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. Prior to the GDC awards, the Game Developers Conference hosted another award ceremony called the Spotlight Awards from 1997 to 1999. The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is an annual gathering of video game developers. ... The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) is a non-profit organization designed to promote, and strengthen the video game industry, and have computer games recognised as an art form. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... The Spotlight Awards (GDC) was hosted annually by the Game Developers Conference from 1997 to 1999. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

List of winners

Game of the Year

2005 : Half-Life 2

2004 : Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

2003 : Metroid Prime

2002 : Grand Theft Auto III

2001 : The Sims

Half-Life 2 is a first-person shooter computer game and the highly anticipated sequel to Half-Life, developed by Valve Software. ... Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR) is an RPG video game originally for the Microsoft Xbox and later for PCs running Microsoft Windows. ... Metroid Prime is a first person adventure video game developed by Nintendo-owned Retro Studios and released by Nintendo in 2002 for the GameCube. ... Grand Theft Auto III, or GTA III, is a video game developed by DMA Design, published by Rockstar Games in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2 video game console, May 2002 for Windows-based PCs, and in November 2003 for the Xbox video game console. ... This article is on The Sims video game. ...

Original Game Character of the Year

2005 : (not awarded)

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 & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

2001 : "Seaman" from Seaman

HK-47 HK-47 is an assassin droid from the 2003 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. ... Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR) is an RPG video game originally for the Microsoft Xbox and later for PCs running Microsoft Windows. ... Sly Cooper. ... Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus is a platform game by SuckerPunch Productions, released on the Sony PlayStation 2 in 2002. ... Daxter is a video game currently under production by Ready at Dawn that stars Daxter of the Jak and Daxter series. ... Seaman can be a generic term for sailor. ... Seaman can be a generic term for sailor. ...

Character Design

2005 : Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 is a first-person shooter computer game and the highly anticipated sequel to Half-Life, developed by Valve Software. ...

Rookie Studio of the Year

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)

2001 : Counter-Strike (for Counter-Strike)

Crytek Studios is an game development company located in Coburg, Germany. ... Far Cry is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Crytek Studios and published by Ubisoft on March 23, 2004. ... Infinity Ward is a computer game developer founded by the former developers of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. ... Call of Duty (released on October 29, 2003) is a first-person shooter video game based on the Quake III engine. ... Retro Studios is a video game developer based in Austin, Texas. ... Metroid Prime is a first person adventure video game developed by Nintendo-owned Retro Studios and released by Nintendo in 2002 for the GameCube. ... Bohemia Interactive Studio (BIS) is a computer and console game developer based in Prague, the Czech Republic. ... Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis (OFP) is a critically acclaimed tactical shooter and battlefield simulator released in 2001. ... Counter-Strike (CS) is a popular team-based mod of Valves first-person shooter (FPS) Half-Life. ... Counter-Strike (CS) is a popular team-based mod of Valves first-person shooter (FPS) Half-Life. ...

Excellence in Audio

2005 : Halo 2

2004 : Call of Duty

2003 : Medal of Honor: Allied Assault

2002 : Halo: Combat Evolved

2001 : Diablo II

Halo 2 is a first-person shooter developed by Bungie Studios for the Xbox video game console. ... Call of Duty (released on October 29, 2003) is a first-person shooter video game based on the Quake III engine. ... Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (MoH:AA) is a first-person shooter (FPS) computer game by Electronic Arts. ... Halo: Combat Evolved, or simply Halo, is a video game in the first-person shooter (FPS) genre, created by the Microsoft-owned Bungie Studios. ... Diablo II Diablo II, sequel to the popular Diablo, is an action-oriented adventure with role-playing game elements in a hack and slash style. ...

Excellence in Game Design

2005 : Katamari Damacy

2004 : Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

2003 : Battlefield 1942

2002 : Grand Theft Auto III

2001 : Deus Ex

Katamari Damacy (å¡Šé­‚, Katamari Damashii) is a video game designed by Keita Takahashi and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2, released in Japan on March 18, 2004 and the United States on September 22, 2004. ... Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a third-person action adventure video game published by Ubisoft. ... Battlefield 1942 is an expansive first-person shooter (FPS) set in World War II developed by Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for the PC (2002) and Macintosh (2004). ... Grand Theft Auto III, or GTA III, is a video game developed by DMA Design, published by Rockstar Games in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2 video game console, May 2002 for Windows-based PCs, and in November 2003 for the Xbox video game console. ... Deus Ex is a computer game released in 2000 by Ion Storm with story elements of cyberpunk. ...

Excellence in Level Design

2005 : (not awarded)

2004 : (not awarded)

2003 : Metroid Prime

2002 : ICO

2001 : American McGee's Alice

Metroid Prime is a first person adventure video game developed by Nintendo-owned Retro Studios and released by Nintendo in 2002 for the GameCube. ... Alternative usage: see Intermediate circular orbit. ... American McGees Alice is a Third Person Shooter computer game released on October 6, 2000. ...

Excellence in Programming

2005 : (not awarded)

2004 : Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

2003 : Neverwinter Nights

2002 : Black and White

2001 : The Sims

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a third-person action adventure video game published by Ubisoft. ... Neverwinter Nights (NWN), produced by BioWare and published by Infogrames Entertainment (now Atari), is a third-person perspective computer role-playing game that uses the Third Edition of the Dungeons & Dragons rules (with minor changes). ... Black and White is a computer game developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Electronic Arts. ... This article is on The Sims video game. ...

Technology

2005 : Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 is a first-person shooter computer game and the highly anticipated sequel to Half-Life, developed by Valve Software. ...

