The MCV Industry Excellence Awards are voted for by a panel of over 100 of the industry’s most influential executives. The judges are spread across all areas of the business, offering an unprecedented pool of knowledge and influence.
If Microsoft’s trio of awards wasn’t success enough, this is also the third time the publisher has bagged the ridiculously-prestigious Grand Prix Award: awarded by the magazine’s editorial team to the firm or individual they feel has contributed the most to the business in the previous 12 months.
“The last 12 months has been an amazing – and often unpredictable – ride for the games industry,” says Stuart Dinsey, managing director of Intent Media, publisher of MCV and MCUK.com. “From the departure of Ken Kutaragi in April 2007, to this month’s launch of Wii Fit, it’s been an incredible year – and it’s been an honour for MCV to be right at the heart of the business yet again. The winners of a 2008 Industry Excellence Award can quite rightly claim to have been at the very top of their game – during gaming’s biggest ever year.”
The MCV Industry Excellence Awards Winners in full:
INDEPENDENT RETAILER: Winner: Grainger Games
Finalists: Playtime Video Games, Console Connections, Powerplay, Ninja Games
SPECIALIST RETAILER: Winner: GAME
Finalists: Gamestation, CHIPS, Gameseek, Gamestop
ENTERTAINMENT RETAILER: Winner: HMV
Finalists: Zavvi, Woolworths, Blockbuster, Asda
ONLINE RETAILER: Winner: PLAY.COM
Finalists: Amazon, Gameseek, Shopto.com, Tgrav.com
STAR STORE: Winner: ZAVVI, OXFORD STREET
Finalists: Gamestation (Hull), Playtime Video Games (Doncaster), Gamestation (Birmingham), HMV (Trocadero)
PR TEAM: Winner: Microsoft/RED
Finalists: Microsoft/JCPR, EA/Shine, SCE/Shine, Vivendi/Indigo Pearl
GAME CAMPAIGN: Winner: HALO 3 (Microsoft)
Finalists: Touch! Generations range (Microsoft), FIFA ’08 (Electronic Arts), Mario & Sonic (Sega), Call of Duty 4 (Activision)
NEW GAME BRAND: Winner: ASSASSINS CREED (Ubisoft)
Finalists: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (SCE), Mario & Sonic (Sega), Bioshock (2K Games), Mass Effect (Microsoft)
TRADE MARKETING TEAM: Winner: Electronic Arts
Finalists: Sony Computer Entertainment, Activision, THQ, Microsoft
MARKETING TEAM: Winner: Microsoft
Finalists: Microsoft, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Sony Computer Entertainment
UK DEVELOPMENT TEAM: Winner: Codemasters
Finalists: Bizarre Creations, Sports Interactive, Criterion, Rebellion
DISTRIBUTION TEAM: Winner: CENTRESOFT
Finalists: Koch Media, Gem, Advantage, Trilogy
SALES TRIUMPH: Winner: COOKING MAMA (505 GAMES)
Finalists: HSM: Sing It! – Disney Interactive Studios, Mario & Sonic – Sega, Assassin’s Creed – Ubisoft, Devil May Cry 4 - Capcom
SALES TEAM: Winner: Ubisoft
Finalists: Activision, THQ, Electronic Arts, Microsoft
GAMES PUBLISHER: Winner: Microsoft
Finalists: Ubisoft, Activision, Electronic Arts, Microsoft
RETAIL ADVISORY BOARD: SPECIAL RECOGNITION: Winner: PAUL DONNELLY (GEM)
Finalists: Rob Gross, Dave Gould (Vivendi Games), Jonathan Grimes (Microsoft), Penny Humphrey (Electronic Arts), Rosemary Buahin (Sony Computer Entertainment)
GRAND PRIX: Winner: Microsoft