“As the name suggests, what makes these awards the industry’s highest honor is the fact that professional game developers themselves choose the nominees and recipients, and nobody knows games better than they do,” said Jamil Moledina, executive director of the GDC. “With the voting process overseen by the IGDA, a non-profit professional society, the awards achieve a level of credibility on par with the entertainment industry’s top awards shows. We couldn’t be happier partnering with the IGDA to honor the game industry’s best and brightest for the seventh year.”

The Game Developers Choice Awards recognize excellence in the art of game creation regardless of genre, platform or delivery medium. In addition to the nine categories (listed below) for which five nominees each will be selected, four special annual awards will also be presented. The First Penguin Award acknowledges developers who have jumped into unknown territory and paved the way for the rest of the industry. The Community Contribution Award honors a developer who embodies the spirit of community and encourages improvement among peers. The Maverick Award recognizes those who take risks by experimenting with unconventional methods. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the career of a developer who has made an indelible impact on games. The first such award was presented in 2001 to developer legend Will Wright; the most recent recipient in 2006 was Ultima series creator Richard “Lord British” Garriott. The other award categories are:

“The IGDA is proud once again to do our part to celebrate the year’s most outstanding game development achievements,” said Jason Della Rocca, executive director of the IGDA. “We are eager to see which of the many great games of 2006 receive nominations from the development community, especially considering it was the year when games were made for more platforms than ever before.”

The nomination ballot and further details about the Choice Awards are available online at www.gamechoiceawards.com.