What makes old Doug worthy of standing alongside Sony's Ken Kutaragi and Nintendo of America founders Howard Lincoln and Minoru Arakawa? Lowenstein founded the ESA, the industry's most important and influential trade body, which helped establish video games as a respected cultural force. He helped lead the industry through rough times, combating the unconstitutional video game bills that the government considered following the wake of the Columbine school massacre. From the founding of the ESRB to the launch of E3, Lowenstein was there.

Plus, he's rather humble.

"This Lifetime Achievement Award represents the greatest professional honor I have ever received and I am grateful beyond words to the AIAS," said Lowenstein. "To be honored for doing a job I loved, and fighting for values I deeply hold on behalf of an industry and people I felt privileged to represent, let alone to be in the company of Howard Lincoln, Minoru Arakawa, and Ken Kutaragi, is profoundly humbling."

Lowenstein retired from his position as ESA president in 2006, but his contributions to the industry will be felt as long as we continue playing. Wise choice, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

The contest invites both professional and non-professional game developers to submit betas and pitches, which will be judged by officials from the AIAS. The Challenge is open to submissions from July 14 through October 1, 2009. Twelve finalists chosen by the AIAS will have their games shown at the AIAS's annual Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain (D.I.C.E.) Summit. The grand prize winner in both the professional and non-professional categories will receive $100,000. In total, contest winners could win up to $300,000 in prize money and scholarships.

But indie games aren't about the money, right? The real reason anyone would want to get in on this contest is to get the attention of big name game publishers like Sony, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, Capcom, Microsoft, NAMCO/Bandai, THQ and Ubisoft. According to the Challenge press release, winners will score meetings with these companies so that "competitors [can] receive valuable input and have the opportunity to open up commercial avenues for their games."

Or, you know, you could just enter the Challenge if you need something to put on your application to SMU's Guildhall. It's one of the largest graduate-level game development programs in the country — and with the economy the way it is, now is a good time to go back to school.

Check out the contest site here.

The 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards will be taking place on Thursday, February 19th at the Red Rock in Las Vegas, Nevada, but you won't have to fly out to Vegas to see LittleBigPlanet win all of those awards. You will, however, have to wait awhile. The Independent Film Channel will be broadcasting the IAA in the form of a half-hour special, hosted by comedian Jay Mohr, sometime in April.

It's a nice gesture, I suppose, but will anyone really care about the awards for this year two months after they are given out? Would you tune into an obscure cable channel to watch highlights from an awards ceremony you knew the winners of two months prior?

ACADEMY OF INTERACTIVE ARTS AND SCIENCES STRIKES DEAL WITH IFC TO TELEVISE 2009 INTERACTIVE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Marks First Broadcast of the “Oscars of Video Games” on a Major Television Network

CALABASAS, Calif. – January 28, 2009 – The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences® (AIAS) and IFC (Independent Film Channel) today announced a partnership to bring the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (IAA) to television audiences for the first time. The awards will take place on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at the Red Rock Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The IAA will be broadcast on IFC in April 2009 and comprise of a half hour special with highlights from the IAAs and will be hosted by comedian, actor and proud game enthusiast, Jay Mohr.

This landmark deal brings together the IAA, the only peer-based awards that recognize the year’s best games, computer games, online entertainment, outstanding individuals and groundbreaking developments teams with IFC, the network that uncovers champions and delivers alternative programming. The IAAs are supported by all of the major video game publishers and developers in the industry. No person may vote unless he or she can demonstrate a threshold level of experience and professional credits in the industry.

“The Academy is excited to bring the Interactive Achievement Awards — the Oscars of video games — to the IFC audience,” said Joseph Olin, President, AIAS. “The amazing popularity of interactive entertainment is attributed to the manner that today’s games allow people to be part of fantastic worlds, incredible challenges and the simple fun of sharing these experiences with friends and family. As IFC celebrates the creative spirit of independent filmmaking, I can think of no better place to showcase the talented men and women who are responsible for our dynamic entertainment art form.”

“Bringing the Interactive Achievement Awards to our audience marries alternative culture with alternative content,” said Jennifer Caserta, executive vice president and general manager of IFC said. “The Interactive Achievement Awards is an exciting and highly anticipated addition to our programming line-up that will include award highlights, scenes from the red carpet and interstitials hosted by IFC News’ Matt Singer.”

The 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards will take place on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at the Red Rock Resort and Casino in Las Vegas during the annual D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit hosted by the AIAS. The D.I.C.E. Summit is 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.

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,
with the mission to promote and advance interest and recognize outstanding achievement in the worldwide interactive entertainment community, as well as putting on an annual awards show(The Interactive Achievement Awards®) to enhance awareness of the interactive art form. The IAA’s are the only peer-based awards that recognize the year’s best video games, computer games, online entertainment, outstanding individuals and groundbreaking development teams that have propelled the advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide entertainment software industry. The awards presented by the AIAS are determined by a vote of field-specific, qualified Academy members, making the Interactive Achievement Awards the most sought-after, respected and credible recognition for creators of entertainment software, with just under 25,000 general voting members.

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 also oversees Into The Pixel, a juried exhibition of art from games, and this year started the Randy Pausch Scholarship fund for students in the games industry. More information can be found at http://www.interactive.org, http://www.dicesummit.org and http://www.intothepixel.com.

Shelly got his big break working with Sid Meier at Microprose - culminating in the production of Civilization, which has eaten up so much of my time that I should probably go along to the ceremony at the 2009 D.I.C.E. Summit (February 18th in Las Vegas) and either thank him personally or serve him with a writ.

Does anyone know if there is an actual Hall of Fame - as in an actual building? Do inductees get to hang out there and sip cocktails? All this and less is revealed in the full press release, after the jump.

FROM BOARD GAMES TO VIDEOGAMES; VISIONARY BRUCE SHELLEY TO BE INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME OF THE ACADEMY OF INTERACTIVE ARTS & SCIENCES

CALABASAS, Calif. – December 4, 2008 – The Academy of Interactive Arts &
Sciences (AIAS) has announced that Bruce Shelley will be the 12th inductee
into the Academy’s Hall of Fame. Shelley is the preeminent game designer,
who assisted Sid Meier in bringing the award winning Civilization and
Railroad Tycoon to the world, and later the Age of Empires strategy games
with Ensemble Studios. These games are long considered some of the greatest
games of all time.

PC Gamer named Shelley one of the 25 Game Gods in 1999, and in 2002, GameSpy
named him the 8th most influential person in gaming.

The Hall of Fame Award will be presented by Tony Goodman, founder of
Ensemble Studios, at the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards®, hosted
by actor, comedian and avid video game player, Jay Mohr, and will take place
during the 2009 D.I.C.E. Summit on Thursday, February 18, 2009 at the Red
Rock Resort in Las Vegas.

As one of the organization’s highest honors, candidates are annually voted
on by the Academy’s prominent Board of Directors, of which Bruce Shelley
served from 2000-2006. Induction into the Hall of Fame is bestowed upon
individuals who’ve contributed a significant advancement within the industry
while demonstrating proven success and leadership.

Bruce Shelly has been collecting board games his whole life, and estimates
he has over 500. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Syracuse
University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
simultaneously, and then studied economics in graduate school at the
University of Virginia. But his interest in games won out over academics.

In 1980, he joined friends from the UVA game club to form a role-playing
game company called Iron Crown Enterprises, acquiring the license to make
games based on The Lord of the Rings. After a brief period at Simulations
Publications in New York, Avalon Hill became his next stop, designing a
variety of games including 1830 and Titan.

In 1988, Shelley made the transition to computer games, joining Microprose.
After working on a variety of projects, including F-19 Stealth Fighter, he
was assigned to work with Sid Meier as his producer/assistant designer. They
collaborated on Railroad Tycoon, Covert Action and Civilization.
Civilization was one of the most important marks in the videogame industry
when it was released in 1991.

In 1995, while freelance writing, having five strategy guides published,
Shelley joined another friend from the UVA game club, Tony Goodman who had
just started Ensemble Studios. Shelley helped the new studio establish its
development processes and principles, and created the hugely successful Age
of Empires series, which to date has sold more than 20 million copies
worldwide. He has traveled the world acting as a spokesman for Ensemble
Studios and its games, and as a guest speaker at numerous conferences.

Tony Goodman states, “Bruce has always been at the center of the gaming
universe. He sprang onto the scene at Avalon Hill and SPI designing board
games that would become the models for modern videogames. He was a central
figure at Microprose working on one of the most defining products of the
industry’s early years, and he was the Godfather of Ensemble Studios
presiding over Age of Empires, which is one of the most influential
franchises of today’s mature videogame industry.

Ensemble Studios, is a Microsoft owned development studio, and has Halo Wars
coming out in 2009.

