ITV's tentative foray into the realms of mass-entertainment gaming last year with the Game Stars show is set to return in 2004, channel bosses have revealed, alongside promotional partners The Sun, GAME and Future Publishing. Clearly, such shows are an important step to mainstream acceptance, and also recognise the growing significance of interactive entertainments to culture. The show will play host to several across a variety of categories, as well as several gaming celebrities, a to discover the UK's top gamer - and acts. The official website is now live and allows submissions of scores as part of the greatest gamer hunt, and other such fun. The UK's top gamer will be rewarded with a VIP trip to Tokyo's game show in September, where the lucky winner will meet Toshihiro Nishikado, the designer of Space Invaders. Those entering for the chance to be the UK's top gamer will receive free tickets to the show's consumer event in Docklands this September, and we look forward to more details on the show, such as when it'll be on, sooner rather than later. I'll leave you with the awards nominations, then:

Newcomer
Call of Duty (Activision)
EyeToy: Play (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe)
N-Gage game deck (Nokia)
Viewtiful Joe (Capcom)
Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Microgame$ (Nintendo)
Action Game
James Bond: Everything Or Nothing (EA Games)
Ratchet and Clank 2: Locked & Loaded (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe)
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (Eidos)
True Crime: Streets of LA (Activision)
Unreal Tournament 2004 (Atari)
Multiplayer Game
Amplitude (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe)
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (Nintendo)
MOTO GP (Nokia)
SOCOM: NAVY SEALS (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe)
Unreal Tournament 2004 (Atari)
Adventure Game
Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon (THQ)
Deus Ex: Invisible War (Eidos)
JAK II Renegade (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe)
Medal Of Honor: Rising Sun (EA Games)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Nintendo)
Pocket Game
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising (Nintendo)
Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II (Atari)
Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire (Nintendo)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (Nokia)
Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition (Konami)
Licenced Game
Enter The Matrix (Atari)
Knights of the Old Republic (Activision)
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (EA Games)
The Italian Job: LA Heist (Eidos)
The Simpsons: Hit & Run (Vivendi Universal Games)
Sports Game
Championship Manager (Eidos)
Pro Evolution Soccer 3 (Konami)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 (EA Sports)
Tony Hawk's Underground (Activision)
Top Spin (Microsoft)
Racing Game
FormulaOne 2003 (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe)
F-Zero GX (Nintendo)
Need For Speed: Underground (EA Games)
Project Gotham Racing 2 (Microsoft)
World Rally Championship 3 (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe)
The Sun People's Choice Award
Championship Manager (Eidos)
Dancing Stage Fver (Konami)
Enter The Matrix (Atari)
EyeToy: Play (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe)
FIFA Football 2004 (EA Sports)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Nintendo)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (Nokia)
True Crime: Streets of LA (Acvitision)
GAME Most Wanted Award
Doom 3 (Activision)
Driv3r (Atari)
Gran Turismo 4 (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe)
Halo 2 (Microsoft)
Hitman: Contracts (Eidos)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Konami)
Pokemon Colosseum (Nintendo)
The 2 (EA Games)
The Sims: Busting Out (Nokia)
Transformers (Atari)

By Luke Guttridge