It’s that time of year again – the Golden Joysticks have come around, and this year we’re thrilled to say we’ve been nominated in two major categories! We’re up for Best Strategy Game and Ultimate Game of the Year, both incredible accolades that we’re amazingly proud of.

If you’re keen for us to win, you can show your love for Total War by voting for us in either category by clicking the link text above.

To share in our euphoria at these nominations, we’ve decided to run an exclusive competition. If you’re one of the lucky 6 winners, you’ll get the ultimate Total War fan package- the opportunity to visit the studio and get to play exclusive new stuff before anyone else IN THE WORLD.

PLEASE NOTE: This competition is only open to UK residents. Sorry! But if you’d like to join in the fun below, feel free to help spread the word.

Craig Laycock and Mark O’Connell from The Creative Assembly tell you more right here:

And the best thing is, there are loads of ways to enter. All we ask is that you show some support for our Golden Joystick bid on Facebook, Twitter and/or the Total War forums by doing one of the following:

On Facebook : like this post on the Shogun 2 page and change your profile picture to the image below.

–

On Twitter, Tweet the following: I just voted for @TotalWar Shogun 2 for Best Strategy Game & Ultimate Game of the Year at Goldenjoystick.com! #ShogunJoystick

–

And if you’d like to get involved on our official forums, simply change your avatar to one of the lovely, brand new selection we have here (go into your user settings to do this on the board) and reply in the thread we’ve linked to here.

That’s it! Sit back, relax and cross your fingers. The competition is open from right now until 23:59BST on 21st October, 2011.

Check out the full T&Cs below.

 *****

SEGA Ultimate Total War Fan Competition

THERE IS NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO PARTICIPATE
IN THIS PROMOTION OR TO WIN ANY PRIZE.

(1) Description of Prize Draws SEGA Europe Limited (the “Sponsor”) is offering a “Prize Giveaway”, (the “Promotion”) and will award prizes via a random selection from eligible entrants. The Promotion is conducted as a free prize draw competition (“Competition”) taking place on the following schedule: the Competition begins at 00:00 Greenwich Mean Time (“GMT”) on 10^th October 2011 and concludes at 23:59 GMT on 21^st October 2011, (“Competition Period”).

(2) Eligibility - The Competition is open to legal residents of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), who are 18 years of age or older. Competitions are void anywhere it is prohibited by law.  Any entrants who are not eligible for the Competition can be disqualified at the Sponsor’s discretion.  Employees, officers and representatives (and members of their immediate families and those living in the same household of each) of the Sponsor, its parent, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, advertising and promotion agencies, and any other company involved in the design, execution or production of this Promotion are not eligible.

(3) How to Enter –To enter the Competition, eligible entrants will have to vote for Total War: Shogun 2 (the “Game”) in the “Best Strategy Game” and “Ultimate Game of the Year” categories at www.goldenjoystick.com and follow the steps listed below (please note that the steps vary depending on the platform used by the eligible entrant):

• Facebook: Add one of the Game’s provided Golden Joystick avatar (the “Avatar”) to your Facebook profile, and press the “like” button on The Creative Assembly competition post on Facebook; or

• Twitter: Tweet: “I just voted for @TotalWar Shogun 2 for Best Strategy Game & Ultimate Game of the Year at Goldenjoystick.com! #ShogunJoystick”; or

• Totalwarforums.com: Add one Avatar to your profile page; or

• Twcenter.net: Add one Avatar to your profile page.

Entries received for a given Competition are eligible only for that drawing and will not be “rolled forward” for inclusion in any subsequent Competition.

(4) Prize - The Competition will have, fours (4) winners will be randomly selected from eligible entrants (one (1) per entre Site). Each winner will receive one (1) entry to an exclusive Total War event (the date of the event will be chosen by the Sponsor), all-expenses paid travel to the Creative Assembly studio (as chosen by Sponsor), the opportunity to meet members of the BAFTA award-winning development team and have lunch with them, one (1) signed copy of Total War: Shogun 2 and the chance to play The Creative Assembly’s latest in-development project. The odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received for any given Competition.

(5) General:
(i) Winners will be selected in a random drawing conducted approximately three (3) business days after the ending date of each Competition Period. Potential winners will be contacted within two (2) business days of the drawing by the e-mail address associated with their Registered User account to confirm prize acceptance and determine a mailing address for the prize. Potential winners will have five (5) business days to respond to the prize notification e-mail with the requested information. Failure to respond within this time frame will result in disqualification and the selection of an alternate winner. Return of prize notification e-mail as undeliverable will result in disqualification and the selection of an alternate winner.

(ii) ANY AND ALL TAX LIABILITY RESULTING FROM A WINNER’S RECEIPT OF THE PRIZE IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER. There are no prize transfers or prize substitutions available. In the event of unavailability of the prize or prize components, Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize or prize component of equal or greater value.

