The Game Developers Conference has annually hosted the Game Developers Choice Awards presented by the International Game Developers Association for outstanding developers of video game entertainment since 2001. The Game Developers Conference ( GDC) is the largest annual gathering of professional Video game developers focusing on learning inspiration and networking International Game Developers Association (IGDA is a professional society for video and Computer game developers worldwide A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. Prior to the GDC awards, the Game Developers Conference hosted another award ceremony called the Spotlight Awards from 1997 to 1999. The Spotlight Awards (GDC was hosted annually by the Game Developers Conference from 1997 to 1999. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar)
Nomination & Voting Process
The Choice Awards are nominated and chosen by members of the IGDA with a few exceptions. International Game Developers Association (IGDA is a professional society for video and Computer game developers worldwide The nomination process invites all members in good standing with the IGDA to submit nominations for each category. With these suggestions, an advisory board selected by the IGDA picks five finalists in each category. The final award recipient is voted based on these five by all IGDA members for each category.
The Lifetime Achievement, First Penguin, and Maverick awards, are awarded by the Advisory board.
List of winners
Game of the Year / Best Game
The Best Game award recognized the overall best game released during the previous calendar year, as interpreted by the members of the Game Developers Association.
- 2008 : Portal
- 2007 : Gears of War
- 2006 : Shadow of the Colossus
- 2005 : Half-Life 2
- 2004 : Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- 2003 : Metroid Prime
- 2002 : Grand Theft Auto III
- 2001 : The Sims
Character Design
The Character Design award recognizes the overall excellence of non-licensed character design in a game, including originality, character arc, emotional depth, etc. Portal is a Single-player first-person action / puzzle Video game developed by Valve Corporation. Gears of War is a tactical Third-person shooter Video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Shadow of the Colossus, released in Japan as, is a Japanese developed action-adventure Video game developed and published by Sony Computer Half-Life 2 is a Science fiction First-person shooter computer game and the sequel to the highly acclaimed Half-Life Metroid Prime is a Video game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America Grand Theft Auto III (abbreviated as GTA III) is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and Video game The Sims is a strategic life-simulation computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts.
- 2007 : Okami
- 2006 : Shadow of the Colossus
- 2005 : Half-Life 2
Rookie (New) Studio of the Year
The New Studio award recognizes the outstanding achievement of a 'new' game development studio and the obstacles it overcame in releasing its first publicly available game in the calendar year. Shadow of the Colossus, released in Japan as, is a Japanese developed action-adventure Video game developed and published by Sony Computer Half-Life 2 is a Science fiction First-person shooter computer game and the sequel to the highly acclaimed Half-Life
- 2007 : Iron Lore Entertainment (for Titan Quest)
- 2006 : Double Fine Productions (for Psychonauts)
- 2005 : Crytek (for Far Cry)
- 2004 : Infinity Ward (for Call of Duty)
- 2003 : Retro Studios (for Metroid Prime)
- 2002 : Bohemia Interactive Studio (for Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis)
- 2001 : Counter-Strike (for Counter-Strike)
Excellence in Audio
The Audio award recognizes the overall excellence of audio in a game, including sound effects, musical composition, sound design, orchestration, etc. Iron Lore Entertainment (also Iron Lore) was a Computer game developer that was founded in October 2000 by Brian Sullivan (co-creator of the Titan Quest is a Action RPG developed by Iron Lore Entertainment. Double Fine Productions is a computer game developer founded in July of 2000 by Tim Schafer after his departure from LucasArts. Psychonauts is a platform Video game created by Tim Schafer (known for several LucasArts adventure games such as Grim Crytek is a German Video game company founded in 1999 by three Turkish-German brothers Cevat Avni and Faruk Yerli Far Cry is a First-person shooter Video game developed by Crytek Studios from Germany and published by Ubisoft Infinity Ward, located in Encino California, is a Computer game developer founded in 2002 by 22 former employees of 2015, developers of Call of Duty (released October 29, 2003) is a First-person shooter Video game based on the ''Quake III Team Arena'' engine Retro Studios is an American Video game developer based in Austin Texas, USA Metroid Prime is a Video game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America Bohemia Interactive Studio ( BIS) is an independent computer and console game developer based in Prague, the Operation Flashpoint Cold War Crisis, sometimes shortened to Operation Flashpoint, and abbreviated OFP is a Tactical shooter and battlefield Counter-Strike (commonly abbreviated to CS) is a tactical First-person shooter Video game which originated from a Counter-Strike (commonly abbreviated to CS) is a tactical First-person shooter Video game which originated from a
- 2008 : BioShock
- 2007 : Guitar Hero II
- 2006 : Guitar Hero
- 2005 : Halo 2
- 2004 : Call of Duty
- 2003 : Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
- 2002 : Halo: Combat Evolved
- 2001 : Diablo II
Excellence in Game Design
The Game Design award recognizes the overall excellence of design in a game, including gameplay, mechanics, puzzles, play balancing, scenarios, etc. BioShock is a video game by 2K Boston/2K Australia —previously known as Irrational Games Guitar Hero is a Music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 Video Halo 2 is a Science fiction First-person shooter Video game developed by Bungie Studios. Call of Duty (released October 29, 2003) is a First-person shooter Video game based on the ''Quake III Team Arena'' engine Medal of Honor Allied Assault ( MoHAA) is a First-person shooter (FPS computer game developed by 2015 Inc Halo Combat Evolved (commonly known as Halo or Halo 1) is a First-person shooter (FPS Video game developed Diablo II, sequel to the game Diablo, is a Dark fantasy -themed Action role-playing game in a Hack and slash and "
- 2008 : Portal
- 2007 : Wii Sports
- 2006 : Shadow of the Colossus
- 2005 : Katamari Damacy
- 2004 : Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- 2003 : Battlefield 1942
- 2002 : Grand Theft Auto III
- 2001 : Deus Ex
Technology
The Technology award recognizes the overall excellence of technology in a game, including graphics programming, artificial intelligence, networking, physics, etc. Portal is a Single-player first-person action / puzzle Video game developed by Valve Corporation. Wii Sports is a Sports game developed and produced by Nintendo as a Launch title for the Wii Video game console. Shadow of the Colossus, released in Japan as, is a Japanese developed action-adventure Video game developed and published by Sony Computer is a third-person puzzle-action Video game that is published and developed by Namco for the PlayStation 2 Video game console. Prince of Persia The Sands of Time is a third-person action adventure Video game published by Ubisoft. Battlefield 1942 is a 3D World War II First-person shooter (FPS Computer game developed by Swedish company Digital Grand Theft Auto III (abbreviated as GTA III) is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and Video game Deus Ex (abbreviated DX and pronounced as ˌdeɪəsˈɛks day-uss ex) is a Cyberpunk -themed Action role-playing game developed
- 2008 : Crysis
- 2007 : Gears of War
- 2006 : Nintendogs
- 2005 : Half-Life 2
Excellence in Visual Arts
The Visual Arts award recognizes the overall excellence of visual art in a game, including animation, modeling, art direction, textures, etc. CRYSIS is an acronym for CRY ogenic S tockholm I on S ource CRYSIS is an Ion source of EBIS type and is located in Stockholm Gears of War is a tactical Third-person shooter Video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. is a Real-time Pet simulation Video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld Video game console. Half-Life 2 is a Science fiction First-person shooter computer game and the sequel to the highly acclaimed Half-Life
- 2008 : BioShock
- 2007 : Gears of War
- 2006 : Shadow of the Colossus
- 2005 : World of Warcraft
- 2004 : The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- 2003 : Kingdom Hearts
- 2002 : ICO
- 2001 : Jet Grind Radio
Excellence in Writing
The Writing award recognizes the overall excellence of writing in a game, including story, plot construction, dialogue, branching narratives, etc. BioShock is a video game by 2K Boston/2K Australia —previously known as Irrational Games Gears of War is a tactical Third-person shooter Video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Shadow of the Colossus, released in Japan as, is a Japanese developed action-adventure Video game developed and published by Sony Computer World of Warcraft (commonly acronymed as WoW) is a Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker, known in Japan as, is an Action-adventure game and the tenth installment in ''The Legend of Zelda'' series. is an Action role-playing game developed and published by Squaresoft (now Square Enix) in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 Video game console is a 2001 action-adventure Video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment and released for the PlayStation 2 video game console Jet Set Radio ( Jet Grind Radio in North America) is a Video game developed by Smilebit and published by Sega
- 2008 : BioShock
- 2007 : The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- 2006 : Psychonauts
- 2005 : Half-Life 2
- 2004 : Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- 2003 : Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Game Innovation Spotlights
The Innovation awards recognize games that demonstrate true innovation, advance the state of the art, and push the boundaries of games as an expressive medium. BioShock is a video game by 2K Boston/2K Australia —previously known as Irrational Games is an Action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii and GameCube Psychonauts is a platform Video game created by Tim Schafer (known for several LucasArts adventure games such as Grim Half-Life 2 is a Science fiction First-person shooter computer game and the sequel to the highly acclaimed Half-Life Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a series of Video games endorsed by American author Tom Clancy. In essence, these are the games that are leading the way as the medium continues to evolve. Up to three innovation awards may be bestowed on games that contain such outstanding contributions.
