The 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards was the 3rd edition of the Interactive Achievement Awards, an annual awards event that honored the best games in the video game industry within the last nine months of 1999 and the first two months of 2000. The awards were arranged by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), and were held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California on May 11, 2000 during E3 2000. It was hosted by Martin Short, and featured presenters included Martin Lewis, Ahmet Zappa, Stevie Case, Brian Fargo, Alison Sweeney, Harry Shearer, Elisa Donovan, Leah Lail, Carmine Giovinazzo, Delroy Lindo, and Peter Molyneux. This would be the final year the awards ceremony would be held during E3.
Several craft awards were split up into separate categories: "Outstanding Achievement in Art/Graphics" would be separated into the categories of "Art Direction" and "Animation", "Outstanding Achievement in Sound and Music" would be separated into the categories of "Sound Design" and "Original Music Composition", and "Software Engineering" would be replaced with "Visual Engineering" and "Gameplay Engineering". The content awards for "Adventure" and "Role-Playing", both for console and PC, were combined into "Adventure/Role-Playing Game of the Year". The console award for "Children's/Family Title of the Year" was introduced while still having a separate PC award. Only one "Educational Title of the Year" award was offered instead of having separate awards for ages 0–8 and 9-16. There were no genre-specific awards for "Online Game of the Year". This would be the final year that categories for websites would be offered.
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings received the most nominations. It also tied for winning the most awards along with Final Fantasy VIII and The Sims, with the latter winning "Game of the Year". Electronic Arts received the most nominations, won the most awards, and had the most nominated and award-winning games. There was also a tie for the "Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development". Disney Interactive was the only developer with more than one award-winning game.
Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of Final Fantasy, was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.
Winners and Nominees Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (). The Sims — Maxis, Electronic Arts Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings — Ensemble Studios, Microsoft Donkey Kong 64 — Rare, Nintendo Pokémon Yellow — Game Freak, Nintendo Soulcalibur — Namco Unreal Tournament — Epic Games, Digital Extremes, GT Interactive
Craft Awards The Sims — Maxis, Electronic Arts Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings — Ensemble Studios, Microsoft Gran Turismo 2 — Polyphony Digital, Sony Computer Entertainment Nox — Westwood Studios, Electronic Arts Syphon Filter — Eidetic, 989 StudiosAge of Empires II: The Age of Kings — Ensemble Studios, Microsoft Thief: The Dark Project — Looking Glass Studios, Eidos Interactive Nox — Westwood Studios, Electronic Arts Omikron: The Nomad Soul — Quantic Dream, Eidos Interactive Planescape: Torment — Black Isle Studios, Interplay EntertainmentFinal Fantasy VIII — SquareSoft, Square Electronic Arts Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings — Ensemble Studios, Microsoft Disney's Villains' Revenge — Disney Interactive Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer EntertainmentFinal Fantasy VIII — SquareSoft, Square Electronic Arts Disney's Villains' Revenge — Disney Interactive Pharaoh — Impressions Games, Sierra On-Line Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment The Sims — Maxis, Electronic ArtsMedal of Honor — DreamWorks Interactive, Electronic Arts NFL 2K — Visual Concepts, Sega Thief: The Dark Project — Looking Glass Studios, Eidos InteractiveUm Jammer Lammy — NanaOn-Sha, Sony Computer Entertainment Outcast — Appeal, Infogrames Silver — Spiral House, InfogramesThe Sims — Maxis, Electronic Arts Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings — Ensemble Studios, Microsoft Crazy Taxi — Hitmaker, Sega NFL 2K — Visual Concepts, SegaUnreal Tournament — Epic Games, Digital Extremes, GT Interactive NBA 2K — Visual Concepts, Sega NFL 2K — Visual Concepts, Sega Sonic Adventure — Sonic Team, Sega
Content Awards Console Soulcalibur — Namco Crazy Taxi — Hitmaker, Sega Donkey Kong 64 — Rare, Nintendo Driver — Reflections Interactive, GT Interactive Gran Turismo 2 — Polyphony Digital, Sony Computer Entertainment Pokémon Yellow — Game Freak, Nintendo Tony Hawk's Pro Skater — Neversoft, ActivisionCrazy Taxi — Hitmaker, Sega Armada — Metro3D Gauntlet Legends — Midway Games Super Smash Bros. — HAL Laboratory, Nintendo Syphon Filter — Eidetic, 989 StudiosFinal Fantasy VIII — SquareSoft, Square Electronic Arts Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver — Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Interactive Legend of Legaia — Contrail, Sony Computer EntertainmentSoulcalibur — Namco Ready 2 Rumble Boxing — Midway Studios San Diego, Midway Games Super Smash Bros. — HAL Laboratory, Nintendo WWF WrestleMania 2000 — AKI Corporation, THQStar Wars Episode I: Racer — LucasArts Crash Team Racing — Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment Driver — Reflections Interactive, GT Interactive Gran Turismo 2 — Polyphony Digital, Sony Computer EntertainmentPokémon Snap — HAL Laboratory, Nintendo Lego Racers — High Voltage Software, Lego Media Mario Party — Hudson Soft, Nintendo Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue — Traveller's Tales, Disney Interactive, ActivisionKnockout Kings 2000 — Black Ops Entertainment, EA Sports NFL 2K — Visual Concepts, Sega Tony Hawk's Pro Skater — Neversoft, Activision
Personal Computer Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings — Ensemble Studios, Microsoft Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun — Westwood Studios, Electronic Arts Homeworld — Relic Entertainment, Sierra On-Line RollerCoaster Tycoon — Chris Sawyer Productions, Hasbro Interactive Unreal Tournament — Epic Games, Digital Extremes, GT InteractiveHalf-Life: Opposing Force — Gearbox Software, Sierra On-Line Quake III Arena — id Software, Activision Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear — Red Storm Entertainment Unreal Tournament — Epic Games, Digital Extremes, GT InteractiveAsheron's Call — Turbine, Microsoft Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned — Sierra On-Line Outcast — Appeal, Infogrames Planescape: Torment — Black Isle Studios, Interplay Entertainment Ultima IX: Ascension — Origin Systems, Electronic ArtsMicrosoft Flight Simulator 2000 — Aces Game Studio, Microsoft FreeSpace 2 — Volition, Interplay Entertainment Jane's F/A-18 — EA Baltimore MiG Alley — Rowan Software, Empire Interactive Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance — Totally Games, LucasArtsFIFA 2000 — EA Canada Backyard Football — Humongous Entertainment High Heat Baseball 2000 — Team .366, The 3DO Company NHL 2000 — EA CanadaAge of Empires II: The Age of Kings — Ensemble Studios, Microsoft Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun — Westwood Studios, Electronic Arts Heroes of Might and Magic III — New World Computing, The 3DO Company Homeworld — Relic Entertainment, Sierra On-Line RollerCoaster Tycoon — Chris Sawyer Productions, Hasbro InteractiveDisney's Magic Artist Studio — Disney Interactive Cosmopolitan Virtual Makeover 2 — Mattel Interactive Lego Friends — Lego Media Total 3D Home Deluxe — Mattel Interactive, The Learning Company3D Ultra Lionel Traintown — Dynamix, Sierra On-Line Complete National Geographic — National Geographic Interactive, Mattel Interactive Miss Spider's Tea Party — Hypnotix, Simon & Schuster Interactive Pandora's Box — Microsoft The Sims — Maxis, Electronic Arts You Don't Know Jack Offline — Berkeley Systems, Sierra On-LineDisney's Villains' Revenge — Disney Interactive Lego Racers — High Voltage Software, Lego Media Miss Spider's Tea Party — Hypnotix, Simon & Schuster Interactive Sesame Street Music Maker — Sesame Workshop, Mattel InteractiveJumpStart Phonics Learning System — Knowledge Adventure Bear in the Big Blue House: Bear's Sense of Adventure — Knowledge Adventure Blue's 123 Time Activities — Humongous Entertainment Math Blaster for 1st Grade — Knowledge Adventure Space Academy GX-1 — Edmark The ClueFinders 5th Grade Adventures — Mattel Interactive, The Learning Company
Online EverQuest — Verant Interactive, 989 Studios, Sony Online Entertainment Asheron's Call — Turbine, Microsoft Get the Picture — Berkeley Systems Pop-Tarts — Magnet Interactive Wordox — World Opponent Network, Sierra On-LineTheOnion.com ABC.com Banja.com — CHMAN CalendarLive.com — The Los Angeles Times Tony the Tiger Website — Magnet Interactive, Kellogg's Entertaindom.com — AOL Time Warner IGN.com - Snowball.comGameSpot.com CNN Online
Hall of Fame Award Hironobu Sakaguchi
Multiple nominations and awards Multiple Nominations
+ Games that received multiple nominations Nominations Game 7 Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings 5 The Sims 4 NFL 2K Unreal Tournament 3 Crazy Taxi Disney's Villains' Revenge Final Fantasy VIII Gran Turismo 2 Soulcalibur Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! 2 Asheron's Call Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun Donkey Kong 64 Driver Homeworld Lego Racers Miss Spider's Tea Party Nox Outcast Planescape: Torment Pokémon Yellow RollerCoaster Tycoon Super Smash Bros. Syphon Filter Thief: The Dark Project Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
+ Nominations by company Nominations Games Company 18 10 Electronic Arts 11 4 Microsoft 10 6 Sony Computer Entertainment 9 4 Sega 8 5 Nintendo 6 Sierra On-Line 7 1 Ensemble Studios 6 2 GT Interactive 5 5 Mattel Interactive 3 Disney Interactive 2 Visual Concepts 1 Maxis 4 4 Digital Extremes Epic Games 3 Activision Eidos Interactive 2 Westwood Studios 3 3 Knowledge Adventure 2 989 Studios HAL Laboratory Infogrames Interplay Entertainment Lego Media 1 Hitmaker Insomniac Games Namco Polyphony Digital SquareSoft 2 2 Berkeley Systems Eidetic Humongous Entertainment LucasArts Magnet Interactive Midway Games The 3DO Company 1 Appeal Black Isle Studios Chris Sawyer Productions Game Freak Hasbro Interactive High Voltage Software Hypnotix Looking Glass Studios Neversoft Rare Relic Entertainment Simon & Schuster Interactive Turbine
Multiple awards
+ Awards Game 3 Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings Final Fantasy VIII The Sims 2 Soulcalibur
+ Awards by company Awards Games Company 9 5 Electronic Arts 5 3 Microsoft 3 1 Ensemble Studios Maxis SquareSoft 2 2 Disney Interactive Sierra On-Line Sony Computer Entertainment 1 Namco
Notes
External links Archived Finalists List Portal
References