Yet more top-tier awards look set to be stuffed into the already-bulging BioShock trophy cabinet following news that the ambitious underwater masterpiece has been nominated for a staggering 12 gongs at the 11th annual Interactive Achievement Awards.
BioShock set to take the Interactive Achievement Awards by storm? Credit: 2K Games.
The nominations for the respected peer-based awards, which are decided by industry leaders and hosted by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS), are this year dominated by 2K Games’ BioShock and Activision’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, both of which hit double figures in the prospective honours list.
Not to be wholly outdone by 2007’s biggest hitters, the likes of Valve’s Half-Life 2: The Orange Box, EA and Harmonix’s Rock Band and Nintendo’s Super Mario Galaxy are also in the running for the coveted ‘Overall Game of the Year’ award.
"This year’s finalists reflect the commitment game makers have to create compelling, engaging and exciting experiences for the expanding game-playing audience," enthused Joseph Olin, president of the 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."
The awards ceremony will take place during the upcoming D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit 2008, which will take place on February 07 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.
Here’s the list of finalists in full:
Handheld Game of the Year
- Drawn to Life (THQ/5th Cell)
- Jeanne d'Arc (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Level 5)
- Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (D3 Publisher of America/Infinite Interactive/ 1st Playable Productions)
- Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters (Sony Computer Entertainment America/High Impact Games)
- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo)
Family Game of the Year
- Guitar Hero III (Activision/Neversoft)
- Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 (Ubisoft)
- Rock Band (MTV Games/Harmonix)
- Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action (Microsoft Games Studios/Screenlife)
- WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Nintendo)
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/Infinity Ward)
- Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Insomniac Games)
- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Naughty Dog)
- The Orange Box: Team Fortress 2 (Electronic Arts/Valve Software)
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft)
- BioShock (2K Games/2K Australia)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/Infinity Ward)
- Heavenly Sword (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Ninja Theory)
- The Orange Box: Team Fortress 2 (Electronic Arts/Valve Software)
Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering
- Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/Infinity Ward)
- Crysis (Electronic Arts/Crytek)
- Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Insomniac Games)
Outstanding Character Performance
- BioShock (2K Games/2K Australia)
- Heavenly Sword (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Ninja Theory)
- Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios/BioWare)
- The Orange Box: Portal (Electronic Arts/Valve Software)
- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Naughty Dog)
Outstanding Achievement in Story Development
- BioShock (2K Games/2K Australia)
- Drawn to Life (THQ/5th Cell)
- Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios/BioWare)
- The Darkness (2K Games/Starbreeze Studios)
- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Naughty Dog)
Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering
- Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft)
- Rock Band (MTV Games/Harmonix)
- Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo)
- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo)
- The Orange Box: Portal (Electronic Arts/Valve Software)
Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/Infinity Ward)
- Forza Motorsport 2 (Microsoft Game Studios/Turn 10 Studios)
- Halo 3 (Microsoft Game Studios/Bungie Studios)
- Rock Band (MTV Games/Harmonix)
- World in Conflict (Vivendi Games/Massive Entertainment)
Downloadable Game of the Year
- Azada (Big Fish Games)
- Build-a-Lot (HipSoft)
- flOw (Sony Computer Entertainment America/That Game Company)
- Peggle (PopCap)
- Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (D3 Publisher of America/Infinite Interactive)
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- BioShock (2K Games/2K Australia)
- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Naughty Dog)
- God of War II (Sony Computer Entertainment America/SCE Santa Monica)
- Heavenly Sword (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Ninja Theory)
- Lair (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Factor 5)
Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack
- BioShock (2K Games/2K Australia)
- Guitar Hero III (Activision/Neversoft)
- Rock Band (MTV Games/Harmonix)
- SingStar POP (Sony Computer Entertainment America/SCEE London Studio)
- skate (Electronic Arts/EA Black Box)
Outstanding in Sound Design
- BioShock (2K Games/2K Australia)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/Infinity Ward)
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (Ubisoft)
- skate (Electronic Arts/EA Black Box)
- Need for Speed ProStreet (Electronic Arts/EA Black Box)
Cellular Game of the Year
- Diner Dash 2 (PlayFirst/Glu Mobile)
- Prey (Mobile SkyZone/MachineWorks Northwest)
- SimCity Societies (Electronic Arts/EA Mobile)
- skate (Electronic Arts/EA Mobile)
Role-Playing Game of the Year
- Eternal Sonata (Namco Bandai Games/America Tri-Crescendo)
- Jeanne d'Arc (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Level 5)
- Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios/BioWare)
- Rogue Galaxy (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Level 5)
- The Witcher (Atari/CDProjekt Red)
Racing Game of the Year
- DiRT (Codemasters)
- Forza Motorsport 2 (Microsoft Game Studios/Turn 10 Studios)
- Motorstorm (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Evolution Studios)
- Need For Speed ProStreet (Electronic Arts/EA Black Box)
- Project Gotham Racing 4 (Microsoft Game Studios/Bizarre Creations)
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- BioShock (2K Games/2K Australia)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/Infinity Ward)
- Rock Band (MTV Games/Harmonix)
- Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo)
- The Orange Box: Portal (Electronic Arts/Valve)
Outstanding Innovation in Gaming
- Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft)
- BioShock (2K Games/2K Australia)
- Rock Band (MTV Games/Harmonix)
- Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo)
- The Orange Box (Electronic Arts/Valve Software)
Adventure Game of the Year
- Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft)
- God of War II (Sony Computer Entertainment America)
- Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (Sony Computer Entertainment America/ Insomniac Games)
- Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo)
- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Sony Computer Entertainment America/Naughty Dog)
Sports Game of the Year
- FIFA Soccer 08 (Electronic Arts)
- MLB 07: The Show (Sony Computer Entertainment America/SCE San Diego)
- NBA 2K8 (2K Sports/Visual Concepts)
- NHL 08 (Electronic Arts)
- skate (Electronic Arts/EA Black Box)
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
- Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Namco Bandai Games America)
- Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (Electronic Arts)
- Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts (THQ/Relic)
- Supreme Commander (THQ/Gas Powered Games)
- World in Conflict (Vivendi Games/Massive Entertainment)
Action Game of the Year
- BioShock (2K Games/2K Australia)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/Infinity Ward)
- Crysis (Electronic Arts/Crytek)
- Halo 3 (Microsoft Game Studios/Bungie Studios)
- The Orange Box (Electronic Arts/Valve Software)
Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year
- EVE Online: Trinity (CCP)
- Guild Wars: Eye of the North (Ncsoft/AreaNet)
- Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa (Ncsoft/Destination Games)
- The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (Midway/Turbine)
- World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (Vivendi Games/Blizzard Entertainment)
Computer Game of the Year
- BioShock (2K Games/2K Australia)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/Infinity Ward)
- Crysis (Electronic Arts/Crytek)
- The Orange Box (Electronic Arts/Valve Software)
- World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade (Vivendi Games/Blizzard Entertainment)
Console Game of the Year
- BioShock (2K Games/2K Australia)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/Infinity Ward)
- Mass Effect (Microsoft Game Studios/BioWare)
- Rock Band (MTV Games/Harmonix)
- Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo)
Overall Game of the Year
- BioShock (2K Games/2K Australia)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision/Infinity Ward)
- Rock Band (MTV Games/Harmonix)
- Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo)
- The Orange Box (Electronic Arts/Valve Software)
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