Shelley will join an elite group of 11 other interactive entertainment
industry luminaries in the AIAS Hall of Fame: Trip Hawkins (Electronic
Arts), Peter Molyneux (Lionhead Studios), Yu Suzuki (Sega), Will Wright
(Maxis), John Carmack (id Software), Hironobu Sakaguchi (Square Enix), Sid
Meier (Firaxis Games), Shigeru Miyamoto (Nintendo), Richard Garriott (origin
Systems), Dan/Danielle Bunten Berry (Ozark Landscape), and Michael Morhaime
(Blizzard Entertainment).

Mr. Shelley humbly states “I am deeply honored to receive this award. I
believe it also honors my colleagues over the years at Microprose and
especially Ensemble Studios, from whom I have learned so much. I am very
grateful for the opportunities that have come my way and hope that in return
I have given something back to this great industry.”

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 also
oversees Into The Pixel, a juried exhibition of art from games, and this
year started the Randy Pausch Scholarship fund for students in the games
industry. The Academy has more than 15,000 members from the games industry.
Publishers such as Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, as well as
developers Bioware/Pandemic, Day One Studios, Epic Games and Insomniac
Games. More information can be found at http://www.interactive.org and
http://www.dicesummit.org

About the Interactive Achievement Awards:
The Interactive Achievement Awards® are the only peer-based awards that
recognize the year’s best video games, computer games, online entertainment,
outstanding individuals and groundbreaking development teams that have
propelled the advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide
entertainment software industry. The awards presented by the AIAS are
determined by a vote of field-specific, qualified Academy members, making
the Interactive Achievement Awards the most sought-after, respected and
credible recognition for creators of entertainment software.

"How can you review a game, how can you give a comment about a game like Grand Theft Auto IV, that has 40-plus hours or more of gameplay, if you've only spent 2 1/2 to 3 hours playing it," Olin asks, saying that a reliance on game scores and deadline focused reviews do readers a disservice.

Olin excludes some game reviewers, whom we'll assume to include us, as we've shunned review scores and aim to "finish" a game before reviewing it, even if it means running a later review. Just sayin'.

AIAS President: 'Game Reviewers Are Lazy' [Shacknews]

Interactive entertainment is both business and art, and the Academy of Interactive Arts And Sciences recognizes both of these faces with their annual DICE Summit and Interactive Achievement Awards. They also host the Into the Pixel game art exhibition, which we saw this year at E3, award scholarships to game design students, and more activities designed to support the industry's creative talent.

We sat down with Academy president Joseph Olin to talk about the state of the industry, this year's E3, and more.

"As much as I think most people reflect upon 2007 as a watershed year for games ad interactive entertainment, I think everything I've seen so far at this E3 shows... that 2008 to 2009 will be bigger, better and brighter than last year," said Olin.

"It's very impressive that, stripping away the challenges of the E3 environment, and the hype and everything else, and looking at games and game makers, there's very impressive things that were shown this year... there's a broader variety of games that were shown this year than in the past."

It's true that while this year's event was low on big surprises and towering spectacle, there were perhaps a broader variety of genres and game types on offer than ever before, something Olin credits in part to Nintendo's success in widening the market through the Wii and the DS lite.

"You have to separate the business of magazines and journalism from the reality of what's here, and why it's good," said Olin. Though he admitted that the hype cycle had been useful for attracting attention and enthusiasm toward the industry, he said he thinks the industry would benefit from providing less advance notice on new products.

"My personal hope is that someday we will show less more often, rather than show more more frequently, because I think that you have the opportunity to be new, fresh and exciting only once," he said. For example, Spore has been on our radar screens for nearly three years now — and Will Wright's ability to likely deliver on such long-cultivated expectations is a rare exception to the rule.

Olin said it's unfair to games for them to languish in the long wait after early announcements. He said the positive showing for EA's Dead Space was a pleasant surprise, since in his view it had suffered from some poor "been there, done that" buzz after being announced a good while ago. "Why not wait a little bit?" Said Olin. "The things you don't see help build your interest."

He also said that Mirror's Edge is a good representation of the maturation of the craft, reflecting some film talent sensibilities in terms of style and camera use. Increased connectivity is another sign of industry maturity, he said, and his favorite current trend is cooperative play, like Resistance 2's squad creation.

Game narratives are also evolving, said Olin. "I think the thing that Ken Levine and his teams did with BioShock, and to a certain extent Metal Gear Solid 4, and to a certain extent the story within GTA IV show the promise and potential that games have to be as narratively important as film."

