February 04, 2003 - The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences today announced its pick of finalists for the 2003 Interactive Achievement Awards. The nominations encapsulate categories including Best Overall Game of the Year and Game of the Year for a specific platform. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony, which is scheduled to take place on February 27 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The AIAS awards will coincide with beginning of the annual D.I.C.E. summit.
"Each year we see even more games that demonstrate the innovation, creativity and diversity with which videogames push the envelope of modern entertainment," said Paul Provenzano, president of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. "It is satisfying to see such an exceptional mix of savvy veteran videogame developers and bold new studios among the finalists."
Nintendo's first-person GameCube adventure Metroid Prime earned a record breaking 10 nominations including Game of the Year. Meanwhile, the first-person PC shooter Battlefield 1942 and the massive-selling PS2 action game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City nabbed an impressive six nominations each. Nintendo of America and Electronic Arts led the list of winning publishers with 26 and 25 total nominations respectively, according to the AIAS.
Finalists for 2003's Game of the Year include:
Animal Crossing, GameCube
Metroid Prime, GameCube
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, PlayStation 2
Ratchet & Clank, PlayStation 2
Battlefield 1942, PC
Finalists for 2003's Console Game of the Year include:
Animal Crossing, GameCube
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, GameCube
Metroid Prime, GameCube
Grand Theft Auto, PlayStation 2
Ratchet & Clank, PlayStation 2
Splinter Cell, Xbox
Finalists for 2003's PC Game
