This Saturday, GameSpot will kick off our Best and Worst of 2003 awards. Every day thereafter, from December 21 to 25, we will unveil a new subset of the year's most significant achievements--good or bad--in gaming. The Web-based awards ceremony will fully integrate GameSpot's unique streaming video, so that users will not just read about, but actually get a first-hand look at all the nominees and winners in more than 40 different categories.

　　While this will be the eighth time our editors laud and blast the preceding 12 months' titles, the 2003 awards will be structured differently than in previous years. Since GameSpot's editors and majority of GameSpot users are interested in quality games irrespective of their platform, titles from all formats were considered for the Special Achievement Awards, Genre Awards, and Dubious Honors. This means you'll be seeing PC, Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Game Boy Advance games all competing for top honors in categories like Best Original Music in a Game, Best Shooter, Best Strategy Game, and more.

　　Also, for the first time, GameSpot will name one game as our overall Game of the Year--2003's single greatest game on any platform.

　　Additionally, starting on December 26, GameSpot will invite our registered users to vote for their favorite games of 2003 in our eighth annual Reader's Choice Awards. Voting will continue until January 17, 2004, when the winners will be announced.

　　Here is the schedule of events for GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2003, as well as a listing of each of the award categories to be presented. Most categories will have five nominees and one winner.

　　Year in Review (Saturday, December 20, 2003)

　　Special Achievement Awards (Sunday, December 21, 2003)

　　Best Original Music in a Game

　　Most Surprisingly Good Game

　　Best Licensed Music in a Game

　　Best Story in a Game

　　Best Sound Effects in a Game

　　Best Technical Achievement in a Game

　　Best Voice Acting in a Game

　　Best Artistic Achievement in a Game

　　Best Expansion Pack

　　Best Game Based on a TV or Film Property

　　Best Multiplatform Game

　　Best Classic Game Compilation

　　Coolest New Character

　　Funniest Game

　　Biggest News

　　Most Innovative Game

　　Best Multiplayer Game

　　Dubious Honors (Monday, December 22, 2003)

　　Most Embarrassing Game

　　Most Despicable Product Placement in a Game

　　Worst Use of Celebrity Voice Acting

　　Most Disappointing Delay

　　Most Pretentious Game

　　Most Disappointing Game

　　Flat-Out Worst Game

　　Genre Awards (Tuesday, December 23, 2003)

　　Best Action Adventure Game

　　Best Shooter

　　Best Fighting Game

　　Best Platformer

　　Best Adventure Game

　　Best Driving Game

　　Best Puzzle/Rhythm Game

　　Best Role-Playing Game

　　Best Simulation

　　Best Traditional Sports Game

　　Best Alternative Sports Game

　　Best Strategy Game

　　Platform Awards (Wednesday, December 24, 2003)

　　Best PC Game

　　Best Xbox Game

　　Best GameCube Game

　　Best PlayStation 2 Game

　　Best Game Boy Advance Game

　　GameSpot's 2003 Game of the Year (Thursday, December 25, 2003)

　　Readers' Choice Award Voting Begins (Friday, December 26, 2003)

　　Readers' Choice Awards (Saturday, January 17, 2004)