"We're not there yet, but in some ways, I think we're better, because I don't know that the story of Niko would necessarily make a great movie, but it's strong enough to make a brilliant game."

Olin predicts that the lines between film and games will continue to blur, but that games will use their innate strengths. He said he expects we'll see fewer non-interactive cutscenes, and more game-like cues that tell the player what to do.

"The reason that most people will still choose video games is because of their personal involvement... you go to a movie for a completely different experience and entertainment expression."

ACADEMY AWARDS TOP HONORS TO CALL OF DUTY 4, BIOSHOCK, THE ORANGE BOX AT 11TH ANNUAL INTERACTIVE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Inducts Mike Morhaime Into Hall of Fame and Bestows Lifetime Achievement Award Upon Ken Kutaragi

LAS VEGAS - February 8, 2008 - And the winners are ... Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision), BioShock (2K Games) and The Orange Box (Electronic Arts and Valve Software); each picked up four statues at the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards® last night. The award ceremony was hosted by comedian and avid video game player Jay Mohr at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas.

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences also honored two industry icons for their tremendous contributions. Mike Morhaime, president, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment®, was inducted as the 11th member of the prestigious AIAS Hall of Fame and Ken Kutaragi, former president and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., received the highly coveted Lifetime Achievement Award.

"The Interactive Achievement Awards is the forum for the industry's best game makers to evaluate the merits of more than 160 titles submitted for consideration and honor the best in technical innovation and gameplay experience," said Joseph Olin, president of the AIAS. "This year's winners truly represent the best cross section of interactive entertainment, demonstrating the power of next-generation platforms that have come of age."

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 winners in each category are as follows:

Overall Game of the Year:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Producer: Mark Rubin
* Game Director: Jason West
* Creative Director: Vince Zampella

Console Game of the Year:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Producer: Mark Rubin
* Game Director: Jason West
* Creative Director: Vince Zampella

Computer Game of the Year:
The Orange Box

* Publisher: Electronic Arts, Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software
* Producer: Gabe Newell

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming:
Rock Band

* Publisher: MTV Games
* Developer: Harmonix
* Producer: Robert Jerauld
* Game Director: Bob Settles
* Creative Director: Jonas Norberg

Handheld Game of the Year:
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

* Publisher: Nintendo of America
* Developer: Nintendo
* Producer: Shigeru Miyamoto
* Director: Eiji Aonuma Massively

Multiplayer Game of the Year:
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

* Publisher: Vivendi Games
* Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
* Producer: Frank Pearce
* Game Director: Rob Pardo
* Creative Director: Chris Metzen

Cellular Game of the Year:
skate.
Publisher: Electronic Arts

* Developer: EA Mobile
* Producer: David Manriquez
* Game Director: David Manriquez
* Creative Director: Derek Zakaib

Role-Playing Game of the Year:
Mass Effect

* Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
* Developer: BioWare
* Producer: Casey Hudson
* Lead Designer: Preston Watamaniuk
* Art Director: Derek Watts

Racing Game of the Year:
Motorstorm

* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
* Developer: Evolution Studios
* Producer: Simon Benson
* Creative Director: Paul Hollywood

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design:
The Orange Box: Portal

* Publisher: Electronic Arts, Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software
* Lead Game Designer: Robin Walker
* Game Director: Kim Swift
* Creative Director: David Speyrer

Adventure Game of the Year:
Super Mario Galaxy

* Publisher: Nintendo of America
* Developer: Nintendo
* Producer: Takao Shimizu
* Game Director: Yoshiaki Koizumi
* Creative Director: Shigeru Miyamoto

Sports Game of the Year:
skate.

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: EA Black Box
* Executive Producer: Scott Blackwood

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year:
Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: EA Los Angeles
* Producer: Mike Verdu
* Creative Director: Matt Britton

Action Game of the Year:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Producer: Mark Rubin
* Game Director: Jason West
* Creative Director: Vince Zampella

Family Game of the Year:
Rock Band

* Publisher: MTV Games
* Developer: Harmonix
* Producer: Tracy Rosenthal-Newson
* Game Director: Greg LoPiccolo
* Creative Director: Josh Randall

Outstanding Achievement in Animation:
Assassin's Creed

* Publisher: Ubisoft
* Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
* Animation Director: Alex Drouin
* Lead Animators: Elspeth Tory, Sylvain Bernard

