Influential Interactive Entertainment Trade Magazine MCV Unveils Annual Industry Excellence Awards Shortlist
Over 50 Interactive Entertainment Companies Battle It Out For Industry’s Top Trophies
Friday 4 March 2005/... Videogames bible MCV has today revealed the finalists for this year's prestigious Industry Excellence Awards.
Over 50 companies will be fighting it out for the industry's 19 most celebrated awards, which together honour excellence throughout all levels of the business.
Electronic Arts leads the nominations table, short-listed seven times - although Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is close behind with a total of six. It's been another good year for Activision/LucasArts and THQ, each of which could bag a potential four awards. Nintendo, Microsoft, VU Games, Take 2/Rockstar, SCi, GAME and Gamestation have each received three nominations apiece.
The winners will be unveiled at a lavish ceremony on April 7th 2005 at The Brewery, London. This year's event - which will be attended by over 500 industry notables - has been expanded to acknowledge a wider range of industry achievements, with 'Unsung Hero' and 'Most Improved Company' added as categories.
"Given the competition out there, becoming a finalist is in itself a huge achievement and we congratulate everyone that has made it this far," said MCV publisher and Intent Media anaging director Stuart Dinsey. "This is the only event that covers the entire interactive entertainment community here in the UK and it recognises excellence through all levels of the business. The event itself will be a good opportunity to remind the industry of the success that companies of all sizes have achieved throughout the past 12 months."
Sponsors for the evening include Gizmondo, which will be exclusively trialling its new handheld entertainment system, plus Nvidia, Electronic Arts, Nokia N-Gage, Gem, Department X, ELSPA and DocData.
For details on the very limited number of tickets still available, contact
The full list of finalists is as follows:-
Independent Retailer
Software Store
Playtime Multimedia
Eclipse
Action Replay
Virtual Games
Specialist Retailer
Gamestation
GAME
Chips
E-Play
CEX
Most Improved Retailer
Blockbuster
Choices
Argos
Software Store
Tesco
General Retail Chain
HMV
Argos
Tesco
Woolworths
Virgin
Online Retailer
Play.com
Amazon
Gameplay
Simply Games
GAME
Retail Buying Team
GAME
Gamestation
Andromeda
EUK
Igloo
PR Team
Electronic Arts
Ubi Soft
Sony
Nintendo
Microsoft
Sales Team
Activision
EA/Pinnacle
THQ
VU Games/V6
Take 2/Gem
UK Development Team
Sports Interactive (Football Manager)
Rockstar North (GTA: San Andreas)
Criterion (Burnout 3)
Sony London Studios (Singstar, Getaway 2, EyeToy Play)
Big Blue Box/Lionhead (Fable)
Magazine Team
PSW (Future)
Official Xbox Magazine (Future)
XBM (Highbury Entertainment)
Edge (Future)
GamesTM (Highbury Entertainment)
Distribution Team
Gem
EUK
Just
Pinnacle
Centresoft
Games Industry Newcomer
Hip Interactive
Gizmondo
NCSoft
Play It
Channel Advantage
Unsung Hero
THQ (WWE series)
ELSPA/Barrington Harvey (Manhunt)
VU Games (Simpsons Hit & Run)
Just Flight (PC flight sims)
SCi (Conflict series)
Most Improved Company
Sega
SCi
Focus Multimedia
Gamestation
Midway
Trade Marketing Team
Nintendo
Activision
Microsoft
VU Games
Sony
TV Campaign
Conflict: Vietnam (SCi)
Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within (UbiSoft)
PlayStation (Sony)
Sims 2 (EA)
Incredibles (THQ)
Marketing Team
Electronic Arts
Activision
UbiSoft
Sony
THQ
New Games Brand
Football Manager (Sega)
SingStar (Sony)
Mercenaries (LucasArts)
Nintendo DS
Gizmondo
Games Brand
Halo (Microsoft/Bungie)
GTA (Take 2/Rockstar)
The Sims (EA/Maxis)
Need For Speed Underground (EA)
FIFA (EA)