EMA names Grand Theft Auto IV game of the year
The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) has bestowed the title "Video Game of the Year" to Grand Theft Auto IV during the 2009 Video Game Home Entertainment Awards.
Call of Duty: World at War and Wii Fit took home three awards each. Mario Kart Wii won "Racing Game of the Year" as well as one for "Family/Children's Game of the Year".
Here's the full list:
- Video Game of the Year - GTA IV
- Most Innovative - Wii Fit
- Best Third Party Publisher - Electronic Arts
Game of the Year Titles:
- DS - Guitar Hero: On Tour (Bundle)
- PC - World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King
- PS2 - Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
- PS3 - Call of Duty World at War
- PSP - God of War: Chains of Olympus
- Wii - Wii Fit
- Xbox 360 - Call of Duty: World at War
- Action/Adventure - GTA IV
- Casual - Wii Fit
- Family/Children's - Mario Kart Wii
- Fighting - Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe
- Game Graphics - Gears of War 2
- Non-sequel - Left 4 Dead
- Racing - Mario Kart Wii
- RPG/Strategy - Fallout 3
- Shooter/Military - Call of Duty: World at War
- Sports - Madden NFL 09
Full press release after the break.
Thanks, GameDaily
CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR AND WII FIT COLLECT THREE VIDEO GAME HOME ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS APIECE
Nintendo Dominates the Leader Board, Garnering Wins in Five Categories
ENCINO, CALIFORNIA (February 11, 2009) … The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) today announced that Activision's Call of Duty: World at War and Nintendo's Wii Fit each secured three 2009 Video Game Home Entertainment Awards, including PS3 and Xbox 360 "Game of the Year" for Call of Duty: World at War and "Most Innovative Game of the Year" for Wii Fit. Other multiple winners are Mario Kart Wii and "Video Game of the Year" Grand Theft Auto IV, each honored with two awards. A new non-title specific category was added this year to recognize the "Best Third-Party Publisher," which was awarded to Electronic Arts.
"Today's interactive entertainment has revolutionized consumers' perception of entertainment, and how they enjoy it," said EMA President and CEO Bo Andersen. "EMA is pleased to recognize the winners of our 2009 Video Game Home Entertainment Awards for their extraordinary contributions to the industry and the amazing ways they changed the relationship between entertainment and the consumer."
The winners, who were selected by retail and distributor members of EMA, were revealed during GameSupply: The Supply Chain Academy for Interactive Entertainment. For more information on the event, go to www.gamesupplyacademy.com.
For the complete list of Video Game Home Entertainment Award winners click here.
To be eligible, a video game had to have been released during the 2008 calendar year. This year's award categories and nominees were determined by EMA's Video Game Home Entertainment Awards Nominating Committee, which is comprised of video game retailers and distributors.
The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) is the not-for-profit international trade association dedicated to advancing the interests of the $33 billion home entertainment industry. EMA represents approximately 500 companies throughout the United States, Canada, and other nations. Its members operate approximately 27,000 retail outlets in the U.S. that sell and/or rent DVDs, computer and console video games, and digitally distributed versions of these products. Membership comprises the full spectrum of retailers (from single-store specialists to multi-line mass merchants, and both brick and mortar and online stores), distributors, the home video divisions of major and independent motion picture studios, and other related businesses that constitute and support the home entertainment industry. EMA was established in April 2006 through the merger of the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) and the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA).