Interactive Achievement Finalists Announced

On Monday, The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) announced the finalists for its second annual Interactive Achievement Awards, which will be presented May 13 during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. The awards are given to help advance and recognize achievements in the field of interactive arts on an individual and team basis. This year, the academy will give out awards in 24 categories, including five craft awards. The highly coveted Game of the Year Award will also be presented during the ceremony.

Seven games will duke it out for the top game of the year: Banjo-Kazooie, Grim Fandango, Half-Life, Metal Gear Solid, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron, and Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

"Academy peer review committees, which conducted preliminary-round judging, faced the enormously difficult task of determining finalists from among a strong field of nominees. Peer committee members, all leaders in their respective areas of personal computer, game console, and online, were up to the task. They have selected a list of finalists that assures academy members will be faced with difficult voting decisions as they step up to determine recipients of the 1999 Interactive Achievement Awards." said Jim Charne, president and executive director of the academy.

Civilization and Alpha Centauri creator, Sid Meier, will be inducted into the Academy's Hall of Fame by its first inductee, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto.

And of course, GameSpot has been nominated in the categories of Entertainment Site of the Year and News/Information Site of the Year.

A.) CONTENT AWARDS

I. CONSOLEAction Game of the YearBanjo-Kazooie, Nintendo of America/Rare (N64)Metal Gear Solid, Konami of America, Inc./KCEJ (PS)Parasite Eve, Square Electronic Arts L.L.C./Square Soft, Inc. (PS)Spyro the Dragon, Sony Computer Entertainment America/Insomniac Games (PS)Techu: Stealth Assassins, Activision, Inc./Sony Music Entertainment Japan (PS)

Adventure Game of the YearBanjo-Kazooie, Nintendo of America/Rare (N64)MediEvil, Sony Computer Entertainment America/Sony Computer Entertainment America (PS)Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, GT Interactive Software/Oddworld Inhabitants (PS)Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Nintendo of America/Nintendo Co. Ltd. (N64)

Fighting Game of the YearBushido Blade 2, Square Electronic Arts L.L.C./Square Soft, Inc. (PS)WCW/NWO Revenge, THQ/Asmik of Japan (N64)WWF: Warzone, Acclaim Entertainment /Iguana West (N64)WWF: Warzone, Acclaim Entertainment/Iguana West (PS)Racing Game of the YearExtreme-G 2, Acclaim Entertainment/Probe Entertainment (N64)F-Zero X, Nintendo of America/Nintendo Co. Ltd. (N64)Gran Turismo, Sony Computer Entertainment America/Polyphony Digital Inc. (PS)Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, Electronic Arts/Electronic Arts Canada (PS)

Role Playing Game of the YearDMG Pokemon, Nintendo of America/Creatures Inc./Game Freak, Inc. (Game Boy)Panzer Dragoon, Sega of America/Sega of America (Sega-Saturn)Parasite Eve, Square Electronic Arts L.L.C./Square Soft, Inc. (PS)Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Nintendo of America/Nintendo Co. Ltd. (N64)

Sports Game of the Year1080 Snowboarding, Nintendo of America/Nintendo Co. Ltd. (N64)Hot Shots Golf, Sony Computer Entertainment America/Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (PS)Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside, Nintendo of America/Left Field Productions (N64)NFL Blitz, Midway Home Entertainment/Midway Games Inc. (N64)NFL Quarterback Club'99, Acclaim Entertainment/Iguana Entertainment (N64)

Console Game of the YearAll Console category finalists are nominated.

II. PERSONAL COMPUTERAction Game of the YearHalf-Life, Sierra Studios/ValveStarsiege Tribes, Sierra Online/Dynamix, Inc.Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six, Red Storm Entertainment, Inc./Red Storm Entertainment, Inc.Unreal, GT Interactive Software/Epic Games and Digital Extremes

Adventure Game of the YearDark Side of the Moon, SouthPeak Interactive/SouthPeak InteractiveDouglas Adams Starship Titanic, Simon & Schuster Interactive/The Digital VillageGrim Fandango, LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC/LucasArts Entertainment Company LLCQuest: Mask of Eternity, Sierra Studios/Sierra StudiosSanitarium, ASC Games/Dreamforge IntertainmentThe X-Files Game, Fox Interactive/HyperBole Studios

Role Playing Game of the YearBaldur's Gate, Interplay Productions/BioWare Corp.Fallout 2, Interplay Productions/Black Isle StudiosMight & Magic VI, The 3DO Company/The 3DO Company/New World ComputingReturn to Krondor, Sierra Studios/Pyrotechnix

Simulation Game of the YearDescent: FreeSpace The Great War, Interplay Productions/Volition, IncIndependence War, Infogrames Entertainment, Inc./Particle SystemsJane's WWII Fighters, Electronic Arts/Electronic ArtsNeed for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, Electronic Arts/Electronic Arts CanadaTotal Air War, Infogrames Entertainment, Inc./Digital Image Design, Ltd.

