towards. Amsterdam, Canada and others were laughed off, whereas some of the more serious suggestions (London, Cuba, Tokyo) seemed plausible. Whatever side of the fence you were on, one thing seemed certain; it was time for GTA to move outside of the United States.

Over the last few years Rockstar Games have focused their attention into various other IPs, notably Red Dead Redemption and this year’s detective thriller L.A. Noire, with Max Payne 3 waiting in the wings for an early release next quarter. With rumours of new consoles on the horizon growing fast, fans began to wonder if they might ever see another Grand Theft Auto this side of consoles.

Just last week, out of the blue, in typical Rockstar fashion I might add, Grand Theft Auto V was officially announced by Rockstar Games, with a trailer set to follow the following week. Speculation started up again; and characters, locations and time periods were all at the forefront of the conversation. Why were they moving straight to V? Why weren’t they following the 1-2 year development cycle that worked so well on the PS2? Did we need V and why had Rockstar taken four years out to develop the next GTA? Whatever the answers to those questions were, this was going to be huge.

On time and as promised the trailer hit the internet on Wednesday afternoon, bringing back a familiar setting along with it – San Andreas. Set in the current day, you play as retiree (sort of) who’s moved to Los Santos with plans of leaving behind a life of crime and settling down. Reaction from fans was mixed. While some were happy to be going back, others felt let down by Rockstar for playing it so safe.

Personally, I thought the trailer was phenomenal. Rockstar always fill their trailers with clues to keep fans guessing and pump out stuff so infrequeuntly, you can’t help but get caught up in the hype. Rockstar are masters at this, and just up until a few years ago, they used to keep gameplay screens and videos under wraps until launch day. I always loved that about them.

Now this would have been a bold move

I guess I’m okay with San Andreas, and I can wait until the next generational leap for them to do something completely different, I just believed the time was now. For the sake of the series, they either need to step outside of America, or do something completely revolutionary. I understand the allure of America, Grand Theft Auto’s always seemed to succesfully poke fun and thrive off of American pop culture, it’s been the backbone of the series in a way. The problem I have is that revisiting the same cities over and over gets repetitive, no matter how good the stories yet to be told are.

Building up to the release of the trailer, I’d hoped the series would return to London, the odd city out that has yet to receive the 3D treatment since the top down GTA games of the 90s. The underworld of organised crime in London would have worked so well as the backdrop to the next GTA game, with movies like Lock, Stock and Snatch acting as its foundation, just as Goodfellas was to III, Scarface to Vice City and Menace II Society to San Andreas.

I’ve always thought what made Vice City and San Andreas so great were the perfectly matched time periods. In the early 80s, Miami’s drug culture had shifted into the “designer” period. A booming economy, growth in disposable income and Miami’s club revolution were all cultural movements that caused scenes like the ones in the movie Scarface. This era lent itself kindly to Vice City while the gang culture in the late 80s and early 90s helped shape the vibe of San Andreas. San Andreas nailed a period where the public were coping with the aftermath of the L.A. riots and the beating of Rodney King. Where gangster rap was on the rise and feuding between the East and West Coast popularised a movement that was at the very heart of that game. These events shaped Vice City and San Andreas into games that mirrored the controversial cultural happenings of the time period.

Of course, the success of these games wouldn’t have been possible without the help of fantastic accompanying soundtracks. The music of both games did a great job of reflecting what was popular at the time, playing an integral role in capturing the time and social moods of each era perfectly, more so than any number of polygons possibly could.

As much as I loved Grand Theft Auto IV for the leaps it took, the noughties just weren’t as relevant and exciting as past eras. The soundtrack was bland compared to previous efforts and Liberty City just didn’t seem as fun this time around. The previous games seemed to take us back to the golden eras of crime, whereas IV seemed more focused on the American dream, my biggest issue with the game. This is the same problem I have with this upcoming release.

Now I’m not stupid enough to write Rockstar North off, especially after just one trailer, but I’d like to see certain game elements refined in GTA V. For instance, I wasn’t a fan of how side missions were handled in L.A. Noire. They seemed lacklustre and felt like more of an afterthought, one of the many things that game did wrong. The recent release of Arkham City redefined this concept, these self-contained stories are so well designed that they’re able to stand on their own against the game’s main story arc. As of writing this, I’ve still yet to dive into the main story simply because I’ve been so caught up in the side missions, which is testament to how well-rounded the game is.

