CESA Announces Japan Game Awards For TGS 2006

Japan's Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), organizers of the annual CESA Game Awards show, announced today that the organization has changed the name of the event to the Japan Game Awards, and that the ceremony will be held on the main stage of the upcoming Tokyo Game Show to be held this September. The event will honor games from three different categories: The Game of the Year category, for which all games released in the Japanese market between April 1, 2005 and March 21, 2006 are eligible; the Future category, for which pre-release games presented and exhibited at Tokyo Game Show are eligible; and the new Indies category for titles that have not yet been commercialized. Award winners in the Game of the Year category will be determined by the Japan Game Awards Selection Committee following the conclusion of the public vote, which takes place from April 3 to through July 25. Winners of the Future category award will be determined by the Japan Game Awards Selection Committee following the conclusion of the public vote held on site at the Tokyo Game Show. Finally, nominees for awards in the Indies category will be determined by a preliminary screening of all titles submitted for consideration by the public from April 3 through July 25. Nominees are then subjected to a secondary screening to determine award winners. The newly renamed Japan Game Awards will include an award ceremony for the Game of the Year and new Indies categories on Friday, September 22, followed by an award ceremony for the Future category on Sunday, September 24. Each event will take place on the main stage (Hall 8) of the Tokyo Game Show 2006.