The GiN 2003 Game of the Year Awards

It was a good year for gaming. Never in the history of computer games have so many excellent titles been released for every platform. The multitude of platforms - the PC, the Macintosh, Sony PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox - have brought more gamers into the fold this year at the same time networking technologies have brought them together.

We counted more than 80,000 votes this year for the awards, which is 30,000 more than last year. Not only are we seeing many more people playing computer games, but we are also seeing some very strong opinions as to which titles are the best.

Winners will receive a high-resolution button (3 by 3) suitable for printing onto a box or posting onto their Website, so they can proudly display the fact that the people have spoken, and spoken in favor of their top-notch game.

So without further delay, here are the Game Industry News Games of the Year, as chosen by you. Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to everyone who cast a ballot to let their opinion be known.

Action Game of the Year The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Electronic Arts) Based on the hit movie series, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers pushes the PlayStation 2 right to its limits. Mixing movie clips with game animation produces a wonderful effect that makes players feel like they are actually inside the movie. And graphically, there is nothing better for the PS2 platform right now. See our Review.

Adventure Game of the Year (Tie - 1st Title) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Black Label Games) Tapping into the Rings popularity, this adventure game follows the book series by J.R.R. Tolkien instead of the movie. Players have commented that they are impressed by the deepness of the storyline and how faithful the game is to Tolkien's vision of hobbits, elves and other denizens of Middle Earth.

Adventure Game of the Year (Tie - 2nd Title) The Watchmaker (Got Game Entertainment) The Watchmaker was also voted the top Adventure game this year. The Watchmaker lets players explore a beautiful castle and grounds all modeled in realistic 3D. Along the way players solve situational puzzles. There are even two controlled characters in the game, and you can switch back and forth between them. In this manner, you can be in two places at once, which is a unique and interesting element to add to the genre. Overall, The Watchmaker is a game that is impossible to stop playing once you become mesmerized by its engaging storyline. See our Review.

Educational Game of the Year Buddy Brush and The Painted Playhouse (Ideas That Play) Keeping children entertained at the same time teaching them is the goal of Buddy Brush and The Painted Playhouse. Using cute characters and an easy-to-use interface are the primary tools of the trade for this fine educational product. It's a perfect marriage of style and substance, and a hit with parents and children as well.

Family Entertainment Game of the Year Chemicus (Tivola) Science beat magic this year, as Chemicus edged out Harry Potter by just a few votes. Chemicus is a lot like Myst or Riven, but uses actual science in the fields of organic chemistry, acids and bonding and atomic structure to form the diabolical puzzles that make up the game world. Combined with first-rate graphics and sound, Chemicus is a sure-fire winner. See our Review.

Puzzle Game of the Year Assimilation (GlobalStar) For the first time an action-oriented puzzle game, Assimilation, took top honors this year over the more traditional choices. Assimilation challenges players to start with a single microbe-like slug and conquer a board filled with enemies by assimilating their pieces. Like all the best games of this type, Assimilation is easy to learn and difficult to master. Throw in some great special effects and multiplayer abilities, and the title is a winner all around. See our Review.

Role-Playing Game of the Year Neverwinter Nights (Atari) Due in part to the strong community that has formed around this game, Neverwinter Nights stole away this crowded category. Based on the Third Edition Dungeon and Dragons rules, the game follows a compelling and action-packed storyline. Releasing the development tools and asking players to create their own games has resulted in thousands of modules for players, so the game has unlimited re-playability. See our Review.

Shooter Game of the Year Iron Storm (DreamCatcher) Taking an unusual concept: World War I never ended, and turning it into a shooter was a stroke of genius for the developers of Iron Storm. Weapons in the game are a mix of the modern and the archaic, and have a great science fiction "what-if" quality. Plus, you can play in either first or third person, or switch between the two taking advantage of the different modes and the advantages associated with them. See our Review.

Sports Game of the Year Madden NFL 2003 (Electronic Arts) It was a close call, but Madden NFL 2003 kept the top spot this year for the Madden series. Few can challenge the great Madden name in the sports arena, and the series itself keeps getting better as well by adding new moves, better graphics and of course all the latest NFL stars to begin playing the game. See our Review.

Strategy Game of the Year Warcraft III (Blizzard) With a large margin of victory, Warcraft III thunders into first place for the Strategy Game of the Year award. Blizzard really outdid themselves with movie-quality cut scenes and a storyline that was as good as the beautifully-rendered battles. The voice acting was top-of-the-line, the tutorial was both interesting to play and informative and in fact, everything about the game was about as good as a game can be. A feat like this one will be hard to top. See our Review.

