NEWS - Monday, January 29, 2007
Capcom Rebukes AIAS Awards
On Capcom’s official message boards (via a report on consumer site GameSpot), the publisher said, “Other than these [IAA] awards – which seem of dubious merit, at best – and the well-run, but expensive, DICE summit, Capcom Entertainment remains unsure as to the value of being an AIAS member. Does our company really need to pay tens of thousands of dollars in order to present awards to our own games?” The statement comes following the announcement of the IAA finalists—a list which didn’t include the highly acclaimed 2006 Capcom/Clover Studio title Okami, or the popular Dead Rising. Capcom said that this isn’t a case of “sour grapes,” adding that it’s “not distraught at lack of inclusion on a list by a company in the business of putting on awards shows.” The company added that its statement “is in no way to take away from games that have been nominated for AIAS awards.” Microsoft and Epic Games’ Gears of War has the most nominations this year, while Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Activision’s Call of Duty 3 and Guitar Hero II and Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess are a few of the games recognized with IAA nominations. “…From the AIAS webpage, their awards are supposedly about ‘Recognizing the best games of 2006” reads Capcom’s statement. … "Evidently, they meant the best games that paid to be recognized. … The truth is that [game companies’] marketing departments have to pay to obtain consideration.” AIAS head Joseph Olin confirmed that a company has to be an AIAS member to receive an award. The organization is non-profit and relies on dues to operate. Eidos, Tecmo and Majesco are also companies who are not paying AIAS members. Last year, another acclaimed Capcom game, Resident Evil 4, was not included in the nominations for the same reason, although Olin said that AIAS voters wrote-in the game on their ballots. Capcom still opted not to participate in the IAAs.Source: http://www.next-gen.biz/