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction:
BioShock

* Publisher: 2K Games
* Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
* Visual Art Director: Scott Sinclair
* Technical Art Directors: Hogarth De La Plante, Andrew James, Jay Kyburz, Nate Wells

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering:
Crysis

* Publisher: Electronic Arts
* Developer: Crytek
* Director of R&D: Douglas Binks

Outstanding Character Performance:
The Orange Box: Portal

* Publisher: Electronic Arts, Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software
* Writer: Erik Wolpaw
* Voice Actor: Ellen McLaw
* Character Name: GLADos

Outstanding Achievement in Story Development:
BioShock

* Publisher: 2K Games
* Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
* Writer: Ken Levine
* Character Designer: Rob Waters

Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering:
The Orange Box: Portal

* Publisher: Electronic Arts, Valve Software
* Developer: Valve Software
* Lead Game Designer: Robin Walker
* UI Designer: Alden Kroll
* AI Designer: Tom Leonard

Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play:
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

* Publisher: Activision
* Developer: Infinity Ward
* Lead Online Designer: Todd Alerman
* Lead Online Programmer: Richard Baker

Downloadable Game of the Year:
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

* Publisher: D3 Publisher or America
* Developer: Infinite Interactive, 1st Playable Productions
* Producers: Arthur Kawamoto, Steve Baldoni
* Game Directors: Steve Fawkner, Janeen Fawkner

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition:
BioShock

* Publisher: 2K Games
* Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
* Composer: Garry Schyman

Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack:
Rock Band

* Publisher: MTV Games
* Developer: Harmonix
* Music Supervisors: Paul DeGooyer, Eric Brosius

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design:
BioShock

* Publisher: 2K Games
* Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
* Sound Designers: Emily Ridgway, Patrick Balthrop, Justin Mullins
* Audio Lead: Eric Brosius

Since 1996, 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. The panels are comprised of the game industry's most experienced and talented men and women. Each panel is responsible for evaluating one award category. Interactive Achievement Award recipients are determined by a vote of qualified Academy members. Award voting is confidential, 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.

"This is a great honor, and I'm proud to receive it," said Morhaime. "The success that Blizzard Entertainment has had over the years would not have been possible without the enthusiasm and support of players around the world, and the passion and dedication of our employees, so I thank all of them for contributing to this achievement."

MMOG PIONEER MIKE MORHAIME INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME OF THE ACADEMY OF INTERACTIVE ARTS & SCIENCES

Blizzard Entertainment(R) Cofounder and CEO Honored for Expanding the Scope and Success of the Interactive Entertainment Industry

CALABASAS, Calif. - December 12, 2008 - The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) proudly announced today that Mike Morhaime, the president, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment(R), will be the eleventh visionary member inducted into its prestigious Hall of Fame. As one of the organization's highest honors, candidates are annually voted on by the Academy's illustrious Board of Directors. Induction into the Hall of Fame is bestowed upon individuals who've contributed to a significant advancement within the industry, while demonstrating proven success and leadership.

As the eleventh inductee, Morhaime will be honored for his efforts and contributions to the massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) space through Blizzard Entertainment's spectacularly popular World of Warcraft(R), as well as the tremendous success of the company's Warcraft(R), StarCraft(R) and Diablo(R) series. In particular, World of Warcraft has cemented Morhaime's influence and impact on the multi-billion dollar interactive entertainment industry; it is the world's largest online game, with more than 9.3 million subscribers. Morhaime and Blizzard Entertainment are recognized for creating an MMOG that expanded the traditionally hardcore audience of the genre to also include the broader casual-gaming audience.

"This is a great honor, and I'm proud to receive it," said Morhaime. "The success that Blizzard Entertainment has had over the years would not have been possible without the enthusiasm and support of players around the world, and the passion and dedication of our employees, so I thank all of them for contributing to this achievement."

Morhaime will join an elite group of 10 other interactive entertainment industry luminaries in the AIAS Hall of Fame: Trip Hawkins (Electronic Arts), Peter Molyneux (Lionhead Studios), Yu Suzuki (Sega of America), Will Wright (Maxis), John Carmack (id Software), Hironobu Sakaguchi (Square Enix), Sid Meier (Firaxis Games), Shigeru Miyamoto (Nintendo), Richard Garriott (Origin Systems), and Dan Bunten - known later in life as Danielle Bunten Berry (Ozark Softscape).