- 2008 : Portal
- 2007 : Line Rider; Okami; Wii Sports
- 2006 : Nintendogs; Guitar Hero
- 2005 : Donkey Konga; I Love Bees; Katamari Damacy
- 2004 : EyeToy: Play; Viewtiful Joe; WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
- 2003 : Animal Crossing; Battlefield 1942; Medal of Honor: Allied Assault; The Thing
- 2002 : Black and White; Grand Theft Auto III; ICO; Majestic; Rez
- 2001 : Counter-Strike; Crazy Taxi; Deus Ex; Jet Grind Radio; No One Lives Forever
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement award recognizes the career and achievements of a developer who has made an indelible impact on the craft of game development and games as a whole. Portal is a Single-player first-person action / puzzle Video game developed by Valve Corporation. Line Rider is a physics internet game Wii Sports is a Sports game developed and produced by Nintendo as a Launch title for the Wii Video game console. is a Real-time Pet simulation Video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld Video game console. Guitar Hero is a Music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 Video is a GameCube rhythm game starring the gorilla Donkey Kong, developed by Namco and published by Nintendo. I Love Bees (also known as ilovebees or ILB for short was an Alternate reality game (ARG that served as both a real-world is a third-person puzzle-action Video game that is published and developed by Namco for the PlayStation 2 Video game console. EyeToy Play was the first game available for the EyeToy. It features twelve mini-games to choose from This article is about the first game in the series and the series in general Animal Crossing, known as in Japan, is a life simulation Video game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo. Battlefield 1942 is a 3D World War II First-person shooter (FPS Computer game developed by Swedish company Digital Medal of Honor Allied Assault ( MoHAA) is a First-person shooter (FPS computer game developed by 2015 Inc The Thing is a third person Survival horror game and sequel to John Carpenter 's 1982 film The Thing. Black & White is a Computer game developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Electronic Arts and Feral Interactive. Grand Theft Auto III (abbreviated as GTA III) is a sandbox-style action-adventure computer and Video game is a 2001 action-adventure Video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment and released for the PlayStation 2 video game console Majestic was one of the first Alternate reality games (ARGs a type of game that blurs the line between in-game and out-of-game experiences Rez, developed under the codename K-Project, Project Eden, and Vibes, is a Rail shooter video Counter-Strike (commonly abbreviated to CS) is a tactical First-person shooter Video game which originated from a Crazy Taxi is a Video game developed by Hitmaker and published by Sega. Deus Ex (abbreviated DX and pronounced as ˌdeɪəsˈɛks day-uss ex) is a Cyberpunk -themed Action role-playing game developed Jet Set Radio ( Jet Grind Radio in North America) is a Video game developed by Smilebit and published by Sega
- 2008 : Sid Meier
- 2007 : Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda)
- 2006 : Richard Garriott (Ultima)
- 2005 : Eugene Jarvis (Defender and Robotron: 2084)
- 2004 : Mark Cerny (SEGA, Sonic the Hedgehog)
- 2003 : Gunpei Yokoi (1941-1997) (Game Boy, Super Mario Land series, Metroid series)
- 2002 : Yuji Naka (Sonic the Hedgehog)
- 2001 : Will Wright (Sim games)
The Pioneer Award
Formally known as the First Penguin award until 2007, the award celebrates individuals who developed a breakthrough technology, game concept, or gameplay design at a crucial juncture in video game history - paving the way for the myriads who followed them. Sidney K Meier (born February 24 1954 in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada) is an American programmer and designer of several is a Japanese Video game designer. He is the creator of the Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, is a Fictional character created by game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. is an Arcade game developed by Nintendo, and released in. It is an early example of the platform genre as the Gameplay focuses on maneuvering the main is a High fantasy action-adventure