2002-2003 Delegates Elected

February 19, 2003 -- The National Academy of Video Game Testers & Reviewers Corp. announced today that ten members have been selected to form the NAVGTR Finalists Committee for 2003. The committee members are Chris Morris, Dennis McCauley, Heather Newman, Jon M. Gibson, Marc Saltzman, Matthew Swider, Michael A. Bencic, Ned Jordan, Shaun Conlin, and Tommy Tallarico.

NAVGTR Corp. sent out a call for candidates earlier this month for a committee of at least six members. Many voters selected the entire slate of all ten candidates. “As we head into our second awards year, we anticipate a massive increase in voter participation as a direct result of the visibility from our first awards year. People are learning more about us and understand our commitment to this industry,” stated NAVGTR executive director Thomas J. Allen.

Entries received will be added to the list of finalists so that NAVGTR voters can select the final nominees in each award category honoring work in 2002. The goal of the committee is to create a large selection for voters, who will be able to contact the committee members individually by e-mail to assist in the development of the list before its implementation.

“This is the chance for our voters to do a sort of write-in campaign. Since we hope to utilize an online voting firm, we developed this process to ensure the possibility of a completely automated, online-friendly voting system. In the future, we hope to sponsor a more technologically advanced online voting system that will recognize and tabulate write-in votes. The design is possible with existing technology, but it will have to wait for another year.”

Collectively, the committee has experience working with numerous print and online publications, such as About.com, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Austin American-Statesman, CNN, CNN.com, CNNmoney.com, Computer Gaming World, Contra Costa Times, Detroit Free Press, Digital Journal, ElectricPlayground.com, Electronic Gaming Monthly, FHM, GamersTemple.com, GamesArcadia.com, GamingTarget.com, Gannett News Service, Gear, HappyPuppy.com, Kids & Computers, LA Weekly, Los Angeles Times, National Post, National Public Radio, Ottawa Citizen, Marquee, PC Gamer, Philadelphia Inquirer, PlanetPong.com, Play Magazine, Salon, San Jose Mercury-News, USA Today, USAToday.com, Vancouver Sun, Wired News, Wizard Magazine, WOW Weekly, and ZDNet.

NAVGTR Corp. is devoted to promoting and recognizing the developments and achievements of the interactive entertainment industry for public awareness and education. In addition to the annual awards, the academy’s future goals include acknowledging, documenting, and/or memorializing industry leaders and historical events through educational and informative television specials or videos, as well as efforts to preserve the history of interactive entertainment through the development of archives in public libraries and universities.

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