(iii) Sponsor reserves the right to discontinue this Promotion at any time and without notice following the conclusion and complete fulfilment of all prizes associated with any given (and then current) Competition.  In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of the person submitting the winning entry, the prize will be awarded to the authorised account holder of the submitted Internet e-mail address regardless of the individual who submitted the entry. The authorised account holder is the natural person who is assigned to the e-mail address by an Internet Service Provider or other organisation that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses or the domain names associated with e-mail addresses. Sponsor reserves the right to void entries, which in its sole determination, are irregular or have been generated with abusive and/or duplicitous intent including but not limited to false or multiple e-mail addresses.

(iv) By entering, you (a) agree to comply with and be bound by the official rules and the decisions of the Sponsor which are final and binding in all respects; (b) agree to release Sponsor and its employees and agents from any and all liability, loss, damage or injury resulting from participation in this Promotion or from the awarding, receipt, possession use and/or misuse of any prize; (c) acknowledge that Sponsor, and its employees and agents have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to any prize including, but not limited to, its quality, mechanical condition or fitness for a particular purpose; and (d) consent to use of your name, photograph and/or likeness, statements and voice for advertising and promotional purposes in all media worldwide and in perpetuity without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law.

(v) The use of machines, computers or any automated technique (“Automated Cheats”) to enter the Competition is prohibited. Sponsor has the right to invalidate any entry if its sole opinion Registered User has engaged the use of Automated Cheats at any time.  All decisions of the Sponsor are final.

(vi) Sponsor is not responsible for any lost, late, delayed, misdirected, garbled, illegible, incorrect or inaccurate information or entries that are misdirected or misrouted as a result of interrupted or unavailable network connections or internet transmissions for any reason, or any failure of the website during the Competition Period, or for any computer, phone, phone line hardware or software malfunction, failure or error of any kind, whether mechanical, human or electronic. Any attempt by an entrant to interfere with the operations of this Promotion is a violation of criminal and civil laws; Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such entrant to the fullest extent permitted by law. If, for any reason, any Promotion is not capable of running as planned, including, without limitation, infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsor which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Competition, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Competition and select winners in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received prior to the cancellation. All entries are the property of the Sponsor.

(vii) Where relevant, winners should check with any relevant authorities regarding passport and visa requirements; it is the sole responsibility of winners to produce all requisite travel documentation. Insurance is not included and winners are strongly advised to take out insurance cover for all appropriate risks. Any costs incurred additional to the prize package elements expressly specified are at the sole expense of winners and/or their companions.

(viii) Following notification under clause 5(i), winners will be emailed or posted a Liability Release Form (prepared by SEGA Europe Ltd) to be properly and fully completed by the winner and traveling companion(s) (if applicable). Completed Liability Release Forms for the winner and all traveling companion(s) (if applicable) must be returned to SEGA Europe Ltd in accordance with the notified instructions to arrive at the specified address by no later than fourteen (14) days after the date SEGA Europe Ltd emails or posts the Liability Release Form. Failure to comply in any respect with this requirement will result in the relevant prize being withheld and the winner’s entry for the Competition becoming void, whereupon SEGA Europe Ltd may at its sole and absolute discretion reallocate the prize to the next valid winning entry for the Competition.

(6) Release: BY PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROMOTION, YOU RELEASE AND HOLD SPONSOR AND ITS PARENT COMPANY OR COMPANIES, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, DISTRIBUTORS, RETAILERS, ADVERTISING AGENCIES AND EACH OF THEIR RESPCTIVE EMPLOYEES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, SHAREHOLDERS, AGENTS, AND REPRESENTATIVES, HARMLESS FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL LOSSES, DAMAGES, CLAIMS, AND ACTIONS OF ANY KIND ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROMOTION OR RESULTING FROM ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE OR MISUSE OF, OR DEFECTS IN, A PRIZE, OR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROMOTION, WITHOUT LIMITATION CLAIMS BASED ON PROPERTY LOSS OR DAMAGE, PUBLICITY OR PRIVACY RIGHTS, AND/OR DEFAMATION. NOTHING IN THESE TERMS SHALL EXCLUDE OR LIMIT THE SPONSOR’S LIABILITY FOR PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH CAUSED BY ITS NEGLIGENCE.

(7) Law and Jurisdiction: These terms are governed by English law and any claim or matter arising out of these terms shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England.
(8) Winners List: An accumulative list of winners from the most recent month is available via email request to competitions@soe.sega.co.uk

Sponsor: SEGA Europe Limited, 27 Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex
TW8 9BW,UNITED KINGDOM.
(c) SEGA. SEGA and the SEGA logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Corporation. All rights reserved.