6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards

6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards
6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards
Date	February 27, 2003
Venue	Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Country	Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Hosted by	Dave Foley
Highlights
Most awards	Battlefield 1942 (4)
Most nominations	Metroid Prime (10)
Game of the Year	Battlefield 1942
Hall of Fame	Yu Suzuki

The 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards was the 6th edition of the Interactive Achievement Awards, an annual awards event that honored the best games in the video game industry during 2002. The awards were arranged by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) and were held at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on February 27, 2003 as part of the Academy's 2003 D.I.C.E. Summit. It was hosted by Dave Foley with presenters including Cliff Bleszinski, Xander Berkeley, Don James, Shigeru Miyamoto, Julie Benz, Blue Man Group, Tony Hawk, Ed Fries, Kelly Hu, David Jones, Nina Kaczorowski, Doug Lowenstein, Syd Mead, Mike Metzger, Vince Neil, Tommy Tallarico, Amy Weber and Victor Webster. It had musical performances by Unwritten Law and The Players Band.^[1]^[2]

The Academy introduced the genre awards for "First-Person Action Game of the Year" for both console and computer. "Console Platform Action/Adventure Game of the Year" was also introduced. Originally separate console and computer awards for "Children's Title of the Year" were offered, but a single "Family Game of the Year" would be presented that featured finalists for both console and PC releases. The computer award for "Educational Title of the Year" was originally part of the category listings, but was not featured on the nomination form.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Battlefield 1942 won the most awards, including "Game of the Year". Metroid Prime received the most nominations. Electronic Arts received the most nominations, published the most nominated games, published the most award-winning games, and won the most awards. Four franchises had two award-winning titles at this awards ceremony:

Grand Theft Auto: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for "Console Action/Adventure Game of the Year", and Grand Theft Auto III for "Computer Action/Adventure Game of the Year".
Medal of Honor: Medal of Honor: Frontline for outstanding achievement in "Original Music Composition" and "Sound Design", and Medal of Honor: Allied Assault for "Computer First-Person Action Game of the Year".
Metroid: Metroid Prime for "Console First-Person Action Game of the Year", and Metroid Fusion for "Handheld Game of the Year".
The Sims: The Sims: Unleashed expansion for "Computer Simulation Game of the Year", and The Sims Online for "Massive Multiplayer/Persistent World Game of the Year".

Yu Suzuki, creator of Virtua Fighter, Shenmue, and other Sega franchises, was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡).^[6]^[7]

Game of the Year Awards

Game of the Year Battlefield 1942 — DICE, Electronic Arts‡ Animal Crossing — Nintendo EAD Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — Rockstar North Metroid Prime — Retro Studios, Nintendo Ratchet & Clank — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment
Console Game of the Year Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell — Ubisoft Montreal‡ Animal Crossing — Nintendo EAD Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem — Silicon Knights, Nintendo Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — Rockstar North Metroid Prime — Retro Studios, Nintendo Ratchet & Clank — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment	Computer Game of the Year Battlefield 1942 — DICE, Electronic Arts‡ Age of Mythology — Ensemble Studios, Microsoft Game Studios Medal of Honor: Allied Assault — 2015, Inc., Electronic Arts Neverwinter Nights — BioWare, Atari Interactive Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos — Blizzard Entertainment

Innovation Awards

Innovation in Computer Gaming Battlefield 1942 — DICE, Electronic Arts‡ Dungeon Siege — Gas Powered Games, Microsoft Game Studios Grand Theft Auto III — Rockstar North Medal of Honor: Allied Assault — 2015, Inc., Electronic Arts Neverwinter Nights — BioWare, Atari Interactive Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos — Blizzard Entertainment	Innovation in Console Gaming Animal Crossing — Nintendo EAD‡ Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem — Silicon Knights, Nintendo Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — Rockstar North Metroid Prime — Retro Studios, Nintendo Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell — Ubisoft Montreal

