March 9, 2005 --- The winners of the 2004 NAViGaTR Awards are being distributed to developers and press via DVD today at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California.  The awards show DVD reveals the winners in 45 categories and features a tribute to the past 20 years of video game musical compositions. 

The National Academy of Video Game Testers and Reviewers Corp.™ is pleased to announce the winners for its fourth annual awards honoring the best of the interactive entertainment industry in the fields of art, technology, and production.  A voting body of more than 950 eligible video game media critics determined the final winners for games released in the calendar year of 2004. 

Half-Life 2™ won five (5) awards, including Game of the Year.  Also winning five (5) awards, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas™ tied for most awards won by a single game this year. 

With four (4) awards, Doom 3® was the only other game to win more than three awards.  Halo 2, Katamari Damacy, Metal Gear Solid 3, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, and Sly 2: Band of Thieves each won two (2) awards.  No other games received multiple awards. 

Activision®, Nintendo®, Rockstar®, and Vivendi Universal® were the top publishers this year, winning five (5) awards each in various categories.  Other publishers winning multiple awards were Electronic Arts (2), Konami (4), Microsoft (2), Midway (2), Namco (2), Sega (3), Sony (2), and Tecmo (2).  As a publisher, Konami came in second place with a total of four (4) awards for 2004. 

As a developer, Konami is also in second place for the most wins to date by a single developer.  Rockstar® holds the record with 14 wins to date.  To date, Ubisoft® has won 12 awards.  Square Soft® and Nintendo® have won 11 awards to date, and Sony has won eight (8) awards. 

The first four years of the NAViGaTR Awards are featured in today’s DVD “swag” at the Game Developers Conference.  Air dates and times will be announced in a few weeks in a forthcoming press release.  The program is produced by Mark Patterson and executive produced by George Wood (Flights of Fantasy Media), who also serves as co-host with Don Risher.  Wood has extensive experience related to emerging technologies and markets, including the growth of the video game industry. 

Most recently, Mr. Wood is a managing partner of the FLIGHTS OF FANTASY DEVELOPMENT FUND, Inc. – a multi-million dollar venture capital fund dedicated to the development and capitalization of software and interactive gaming developers – and is partnered with Hollywood Home Entertainment (www.hollywoodhomeentertainment.com) to provide local production for the upcoming 13-part World War II series of an A-list production company that is entering final negotiations. 

The NAVGTR voting body includes more than 950 eligible voters, representing a broad spectrum of mainstream and specialist media that cover video games, including About.com, Albuquerque Journal (NM), Artxilla.com, Ashville MudCat Magazine (AL), Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Austin American-Statesman, Beaver County Times (PA), Birmingham News (AL), Boston Herald (MA), Bridgeport Post Telegram (CT), Bridgewater Courier News (NJ), Canada.com, CiN Weekly, Cleveland Plain Dealer (OH), CNN, CNN.com, CNNmoney.com, Computer Gaming World, Computer Graphics World, Contra Costa Times, Copley News Service, Dallas Morning News (TX), Denver Post (CO), Digital Journal, Durham Sun Morning Herald (NC), ElectricPlayground.com, Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff-Davis Media), Erie Times (PA), ESPN.com, FHM, Gainesville Sun (FL), Gamephiles.com, GamersTemple.com, GamingTarget.com, Gannett News Service, Gear, HappyPuppy.com, Jackson Clarion Ledger (MS), Kids & Computers, Kidzworld Media, Kingsport Times (TN), KNTV, LA Weekly, Las Vegas Review Journal (NV), Lexington Herald Leader (KY), Lone Pine Capital, Los Angeles Times, Marin Independent Journal (San Francisco), Marin Independent Journal, Marquee, Maryville Times (TN), Minneapolis Star Tribune (MN), myTelus.com, National Post, National Public Radio, NBC, New York Post (NY), PC Gamer, Philadelphia Inquirer, PlanetPong.com, Play Magazine, Public Radio International, Pueblo Star Journal Chieftan (CO), Salon, Salt Lake Deseret News (UT), San Jose Mercury-News, Spartanburg Herald Journal (SC), St. Paul Pioneer-Press, Stuff Magazine, The Detroit Free Press, The New York Times, The Ottawa Citizen, The Regina Leader-Post, The Tenessean, The Vancouver Sun, The Washington Post, Tifton Gazette (GA), USA Today, USAToday.com, Ventura County Star(CA), Wired News, Wizard Magazine, WOW Weekly, www.armchairempire.com, www.consolegold.com, www.evergeek.com, www.freep.com/gameon, www.GameDev.net, www.GamesArcadia.com, www.gamevortex.com, www.ladydragon.com, www.psillustrated.com, www.psx2.com, www.staticmultimedia.com, www.teamps2.com, www.YesWonder.com, ZDNet, and many more.