Best Overall Environment The Elder Scrolls III - Morrowind (Bethesda Softworks) The world of Morrowind is one of the most amazing creations to ever come to the PC or Xbox. The world is in a word: huge. And each part of Morrowind's 3D world has its own climate, indigenous life and dangers. Whether pearl diving off the coast of the resort-like areas or delving into the caves dotting the wastelands, just exploring the sights and sounds of Morrowind is a huge treat without even getting into what a great game the title is from a role-playing point of view. See our Review.

Game Soundtrack of the Year Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Rockstar) There was really no way anyone could compete with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in the soundtrack category. Radio stations in the game play all the major hits of the 1980's era from Ozzy Osborne to Nina, Quiet Riot to Blondie to Michael Jackson. There is a radio station in the game for just about everyone. And GTA:VC is the only game to ever spawn a different soundtrack CD, sold separately, for every type of music in the game. Kudos to Rockstar for getting the rights to so many great songs, and for using them in such as way as to really enhance gameplay. See our Review.

Most Innovative Game of the Year The Sims Online (Electronic Arts) It is a simple formula on paper. Take one of the best-selling game lines of all time, and bring it into the online arena. But Maxis had to re-tool everything to keep the emphasis on player interaction. Everything in The Sims Online is better when you share. You make more money, satisfy needs more quickly and generally have more fun. The game is designed so it pays to be nice as well, so it is really the first online world where people from all walks of life and experience levels can have a fun and rewarding game experience. See our Review.

Game Peripheral of the Year Xbox Live Kit (Microsoft) An Xbox and a broadband connection combine with the Xbox Live Kit to form one of the most satisfying experiences you can have when gaming. Integrated voice and a headset means you can taunt your opponents or beg for mercy anytime during play. And since it is a broadband-only network, nobody is going to get slowed down by someone with a lagging connection. It really adds a new dimension to the Xbox. It's almost like getting a new console. See our Review.

Online Game of the Year Battlefield 1942 (Electronic Arts) When people play shooters, there are often vehicles that are used as scenery. How badly gamers wanted to be able to use them for more than just cover. In 1942, you can. Not only can you drive vehicles, but also you can fly planes. And all vehicles are realistically rendered based on their real World War II counterparts. In a single online game you can have dogfights occurring overhead, a tank battle out on the roads, naval vessels battling for a harbor and infantry slugging it out in house to house fighting. The action is intense and varied, and makes for the most enjoyable online experience of the year. See our Review.

Mac Game of the Year Bejeweled & Alchemy (MacPlay) Mac gamers choose to stick to their traditional roots this year, voting Bejeweled & Alchemy, a dual-game pack, as their pick for favorite title. Both games originally started out as online titles, and became so popular that they moved first to the handheld platform and then to the Mac and PC. See our Review.

Microsoft Xbox Game of the Year Splinter Cell (UbiSoft) Those that play Splinter Cell know that the game is extremely difficult, and also extremely rewarding. Using cutting edge graphics that show the power of the Xbox, players must face seemingly impossible odds in a world where stealth is your greatest ally, and the kills are quick and deadly. See our Review.

Nintendo GameBoy Advance/Color Game of the Year Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (Konami) Games come and games go, but support for the Castlevania series seems unwavering. For the GBA, the colors and the sound will make you think you are playing the arcade title, or a better version of the arcade game. Of all the games currently out for the GBA platform, this is the one that you must have.

Nintendo Gamecube Game of the Year Spider-Man (Activision) Spider-Man is one of those games that can help to give a platform its appeal. The action-packed game has players smoothly swinging from web to web, doing all the things that made the hit movie so popular. Some were surprised to find such a highly detailed game for the Gamecube. You can even play the game again as the Green Goblin. How "marvel"ous.

PC Game of the Year The Elder Scrolls III - Morrowind (Bethesda Softworks) When it comes to value, nothing gives you bang for the buck like Morrowind. It is not uncommon for a player to experience over 700 hours of playtime if they follow all the side quests and explore every nook and cranny of the realm. Even following the main plot like an arrow will take between 100 and 200 hours. The game world is amazing too, hence the victory in the Environmental category. So Morrowind really has the best of both worlds: longevity and amazing playability. Morrowind raises the bar on the PC, and as of yet, it's too high for anyone else to reach. See our Review.

Sony PlayStation 2 Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Rockstar) Everyone was impressed with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Everything about the game screams quality. From the amazing soundtrack, to the variety of vehicles found in the game, to the sheer level of mayhem you can cause, GTA:VC makes it fun to be the bad guy. Add in a huge list of Hollywood stars that lent their voices to various characters in the game, and it's no wonder why GTA:VC blows everything else on the PS2 away this year. See our Review.

Overall Game of the Year Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Rockstar) With so many great titles this year, it was a very close vote. But this year Tommy Vercetti and the crew at Rockstar games are taking top honors for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The non-linear gameplay, the large world, the variety of vehicles and the interesting and engaging storyline all combine to make GTA:VC the game to remember this year. See our Review.

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