「Little Big Planet」、Intractive Achievement Awardで最多ノミネート

　Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences（AIAS）は2008年10月に、ゲーム関連の賞の決定版を目指して、同協会が選ぶInteractive Achievement Award（IAA）の選定プロセスでInternational Game Developers Association（IGDA）と協力することを発表した。この協力関係の結果として、IDGAの1万4000人におよぶメンバーは、IAAの「技能的」分野の賞に投票権を得ることになった。

　AIASは米国時間1月23日、この協力関係の最初の成果として、第12回Annual Interactive Achievement Awardのノミネート作品を発表した。今年の最多ノミネート作品はソニーの「PLAYSTAION 3」（PS3）専用タイトルである「Little Big Planet」だった。同作品は10月に発売された際、GameSpotでも高く評価している。AIASは同ゲームを10分野でノミネートしており、ノミネートされた分野はFamily Game of the Year賞（家族向けゲーム賞）からOutstanding Achievement in Art Direction賞（美術監督賞）、Overall Game of the Year（総合作品賞）まで多岐にわたる。

　Little Big PlanetがAIASのゲームオブザイヤーを獲得するには、厳しい競争を勝ち抜く必要がある。同賞を争う他の作品には、Bethesda Softworksの「Fallout 3」、Rockstar Gamesの「Grand Theft Auto IV」、Valve Softwareの「Left 4 Dead」、コナミの「Metal Gear Solid 4」などがある。また、複数分野でノミネートされている他の作品は、Epic Gamesの「Gears of War 2」（9分野）、Valve Softwareの「Left 4 Dead」（8分野）、Bethesda Softworksの「Fallout 3」（8分野）、コナミの「Metal Gear Solid 4」（7分野）、Lionhead Studiosの「Fable II」（6分野）となっている。

　同賞は、AIASがネバダ州ラスベガスのRed Rock Resortで2月19日に開催する、今年のDICEサミットで授賞式が行われる予定だ。2008年のIAAと同様、コメディアンのJay Mohr氏が4回目となる同イベントの司会を務める。

　第12回Annual Interactive Achievement Awardsの最終ノミネート作品のリストは以下の通り。

Overall Game of the Year
Fallout 3 - Bethesda Softworks - Bethesda Softworks
Grand Theft Auto IV - Rockstar Games - Rockstar North
Left 4 Dead - Valve Software - Valve Software
Little Big Planet - Sony - Media Molecule
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Konami - Kojima Productions

Console Game of the Year
Fallout 3 - Bethesda Softworks - Bethesda Softworks
Gears of War 2 - Microsoft Game Studios - Epic Games
Grand Theft Auto IV - Rockstar Games - Rockstar North
Little Big Planet - Sony - Media Molecule
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Konami - Kojima Productions

Computer Game of the Year
Fallout 3 - Bethesda Softworks - Bethesda Softworks
Left 4 Dead - Valve Software - Valve Software
Mass Effect - Electronic Arts - BioWare
Spore - Electronic Arts - Maxis
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - Blizzard Entertainment - Blizzard Entertainment

Adventure Game of the Year
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia - Konami - Konami
God of War: Chains of Olympus - Sony - Ready at Dawn
Mirror's Edge - Electronic Arts - Digital Illusions
Naruto: The Broken Bond - Ubisoft - Ubisoft
Prince of Persia - Ubisoft - Ubisoft Montreal

Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year
EVE Online: Quantum Rise - CCP - CCP
Pirates of the Burning Sea - Sony Online Entertainment - Flying Lab Software
PMOG - GameLayers - GameLayers
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning - Electronic Arts - Mythic Entertainment
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - Blizzard Entertainment - Blizzard Entertainment

Sports Game of the Year
FIFA 09 - Electronic Arts - EA Canada
Madden NFL 09 - Electronic Arts - EA Tiburon
MLB 08: The Show - Sony - SCE Studios San Diego
NBA 2K9 - 2K Sports - Visual Concepts
NHL 09 - Electronic Arts - EA Canada

Racing Game of the Year
Burnout Paradise - Electronic Arts - Criterion Games
GRID - Codemasters - Codemasters
Mario Kart Wii - Nintendo - Nintendo
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift - Sony - Evolution Studios
Pure - Disney Interactive Studios - Black Rock Studio

Fighting Game of the Year
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe - Midway - Midway
Soulcalibur IV - Namco Bandai Games - Project Soul
Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Nintendo - Nintendo, Sora
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix - Capcom - Backbone Entertainment
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 - THQ - Yuke's

Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play
Call of Duty: World at War - Activision - Treyarch
Gears of War 2 - Microsoft Game Studios - Epic Games
Left 4 Dead - Valve Software - Valve Software
NHL 09 - Electronic Arts - EA Canada
Rock Band 2 - MTV Games - Harmonix

Action Game of the Year
Call of Duty: World at War - Activision - Treyarch
Dead Space - Electronic Arts - EA Redwood Shores
Far Cry 2 - Ubisoft - Ubisoft Montreal
Gears of War 2 - Microsoft Game Studios - Epic Games
Grand Theft Auto IV - Rockstar Games - Rockstar North

Handheld Game of the Year
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin - Nintendo - Intelligent Systems
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia - Konami - Konami
God of War: Chains of Olympus - Sony - Ready at Dawn
Patapon - Sony - Sony Computer Entertainment International
Professor Layton and the Curious Village - Nintendo - Level 5