AIAS Hall of Fame Announcement Page 2

At this year's 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards(R), taking place on February 7, 2008 at Red Rock Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Morhaime will be presented the honor by Dr. Ray Muzyka, CEO of BioWare Corp. In addition, Morhaime is also part of the dynamic speaker line-up during the upcoming D.I.C.E Summit(R) taking place in conjunction with the Awards.

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences teamed up with the national Cable & Telecommunications Association to host the Cable Game Arena panel during the Cable association's annual expo in Las Vegas next month.

Here's a run down of the panel sessions and speakers:

Panels
"Casual Attitude: New Opportunities in a Multiplatform Living Room"
"Digital Distribution: Extending Your Retail Reach"
"Game for Growth: New Markets, New Contacts...No Limits"
"Piping Hot: Understanding Cable's Powerful Platform"

Speakers
Lars Buttler, Founder and CEO, Trion World Network, Inc.
Jonathan Epstein, President & CEO, Double Fusion
Jason Gaedtke, Comcast Fellow, Comcast Interactive Media
Robert Garriott, President & CEO, NCsoft North America
Jennifer MacLean, VP & GM Games, Comcast
Ray Starbird, Director, Strategy & Development, Cox Communications
Chris Taylor, CEO/Creative Director, Gas Powered Games
Peter Von Schlossberg, GM, Showtime Networks

I'm surprised Microsoft won't be there to talk IPTV and the Xbox 360, though maybe they've hidden that away in some non-gaming session. I think the real power of cable and gaming would be in a service like Gametap, but on your television. I'm sure someone's got to be working on that. Brian Crecente

Cable Game Arena [The Cable Show]

One option Jaffe proposes is an MMO-meets-Burning Man mash up game awards ceremony:

We need to embrace the very tech that we are celebrating! We need to take our awards online because THAT is where the fans will meet us; that is where the folks will care. That is where people will WANT to see Lord British give a speech upon being inducted into the Academy Hall of Fame; that is where people will WANT to see the game gods walking a red carpet (albeit a virtual one) and get the chance to chat with them in real time.

As long as it's not some eyesore played out in Second Life. I don't think I can take a low poly model of a body-painted, rat-tailed Richard Garriot, but I suppose it's better than bloated speeches from screenwriters. Scratch that. It's the stuff of nightmares! Michael McWhertor

Oscar Is Dead! [JAFFE'S GAME DESIGN]

Hot on the heels of the Twilight Princess' 1 million sales news, comes Nintendo's honors at the recent AIAS awards at DICE. Nintendo received nineteen nominations in eleven different categories eventually going home with five awards. The list of honors are as follows...

• Outstanding Innovation in Gaming: Wii Sports
• Outstanding Achievement in Story and Character Development: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
• Outstanding Achievement in Game-Play Engineering: Wii Sports
• Outstanding Achievement in Game Design: Wii Sports
• Hand-Held Game of the Year: Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day

Brain Age got best hand-held game of the year? Really? I shake my head in wonderment.
God, I hated that game. Flynn De Marco

He, and the night's other presenters including Doug Lowenstein, Chris Taylor, and Phil Harrison welcomed Epic's Mark Rein and Cliff Bleszinski to the stage over and over again as the two warmly accepted their awards. The night's other big winner was Wii Sports, winning three awards for Oustanding Innovation In Gaming, Outstanding Achievement in Game Engineering and Outstanding Achievement in Game Design.

Nintendo was well represented by attendees Reggie Fils-Aime and Lifetime Achievement Award honorees Howard Lincoln and Minoru Arakawa. We're still trying to recover from the copious amounts of free booze, milkshakes, sushi, lobster ravioli and banana splits provided by the sponsors, but think we had a pretty good time. Hangover curing full list of winners after the jump. Michael McWhertor

GEARS OF WAR INVADES SIN CITY CAPTURING EIGHT STATUES AT THE 10TH ANNUAL INTERACTIVE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Honors Nintendo Duo with Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award

Dan Bunten Inducted into AIAS Hall of Fame

CALABASAS, CA - February 9, 2007 - Epic Games' "Gears of War" emerged as the evening's big winner last night at the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards hosted by The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), taking eight coveted Interactive Achievement Award statues, including Game of the Year honors. Nintendo's "Wii Sports" pulled in the second most awards with three wins at the star-studded event hosted by comedian Jay Mohr at "The Joint" in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

For the first time, the AIAS honored former president of Nintendo of America, Minoru Arakawa, and chairman emeritus of Nintendo of America, Howard Lincoln with Lifetime Achievement Awards. The AIAS also inducted video game pioneer Dan Bunten (known later in life as Danielle Bunten Berry) as the tenth member of its Hall of Fame. The Interactive Achievement Awards is a peer-based award that recognizes the outstanding products, talented individuals and development teams that have contributed to the
advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide entertainment software industry.

