Three days of celebrating are in place for the video game, animation and visual effects industries beginning with a pool party on Saturday, July 17th, followed by a street party on Sunday night and wrapping up with a four-part-party including the awards ceremony itself on Monday, July 19th, the evening prior to Comic-con.
Every year the ELANS go to the industry to determine their award categories, a practice they believe to be crucial to staying on top of what's important in such a rapidly changing industry. "This year's categories were a bit tougher than previous year's in that we're not quite done with some that are on their way out meaning they're still very relevant, and ones that were too new a year ago have proven themselves worthy now and must be included," says Carinci, explaining her thirty award category show. "And there will be more," she smiles, "as we're adding 4 exciting sponsored awards which we'll announce on January 4th, the day submissions officially open." An Industry-only newsletter containing all pertinent information for submissions pertaining to the entire judicial process and submissions will be delivered Monday, December 21st just prior to the holidays.
And now, the Official Categories for the 2010 ELAN Awards are:
For all the "Best Game" awards, the following will be taken into strong consideration: "The ELAN in this category will be awarded to a title that exhibits originality, strong creative direction, and a high fun quotient, as well as excellence in game design and storytelling, sound and voice performance, visual and artistic impression, technical achievement, and player immersion. Special consideration is to be given for innovative utilization of the native features (interface, connectivity, etc.) of the specific hardware platform."
1. Best Game of The Year
Recognizing outstanding achievement in a video game, the ELAN in this category will be awarded to a title released for play on any hardware platform.
2. Best E-Rated Game of The Year
Recognizing outstanding achievement in a video game, the ELAN in this category will be awarded to a title released for play on any hardware platform in any of the E-level ratings.
3. Best Teen-Rated Game of The Year
Recognizing outstanding achievement in a video game, the ELAN in this category will be awarded to a title released for play on any hardware platform in any of the T-level ratings.
4. Best Mature-Rated Game of The Year
Recognizing outstanding achievement in a video game, the ELAN in this category will be awarded to a title released for play on any hardware platform in any of the M-level ratings.
5. Best Console Game
Recognizing outstanding achievement in a video game designed for a home console (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, etc.).
6. Best PC Game
Recognizing outstanding achievement in a video game designed for a personal computer (Windows, Mac, etc.).
7. Best Casual Game
Recognizing outstanding achievement in a casual video game, whether pay-for-play or free, the ELAN in this category will be awarded to a title released for play online including MMO's, Social Networking Games, etc.
8. Best Downloadable Game
Recognizing outstanding achievement in a video game created for any platform released solely through digital download.
9. Best Licensed Game
Recognizing outstanding achievement in a licensed video game, the ELAN in this category will be awarded to a licensed production released for play on any platform. The winner will first exhibit excellent authenticity to the original licensed production and then while remaining within these limits still display originality and strong creative direction.
10. Best Handheld Game (PSP; DS, IPod or other similar devices)
Recognizing outstanding achievement in a video game designed for a handheld hardware device (PSP, DS, Ipod, etc. whose primary function is not voice communication).
11. Best Mobile Game
Recognizing outstanding achievement in a video game designed for a mobile hardware device whose primary function is voice communication (iPhone, BlackBerry, etc.).
12. Most Accessible Game
Recognizing outstanding achievement in providing accessibility features for gamers with disabilities, the ELAN in this category will be awarded to a designer or design team who exhibit excellence in the creation of an AAA video game that is accessible to the widest audience as possible. Factors evaluated include features that improve the gaming experience for gamers with disabilities including excellence in providing game design elements such as (but not limited to) closed captioning/subtitling, remappable controls, color blind mode(s)/high contrast color schemes, assist modes, tutorials, support for accessible controllers, range of difficulty and speed options, audio tags, font scalability, and accessible game documentation.
13. Best Independent Game
Recognizing outstanding achievement in an independent video game, the ELAN in this category will be awarded to a production released for play on any hardware platform.
TALENT AWARDS ...
14. BEST WRITING in a VIDEO GAME PRODUCTION
Recognizing outstanding achievement in writing in the field of video games, the ELAN in this category is awarded to the writer or writers credited who exhibit excellence in writing, story-telling, characterization, and originality.
15. BEST SOUND in a VIDEO GAME PRODUCTION
Recognizing outstanding achievement in sound in the field of video games, the ELAN in this category is awarded to an individual or team that exhibits creative excellence in sound design, sound effects, creative direction and context in any video game production released in the qualifying calendar year.
16. BEST MUSIC in a VIDEO GAME PRODUCTION
Recognizing outstanding achievement in music in the field of video games, the ELAN in this category is awarded to an individual or team that exhibits creative excellence in musical scoring, creative direction and context in any video game production released in the qualifying calendar year.
