Game Developer’s Choice Awards Nominees

The Interational Game Developers Associate issued a press release earlier today announcing the nominees for the Game Developer’s Choice Awards, which includes a few RPGs. The full press release to follow:

Nominees Named for Game Developers Choice Awards
Recipients to Be Announced at Game Developers Conference
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – February 25, 2004 – The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) today announced nominees for the 4th annual Game Developers Choice Awards. Recipients will be recognized in eight award categories including Game of the Year, Rookie Studio of the Year and Excellence in Visual Arts at the Game Developers Conference (GDC).

The 4th annual Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony, the premier accolades for peer-recognition in game development, will take place in the Civic Auditorium, San Jose , on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 .

“The industry has seen an exceptional year from developers. We are proud to honor those who have dedicated their careers to making innovative games,” said Jason Della Rocca, Program Director, IGDA. “This award is a tremendous honor as nominees have been selected by their peers.”

The nominees are:

Game of the Year

• BEYOND GOOD & EVIL (Ubisoft Pictures)
• CALL OF DUTY (Infinity Ward)
• PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME (Ubisoft Montreal)
• STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC (BioWare Corp.)
• THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE WIND WAKER (Nintendo EAD)

Original Game Character of the Year

• Glitch from METAL ARMS: GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM
• HK-47 from STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC
• Jade from BEYOND GOOD & EVIL
• Joe from VIEWTIFUL JOE
• Vince from VOODOO VINCE

Rookie Studio of the Year

• Big Huge Games for RISE OF NATIONS
• eGenesis for A TALE IN THE DESERT
• Infinity Ward for CALL OF DUTY
• S2 Games LLC for SAVAGE: THE BATTLE FOR NEWERTH
• Swingin’ Ape Studios for METAL ARMS: GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM

Excellence in Audio

• Chuck Russom for sound effects in CALL OF DUTY
• Koji Igarashi and Ms. Michiru Yamane for composition in CASTLEVANIA: LAMENT OF INNOCENCE
• David Henry and Stan LePard for composition in CRIMSON SKIES: HIGH ROAD TO REVENGE
• Laurent Betbeder, Paul Gorman, Howard Shore, Charles Stockley, and Don Veca for composition in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING
• Christopher L. Clanin and Tim Larkin for sound design in URU: AGES BEYOND MYST

Excellence in Game Design

• Michel Ancel, Jacques Exertier, Frederic Houde, and Sebastien Morin for game design in BEYOND GOOD & EVIL
• David Chateauneuf, Patrice Desilets, Jordan Mechner and team for game design in PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME
• The Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando team for game design in RATCHET & CLANK: GOING COMMANDO
• Casey Hudson, James Ohlen and team for game design in STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC
• Goro Abe, Hirofumi Matsuoka, Kazuyoshi Ohsawa and Ko Takeuchi for game design in WARIOWARE INC.: MEGA MICROGAME$

Excellence in Programming

• Jak II team for programming in JAK II
• Kim Salo, Markus Stein and Olli Tervo for physics programming in MAX PAYNE 2: THE FALL OF MAX PAYNE
• Dominic Couture, Feng Quan Wang and team for graphics programming in PRINCE OF PERSIA : THE SANDS OF TIME
• David Worswick for network programming in PROJECT GOTHAM RACING 2
• Mike Rayner, Jon Spencer and team for programming in SSX 3

Excellence in Visual Arts

• Mickael Labat, Raphael Lacoste, Celine Tellier and team for art direction in PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME
• Akira Yamaoka for art direction in SILENT HILL 3
• Masanao Arimoto, Yoshiki Haruhana, and Satoru Takizawa for art direction in THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE WIND WAKER
• Eric Kohler and team for art direction in TRON 2.0
• Atsushi Inaba, Hideki Kamiya and team for art direction in VIEWTIFUL JOE

Excellence in Writing

• Michel Ancel and Jacques Exertier for writing in BEYOND GOOD & EVIL
• Charles Cecil, Steve Ince, Neil Richards, and Tony Warriner for writing in BROKEN SWORD: THE SLEEPING DRAGON
• Sheldon Pacotti and Sarah Paetsch for writing in DEUS EX: INVISIBLE WAR
• Takehiro Izushi for writing in FIRE EMBLEM
• David Gaider, Drew Karpyshyn, Luke Kristjanson, and Peter Thomas for writing in STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC

Nominations were free of charge and open to all professional game developers, regardless of membership or affiliation, ensuring that the nominees reflect the international development community’s opinions. In addition, honors will be bestowed for the Lifetime Achievement, First Penguin, Community Contribution and Innovation Spotlight categories.

The 4th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards are sponsored by NVIDIA.