Craft Awards

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design Animal Crossing — Nintendo EAD‡ Battlefield 1942 — DICE, Electronic Arts Metroid Prime — Retro Studios, Nintendo Neverwinter Nights — BioWare, Atari Interactive Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos — Blizzard Entertainment	Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem — Silicon Knights, Nintendo‡ Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — Rockstar North Kingdom Hearts — SquareSoft, Square Electronic Arts Syberia — Microïds, The Adventure Company The Mark of Kri — SCE San Diego Studio
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus — Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Computer Entertainment‡ Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem — Silicon Knights, Nintendo Kingdom Hearts — SquareSoft, Square Electronic Arts Metroid Prime — Retro Studios, Nintendo Ratchet & Clank — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment	Outstanding Achievement in Animation Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus — Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Computer Entertainment‡ Final Fantasy X — SquareSoft, Square Electronic Arts Kingdom Hearts — SquareSoft, Square Electronic Arts Ratchet & Clank — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment The Mark of Kri — SCE San Diego Studio
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition Medal of Honor: Frontline — EA Los Angeles‡ Metroid Prime — Retro Studios, Nintendo Rygar: The Legendary Adventure — Tecmo The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind — Bethesda Game Studios Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos — Blizzard Entertainment	Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design Medal of Honor: Frontline — EA Los Angeles‡ Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem — Silicon Knights, Nintendo Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — Rockstar North Metroid Prime — Retro Studios, Nintendo No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way — Monolith Productions, Sierra Entertainment, Vivendi Universal Games The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers — Stormfront Studios, Electronic Arts Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell — Ubisoft Montreal
Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell — Ubisoft Montreal‡ Animal Crossing — Nintendo EAD Metroid Prime — Retro Studios, Nintendo Ratchet & Clank — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment	Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers — Stormfront Studios, Electronic Arts‡ Asheron's Call 2: Fallen Kings — Turbine, Microsoft Game Studios Metroid Prime — Retro Studios, Nintendo Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell — Ubisoft Montreal Unreal Tournament 2003 — Epic Games, Digital Extremes, Atari Interactive

Console Awards

Console Action/Adventure Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — Rockstar North‡ Hitman 2: Silent Assassin — IO Interactive, Eidos Interactive Jet Set Radio Future — Smilebit, Sega Rez — United Game Artists, Sega Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell — Ubisoft Montreal	Console Fighting Game of the Year Tekken 4 — Namco‡ Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO — Capcom Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee — Pipeworks Software, Atari Interactive Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance — Midway Games Virtua Fighter 4 — Sega AM2
Console First-Person Action Game of the Year Metroid Prime — Retro Studios, Nintendo‡ James Bond 007: Nightfire — Eurocom, Electronic Arts Medal of Honor: Frontline — EA Los Angeles TimeSplitters 2 — Free Radical Design, Eidos Interactive Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon — Red Storm Entertainment, Ubisoft	Console Platform Action/Adventure Game of the Year Ratchet & Clank — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment‡ Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus — Sucker Punch Productions, Sony Computer Entertainment Super Mario Sunshine — Nintendo EAD
Console Racing Game of the Year Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 — EA Black Box‡ ATV Offroad Fury 2 — Rainbow Studios, Sony Computer Entertainment MotoGP: Ultimate Racing Technology — Climax Brighton, THQ NASCAR Thunder 2003 — EA Tiburon RalliSport Challenge — DICE, Microsoft Game Studios	Console Role-Playing Game of the Year Animal Crossing — Nintendo EAD‡ Final Fantasy X — SquareSoft, Square Electronic Arts Kingdom Hearts — SquareSoft, Square Electronic Arts Suikoden III — Konami Wild Arms 3 — Media.Vision, Sony Computer Entertainment
Console Sports Game of the Year Madden NFL 2003 — EA Tiburon‡ Aggressive Inline — Z-Axis, Acclaim Entertainment NCAA Football 2003 — EA Tiburon NHL 2K3 — Treyarch, Sega Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 — Neversoft, Activision	Family Game of the Year^[a] Mario Party 4 — Hudson Soft, Nintendo‡ Backyard Football — Left Field Productions, Humongous Entertainment, Infogrames Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets — EA UK Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights — Heavy Iron Studios, THQ SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month — AWE Productions, THQ
Handheld Game of the Year Metroid Fusion — Nintendo R&D1‡ Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance — Konami The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords — Flagship, Capcom, Nintendo R&D2 Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 — Nintendo R&D2

PC Awards

Computer Action/Adventure Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto III — Rockstar North‡ Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast — Raven Software, LucasArts Syberia — Microïds, The Adventure Company The Thing — Computer Artworks, Black Label Games	Computer First-Person Action Game of the Year Medal of Honor: Allied Assault — 2015, Inc., Electronic Arts‡ America's Army — United States Army No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way — Monolith Productions, Sierra Entertainment, Vivendi Universal Games
Computer Role-Playing Game of the Year Neverwinter Nights — BioWare, Atari Interactive‡ Arx Fatalis — Arkane Studios, JoWooD Productions Dungeon Siege — Gas Powered Games, Microsoft Game Studios Freedom Force — Irrational Games, Crave Entertainment, Electronic Arts The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind — Bethesda Game Studios	Computer Simulation Game of the Year The Sims: Unleashed — Maxis, Electronic Arts‡ Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe — Aces Game Studio, Microsoft Games Studios MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries — FASA Studio, Microsoft Game Studios The Aurora Neverwinter Toolset — BioWare, Atari Interactive
Computer Sports Game of the Year Madden NFL 2003 — EA Tiburon‡ High Heat Major League Baseball 2003 — Team .366, The 3DO Company Links 2003 — Access Software, Microsoft Game Studios NBA Live 2003 — EA Canada Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 — Headgate Studios, Electronic Arts	Computer Strategy Game of the Year Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos — Blizzard Entertainment‡ Age of Mythology — Ensemble Studios, Microsoft Game Studios Medieval: Total War — Creative Assembly, Activision

