In January, we told you about the First Annual Xbox Live Arcade Awards, with information about how to vote for your favourites. The votes have all been tallied up now, more than 26,000 of them - and the winners have been announced at this week's Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco.

To recap - the finalists in each category were chosen by a select handful of industry journalists, and then voting was opened on the following six categories: Best Overall Arcade Game, Best Classic Game, Best Original Game, Best Family Friendly Game, Best Competitive Multiplayer Game and Best Cooperative Multiplayer Game. There were also four categories decided by sales and gameplay data, staff vote, or online Metacritic score.

...the envelope, please!

Voted by the Community
Best Overall Arcade Game "Bomberman Live" Nominees: Puzzle Quest Pac-Man CE Carcassonne Alien Hominid Catan	Best Classic Game "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" Nominees: Prince of Persia Asteroids Jet Pac Refuelled Sensible World of Soccer Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Best Original Game "Pac-Man: Championship Edition" Nominees: Boom Boom Rocket Aegis Wing Undertow Band of Bugs Hexic 2	Best Family-Friendly Game "Pac-Man: Championship Edition" Nominees: Carcassonne Catan Bomberman Live Hexic 2 E4
Best Competitive Multiplayer Game "Bomberman Live" Nominees: Puzzle Quest Carcassonne Super Puzzle Fighter II Undertow Catan	Best Cooperative Multiplayer Game "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" Nominees: Alien Hominid Golden Axe Aegis Wing Double Dragon Arkadian Warriors

Home to the world's most creative and innovative independent developers, Xbox LIVE Arcade has more than 25 indie studios providing creative fuel in the form of the original games that make up more than a quarter of the Xbox LIVE Arcade library.

The number of people playing via Xbox LIVE Arcade has more than doubled since this time last year, with players logging more than 115 million gaming hours worldwide - with the business as a whole experiencing a 150% year-over-year growth in unit sales.

Decided through data, review scores and staff
Best-Selling Game "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"	Most-Played Game "Worms"
Highest-Rated Game "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night"	Xbox LIVE Arcade Staff Choice "Pac-Man: Championship Edition"

Marc Whitten, general manager of Xbox LIVE at Microsoft explains:

"The Xbox LIVE Arcade business is currently the strongest it's ever been, thanks to the content provided by the diverse range of talented developers attached to the platform. The Game Developers Conference is the perfect venue to recognise the successes of Xbox LIVE Arcade developers, and as we move further into 2008, gamers can expect to see even more quality content land on Xbox LIVE Arcade."

14 Xbox LIVE Arcade titles have picked up a Metacritic score of more than 80, and seven of those games are exclusive to the platform. Xbox LIVE Arcade has definitely established itself as the go-to source for quality gaming that is as simple as pick up and play. More than 116 titles are currently available through the service, with new content added each Wednesday.

Congratulations to all the winners, thanks to everyone who voted - now shoo! Get gaming!