BIOSHOCK RECEIVES A RECORD-BREAKING 12 INTERACTIVE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD NOMINATIONS
Call of Duty 4, The Orange Box, Rock Band, Super Mario Galaxy, 'Shock Fight It Out for 'Overall Game of the Year' Honors
CALABASAS, CA - January 17, 2008 - The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences ® (AIAS) today announced the nominees for the 11th annual Interactive Achievement Awards ® . The nominations for the peer-based awards have been dominated by two blockbuster first-person shooter games, BioShock (2K Games) and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision) by receiving an astounding 10+ nominations from industry leaders and members of the interactive entertainment software business. In addition, finalists in close lead with top nominations include: The Orange Box (Electronic Arts and Valve Software), Rock Band (MTV) and Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo of America), all up for the Overall Game of the Year Award.
The awards ceremony will take place during The D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit ® 2008 on February 7 at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, with comedian, actor and proud game enthusiast, Jay Mohr returning for his third year to host the award ceremony.
These peer-based awards recognize the outstanding products, talented individuals and development teams that have contributed to the advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide entertainment software industry. The Interactive Achievement Awards for the first time can be viewed live via webcast on GameSpot ( www.gamespot.com) and Comcast HD Video on Demand. This gives game enthusiasts worldwide the opportunity to experience first-hand the excitement as the coveted Interactive Achievement Awards are presented to the geniuses and giants behind the most popular video games of the year.
"This year's finalists reflect the commitment game makers have to create compelling, engaging and exciting experiences for the expanding game playing audience," said Joseph Olin, president, AIAS. "The 2008 nominees represent the tremendous talent and passion that our members bring to their craft. The Interactive Achievement Awards are dedicated to acknowledging the men and women who create these innovative and excellent games."
Following is a partial list of finalists; the complete list of finalists is available at www.interactive.org:
Overall Game of the Year:
BioShock
Publisher: 2K Games Developer: 2K Boston, 2K AustraliaCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Publisher: Activision Developer: Infinity WardRock Band
Publisher: MTV Games Developer: HarmonixSuper Mario Galaxy
Publisher: Nintendo of America Developer: NintendoThe Orange Box
Publisher: Electronic Arts / Valve Software Developer: Valve SoftwareConsole Game of the Year:
BioShock
Publisher: 2K Games Developer: 2K Boston, 2K AustraliaCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Publisher: Activision Developer: Infinity WardMass Effect
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Developer: BioWareRock Band
Publisher: MTV Games Developer: HarmonixSuper Mario Galaxy
Publisher: Nintendo of America Developer: NintendoComputer Game of the Year:
BioShock
Publisher: 2K Games Developer: 2K Boston, 2K AustraliaCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Publisher: Activision Developer: Infinity WardCrysis
Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: CrytekThe Orange Box
Publisher: Electronic Arts/Valve Software Developer: Valve SoftwareWorld of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
Publisher: Vivendi Games Developer: Blizzard EntertainmentOutstanding Innovation in Gaming:
Assassin's Creed
Publisher: Ubisoft Developer: Ubisoft MontrealBioShock
Publisher: 2K Games Developer: 2K Boston, 2K AustraliaRock Band
Publisher: MTV Games Developer: HarmonixSuper Mario Galaxy
Publisher: Nintendo of America Developer NintendoThe Orange Box
Publisher: Electronic Arts/Valve Software Developer: Valve SoftwareHandheld Game of the Year
Drawn to Life
Publisher: THQ Developer: 5th CellJeanne d'Arc
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Developer: Level 5Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Publisher: D3 Publisher of America Developer: Infinite Interactive, 1st Playable ProductionsRatchet and Clank: Size Matters
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Developer: High Impact GamesThe Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Publisher: Nintendo of America Developer: NintendoSince 1998, the Interactive Achievement Awards have recognized outstanding games, individuals and development teams that have contributed to the advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide entertainment software industry. More than 160 titles were played and evaluated by members of the Academy's Peer Panels. These panels; one for each award category, are comprised of the game industry's most experienced and talented men and women who are experts in their chosen fields. Interactive Achievement Award recipients are then determined by a vote of qualified Academy members, which is secret, conducted online and supervised and certified by VoteNet Solutions, Inc. The integrity of the system, coupled with a broad-based voting population of AIAS members, makes the Interactive Achievement Awards the most credible, respected and recognized awards for interactive entertainment software.
About the D.I.C.E. Summit:
The D.I.C.E. Summit is a high-level interactive entertainment industry conference that brings together the top video game designers and developers from around the world and business leaders from all the major publishers to discuss the state of the industry, its trends and the future. The three-day event will be held in Las Vegas, at the upscale Red Rock Resort, February 6-8, 2008. Online registration for the D.I.C.E. Summit 2008 is open now. Please visit http://www.dicesummit.org for more information and to register to attend the interactive entertainment industry event of the year.
About the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) was founded in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of the interactive arts. The Academy's mission is to promote and advance common interests in the worldwide interactive entertainment community; recognize outstanding achievements in the interactive arts and sciences; and conduct an annual awards show (Interactive Achievement Awards) to enhance awareness of the interactive art form. The Academy also strives to provide a voice for individuals in the interactive entertainment community. In 2002 the Academy created the D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit, a once yearly conference dedicated to exploring approaches to the creative process and artistic expression as they uniquely apply to the development of interactive entertainment. The Academy has over 12,000 members, with the board comprised of senior executives from the major videogame companies including Bioware/Pandemic, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Insomniac Games, Microsoft, Nintendo of America, Sony, THQ and Ubisoft. More information on the AIAS, the Interactive Achievement Awards and the nominees can be found at http://www.interactive.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Angelina Duran / Wendy Zaas
Rogers & Cowan
310-854-8168 / 310-854-8148
aduran@rogersandcowan.com
wzaas@rogersandcowan.com
Geri Gordon Miller
Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
818-876-0826 x202
geri@interactive.org