Sports Game of the YearFIFA 99, Electronic Arts/Electronic Arts Canada Links LS 1999, AccessSoftware/Access SoftwareMadden 99, Electronic Arts/Electronic ArtsMotocross Madness, Microsoft/Rainbow StudiosNASCAR Revolution, Electronic Arts/Electronic Arts

Strategy Game of the YearCaesar III, Sierra Studios/Impressions GamesClose Combat III: The Russian Front, Microsoft/Atomic Games Inc.MechCommander, MicroProse/MicrosoftSid Meier's Alpha Centauri, Electronic Arts/Firaxis GamesSimCity 3000, Electronic Arts/Electronic Arts Maxis

Computer Game of the YearAll Computer Game category finalists are nominated.

III. ONLINEAction/Strategy Game of the YearAirwarrior III, Aries Online Games/Kesmai StudiosCyberStrike 2, Simutronics/SimutronicsStarsiege Tribes, Sierra Online/Dynamix, Inc.

Role Playing Game of the YearDragonRealms: Maritime Expansion, Simutronics/SimutronicsMeridian 59 Dark Auspices, The 3DO Company/The 3DO CompanyUltima Online: The Second Age, Electronic Arts/Origin Systems, Inc.

Family/Board Game of the YearMultiplayer Jeopardy! Online, Sony Online Entertainment/Sony Online EntertainmentMultiplayer Wheel of Fortune Online, Sony Online Entertainment/Sony Online EntertainmentThe Game of LIFE, Hasbro/Mass Media, Inc.What's the Big Idea?, Berkeley Systems/Berkeley Systems

Entertainment Site of the YearComedy Central Online, Comedy Central/Comedy CentralGameSpot, GameSpot Inc./GameSpot Inc. MSN Gaming Zone, Microsoft/Microsoftuproar.com, E-Pub Inc./E-Pub Inc.

News/Information Site of the YearCNN.com, CNN Interactive/CNN InteractiveCNN.com/ColdWar, CNN Interactive/CNN InteractiveGameSpot.com, GameSpot Inc./GameSpot Inc.Media Newsweek.com, Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive/ Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactivemetromix.com, Chicago Tribune Interactive Media/Julianna ColeThe New York Times on the Web(learning), The New YorkTimes Electronic Media/The New York Times ElectronicThe Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition, Dow Jones & Co. Inc./Dow Jones & Co. Inc.B.) CRAFT AWARDSOutstanding Achievement in Art/GraphicsBanjo-Kazooie, Team Banjo-Kazooie, Nintendo of America/Rare (N64)Grim Fandango, Tim Schafer & Team, LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC/LucasArts Entertainment Company LLCHalf-Life, Team Half-Life, Sierra Studios/ValveSpyro the Dragon, Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment America/Insomniac Games (PS)

Outstanding Achievement in Interactive DesignDMG Pokemon, Team Pokemon, Nintendo of America/Creatures Inc./Game Freak, Inc. (Game Boy)Half-Life, Team Half-Life, Sierra Studios/ValveMetal Gear Solid, Hideo Kojima, Konami of America, Inc./KCEJ (PS)Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, Brian Reynolds, Electronic Arts/Firaxis GamesZelda: Ocarina of Time, Team Zelda, Nintendo of America/Nintendo Co. Ltd. (N64)

Outstanding Achievement in Sound and MusicGrim Fandango, Peter McConnel & Team, LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC/ LucasArts Entertainment Company LLCHeart of Darkness, Heart of Darkness Sound Team, Interplay Entertainment Corp./Amazing StudioRoad Rash 3D, Don Veca, Electronic Arts/Electronic Arts (PS)Wild 9, Tommy Tallarico, Interplay Entertainment Corp./Shiny Entertainment

Outstanding Achievement in Software EngineeringHalf-Life, Team Half-Life, Sierra Studios/ValveMetal Gear Solid, Hideo Kojima, Konami of America, Inc./KCEJ (PS)Motocross Madness, Mark de Simone, Microsoft/Rainbow StudiosNFL Quarterback Club '99, Iguana Entertainment - Texas, Acclaim Entertainment/ Iguana Entertainment (N64)Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Team Zelda, Nintendo of America/Nintendo Co. Ltd. (N64)

Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story DevelopmentDMG Pokemon, Team Pokemon, Nintendo of America/Creatures Inc./Game Freak, Inc. (Game Boy) Grim Fandango, Tim Schafer & Team, LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC/ LucasArts Entertainment Company LLCHalf-Life, Team Half-Life, Sierra Studios/ValveKing's Quest: Mask of Eternity, Team Mask, SierraMetal Gear Solid, Hideo Kojima, Konami of America, Inc./KCEJSanitarium, Team Sanitarium, ASC Games/Dreamforge Entertainment Studios/Sierra StudiosThe X-Files Game, Greg Roach, Richard Dowdy and Frank Spotnitz, Fox Interactive/HyperBole StudiosZelda: Ocarina of Time, Team Zelda, Nintendo of America/Nintendo Co. Ltd. (N64)

B.) GAME OF THE YEARBanjo-Kazooie, Nintendo of America/Rare (N64)Grim Fandango, LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC/LucasArts Entertainment Company LLCHalf-Life, Sierra Studios/ValveMetal Gear Solid, Konami of America, Inc./KCEJ (PS)Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, Electronic Arts/Firaxis GamesStar Wars: Rogue Squadron, LucasArts EntertainmentCompany LLC/LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC (N64)Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Nintendo of America/Nintendo Co. Ltd. (N64)