Call for Nominations Now Open for Second Annual Game Developers Choice Online Awards at GDC Online in Austin

SAN FRANCISCO, June 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Game Developers Conference® Online (GDC Online, formerly GDC Austin) in Austin, Texas has opened nominations for the second annual Game Developers Choice Online Awards through June 30, 2011.  Produced by the UBM TechWeb Game Network, the Game Developers Choice Online Awards recognize the rich history, technical excellence, and continued innovation in the accomplished arena of online games.  The awards ceremony takes place the evening of October 12, during the four-day conference in Austin, Texas.

The ceremony honors the achievements of the creators and operators of online video games – from large-scale MMOs and free-to-play titles to growing social network games – that launched during May 2010 – May 2011 in North America. The awards recognize 12 categories including excellence in visual arts, online game design, live games, technology, audio and community.

The inaugural Awards, held in Austin at GDC Online 2010, saw Riot's standout "multiplayer online battle arena" title League of Legends lead the winners with five awards, including Best New Online Game.  Other recipients included CCP, which received the Best Live Game award for EVE Online, MUD co-creator Richard Bartle as the Online Game Legend recipient, and Origin and Electronic Arts' seminal MMO title Ultima Online as the first Hall of Fame inductee.

The Choice Online Awards continue to celebrate the long history of online game development with the special Online Games Legend award recognizing an online game trailblazer that has made an everlasting impact in online game development and the Hall of Fame award honoring a game that has left a lifelong impact on the online games space.  Additionally, the worldwide community of online game players and makers will have the opportunity to designate their favorite online game in the returning Audience Award category. New for 2011 is the Online Innovation Award. This award honors one particular online game that shows key aspects of innovation in the fast-expanding online games space – a title that pushes the game design and social boundaries of how we play video games online against others.

Initial information, including the submission page for nominations — all game development professionals holding a Gamasutra.com user account open to nominate — is available at the official website www.GDCOnlineAwards.com. 

Finalists and winners for the Game Developers Choice Online Awards will be selected by the International Choice Award Network's (ICAN) online division. The ICAN Online is comprised of 400 specially picked leading game industry creators from the foremost online game companies.  

"The reception from the game development and player communities to the first Game Developers Choice Online Awards was tremendous last year, and it was immediately evident that this awards ceremony was celebrating under-recognized achievements within online games," says Izora de Lillard, Event Director, GDC Online. "We're excited to see which games and developers the community chooses to nominate our second year in Austin at GDC Online."

The full list of categories for the second annual Game Developers Choice Online Awards include: 

Best Online Visual Arts recognizes the overall excellence of visual art in online game - including, but not limited to, art direction, animation, modeling, character design, and so on.

Best Online Technology recognizes the overall excellence of technology in an online game - including, but not limited to, online networked infrastructure, persistent world coding, graphics/3D programming, etc.

Best Online Game Design honors the overall excellence of design in an online game - this category recognizes the best social-specific gameplay mechanics, quest design, and other major game design elements.

Best Audio for an Online Game recognizes the overall excellence of audio in an online game - including, but not limited to, sound effects, musical composition, sound design, orchestration, etc.

Audience Award honors the audiences' favorite game. Members of the public vote on their favorite game from the Game Developers Choice Online finalists.

Best Social Network Game recognizes the best game of that launched on a social network, such as Facebook or MySpace, honoring the most outstanding title in terms of overall depth, execution and quality.

Best Live Game recognizes the best currently-operating online game - distinguishing itself by releasing exceptional new content through expansion packs, patches, or other updates in the 12 months to May 2011, as well as a vibrant player community, high-quality community management and network operation during that period.

Best New Online Game recognizes excellence in any online-specific game, including MMOs, free to play titles and social network games

Community Relations honors the currently operating online game that provides the highest quality community feedback and experience, including customer support, forum moderation and leadership, weblog and information updates, real-life events, and other community outreach.

Online Innovation honors one particular online game that shows key aspects of innovation in the fast-expanding online games space - a title that pushes the game design and social boundaries of how we play video games online against others.

Special Awards:

Online Games Legend recognizes the career and achievements of a developer who has made an indelible impact on the craft of online game development.

Hall of Fame recognizes a specific online game that has resulted in the long-term advancement of the medium, pioneering major shifts in online game development and games as a whole.

More information about the second annual Game Developers Choice Online Awards is available at the official website for the GDC Online awards, www.GDCOnlineAwards.com. GDC Online takes place in Austin, Texas from October 10-13, 2011. Information about sessions and registration is available at www.GDCOnline.com.

About the UBM TechWeb Game Network 

A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the  UBM TechWeb Game Network – formerly known as the Think Services Game Group - offers market-defining content, and drives community through its award winning lineup of print, online, event and research products and services. These include the Game Developers Conference®, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com and network of sites, the Game Advertising Online ad network, the Game Developers Conference® Online, the Game Developers Conference™ Europe, the Game Developers Conference™ China, the Game Developers Conference™ Canada, Game Developer Magazine, Game Developer Research, the Game Career Seminars and GameCareerGuide.com, the Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. 

About UBM TechWeb, a division of United Business Media

UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology.  Through its core businesses – media solutions, marketing services and professional information – UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands, applications and services in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs, IT and IT Support managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software and Game developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively participate in UBM TechWeb's communities. UBM TechWeb brands includes: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Game Developers Conference (GDC), Web 2.0, Black Hat and VoiceCon; large-scale online networks such as InformationWeek,  Light Reading and Gamasutra; research, training, and certification services, including HDI, Pyramid Research, and InformationWeek Analytics; and market-leading magazines such as InformationWeek and Wall Street & Technology.  UBM TechWeb is part of UBM, a global provider of media and information services for professional B2B communities and markets.

About UBM TechWeb

UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology. Through its three core businesses – media solutions, marketing services and paid content – UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands and media applications in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs and IT managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software Developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively engage in UBM TechWeb's communities and information resources monthly. UBM TechWeb brands includes: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and Enterprise Connect; award-winning online resources such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Network Computing; and market-leading magazines InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology, and Advanced Trading. UBM TechWeb is a UBM plc company, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion. Visit: www.ubmtechweb.com

SOURCE UBM TechWeb Game Network