17. BEST ART DIRECTION in a VIDEO GAME PRODUCTION
Recognizing outstanding achievement in art direction in a video game, the ELAN in this category is awarded to the art director or art directors credited who exhibit excellence in visual design and execution of the interactive experience of a video game. Factors evaluated include characters, environments, animation, lighting, effects, as well as conceptualization, consistency of vision, and technical execution. Full motion video or other non-interactive elements presented in a game are considered only for their consistency, continuity, and support of the interactive experience.
18. BEST CHARACTER ANIMATION in a VIDEO GAME PRODUCTION
Recognizing outstanding achievement in character animation in a video game, the ELAN in this category is awarded to the animator, animation team or animation director that exhibits excellence in animating a human, animal or object that expresses characterization, movement, and conveys emotion. This category is open to animation teams hired outside of the video game company.
19. BEST VOICE OVER in an VIDEO GAME PRODUCTION
Recognizing outstanding achievement in voice performance, the ELAN in this category goes to the voice actor in any video game that exhibits excellence in dramatization, characterization, originality, range and effect.
20. BEST GAME DESIGN
Recognizing outstanding achievement in game design and direction in a video game, the ELAN in this category is awarded to the lead designer, game director or design team credited whose video game exhibits excellence in innovation, ideation and execution of design concepts including player control, game mechanics, game progression, storytelling, immersion, emotional engagement, and of course, a high fun quotient.
21. BEST REAL-TIME VISUAL EFFECTS in a VIDEO GAME PRODUCTION
Recognizing outstanding achievement in visual effects in a video game, the ELAN in this category is awarded to the vfx artist, vfx team or vfx director that exhibits excellence in real-time game engine-rendered visual effects within a video game. This category is open to vfx teams hired outside of the video game company.
22. OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL INNOVATION
Recognizes outstanding technical innovation that has a significant impact on play, the ELAN in this category is awarded to the technical team credited whose video game demonstrates technical innovation that impacts both the game in which it is introduced, as well as future game development. Innovations can include concepts such as defining a new genre, or game design mechanic, a technological breakthrough or advance that significantly impacts the game experience, an innovative or evolutionary use of new technologies, or any other technical achievement that advances the state of play.
23. BEST NEW TALENT (Student only)
Recognizing outstanding achievement by a student in digital entertainment, the ELAN in this category goes to the student or team of students who exhibits excellence thru their project in one of three sectors: Video Game, Animation or Visual Effects.
24. VIDEO GAME HALL OF FAME
Awarded to the individual who in the course of pursuing their art, has excelled in their medium. The recipient will have achieved creative excellence throughout their career. The recipient will have creatively influenced their field of expertise. This is a lifetime achievement award and the winner has been working in the video game industry at least 15 years. The recipient of this award is peer voted. The recipient of this award is voted in by the Video Game Industry and does not go through the judicial selection process as the other awards do. There are no final nominees.
CONVERGENCE AWARDS ...
25. BEST ANIMATED PRODUCTION with a LICENSED VIDEO GAME
Recognizing outstanding achievement in an animated production that has a licensed video game attached, the ELAN in this category will be awarded to an animated production released either to theatres or televised during the qualifying calendar year; the video game need NOT have been made available to the public for play yet. There is no distinguishing between computer-generated or cell-based animation. The winner will exhibit originality, and excellence in storytelling, movement, sound and voice performance, visual and artistic impression and technical achievement.
26. BEST VISUAL EFFECTS-DRIVEN FEATURE FILM with LICENSED VIDEO GAME
Recognizing outstanding achievement in VFX in a theatrically released feature length film where the VFX play a crucial, substantial and integral part of the production, typically known in the industry as an "Effects"Film". The film must have been released within the qualifying calendar year and have a licensed video game attached; the video game need NOT have been made available to the public for play yet.
MARKETING AWARDS ...
27. GAMER'S CHOICE
Publicly-voted on-line. The number of votes tallied by the public determines the nominees and ultimately the winner for their choice of Game of the Year.
28. BEST IN-GAME ADVERTISEMENT in a VIDEO GAME
Recognizing outstanding achievement in utilizing a video game to advertise by a company, the ELAN in this category goes to the best advertisement in any video game with special mention to that game.
29. BEST OVERALL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN for a VIDEO GAME
Recognizing outstanding achievement in an advertising campaign for a video game, the ELAN in this category goes to the best series of thematically related advertising materials used to promote a video game.
30. BEST VIRIL MARKETING PR CAMPAIGN for a VIDEO GAME
Recognizing outstanding achievement in engaging the keenness and imagination of gamers to generate product buzz thru fan-generated marketing which may be a website, a blog, a movie or any other vehicle that promotes a video game.