Excellence in Visual Arts

2005 : World of Warcraft

2004 : The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

2003 : Kingdom Hearts

2002 : ICO

2001 : Jet Grind Radio

World of Warcraft (WoW) is a class-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Blizzard Entertainment. ... The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (or Zeruda no Densetsu: Kaze no Takuto in Japan) is the ninth game in the well-known The Legend of Zelda series of video games. ... Kingdom Hearts (Japanese: キングダムハーツ Kingudamu Hātsu) is an action RPG that was released in Autumn of 2002, which is notable for being the result of a collaboration between the video game manufacturer and producer Square Co. ... Alternative usage: see Intermediate circular orbit. ... Jet Set Radio (titled Jet Grind Radio in the U.S.) is a video game for the Sega Dreamcast. ...

Excellence in Writing

2005 : Half-Life 2

2004 : Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

2003 : Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell

Half-Life 2 is a first-person shooter computer game and the highly anticipated sequel to Half-Life, developed by Valve Software. ... Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR) is an RPG video game originally for the Microsoft Xbox and later for PCs running Microsoft Windows. ... Tom Clancys Splinter Cell is a critically-acclaimed stealth-based video game, developed by Ubisoft Montreal. ...

Game Innovation Spotlights

2005 : Donkey Konga; I Love Bees; Katamari Damacy

2004 : EyeToy: Play; Viewtiful Joe; WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Micrograme$

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

Donkey Konga is a GameCube rhythm game starring the gorilla Donkey Kong, developed by Namco and published by Nintendo. ... The Haunted Apiary (also known as I Love Bees) is an alternate reality game (ARG), related in some way to the first person shooter Halo 2. ... Katamari Damacy (å¡Šé­‚, Katamari Damashii) is a video game designed by Keita Takahashi and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2, released in Japan on March 18, 2004 and the United States on September 22, 2004. ... Eye Toy : Play was the first game available for the Eye Toy. ... Viewtiful Joe is a video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 of Capcom. ... Wario Ware, Inc. ... Animal Crossing, known as Animal Forest or Dōbutsu no Mori (どうぶつの森) in Japan, is a video game franchise developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development. ... Battlefield 1942 is an expansive first-person shooter (FPS) set in World War II developed by Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for the PC (2002) and Macintosh (2004). ... Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (MoH:AA) is a first-person shooter (FPS) computer game by Electronic Arts. ... The Thing DVD. Cover art by Drew Struzan The Thing is a 1982 science fiction film directed by John Carpenter. ... Black and White is a computer game developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Electronic Arts. ... Grand Theft Auto III, or GTA III, is a video game developed by DMA Design, published by Rockstar Games in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2 video game console, May 2002 for Windows-based PCs, and in November 2003 for the Xbox video game console. ... Alternative usage: see Intermediate circular orbit. ... 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, formerly known as K-Project, is a video game released by SEGA in 2002 for the Sony PlayStation 2. ... Counter-Strike (CS) is a popular team-based mod of Valves first-person shooter (FPS) Half-Life. ... Crazy Taxi is a series of video games, developed by Hitmaker and published by Sega, first released to arcades in 1999. ... Deus Ex is a computer game released in 2000 by Ion Storm with story elements of cyberpunk. ... Jet Set Radio (titled Jet Grind Radio in the U.S.) is a video game for the Sega Dreamcast. ... No One Lives Forever, commonly abbreviated NOLF, is the name of a computer game and video game series by Monolith Productions. ...

Lifetime Achievement Award

2005 : Eugene Jarvis

2004 : Mark Cerny

2003 : Gunpei Yokoi (1941-1997)

2002 : Yuji Naka

2001 : Will Wright

Eugene Jarvis (born 1955) is a game designer, producing pinball machines for Atari and video games for Williams Electronics. ... Mark Cerny (born 1964) has worked on many computer and video games in his career as a designer, programmer, producer, and business executive. ... Gunpei Yokoi Gunpei Yokoi, also seen as Gumpei Yokoi (横井 軍平 Yokoi Gunpei, September 10, 1941 to October 4, 1997) is one of the most important figures in the history of Nintendo, a Japanese video game company. ... Yuji Naka with his division, Sonic Teams, logo. ... Will Wright & Sim character William R. Wright (born January 20, 1960) is an American computer game designer and co-founder of the video game developer, Maxis. ...

The First Penguin Award

2005 : Richard Allan Bartle

2004 : Masaya Matsuura

2003 : David Crane, Larry Kaplan, Jim Levy, Alan Miller, Bob Whitehead (Activision)

2002 : Hubert Chardot

2001 : Chip Morningstar and Randy Farmer

Richard Allan Bartle (born January 10, 1960) is the co-author of MUD, the first multi-user dungeon. ... David Crane is a successful video game designer and programmer. ... Alan Miller was an influential figure in the video game industry. ... Activision, Inc. ...

Maverick Award

2005 : Matt Adams, Ju Row Farr, and Nick Tandavanitj (Blast Theory)

2004 : Brian Fiete, Jason Kapalka, and John Vechey (PopCap Games)

Pop caps (also popcaps and sometimes incorrectly called bottle caps) are plastic covers which are used to seal the openings of a soda bottles. ...

IGDA Award For Community Contribution

2005 : Sheri Graner Ray

2004 : Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk

2003 : Doug Church (Eidos Interactive)

2002 : Jeff Lander

2001 : John Carmack

Doug Church is a computer game designer having worked work with Looking Glass Studios, Ion Storm Inc. ... Eidos Interactive is a publisher of video and computer games based in Britain. ... John Carmack is a widely recognized and influential game programmer. ...

External links

• IGDA: Complete list of nominees for the Game Developers Choice Awards