Video game series created by Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and developed and published Richard Allen Garriott (born July 4, 1961) also known as Lord British in Ultima and General British Eugene Peyton Jarvis (born 1955 is a Game designer and programmer, producing Pinball machines for Atari and Video games for Williams Robotron 2084 (often called simply Robotron) is an Arcade game created in 1982 by the company Vid Kidz ( Eugene Jarvis Mark Cerny (Czech Marek Černý (born 1964 is a Video game industry figure having worked as a Game designer, programmer, producer and is a multinational Video game Software and Hardware development company and a former Home computer Video Games See also [[List of games featuring Sonic the Hedgehog]] Nearly all games in the series feature a teenage hedgehog named "Sonic the Hedgehog" Gunpei Yokoi, also spelled ( September 10 1941 – October 4 1997) was a long-time Nintendo employee creator of the Game The is a handheld video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. is a platforming Video game developed by Nintendo for the Game Boy Handheld game console. is a Video game designer, programmer, the former head of Sonic Team, a group of Sega programmers/designers the lead programmer of the original is a Platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis system William Wright (born January 20 1960 in Atlanta Georgia) is an American computer Game designer and co-founder of This is a complete list of " Sim " games, their expansion packs and compilations As the former title of the award states, the 'first penguin' served as a lesson, and inspiration, to the rest of the community over the years. More background on the award.
- 2008 : Ralph H. Baer (inventor of the Magnavox Odyssey, the first game console)
- 2007 : Alexey Pajitnov (author of Tetris)
- 2006 : Don Woods, Will Crowther (creators of the early text game Adventure)
- 2005 : Richard Bartle (co-author of MUD, ancestor to MMOs)
- 2004 : Masaya Matsuura (founder of Nanaon-Sha, pioneer of music/game integration)
- 2003 : David Crane, Larry Kaplan, Jim Levy, Alan Miller, Bob Whitehead (founders of Activision)
- 2002 : Hubert Chardot (author of Alone in the Dark)
- 2001 : Chip Morningstar and Randy Farmer (creators of Lucasfilm's Habitat)
Maverick Award
The Maverick award recognizes the current achievements of a developer who exhibits independence in thought and action while experimenting with alternate/emerging forms of digital games. Ralph H Baer (born March 8, 1922) is a German -born American Inventor, noted for his many contributions to Games and the The Magnavox Odyssey is the world's first Video game console. Alexey Leonidovich Pajitnov (ru Алексей Леонидович Пажитнов regularly Aleksei Leonidovich Pazhitnovborn Tetris (Тетрис is a Video puzzle game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in June 1985 while working for the Dorodnicyn This is about the programmer For the meteorologist see Don Woods (meteorologist and football player see Don Woods (football player. William ("Willie" or "Will" Crowther (born 1936 is a Computer programmer and caver. Colossal Cave Adventure (also known as ADVENT, Colossal Cave, or Adventure) (Crowther 1976 Crowther Richard Allan Bartle (born January 10, 1960, in England) is a British writer and game researcher best known for being the co-author of In computer gaming, a MUD ( Multi-User Dungeon, Domain or Dimension) is a multi-player computer game that combines elements of is a video game designer and musician based in Tokyo, Japan. He was born in Osaka and majored in Industrial Society at Ritsumeikan University David Crane (born in Nappanee Indiana USA) is a video game designer and programmer. Larry Kaplan is an American Video game designer and programmer. Jim Levy was initially a music industry executive but he is known better for his efforts as the founding Chief Executive Officer for Activision. Alan Miller is a pioneering and influential figure in the Video game industry. Bob Whitehead is a Game designer and programmer. He is a renowned pioneer and entrepreneur of the Video game industry, having been instrumental in forming Activision Inc is an American Video game developer and publisher. Chip Morningstar is an author academic and developer of software systems for online entertainment and communication F Randall "Randy" Farmer has created and organized numerous online communities LucasArts Entertainment Company LLC is an American Video game developer and publisher. Lucasfilm's Habitat was an early and technologically influential online role-playing game developed by Lucasfilm Games and made available as a Beta test
- 2008 : no award in this category
- 2007 : Greg Costikyan
- 2006 : Mike Dornbrook, Eran Egozy, Greg LoPiccolo, and Alex Rigopulos (Harmonix Music Systems)
- 2005 : Matt Adams, Ju Row Farr, and Nick Tandavanitj (Blast Theory)
- 2004 : Brian Fiete, Jason Kapalka, and John Vechey (PopCap Games)
IGDA Award For Community Contribution
- 2007 : George Sanger
- 2006 : Chris Hecker
- 2005 : Sheri Graner Ray
- 2004 : Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk
- 2003 : Doug Church (Eidos Interactive)
- 2002 : Jeff Lander
- 2001 : John Carmack
Retired Awards
The following award categories have been retired or replaced with a different focus. Greg Costikyan, also known as Designer X, is an American Game designer and Science fiction writer Eran Egozy is the Chief Technical Officer and VP of Engineering of Harmonix Music Systems, a company he founded with Alex Rigopulos in 1995 Alexander Peter "Alex" Rigopulos is the CEO of Harmonix Music Systems, a company he founded with Eran Egozy in 1995 Harmonix Music Systems (or simply Harmonix) is a video game development company based in Cambridge Massachusetts in the United States. PopCap Games is a leading casual gaming developer and Publisher, based in Seattle Washington, United States. George Alistair Sanger (born December 14, 1957, also known as "The Fat Man") is a Musician who has composed music for Christopher Bryan Hecker is a programmer and commentator associated with independent video games Sheri Graner Ray has been making Computer games since 1990 She has worked for such companies as Electronic Arts, Origin Systems Sony Online Entertainment Dr Ray Muzyka is the General Manager Chairman/ CEO and was Co-Executive Producer at BioWare Corp. Dr Gregory P Zeschuk is the President and Co-Executive Producer at BioWare Corp Doug Church is an American computer game designer and producer Eidos Interactive is a publisher of video and Computer games with its parent company based in England. John D Carmack II (born August 20 1970) is an American Game programmer, and the co-founder of Id Software.
Excellence in Level Design
- 2003 : Metroid Prime
- 2002 : ICO
- 2001 : American McGee's Alice
Excellence in Programming
- 2004 : Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- 2003 : Neverwinter Nights
- 2002 : Black and White
- 2001 : The Sims
Original Game Character of the Year
- 2004 : "HK-47" from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- 2003 : "Sly Cooper" from Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
- 2002 : "Daxter" from Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
- 2001 : "Seaman" from Seaman
External links
Metroid Prime is a Video game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America is a 2001 action-adventure Video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment and released for the PlayStation 2 video game console American McGee's Alice is a third-person action PC video game released on October 6, 2000, which takes place in the Alice's Adventures in Prince of Persia The Sands of Time is a third-person action adventure Video game published by Ubisoft. Black & White is a Computer game developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Electronic Arts and Feral Interactive. The Sims is a strategic life-simulation computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. HK-47 is a fictional assassin Droid from the 2003 Video game Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, its sequel Star Wars Knights Sly Cooper is the main protagonist of the Sly Cooper video game series (the first game in the series is known as Sly Raccoon in Europe, but the character's Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus ( Sly Raccoon in Europe and Australia and Kaitou Sly Cooper in Japan is a platforming Daxter is a PlayStation Portable video game by Ready at Dawn. This page is about a video game For other uses of the word see Seaman (disambiguation.Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic