The last time I thought about this was back in March, where the only real "game of the year" material game was God of War 2. That has definitely changed (it is currently the end of October). Not to say that Gow2 doesn't have a shot, but it's got competition. So far, I think Halo 3, Bioshock, Mass Effect, and theThe Orange Box are definite canidates. Possible ones are Assassin's Creed, Rock Band, and Super Mario Galaxy (im a bit skeptical of this one for a definite canidate because of the tendency for critics to go for shooters).

God of War 2- Amazing game, the best action game I've played in a long time. I'm sure this one has a shot, because of the great story telling, and it is so fun that you beat it in very few sittings.

Bioshock- My favorite part of the game was the story. While I prefer Metal Gear Solids type of story, because I am the rare gamer who enjoys cutscenes, but that does not mean I can't get into this type (seeing through the characters eyes). The game was really fun too. I spent pretty much the whole game experimenting different combinations of weapons and plasmids.

Halo 3- If you look past the hype, Halo 3 is a great game. While there is controvery over the quality of the single player length and narrative, I loved the story, and was fine with the length. As much as I can talk about the sp, I want to keep this brief, and the most popular part is the mp. I am not a fan of mp, and this will keep me playing for awhile. And finally, theater makes me want it in every game, and forge is a simplified map editor that is really fun.

Mass Effect- The one I am rooting for. This game looks amazing, and sadly I don't know as much as I want to know. Ill probably read the book.

Mario Galaxy- I have yet to play it, but it looks very fun.

Like I said, I can also see, Rock Band, Assassin's Creed, Ratchet, Uncharted, Heavenly Sword, and Guitar Hero as possibilities, but I doubt game of the year.