The 2008 Game Developers Choice Awards, presented by CMP Technology’s Game Developers Conference (GDC) and Webby-award winning Gamasutra.com, will take place today, Wednesday, February 20. The awards ceremony, held in conjunction with the Independent Games Festival, is being held during GDC 2008 in the Esplanade Room in the South Hall of San Francisco’s Moscone Center.
This year’s awards feature several new categories, including the Ambassador Award and Pioneer Award. The Ambassador Award honors an individual (or group of individuals) who has helped the game industry advance to a better place, either through facilitating a better game community from within, or by reaching outside the industry to be an advocate for video games to help further the art. The Pioneer Award celebrates those individuals who developed a breakthrough technology, game concept, or gameplay design at a crucial juncture in video game history, paving the way for the myriad developers who followed them. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the career and achievements of a developer who has made an indelible impact on the craft of game development.
"Father of video games" Ralph Baer is the recipient of this year’s Pioneer Award, whereas the Ambassador Award will be presented to IGDA executive director Jason Della Rocca.
In addition to the Ambassador, Pioneer, and Lifetime Achievement Awards, Choice Awards will be given in the following categories:
· Best Audio
· Best Game Design
· Best Technology
· Best Visual Arts
· Best Writing
· Best Debut Game
· Best Downloadable Game
· Best Handheld Game
· Innovation
· Game of the Year
For further information, visit www.gamechoiceawards.com.