GameSpot Editors Pick ``World of Warcraft'' as 2004 Game of the Year; Concludes its ``Best and Worst Of 2004'' Awards Honoring Year's Highs and Lows In Gaming

Business Wire, Dec 22, 2004

SAN FRANCISCO -- World of Warcraft, the highly acclaimed "massively multiplayer online role-playing game" (MMORPG), was named Game of the Year by GameSpot (www.gamespot.com), a leading source for unbiased gaming information. The award concluded GameSpot editors' picks for the ninth annual review of the highs and lows in gaming this year, including more than 40 award categories ranging from "Best Action Adventure Game" to "Best Game No One Played." For a complete list of winners, please check out: http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2004/.

"World of Warcraft is in a league of its own," said Greg Kasavin, executive editor of GameSpot. "The game brings out all the best aspects of the MMORPG genre. The particulars of the game's design -- along with its incredibly vast, beautiful, majestic world -- translate into a one-of-a-kind experience that seems fresh and original in its own right."

World of Warcraft and the other winners were chosen by GameSpot's dedicated editorial staff, which has been covering the gaming industry since the site's launch in 1996. Finalists in this year's Game of the Year category include: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2), Burnout 3 (Xbox), Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GC), and Half Life 2 (PC).

Following is a list of the categories and winners:

Game of the Year:             World of Warcraft (PC)
Best Action Adventure:        Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)
Best Shooter:                 Half-Life 2 (PC)
Best Fighting Game:           Mortal Kombat: Deception (Xbox, PS2)
Best Platformer:              Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (PS2)
Best Adventure Game:          Myst IV Revelation (PC)
Best Driving Game:            Burnout 3: Takedown (Xbox, PS2)
Best Puzzle/Rhythm Game:      Katamari Damacy (PS2)
Best Role-playing Game:       Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GC)
Best Massively Multiplayer
 Online Game:                 World of Warcraft (PC)
Best Traditional Sports Game: ESPN NFL 2K5 (Xbox, PS2)
Best Alternative Sports Game: Mario Power Tennis (GC)
Best Strategy Game:           Rome: Total War (PC)
Best N-Gage Game:             Colin McRae Rally 2005
Best Game Boy Advance Game:   Astro Boy: Omega Factor
Best GameCube Game:           Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Best PlayStation 2 Game:      Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Best Xbox Game:               Burnout 3: Takedown
Best PC Game:                 World of Warcraft
Best Original Music:          Katamari Damacy (PS2)
Best Licensed Music:          Battlefield Vietnam (PC)
Best Story:                   Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2)
Best Graphics, Technical:     Doom 3 (PC)
Best Voice Acting:            Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2)
Best Graphics, Artistic:      Half-Life 2 (PC)
Best Game Based on a TV or
 Film Property:               The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From
                               Butcher Bay (PC, Xbox)
Most Innovative Game:         Katamari Damacy (PS2)
Best Multiplayer Game:        Halo 2 (Xbox)

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