Cellular Game of the Year
Reset Generation - Nokia - RedLynx
Spore Origins - Electronic Arts - Babaroga, Tricky Software
Trism - Demiforce - Demiforce

Casual Game of the Year
Braid - Microsoft Game Studios - Number None
Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhurst - Big Fish Games - Big Fish Games
Patapon - Sony - Sony Computer Entertainment International
Professor Layton and the Curious Village - Nintendo - Level 5
World of Goo - Nintendo - 2D Boy

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
Fable II - Microsoft Game Studios - Lionhead Studios
Fallout 3 - Bethesda Softworks - Bethesda Softworks
Gears of War 2 - Microsoft Game Studios - Epic Games
Left 4 Dead - Valve Software - Valve Software
World of Goo - Nintendo - 2D Boy

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
Fallout 3 - Bethesda Softworks - Bethesda Softworks
Gears of War 2 - Microsoft Game Studios - Epic Games
Left 4 Dead - Valve Software - Valve Software
Little Big Planet - Sony - Media Molecule
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Konami - Kojima Productions

Family Game of the Year
Boom Blox - Electronic Arts - EA Los Angeles
Little Big Planet - Sony - Media Molecule
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party - Ubisoft - Ubisoft Paris
Rock Band 2 - MTV Games - Harmonix
Wii Fit - Nintendo - Nintendo

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin - Nintendo - Intelligent Systems
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Electronic Arts - EA Los Angeles
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution - 2K Games - Firaxis
Sins of a Solar Empire - Stardock Entertainment - Ironclad Games
Tom Clancy's EndWar - Ubisoft - Ubisoft Shanghai

Outstanding Achievement in Animation
Castle Crashers - Microsoft Game Studios - The Behemoth
Gears of War 2 - Microsoft Game Studios - Epic Games
Left 4 Dead - Valve Software - Valve Software
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Konami - Kojima Productions
Prince of Persia - Ubisoft - Ubisoft Montreal

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
Dead Space - Electronic Arts - EA Redwood Shores
Fable II - Microsoft Game Studios - Lionhead Studios
Little Big Planet - Sony - Media Molecule
Mirror's Edge - Electronic Arts - Digital Illusions
Prince of Persia - Ubisoft - Ubisoft Montreal

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering
Gears of War 2 - Microsoft Game Studios - Epic Games
Little Big Planet - Sony - Media Molecule
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Konami - Kojima Productions
Resistance 2 - Sony - Insomniac Games
Tomb Raider: Underworld - Eidos/Warner Bros. Interactive - Crystal Dynamics

Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering
Fable II - Microsoft Game Studios - Lionhead Studios
Fallout 3 - Bethesda Softworks - Bethesda Softworks
Left 4 Dead - Valve Software - Valve Software
Spore - Electronic Arts - Maxis
Tom Clancy's EndWar - Ubisoft - Ubisoft Shanghai

Outstanding Character Performance
Gears of War 2 (Dom) - Microsoft Game Studios - Epic Games
Gears of War 2 (Marcus) - Microsoft Game Studios - Epic Games
Little Big Planet (Sackboy) - Sony Computer Entertainment America - Media Molecule
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Old Snake) - Konami - Kojima Productions
Tomb Raider: Underworld (Lara Croft) - Eidos/Warner Bros. Interactive - Crystal Dynamics

Outstanding Achievement in Adapted Story
Lego Batman: The Videogame - Warner Bros. Interactive - TT Games
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe - Midway - Midway
Naruto: The Broken Bond - Ubisoft - Ubisoft
Quantum of Solace - Activision - Treyarch
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - LucasArts - LucasArts

Outstanding Achievement in Original Story
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway - Ubisoft - Gearbox Software
Fable II - Microsoft Game Studios - Lionhead Studios
Fallout 3 - Bethesda Softworks - Bethesda Softworks
Grand Theft Auto IV - Rockstar Games - Rockstar North
Professor Layton and the Curious Village - Nintendo - Level 5

Role-Playing Game of the Year
Fable II - Microsoft Game Studios - Lionhead Studios
Fallout 3 - Bethesda Softworks - Bethesda Softworks
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time - Nintendo - Chunsoft
Tales of Vesperia - Namco Bandai Games - Namco Bandai Games

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming
Braid - Microsoft Game Studios - Number None
Left 4 Dead - Valve Software - Valve Software
Little Big Planet - Sony - Media Molecule
Spore - Electronic Arts - Maxis
Wii Fit - Nintendo - Nintendo

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
de Blob - THQ - Blue Tongue
Dead Space - Electronic Arts - EA Redwood Shores
Fable II - Microsoft Game Studios - Lionhead Studios
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - Konami - Kojima Productions
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - Blizzard Entertainment - Blizzard Entertainment

Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack
Guitar Hero World Tour - Activision - Neversoft Entertainment
Little Big Planet - Sony - Media Molecule
Motorstorm: Pacific Rift - Sony - Evolution Studios
Rock Band 2 - MTV Games - Harmonix
Singstar PS3 Vol. 1 - Sony - SCE London Studio

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
Dead Space - Electronic Arts - EA Redwood Shores
Gears of War 2 - Microsoft Game Studios - Epic Games
Little Big Planet - Sony - Media Molecule
Prince of Persia - Ubisoft - Ubisoft Montreal
Wipeout HD - Sony - SCE Studios Liverpool