The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences and G4 Partner for 2011 Interactive Achievement Awards

CALABASAS, Calif. and LOS ANGELES, Jan. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- G4 and The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) announced today that the network will become the exclusive broadcast partner of the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (IAAs). The IAAs will take place Thursday, February 10, 2011 at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas. G4's one-hour IAAs special – hosted for the sixth year in a row by comedian, actor and spirited game enthusiast Jay Mohr – will air on Saturday, February 12th at 4pm ET / PT . This media partnership will also include a live same-day webcast of the IAAs in its entirety on G4tv.com/DICE as well as exclusive online content of the D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit sessions and the Indie Game Challenge that take place throughout the week. 

This partnership brings together the Interactive Achievement Awards, the industry's highest form of recognition of the year's best accomplishments in interactive entertainment, with G4, the destination for programming that covers video games, technology, comics and all things pop-culture.  The IAAs are supported by every major video game publisher and developer in the industry. No person may vote unless he or she can demonstrate a threshold level of experience and professional credits in the industry.

"The Academy is excited to be bringing the Interactive Achievement Awards – the industry's highest form of recognition – to the G4 audience," said Martin Rae, president, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.  "I can't think of a better media partner than G4 to celebrate the accomplishments of interactive entertainment in all its forms.  G4 is a powerhouse network that really focuses on bringing to its audience and fans an inside look at the games."

"As the most trusted and watched video game show on television, X-Play is honored to bring our viewers the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards for the first time on our network," said Wade Beckett, Executive Producer of G4's X-Play. "We look forward to giving fans unparalleled coverage of the most legitimate award show in the video game industry and exclusive access to the always impressive roster of panels at the D.I.C.E. Summit."

The 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards will take place on Thursday, February 10, 2011 at the Red Rock Resort and Casino in Las Vegas during the annual D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit hosted by the AIAS.  The D.I.C.E. Summit is a once yearly conference dedicated to exploring approaches to the creative process and artistic expression as they uniquely apply to the development of interactive entertainment. 

About the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) was founded in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote, advance and recognize common interests and outstanding achievements in the interactive arts and sciences. The Academy conducts its annual awards show, the Interactive Achievement Awards, to promote and acknowledge exceptional accomplishments in the field. To further enhance awareness of the Academy's vision, the organization created the D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit in 2002, a once yearly conference dedicated to exploring approaches to the creative process and artistic expression as they uniquely apply to the development of interactive entertainment.  With more than 24,000 members, including Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Ubisoft, THQ, Day One Studios, Epic Games and Insomniac Games, The Academy is the leading advocate of video games worldwide. More information can be found at http://www.interactive.org and http://www.dicesummit.org.

About Comcast Entertainment Group

Based in Los Angeles, Comcast Entertainment Group operates E! Entertainment Television, the 24-hour network with programming dedicated to the world of entertainment, and E! Online; The Style Network, the destination for women 18-49 with a passion for the best in relatable, inspiring and transformational lifestyle programming; and G4, offering the last word on gaming, technology, animation, interactivity and "geek culture" for the male 18-34 demo.  E! is currently available to 97 million cable and satellite subscribers in the U.S. and the E! Everywhere initiative underscores the company's dedication to making E! content available on all new media platforms any time and anywhere from online to broadband video to wireless to radio to VOD.  The Style Network currently counts 65 million cable and satellite subscribers and Mystyle.com keeps women up to date on all the latest fashion and beauty news on the web.  G4 is available in 60 million cable and satellite homes nationwide and G4tv.com is a top web destination for video game news and information.

SOURCE The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS)