LittleBigPlanet Leads with an Impressive 10 Interactive Achievement Award Nominations

[KristoferB]

Fallout 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, Left 4 Dead, LittleBigPlanet and Metal Gear Solid 4 Fight It Out for 'Overall Game of the Year' Honors

CALABASAS, Calif., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences(R) (AIAS) today announced the nominees for the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards(R). The nominations for the peer-based awards have been dominated by blockbuster game, LittleBigPlanet (Sony Computer Entertainment America) with an astounding 10 nominations from industry leaders and members of the interactive entertainment software business. In addition, finalists with multiple nominations include: Gears of War 2 (Microsoft Game Studios), Left 4 Dead (Valve Software), Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.), Fallout 3 (Bethesda Softworks), and Fable II (Microsoft Game Studios).

The awards ceremony will take place during the D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit(R) 2009, on February 19th at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, with comedian, actor and proud game enthusiast, Jay Mohr, returning for his fourth 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.

"This was an exciting year for games," said Joseph Olin, president, AIAS. "The depth of talent and creativity in this industry continues to amaze me and we are honored to highlight some of the most impressive games of the year at the Interactive Achievement Awards. The 2009 nominees indeed reflect a stronghold of talent embodying the best and brightest in this field."

Following is a partial list of finalists; the complete list of finalists is available at Welcome to the Academy Of Interactive Arts & Sciences

Overall Game of the Year: Console Game of the Year:
------------------------- -------------------------

Fallout 3 Fallout 3
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Grand Theft Auto IV Gears of War 2
Publisher: Rockstar Games Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Rockstar North Developer: Epic Games, Inc.

Left 4 Dead Grand Theft Auto IV
Publisher: Valve Software Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Valve Software Developer: Rockstar North

LittleBigPlanet LittleBigPlanet
Publisher: Sony Computer Publisher: Sony Computer
Entertainment America Entertainment America
Developer: Media Molecule Developer: Media Molecule

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of
the Patriots the Patriots
Publisher: Konami Digital Publisher: Konami Digital
Entertainment, Inc. Entertainment, Inc.
Developer: Kojima Productions Developer: Kojima Productions

Computer Game of the Year: Outstanding Innovation in Gaming:
-------------------------- ---------------------------------

Fallout 3 Braid
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios Developer: Number None

Left 4 Dead Left 4 Dead
Publisher: Valve Software Publisher: Valve Software
Developer: Valve Software Developer: Valve Software

Mass Effect LittleBigPlanet
Publisher: Electronic Arts Publisher: Sony Computer
Developer: Bioware Entertainment America
Developer: Media Molecule

Spore Spore
Publisher: Electronic Arts Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Maxis Developer: Maxis

World of Warcraft: Wrath Wii Fit
of the Lich King Publisher: Nintendo
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment Developer: Nintendo
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment



Handheld Game of the Year
-------------------------

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Intelligent Systems

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Developer: Konami

God of War: Chains of Olympus
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Ready at Dawn

Patapon
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment International

Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Level 5, Inc.



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 100 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(TM) 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 industry.

Source: Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences