GDC 2007: Mix of Winners at 7th Game Developers’ Choice Awards

Each year, a highlight of GDC is the Game Developers' Awards. These awards are coveted by many, as they are the affirmation of talent and achievement by one's own peers, by those who truly understand the beauty and power of what has been created. Last night, that recognition was handed down in the 7th annual Game Developers Choice Awards Ceremony. Leading the pack in awards were Gears of War, Okami and Wii Sports.

"Once again, the Game Developers Choice Awards have shown that gaming greatness can be found within every type of game-from the most hardcore of experiences, to those that have brought all new audiences into our industry's fan base," said Jason Della Rocca, Executive Director, IGDA. "Each year, I am humbled by what our members can do with this great art form."

The recipients for the 7th annual Game Developers Choice Awards are:

Best Game

Gears of War (Epic Games / Microsoft Game Studios)
- Cliff Bleszinski, Michael Capps, Rod Fergusson

Audio

Guitar Hero II (Harmonix Music Systems / RedOctane)
- Jeff Allen, Eric Brosius, Izzy Maxwell

Character Design

Ōkami (Clover Studio / Capcom Entertainment)
- Mari Shimazaki, Sawaki Takeyasu, Kenichirou Yoshimura

Game Design

Wii Sports (Nintendo)
- Keizo Ohta, Takayuki Shimamura, Yoshiaki Yamashita

Technology

Gears of War (Epic Games / Microsoft Game Studios)
- Michael Capps, Ray Davis, Tim Sweeney, Daniel Vogel

Visual Arts

Gears of War (Epic Games / Microsoft Game Studios)
- Jerry O'Flaherty, Chris Perna

Writing

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo EAD / Nintendo)
- Kyogoku Aya, Nate Bihldorff, Mitsuhiro Takano

New Studio

Iron Lore Entertainment (Titan Quest)
- Paul Chieffo, Jeff Goodsill, Brian Sullivan

Innovation

Line Rider
- Boštjan Cadež

Ōkami (Clover Studio / Capcom Entertainment)
- Atsushi Inaba, Hideki Kamiya

Wii Sports (Nintendo)
- Keizo Ohta, Takayuki Shimamura, Yoshiaki Yamashita

Recipients for the evening's special awards were:

Lifetime Achievement
Shigeru Miyamoto

First Penguin
Alexey Pajitnov

Maverick
Greg Costikyan

Community Contribution
George "The Fat Man" Sanger (ed note: The Escapist has a great profile of this musical genius.)

A hearty congratulations to each winner! You deserve the recognition for your hard work - enjoy it.

For more information about the awards and all the recipients, check out: http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/.