Tops of the pops As the dust settles after the 12th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the winners have already emerged: Windows and Xbox gamers. Yesterday, the E3 Game Critics announced their nominees for the Best of E3 awards, and games on Microsoft’s platforms led this year’s nominations, garnering 52 nominations, more than half of those given. Specifically, Xbox 360 amassed more nominations than Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii combined with a total of 21, while the Windows platform led all platforms with 29 nominations. Additionally, leading the way with the most accolades of any title on the show floor, Microsoft Game Studios (MGS) and Epic Games’ Xbox 360 exclusive title “Gears of War” snagged a total of five nominations including Best of Show, Best Original Game, Best Action Game, Best Online Multiplayer Game and Best Console Game. “Gears of War,” the third-person tactical action/horror game, will be available for Xbox 360 gamers on Emergence Day 2006.