Interactive Achievement Awards Submissions Open

Officials from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) have announced that the organization is currently accepting submissions for its 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. The February 8, 2007 event will be once again hosted by comedian Jay Mohr at a ceremony at “The Joint” at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Submissions for the awards will be accepted via the AIAS website from October 16, 2006 through December 8, 2006. Submissions are open for multiple categories, including the overall as well as platform and genre specific Game of the Year awards, in addition to the awards for Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, Outstanding Achievement in multiple areas of game design, and Outstanding Character Performance for both male and female personalities. Last year's awards were dominated by Sony Computer Entertainment America’s God of War, which came away from the event with seven awards, including overall Game of the Year and Console Game of the Year. Harmonix’s rhythm action game Guitar Hero also performed well with five awards, including Outstanding Innovation in Gaming. "2006 will be remembered as a year that games and interactive entertainment demonstrated a new depth and broader appeal than ever before," said Joseph Olin, president, AIAS. "We expect this year's submissions to the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards to reflect the diversity and many new directions that game makers have found to express themselves."