The 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards was the 7th edition of the Interactive Achievement Awards, an annual awards event that honored the best games in the video game industry during 2003. The awards were arranged by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), and were held at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada on . It was also held as part of the Academy's 2004 D.I.C.E. Summit. It was hosted by Diane Mizota.
The craft awards for "Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance" for males and females were introduced along with "Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack." Separate console awards for "Action Sports" and "Sports Simulation" were offered. Separate awards for "Children's Title of the Year" and "Family Game of the Year" would be offered for both console and computer; however, there were not any finalists named for "Computer Children's Title of the Year". "Wireless Game of the Year" would be offered in addition to "Handheld Game of the Year". The computer award for "Downloadable Game of the Year" was introduced. "Online Gameplay of the Year" was not offered at this awards ceremony.
Call of Duty won the top award of the ceremony for "Game of the Year". Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time received the most nominations and won the most awards. Electronic Arts received the most nominations, won the most awards, published the most nominated games, and published the most award-winning games. There was also a tie for two categories: "Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance - Female" and "Console Family Game of the Year". The Sims and developer Maxis had two award-winning releases, with The Sims Bustin' Out tying for "Console Family Game of the Year", and The Sims: Superstar expansion winning "Computer Simulation Game of the Year". Final Fantasy and developer SquareSoft also had two winners with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance winning "Handheld Game of the Year" and Tara Strong as Rikku in Final Fantasy X-2 tying for "Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance - Female".
Peter Molyneux was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.
Winners and Nominees Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (). Call of Duty — Infinity Ward, Activision Command & Conquer: Generals — EA Pacific Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne — Remedy Entertainment, Rockstar Games Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time — Ubisoft Montreal Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment Rise of Nations — Big Huge Games, Microsoft Game Studios SSX 3 — EA Canada Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — BioWare, LucasArts The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker — Nintendo EADPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time — Ubisoft Montreal Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment SSX 3 — EA Canada Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — BioWare, LucasArts The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker — Nintendo EADCall of Duty — Infinity Ward, Activision Command & Conquer: Generals — EA Pacific Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne — Remedy Entertainment, Rockstar Games Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time — Ubisoft Montreal Rise of Nations — Big Huge Games, Microsoft Game Studios Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — BioWare, LucasArts
Innovation Awards Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time — Ubisoft Montreal Call of Duty — Infinity Ward, Activision Rise of Nations — Big Huge Games, Microsoft Game Studios Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — BioWare, LucasArts Tron 2.0 — Monolith Productions, Buena Vista GamesEyeToy: Play — SCE London Studio Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time — Ubisoft Montreal SSX 3 — EA Canada Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — BioWare, LucasArts The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker — Nintendo EAD
Craft Awards Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time — Ubisoft Montreal Amplitude — Harmonix, Sony Computer Entertainment Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — BioWare, LucasArts The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker — Nintendo EAD Tony Hawk's Underground — Neversoft, ActivisionStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — BioWare, LucasArts Beyond Good & Evil — Ubisoft Montpellier Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time — Ubisoft Montreal Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker — Nintendo EADPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time — Ubisoft Montreal Beyond Good & Evil — Ubisoft Montpellier Jak II — Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment Soulcalibur II — Project Soul, NamcoThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker — Nintendo EAD Final Fantasy X-2 — SquareSoft, Square Electronic Arts Jak II — Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time — Ubisoft Montreal Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer EntertainmentElijah Wood as Frodo Baggins (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) — EA Redwood Shores Method Man (Def Jam Vendetta) — AKI Corporation, EA Canada James McCaffrey as Max Payne (Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne) — Remedy Entertainment, Rockstar Games Michael Ironside as Sam Fisher (Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell) — Ubisoft Montreal Snoop Dogg (True Crime: Streets of LA) — Luxoflux, ActivisionJada Pinkett Smith as Niobe (Enter the Matrix) — Shiny Entertainment, Atari Tara Strong as Rikku (Final Fantasy X-2) — SquareSoft, Square Electronic Arts Christina Milian as Angel (Def Jam Vendetta) — AKI Corporation, EA Canada Anna Garduño as Keira (Jak II) — Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment Anna Edwards as Yasmin (The Getaway) — SCE Team SohoSSX 3 — EA Canada Madden NFL 2004 — EA Tiburon NBA Live 2004 — EA Canada Tony Hawk's Underground — Neversoft, Activision True Crime: Streets of LA — Luxoflux, ActivisionMedal of Honor: Rising Sun — EA Los Angeles Beyond Good & Evil — Ubisoft Montpellier Call of Duty — Infinity Ward, Activision Grabbed by the Ghoulies — Rare, Microsoft Game Studios XIII — Southend Interactive, Ubisoft ParisThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King — EA Redwood Shores Amplitude — Harmonix, Sony Computer Entertainment Beyond Good & Evil — Ubisoft Montpellier Call of Duty — Infinity Ward, Activision Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield — Red Storm Entertainment, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft MilanPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time — Ubisoft Montreal Jak II — Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — BioWare, LucasArts The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker — Nintendo EADPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time — Ubisoft Montreal Jak II — Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment SSX 3 — EA Canada The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker — Nintendo EAD
Console Awards Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time — Ubisoft Montreal Jak II — Naughty Dog, Sony Computer Entertainment Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando — Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker — Nintendo EAD Viewtiful Joe — Clover Studio, CapcomCrimson Skies: High Road to Revenge — FASA Interactive, Microsoft Game Studios Manhunt — Rockstar North Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne — Remedy Entertainment, Rockstar Games Metal Arms: Glitch in the System — Swingin' Ape Studios, Mass Media Games, Sierra Entertainment, Vivendi Universal Games The Simpsons: Hit & Run — Radical Entertainment, Sierra Entertainment, Vivendi Universal GamesSSX 3 — EA Canada NBA Street Vol. 2 — EA Canada NHL Hitz Pro — Next Level Games, Midway Games Tony Hawk's Underground — Neversoft, ActivisionMadden NFL 2004 — EA Tiburon ESPN NHL Hockey — Kush Games, Sega NCAA Football 2004 — EA Tiburon Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 — EA Redwood Shores Top Spin — PAM Development, Microsoft Game Studios World Soccer Winning Eleven 6 International — KonamiMario Party 5 — Hudson Soft, Nintendo Backyard Basketball — Humongous Entertainment, Atari SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom — Heavy Iron Studios, THQ Tak and the Power of Juju — Avalanche Software, THQTom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield — Red Storm Entertainment, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Milan Deus Ex: Invisible War — Ion Storm, Eidos InteractiveEyeToy: Play — SCE London Studio The Sims Bustin' Out — Maxis, Electronic Arts Amplitude — Harmonix, Sony Computer Entertainment Grabbed by the Ghoulies — Rare, Microsoft Game StudiosStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — BioWare, LucasArts Dark Cloud 2 — Level-5, Sony Computer Entertainment Disgaea: Hour of Darkness — Nippon Ichi Software, Atlus Final Fantasy X-2 — SquareSoft, Square Electronic Arts Xenosaga Episode I — Monolith Soft, NamcoSoulcalibur II — Namco Def Jam Vendetta — EA Canada, AKI Corporation Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 — Dimps, Atari Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution — Sega AM2 War of the Monsters — Incognito Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain — Yuke's, THQNeed for Speed: Underground — EA Black Box Burnout 2: Point of Impact — Criterion Games, Acclaim Entertainment F-Zero GX — Amusement Vision, Nintendo Mario Kart: Double Dash — Nintendo EAD Project Gotham Racing 2 — Bizarre Creations, Microsoft Game Studios
Handheld Awards Final Fantasy Tactics Advance — SquareSoft, Nintendo Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising — Intelligent Systems, Nintendo Fire Emblem — Intelligent Systems, Nintendo Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga — AlphaDream, Nintendo Pokémon Ruby — Game Freak, Nintendo
Computer Awards Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time — Ubisoft Montreal Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — Rockstar North Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne — Remedy Entertainment, Rockstar Games The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King — EA Redwood Shores Uru: Ages Beyond Myst — Cyan Worlds, UbisoftHamsterball — Raptisoft, Real.com Poppit! To Go — Pogo.com, Electronic Arts Word Whomp To Go — Pogo.com, Electronic Arts Zuma Deluxe — PopCap GamesZoo Tycoon: Complete Collection — Blue Fang Games, Microsoft Game StudiosCall of Duty — Infinity Ward, Activision Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII — DICE, Electronic Arts Tron 2.0 — Monolith Productions, Buena Vista GamesStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic — BioWare, LucasArts Deus Ex: Invisible War — Ion Storm, Eidos Interactive Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna — Gas Powered Games, Mad Doc Software, Microsoft Game Studios Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide — BioWare, Floodgate Entertainment, Atari The Temple of Elemental Evil — Troika Games, AtariThe Sims: Superstar — Maxis, Electronic Arts Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight — Aces Game Studio, Microsoft Games Studios IL-2 Sturmovik: Forgotten Battles — Maddox Games, Ubisoft Trainz Railroad Simulator 2004 — Auran, OteevaMadden NFL 2004 — EA Tiburon Championship Manager 4 — Sports Interactive, Eidos Interactive Out of the Park 5 — .400 Software Studios Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 — EA Redwood Shores, Headgate StudiosCommand & Conquer: Generals — EA Pacific Empires: Dawn of the Modern World — Stainless Steel Studios, Activision Homeworld 2 — Relic Entertainment, Sierra Entertainment, Vivendi Universal Games Praetorians — Pyro Studios, Eidos Interactive Rise of Nations — Big Huge Games, Microsoft Game Studios
Online Awards EverQuest: Lost Dungeons of Norrath — Sony Online Entertainment A Tale in the Desert — eGenesis, Desert Nomad Studios Eve Online: Second Genesis — CCP Games, Simon & Schuster Interactive Horizons: Empire of Istaria — Virtrium, Artifact Entertainment Puzzle Pirates — Three Rings Design
Hall of Fame Award Peter Molyneux
Multiple nominations and awards Multiple Nominations