"Last night, we recognized the brightest and most innovative in video games in what can be considered one of the best years the video game industry has seen," said Joseph Olin, president, AIAS.

The winners in each category are as follows:
I. Game of the Year:
a. Overall
Gears of War (P: Microsoft Game Studios, D: Epic Games, Producer: Rod Ferguson, Game Director: Michael Capps, Creative Director: Cliff Bleszinski)

b. Computer
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (P: 2K Games, D: Bethesda Softworks, Executive Producer: Todd Howard)

c. Console
Gears of War (P: Microsoft Game Studios, D: Epic Games, Producer: Rod Ferguson, Game Director: Michael Capps, Creative Director: Cliff Bleszinski)

d. Handheld Game of the Year
Nintendo Brain Age (P: Nintendo, D: Nintendo, Producer: Shinya Takahashi, Game Director: Kouichi Kawamoto, Creative Directors: Kouichi Kawamoto, Noriko Kitamura, Masamichi Sakaino, Shinji Kitahara, Yoshinori Katsuki, Tadashi Matsushita, Masura Nishida)

II. Outstanding Innovation in Gaming
Wii Sports (P: Nintendo, D: Nintendo, Executive Producer: Satoru Iwata, Producer: Katsuya Eguchi, Game Directors: Keiza Ohta, Takayuki Shimamura, Yoshikazu Yamashita)

III. Outstanding Achievement:
a. Animation
Gears of War (P: Microsoft Game Studios, D: Epic Games, Producer: Rod Ferguson, Game Director: Michael Capps, Creative Director: Cliff Bleszinski)

b. Art Direction
Gears of War (P: Microsoft Game Studios, D: Epic Games, Producer: Rod Ferguson, Game Director: Michael Capps, Creative Director: Cliff Bleszinski)

c. Soundtrack
Guitar Hero 2 (P: Activision/Red Octane, D: Harmonix, Producer: John Tam, Game Director: Daniel Sussman, Creative Director: Josh Randall)

d. Original Music Composition
LocoRoco (P: Sony Computer Entertainment, D: Sony Computer Entertainment, Producer/Game Director/Creative Director: Tsutomo Kouno)

e. Sound Design
Call of Duty 3 (P: Activision, D: Treyarch, Producer/Game Director/Creative Director: Treyarch)

f. Story and Character Development
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (P: Nintendo, D: Nintendo, Producer: Shigeru Miyamoto, Game Director: Eiji Aonuma, Executive Producer: Satoru Iwata)

g. Game Play Engineering
Wii Sports (P: Nintendo, D: Nintendo, Executive Producer: Satoru Iwata, Producer: Katsuya Eguchi, Game Directors: Keiza Ohta, Takayuki Shimamura, Yoshikazu Yamashita)

h. Online Game Play
Gears of War (P: Microsoft Game Studios, D: Epic Games, Producer: Rod Ferguson, Game Director: Michael Capps, Creative Director: Cliff Bleszinski)

i. Visual Engineering
Gears of War (P: Microsoft Game Studios, D: Epic Games, Producer: Rod Ferguson, Game Director: Michael Capps, Creative Director: Cliff Bleszinski)

j. Game Design
Wii Sports (P: Nintendo, D: Nintendo, Executive Producer: Satoru Iwata, Producer: Katsuya Eguchi, Game Directors: Keiza Ohta, Takayuki Shimamura, Yoshikazu Yamashita)

IV. Outstanding Character Performance:
a. Male
Gears of War (P: Microsoft Game Studios, D: Epic Games, Producer: Rod Ferguson, Game Director: Michael Capps, Creative Director: Cliff Bleszinski)

b. Female
Viva Pin ata (P: Microsoft Game Studios, D: Rare, Producer/Game Director/Creative Director: Greg Mayles)