GTA has never looked better

It’s hard to judge a new game from one trailer, especially when details are so scarce at the moment. What we do know is Grand Theft Auto V will “focus on the pursuit of the almighty dollar”, set against present-day Southern California. Judging by the many themes seen in the trailer, money deprivation might play a big enough role. What if the game were to use the current global economic crisis in place of the gang violence of the 90s, and the drug-soaked club scene of the 80s? Such themes are sure to provide new and interesting subjects for the series to toy with.

Here’s hoping Rockstar build on the great character development from IV, with enough change to keep fans on both sides of the fence happy. After all, this is being penned as the “largest and most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created”, that’s got to count for something, right?

The trailer for GTA V was unveiled this afternoon and recent predictions seemed to hold up. We’re going back to San Andreas (current day), and if the voiceover is anything to go by, you’ll take up the role of a father who has just moved to San Andreas to get away from “that line of work” and settle down with his family. Though knowing the GTA series, things won’t be quite that simple.

UPDATE:
As pointed out by GameTrailers user hobodealer, on a second viewing the narrator (seemingly the protagonist) seems to have moved to San Andreas to leave “that line of work” behind, to retire and start a family. Only to get sucked back into that life of crime on arrival.

Hang with us here as we dissect the trailer, and feel free to mention anything we might have left out. Trailer observations after the jump.

Location

We're back here again

The following locations popped up in today’s trailer:

• San Andreas
• Los Santos, East Los Santos, Los Santos Bay
• Vinewood
• Little Seoul
• Los Puerta Freeway
• Del Perro Freeway
• Vespucci Beach
• Downtown

Places of Interest/Brands

We spotted a dozen or so brands and places of interest throughout the trailer. Listed below in no particular order:

Rockstar, you slay me

• Pleasure Pier – It’s Totally Beachin’
• Postal – We Aim Not to Lose It
• e Cola – Deliciously Infectious!
• Pump Buddy Magazine – Plenty of Issues to Work Out
• Pump & Run Gymnasium
• Muscle Sands
• Bugstars Pest Control – Putting the FU in Fumigate
• 247 Supermarket
• Up-n-Atom Burger – Once it Pings, Eat Like Kings
• Enema – Tequi-la-la
• Brute
• Los Santos Golf Club
• Speedophile 2000
• HO BO
• STD Contractors
• Liquor Ace
• Glam Holes

Notable Things

Convertible Cars and Possible Customisation

A first in a GTA game, convertible cars are set to make their debut in GTA V. This makes me wonder if the high customisation and modification options for player and vehicles will make its way across from San Andreas. Going off this trailer, it’s looking likely. Those aren’t stock rims.

Mountains and Hikers

If this is anything like San Andreas, we’ll be able to make it to the top of that mountain. With handholding NPCs thrown in for good measure.

Jet Skis Are Back

Absent from GTA IV, Jet Skis return in V. The Speedophile 2000 joins the long list of wacky Rockstar vehicle names.

Dogs Included/Possible Pets

A dog was spotted in the early moments of the trailer. I wonder if Pets Overnight is responsible for all this? Please tell me so!

Jumbo Jets

At least five different types of aircrafts popped up in the trailer. What looked like a 747 drifted into the sunset as the trailer came to a close. Clearly a larger portion of the game will take place in the skies, at least more so than it did in GTA IV.

Biplanes

Wine fields, migrant workers and another one of the many aircraft types that made up this trailer.

Fighter Jets

Yet another aircraft. Military flavour.

Blimps, Check!

One of the more interested vehicles spotted. Since it popped up in at least two different parts of the trailer, I’m going to go ahead and make the assumption. Blimps confirmed!

Strip Clubs

What’s GTA without a strip club? Enema sure looks like the place to be. Yes, that’s right, Enema.

Hookers

For that matter, where would GTA be without hookers? Cowboy boots confirmed!

Los Santos

One of the three cities in San Andreas.

Heists

I’m down for a jewellery heist dressed top to bottom in full fumigation gear.

Muscle Sands, The Gym Returns

I guess it’s safe to say the gym mini-game is back, in some shape or form. See what I did there?

Buying/Selling Property Returns?

There’s a strong emphasis of buying and selling properties in the trailer.

Golf is Back, No DLC Required

Golf is one of many activities you’ll be likely able to take up when taking a break from the game’s missions. Beats pool, bowling and darts if you ask me. And the best part yet? No DLC is required to unlock it.

Piercing. Working Out. Character Customisation?

More evidence of possible character customisation.

Is This Our Protagonist?

This guy makes more than one appearance in the trailer. He’s either our protagonist or a very important character. The name Tommy Vercetti seems to be getting thrown around a lot at the moment. Could be, could be…

Niko, CJ, Is That You?

GAF posters are pointing out that CJ and Niko make cameos in the trailer. It is possible I guess. If it is, I can’t help but feel a bit sorry for Niko though. I guess the American dream didn’t work out for him so well after all.

Other Notable Things

Let me get on one of these

A few other things caught our eyes. I wonder how significant they’ll be? I’ve listed them below in order of significance:

• Topless Dudes
• Wind Turbines
• Pumpjacks
• Aerobics
• Surfboards
• Wine Fields
• Beaches
• Countryside

I’m sure over the next couple of days people will pull other things from the trailer that we haven’t picked out, so let us know via Twitter (@bitthirsty) if we’ve missed anything. We’ll be sure to credit you.

All in all, I thought it was a fantastic trailer, much more revealing than any of the series’ previous firsts. And while I’m a little disappointed we’re going back to San Andreas, I must admit, I’m ready for some more GTA. My body is ready!

One of the announcements this week at Comic-Con was that classic slasher villain Freddy Krueger would be joining the cast of Mortal Kombat via downloadable content in August.

The character featured in next months DLC will be the most recent Hollywood re-imagining of the character, and not the original Robert Englund classic. Freddy will also be the last of the DLC characters coming to Mortal Kombat. After seeing Solid Snake brawl with a plumber and a blue hedgehog, I figure relevance must not be a factor when it comes to why such unlikely characters are at such disagreement. And given the possibilities of who will show up next time you throw down is anyones guess. I don’t know whether to expect Darth Vader to jump out and take a swing at me while playing Street Fighter or not – but I do know that come next month, Sub-Zero may have a bad dream or two.

Microsoft on Thursday unveiled a limited edition Xbox 360 console at Comic-Con modeled after the character R2-D2 from Star Wars. The console is set to release as a bundle, including such Xbox and Star Wars goods as the Kinect: Star Wars game, a sleek white Kinect sensor bar, headset, a whopping 320GB hard drive (the largest on an Xbox console to date) and a gold wireless controller that would make C-3P0 jealous. Like the Halo: Reach bundle before it, the R2-D2 console will make sounds signature to its theme, so turning on your Xbox will get a warm greeting from one of the galaxy’s most iconic droids. If you’re a fan of the series or were thinking of investing in a new Xbox sometime this year, then these may be the droids you’re looking for.

The bundle is set to go on sale “later this year” and retail for $449.99 (£274.49).

It was reported Tuesday that DICE head Patrick Bach said the console versions (360, PS3) would support 24 player multiplayer online as opposed to the max of 64 players the PC version boast.

The console builds are said to play identical to its PC counter part with everything from the tech and animations to the lighting and environmental effects. Its not the first time and won’t be the last that PC games continue to support higher numbers of players over their console brother versions, and is still necessary to sacrifice higher player support to avoid compromising graphics and other technical necessities. Sometimes us console gamers can’t have it all when competing with the capabilites of a well juiced gaming PC, and sometimes it requires a little sacrifice in exchange for enjoying the fruits of multiplayer gaming that see them transition well and into our hands. Regardless of the number of targets available running around for you to aim at, Battlefield 3 is shaping up to be one helluva’ game. I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen of the multiplayer and campaign teasers, and given the long hours I still log in on Bad Company 2, can I say- 64? 24? Uh, honestly does it matter?

Battlefield 3 releases October 25th for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

During E3, trailers and other announcements are lost in between the big media briefings that make up the bulk of E3. One of my most anticipated games, BioShock Infinite, shows off what we can expect to see when the game drops next year. See what I did there?

Check out the trailer above. Spoiler Alert: Sky-Hooks and damsels are still very much intact.

Speaking of Sky-Hooks, if you fancy winning a life-size model of the sky-soaring device, follow @IrrationalGames on Twitter and retweet the contest announcement. Full details on the competition can be found here.