And we were … FSX was nominated for "Simulation Game of the Year" by the Oscaresque-sounding Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. As someone who has been credited with working on a number of relevant titles over the years, I am a voting member of the Academy.

We’re up against a PS2 title I’d not heard of called "Tourist Trophy", and "Sid Meier’s Railroads" – Sid’s name is not exactly unknown in the PC world, since he’s been producing games (including a number of combat flight simulators) since 1982, almost as long as FS has been around.

I’ve never used either of the other two titles (so I don’t know what kind of frame rates they get) so I went ahead and voted for Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada".

Actually, they don’t permit write-ins, which is probably just as well. People like my friend Mike who voted for Ronald Reagan as "Best New Age Pianist" in a Keyboard magazine poll back in the 80’s would be spanners in the works.