V. Genre Awards:
a. Sports Game of the Year
Tony Hawk Project 8 (P: Activision, D: Neversoft Entertainment, Producer; Chris Parise, Game Director/Creative Director: Brian Bright)

b. First-Person Action Game of the Year
Rainbow Six: Vegas (P: Activision, D: Neversoft Entertainment, Producer; Chris Parise, Game Director/Creative Director: Brian Bright)

c. Role-Playing Game of the Year
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (P: 2K Games, D: Bethesda Softworks, Executive Producer: Todd Howard)

d. Fighting Game of the Year
Fight Night Round 3 (P/D: Electronic Arts, Producer: Kudo Tsunoda, Game Director: Keith Morton, Creative Director: Darren Bennett)

e. Action/ Adventure Game of the Year
Gears of War (P: Microsoft Game Studios, D: Epic Games, Producer: Rod Ferguson, Game Director: Michael Capps, Creative Director: Cliff Bleszinski)

f. Racing Game of the Year
Burnout Revenge (P: Electronic Arts, D: Criterion Games, Creative Director: Alex Ward, Criterion Games)

g. Children's Game of the Year
LocoRoco (P: Sony Computer Entertainment, D: Sony Computer Entertainment, Producer/Game Director/Creative Director: Tsutomo Kouno)

h. Downloadable Game of the Year
Bookworm Adventures (P/D: PopCap, Producer/Game Director/Creative Director: Tysen Henderson)

i. Family Game of the Year
Guitar Hero 2 (P: Activision/Red Octane, D: Harmonix, Producer: John Tam, Game Director: Daniel Sussman, Creative Director: Josh Randall)

j. Simulation Game of the Year
Microsoft Flight Simulator X (P/D: Microsoft Game Studios, Producer: Shawn Firminger, Game Director: John Licata, Creative Director: Patt Cook, Jason Waskey)

k. Strategy Game of the Year
Company of Heroes (P: THQ, D: Relic, Producer/Game Director: John Johnson, Creative Director: Sean Dunn)

l. Massively Multiplayer/Persistent World Game of the Year
Guild Wars Nightfall (P: NCsoft, D: ArenaNet, Producer: Jay Adams, Game)

m. Mobile Game of the Year
Orcs and Elves (P: Electronic Arts Mobile, D: Fountainhead Entertainment, Producer/ Game Director/ Creative Director: John Carmack, Katherine A. Kang)

A peer panel of eight to 12 AIAS members played and evaluated all nominated titles in their assigned category. Interactive Achievement Award recipients were determined by a vote of qualified Academy members. AIAS voting was secret, conducted online and supervised and certified by eBallot. 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.

Nintendo of America's Minoru Arakawa and Howard Lincoln will be the first recipients of the newly-created Lifetime Achievement Award honoring those who have devoted their lives to the advancement of the interactive entertainment industry and have made significant contributions that have guided the business to the prominent position it is in today as a booming entertainment industry with global revenues topping $25 billion.

AIAS Hall of Fame Honoree Dan Bunten is the tenth member to be inducted and joins an already impressive collection of gaming icons, including Trip Hawkins, Peter Molyneux, Yu Suzuki, Will Wright, John Carmack, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Sid Meier, Shigeru Miyamoto and Richard Garriott.

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. More information on the 2006 D.I.C.E. Summit can be found http://www.dicesummit.org.

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. More information about the AIAS can be found at http://www.interactive.org.

Capcom has released a statement calling out the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences for forcing companies to pay membership fees in order to be eligible for recognition in the Interactive Achievement Awards, the 10th of which is being held at this year's D.I.C.E. summit. The awards are supposed to recognize the products, people, and dev teams that create groundbreaking, industry shaping content, but Capcom has been flat out told that since they have not paid to join, games like Okami and Dead Rising are not up for consideration.

"Capcom Entertainment was contacted by the AIAS and told that the game would still not be eligible for any awards unless the company joined the organisation. Our company was told, in essence, "Pay to play," a sentiment echoed in the quote from the AIAS representative."

Capcom slams 'pay to play' AIAS awards [GamesIndustry.biz]

Epic Games may need to invest in a bigger glass case, as they've been nominated for an amazing ten awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. Other titles getting copious nods include The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion with eight and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Viva Pinata with six each.

Gears saw noms in the following categories: Overall Game of the Year, Console Game of the Year, Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, Outstanding Character Performance - Male, Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering, Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play, Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering, and Action/Adventure Game of the Year. Phew!

The awards will be handed out on February 8 alongside the upcoming DICE summit in Nevada.

Check the official site for the full list of nominees while I ponder how Okami missed a mention for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction. I swear I'll figure it out! Michael McWhertor

10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards