2006 was a great year for video games. While years that see new home consoles are successes, this year in particular proved that video games are becoming mainstream faster than you may realize. While a lot of it has to do with the Wii, a system vying for the position of “console anyone can play,” the fact that a huge entertainment company like Sony is showcasing their new format of media on PlayStation 3 says something. Now that officially every mainstream game has been released in 2006, here are the 20 best games of the year:

In a result that will surely send fanboys into a rage, action-RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion beat out favorite Gears of War for Game of the Year at Spike TV Video Game Awards 2006. You can watch the star-studded event on Spike TV this Wednesday, December 13, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. List of nominees below, winners in bold:

Get ready for the avalanche of games to come out this Christmas season. Below is the list of release dates with their respective platform. For those who have camped out or had the foresight to order your Wii before the crazy rush, there are a number of old and new titles for the platform.

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced its debut game titles and unveiled the online strategy for its highly anticipated PlayStation 3 (PS3) system, the company’s groundbreaking computer entertainment system which will be available in North America on November 17, 2006. Full list of launch titles below!