Canadian Video Game Awards Debut, Ubisoft Leads Noms

Organizers of the inaugural Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts (CAEAA 2006) have announced the list of awards nominees for the upcoming event, which will take place in Vancouver, British Columbia, on September 14, 2006, and will be hosted by Star Trek icon William Shatner. The event will honor Canadian achievements, and will serve as a way to bridge the animation and video gaming industries, as well as recognize the students and educators who supply the talent for both trades. Nominees are broken up into three separate areas of the Electronic and Animated Arts industry: talent development (New Media and Animation Art Schools), animation, and video game development. Peter Jackson's King Kong and Prince of Persia : The Two Thrones were both nominated for “Best Console Game”, and were counted among the long list of award nominations for Ubisoft's Montreal studio. Both were also nominated for “Best Innovation in Gaming”, “Best Game Design of the Year”, “Best Motion Graphics”, “Best Graphics”, and “Best Character Design”. In addition, King Kong also was nominated for “Best Visual Effects” alongside Pseudo Interactive's Full Auto, while Prince of Persia : The Two Thrones was set against THQ's The Outfit, EA's Need for Speed Most Wanted, and Backbone Entertainment's Age of Empires: The Age of Kings for the “Game of the Year” nod. In total, 12 video game development awards will be given out during the ceremony, as well as a handful of educational awards for categories such as “Best Visuals for a Video Game”, “Best Original Sound Design for a Video Game or Animated Production”, and “Student Game of the Year”.