I. CONSOLE

Action Game of the Year
Action games are those games in which the user makes a variety of virtual moves in order to attain a defined objective, and progress is limited by the players ability to perform real- time action activities where timing, skill and accuracy are necessary to success. The user must control a single object or character within a virtual environment at any given time. Examples include: Doom, Star Fox 2, Earthworm Jim 2.

Adventure Game of the Year
Adventure games are those games in which a user is presented with a scenario or story, progress through which is limited by the user's ability to solve puzzles and affect non- player characters in order to acquire resources and information necessary to reach the game's conclusion. Examples include: Tomb Raider, Gex.

Fighting Game of the Year
Fighting games are those games that offer the user the virtual experience of controlling a character engaging in individual combat with another character. The opponent can either be controlled by another player or by the game Examples include: Tekken, Bushido Blade, Virtua Fighter.

Racing Game of the Year
Racing games are those games which allow the user to participate in a contest in which the objective is to convey an object through a course of virtual physical progress as quickly as possible. Racing games may involve competition against other user controlled competitors or against system controlled competitors. Racing games must simulate vehicular motion. Examples include: Ridge Racer, Road Rash.

Role Playing Game of the Year
Role playing games are those games in which the user creates a distinct character (or multiple characters) and interacts with the virtual environment in the person of that character. The character(s) can progress and refine abilities and attributes through the course of play. Examples include: Final Fantasy, Mario RPG, Legend of Zelda.

Sports Game of the Year
Sports games are those games that reproduce for the user the experience of participating in an existing competitive sport. The category only includes those products that enable the user to control the actions of a virtual player or team. The product must offer the opportunity to compete, either with a simulated opponent or with another user. Examples include: Madden NFL 97, VR Baseball, NBA Hangtime.

Console Game of the Year -
Content Nominations Automatically Entered

This award recognizes the best game released for a specific platform, excluding the personal computer. Entries into any of the categories above are automatically eligible for this award. No entries may be made directly into this category.


II. PERSONAL COMPUTER

Action Game of the Year
Action games are those games in which the user makes a variety of virtual moves in order to attain a defined objective, and progress is limited by the players ability to perform real-time action activities where timing skill and accuracy are necessary to success. The user must control a single object or character within a virtual environment at any given time. Examples include: Mech Warrior 2, Duke Nukem.

Adventure Game of the Year
Adventure games are those games in which a user is presented with a scenario or story, progress through which is limited by the user's ability to solve puzzles and affect non player characters in order to acquire resources and information necessary to reach the game's conclusion. Examples include: Kings Quest, Myst, Curse of Monkey Island.

Role Playing Game of the Year
Role playing games are those games in which the user creates a distinct character (or multiple characters) and interacts with the virtual environment in the person of that character. The character(s) can progress and refine abilities and attributes through the course of play. Examples include: Diablo, Daggerfall, Betrayal at Krondor.

Simulation Game of the Year
Simulation games are those games which offer the user the opportunity to virtually reproduce an experience, real or imaginary, that would require some form of equipment. Examples include: SimCopter, Flight Unlimited, Falcon.

Sports Game of the Year
Sports games are those games that reproduce for the user the experience of participating in an existing competitive sport. The product must offer the opportunity to compete, either with a simulated opponent or with another user. Examples include: Links '97, Hardball 5, Madden NFL 97.

Strategy Game of the Year
Strategy games are defined to be those games in which the user directs or manipulates resources to create a set of conditions that result in success as determined within the confines of the game. Strategy games emphasize the planning of tactics rather than the execution. Examples include: Command & Conquer, Warcraft II, SimCity.

Creativity Title of the Year
Creativity products are those products, designed for home use, whose primary function is to enhance the creative abilities of the user through the use of a computer. Typically such products offer the user the ability to, within a virtual environment, make some object. The product may offer the ability to output the object or not. The object need not be physical in nature, either virtually or once "outputted." Products can be designed for either children, adults, or both. Examples include: Greeting Card Maker, Print Shop Deluxe, Barbie Fashion Designer, MixMan. Professionally oriented tools such as PhotoShop, PageMaker or Illustrator would not be included.

Edutainment Title of the Year
Edutainment products are those products expressly designed for children whose primary purpose is to entertain the user, but also incorporate elements directed to educate the user. Examples include: Carmen Sandiego, animated storybooks, I Can Be a Dino Finder, Oregon Trail.

Family/Kids Entertainment Title of the Year
This category includes products with the sole purpose of entertaining the user, that have been expressly designed and targeted either for children or for families to enjoy together. Examples include: Monopoly, Secret Paths in the Forest, Putt Putt Saves the Zoo, Timon & Pumbaa Jungle Games.

Skills Building Title of the Year
This category is open to products that have been designed to use the interactive medium to help children to improve a skill that is applicable outside of the virtual environment created by the product itself. Examples include: Reader Rabbit, Jump Start 1st Grade, standardized test preparation products.

Computer Entertainment Title of the Year -
Content Nominations Automatically Entered
This award recognizes the best game released for the personal computer platform. For purposes of this document, computer is defined as a personal computer which is IBM or Macintosh compatible. Entries into any of the game categories above are automatically eligible for this award. No entries may be made directly into this category.


III. ONLINE

Online Game of the Year
This category is open to all products that offer a unique gaming experience through the use of the Internet as a delivery vehicle. Examples include: Air Warrior, Ultima Online, You Don't Know Jack.

Entertainment Site of the Year
Entertainment sites are defined as websites that exist solely for the purpose of delivering content to the user. The content value of the site must be created, or demonstrably facilitated, by the parties who create and maintain the site, as opposed to solely by interactions between users. Examples include: KnowledgeLand, Disney Blast, Yahooligans, SI for Kids Online, The Couch.

News/Information Site of the Year
This category is open to any regularly updated site the primary function of which is to deliver informational or editorial content. Examples include: Discovery.com, ESPNet Sportszone, Gamespot, Washington Post Online.


IV. ARCADE

Arcade Game of the Year
Arcade games are defined to be any interactive game delivered through custom hardware designed specifically for the given application, and installed in a public place. Play experiences must be provided according to a "pay-per-play" payment system. Examples include: NBA Jam, Mace, Vertical Reality.