The cable network SpikeTV revealed the nominees for its first annual Video Games Awards today. While the official unveiling won't happen until the VGA Nomination Special on Saturday, November 15 (at 7pm ET/PT), the nominees can be viewed via the list below on the official SpikeTV Web site, SpikeTV.com. The final awards show will tape at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will air December 4 at 9 pm ET/PT. Rapper Lil' Kim, rockers P.O.D., and hip-hop DJ Funkmaster Flex will perform at the show.

　　Even though it is only one of many game awards events, the SpikeTV VGAs have boosted ad sales for the fledgling network, which changed its name from TNN earlier this year in an effort to re-brand itself "the first network for men." Online voting will determine the winners, and gamers can cast multiple ballots on SpikeTV.com.

　　The SpikeTV VGA categories range from traditional (Game of the Year) to interesting (Most Addictive Game). Several categories, however, could easily strike the cynic as pure hype. Arguably, the Best Performance by a Human category exists solely to ensure celebrity attendance. It exclusively features big-name Hollywood actors--and, in the case of Jenna Jameson, a major porn star--and not the character actors who provide the bulk of games' voice work, like Michael Ironside in Splinter Cell. And The Most Anticipated Game category poses a unique question: How can you give an award to a game that's not even out?

　　And the nominees are...:

　　Game of the Year: Freedom Fighters (EA) Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PC Version) (Rockstar) Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Nintendo) Madden NFL 2004 (EA) SOCOM II: U.S. Navy Seals (SCEA) SSX 3 (EA Big) Star Wars Galaxies (LucasArts) Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (Ubisoft) Tony Hawk's Underground (Activision)

　　Most Addictive Game: Anarchy Online: Shadowlands (Funcom) Donkey Kong Country (Nintendo) ESPN NHL Hockey (Sega) Madden NFL 2004 (EA Sports) PlanetSide (Sony Online Entertainment) Soul Calibur II (Namco) The Sims: Superstar (EA) Viewtiful Joe (Capcom) Virtual Fighter 4: Evolution (Sega)

　　Best Sports Game: Dead or Alive: Extreme Beach Volleyball (Tecmo) ESPN NFL Football (Sega) Madden NFL 2004 (EA Sports) NBA Live 2004 (EA Sports) NBA Street Vol. 2 (EA Big) SSX3 (EA Big) Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 (EA Sports) Tony Hawk's Underground (Activision) World Series Baseball 2K3 (Sega Sports) WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain (THQ)

　　Best Action Game: Freedom Fighters (EA) Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (Eidos) Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (Rockstar Games) Panzer Dragoon Orta (Sega) Return to Castle Wolfenstein (Activision) SOCOM II: U.S. Navy Seals (SCEA) Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rebel Strike (LucasArts) True Crime: Streets of L.A. (Activision) XIII (Ubisoft)

　　Best Animation: Dead or Alive: Extreme Beach Volleyball (Tecmo) Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PC Version) (Rockstar) The Getaway (SCEA) Resident Evil Code: Veronica X (Capcom) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (EA) True Crime: The Streets of L.A. (Activision) Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (Blizzard) Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (Namco) XIII (Ubisoft)

　　Best Driving Game: Auto Modellista (Capcom) Colin McRae Rally 3 (Codemasters) F1 Career Challenge (EA Sports) F-Zero GX (Nintendo) The Getaway (SCEA) Midnight Club II (Rockstar) MotoGP 2 (THQ) NASCAR Thunder 2004 (EA Sports) The Simpsons: Hit and Run (VU Games)

　　Best Game Based on a Movie: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ubisoft) Enter the Matrix (Atari) Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup (EA Games) The Hulk (VU Games) Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb (LucasArts) James Bond 007: Nightfire (GBA) (EA Games) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (EA) Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rebel Strike (LucasArts) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (LucasArts) Tron 2.0 (Disney)

　　Best Music: Def Jam Vendetta (EA Big) Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PC Version) (Rockstar) Madden NFL 2004 (EA Sports) NBA Live 2004 (EA Sports) NBA Street Vol. 2 (EA Big) SSX3 (EA Big) Tony Hawk's Underground (Activision) True Crime: The Streets of L.A. (Activision) Wakeboarding Unleashed Featuring Shaun Murray (Activision)

　　Best Performance by a Human: Christina Aguilera - The Sims Superstar (EA Games) Christoper Walken - True Crime: The Streets of L.A. (Activision) David Duchovny - XIII (Ubisoft) DMX, Method Man, & more - Def Jam Vendetta (EA Big) Eve - XIII (Ubisoft) Giovanni Ribisi - Call of Duty (Activision) Jada Pinkett Smith - Enter the Matrix (Atari) Jenna Jameson- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PC Version) (Rockstar) Ray Liotta - Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (PC Version) (Rockstar) Snoop Dogg - True Crime: The Streets of L.A. (Activision)

　　Best PC Game: Age of Mythology: The Titans (Microsoft) Battlefield 1942: The Road to Rome (EA) Command & Conquer: Generals Zero Hour (EA) Freedom Fighters (EA) Halo: Combat Evolved (Microsoft) Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (LucasArts) Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (Rockstar) The Sims: Superstar (EA) Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (Blizzard)

　　Best Online Game: Anarchy Online: Shadowlands (Funcom) Battlefield 1942: The Road to Rome (EA) Everquest Online Adventures (Sony Online Entertainment) Final Fantasy XI (Square Enix) Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide (Atari) PlanetSide (Sony Online Entertainment) The Sims Online (EA) Star Wars Galaxies (LucasArts)

　　Best Handheld Game: Advance Wars 2: Black Hold Rising (Nintendo) Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Konami) Final Fantasy Tactics (Nintendo/Square Enix) Iridion II (Majesco) Mega Man & Bass (Capcom) Ninja Five-O (Konami) Rayman 3 (Ubisoft) Sonic Advance 2 (Sega) Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (Ubisoft)

　　Best Fighting Game: Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try this at Home (Eidos) Bloody Roar 4 (Konami) Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO (Capcom) Def Jam Vendetta (EA Big) Pride FC (THQ) Soul Calibur II (Namco) Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution (Sega) WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain (THQ) WWE Wrestlemania XIX (THQ)

　　Best First-Person Action Game: Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII (EA) Call of Duty (Activision) Chrome (Strategy First) Halo: Combat Evolved (Microsoft) Planetside (Sony Online Entertainment) Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield (Ubisoft) Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War (Activision) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder (Ubisoft) XIII (Ubisoft)

　　Best Fantasy Game: .hack Part 1: Infection (Bandai) Dark Cloud 2 (SCEA) Everquest Online Adventures (Sony Online Entertainment) Final Fantasy XI (Square Enix) Skies of Arcadia Legends (Sega) Star Wars Galaxies (LucasArts) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (LucasArts) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Nintendo) Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht (Namco)

　　Most Anticipated Game: Dead or Alive Online (Tecmo) Doom 3 (Activision) Driver 3 (Atari) Fable (Microsoft) Full Spectrum Warrior (THQ) Gran Turismo 4 (SCEA) Half-Life 2 (VU Games) Halo 2 (Microsoft) James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing (EA) Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Konami) The Sims 2 (EA) Starcraft: Ghost (Blizzard)