Online Awards

Hall of Fame Award

Yu Suzuki^[8]

Multiple nominations and awards

Multiple Nominations

Games that received multiple nominations
Nominations	Game
10	Metroid Prime
6	Animal Crossing
	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
	Ratchet & Clank
	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
5	Battlefield 1942
	Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
	Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
4	Kingdom Hearts
4	Neverwinter Nights
3	Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
	Medal of Honor: Frontline
	Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
2	Age of Mythology
	Asheron's Call 2: Fallen Kings
	Dungeon Siege
	Final Fantasy X
	Grand Theft Auto III
	Madden NFL 2003
	No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way
	Syberia
	The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
	The Mark of Kri

Nominations by company
Nominations	Games	Company
34	18	Electronic Arts
26	8	Nintendo
13	5	Sony Computer Entertainment
10	7	Microsoft Game Studios
10	1	Retro Studios
8	2	Rockstar North
7	3	Atari Interactive
6	2	SquareSoft
	1	DICE
		Insomniac Games
		Ubisoft
5	2	BioWare
	1	Blizzard Entertainment
	1	Silicon Knights
4	4	Sega
3	3	THQ
	2	Vivendi Universal Games
	1	2015, Inc.
	1	Sucker Punch Productions
2	2	Activision
		Capcom
		Eidos Interactive
		Konami
		Maxis
	1	Bethesda Game Studios
		Ensemble Studios
		Gas Powered Games
		Microïds
		Sierra Entertainment
		Stormfront Studios
		The Adventure Company
		Turbine

Multiple awards

Games that received multiple awards
Awards	Game
4	Battlefield 1942
3	Animal Crossing
2	Madden NFL 2003
	Medal of Honor: Frontline
	Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

Awards by company
Awards	Games	Company
13	8	Electronic Arts
7	5	Nintendo
4	1	DICE
3	2	Sony Computer Entertainment
2		Maxis
		Rockstar North
		Ubisoft Montreal
	1	Sucker Punch Productions

Notes

^ Finalists included games for both console and PC.

References

^ "The Video Game Industry Names the Best of the Best: Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Sixth Annual Interactive Achievement Awards Presented in Las Vegas". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. 28 February 2003. Archived from the original on 5 June 2003. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
^ "2002 AIAS Awards Results". Blues News. Stephen Heaslip. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
^ "6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 24 October 2002. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
^ "Sixth Annual Interactive Achievement Awards - Nomination Form" (PDF). Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2002. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
^ "6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 18 February 2003. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
^ "6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards: Winners". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 5 February 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
^ Colayco, Bob. "2002 AIAS award winners announced". GameSpot. GameSpot. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
^ "D.I.C.E. Special Awards". Academy of Interactive Arts ad Sciences. Retrieved 1 June 2022.

External links

Archived Winners/Finalists Page

[8] Finalists included games for both console and PC.

[1] "The Video Game Industry Names the Best of the Best: Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Sixth Annual Interactive Achievement Awards Presented in Las Vegas". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. 28 February 2003. Archived from the original on 5 June 2003. Retrieved 18 January 2024.

[Press2003-2] "2002 AIAS Awards Results". Blues News. Stephen Heaslip. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.

[Rules&Procedures-3] "6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 24 October 2002. Retrieved 24 December 2023.

[Application-4] "Sixth Annual Interactive Achievement Awards - Nomination Form" (PDF). Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2002. Retrieved 18 December 2023.

[5] "6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 18 February 2003. Retrieved 17 December 2023.

[Interactive2003-6] "6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards: Winners". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 5 February 2005. Retrieved 10 January 2023.

[Winners2003-7] Colayco, Bob. "2002 AIAS award winners announced". GameSpot. GameSpot. Retrieved 10 January 2023.

[SpecialAwards-9] "D.I.C.E. Special Awards". Academy of Interactive Arts ad Sciences. Retrieved 1 June 2022.

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v t e D.I.C.E. Awards
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Game of the Year Mobile Online Independent Game Immersive Reality (Technical Achievement)
Craft Awards	Game Direction Game Design Animation Art Direction Character Original Music Composition Audio Design Story Technical
Genre Awards	Action Adventure Family Fighting Racing Role-Playing Sports Strategy/Simulation
Ceremonies	1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Related	Cybermania '94