IGDA names nominees for Choice Awards

Today the International Game Developers Association announced its nominees for the fifth annual Game Developers Choice Awards. Half-Life 2 led the nominees, qualifying in six categories, followed by Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Katamari Damacy, and World of Warcraft, each netting four nominations. Doom 3 earned three nods from fellow developers.

The nominees are chosen by game industry professionals. IGDA members then vote to pick the winners, who will receive their awards during a March 9 ceremony at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. At that time, the association will also honor the winners of its Innovation, Lifetime Achievement, First Penguin, Community Contribution, and Maverick awards.

The nominees are as follows:

Best Game
Burnout 3: Takedown (Criterion Games/Electronic Arts)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games)
Half-Life 2 (Valve Software/Vivendi Universal Games)
Katamari Damacy (Namco)
World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)

New Studio
Cryptic Studios (City of Heroes)
Crytek (Far Cry)
InXile Entertainment (The Bard's Tale)
Obsidian Entertainment (Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords)
The Behemoth (Alien Hominid)

Audio
Call of Duty: Finest Hour (Spark Unlimited/Activision)
Doom 3 (id Software/Activision)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games)
Halo 2 (Bungie Software/Microsoft Game Studios)
Katamari Damacy (Namco)

Character Design
Half-Life 2 (Valve Software/Vivendi Universal Games)
Katamari Damacy (Namco)
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft Entertainment)
Sly 2: Band of Thieves (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Computer Entertainment America)
World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)

Game Design
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games)
Half-Life 2 (Valve Software/Vivendi Universal Games)
Katamari Damacy (Namco)
Pikmin 2 (Nintendo)
World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)

Technology
Burnout 3: Takedown (Criterion Games/Electronic Arts)
Doom 3 (id Software/Activision)
EyeToy: AntiGrav (Harmonix Music Systems/Sony Computer Entertainment America)
Far Cry (Crytek/Ubisoft Entertainment)
Half-Life 2 (Valve Software/Vivendi Universal Games)

Visual Arts
Doom 3 (id Software/Activision)
Half-Life 2 (Valve Software/Vivendi Universal Games)
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Intelligent Systems/Nintendo)
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft Entertainment)
World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)

Writing
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games)
Half-Life 2 (Valve Software/Vivendi Universal Games)
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude (High Voltage Software/Vivendi Universal Games)
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Intelligent Systems/Nintendo)
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (Obsidian Entertainment/LucasArts Entertainment)