GDC awards sees Gears win big

Zelda and Okami also pick-up gongs

The Developers Choice Awards at this year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco have been revealed, and Gears of War has gone home with a more than healthy haul of statuettes. Zelda, Okami, Wii sports and Guitar Hero II were also celebrated, in an awards event which focusses on the creative talent behind the titles.

Tim Schafer was a popularly outspoken choice as MC, opening the proceedings with "Since the first game caveman began developing the first caveman video game 10 years ago," adding amid raucous laughter, "Most designers, like me, got into it for the drugs, the women, and the glamour." Schafer, in case you've been living in a cave, is the boss of Double Fine and the designer of Psychonauts.

Here are the results of the awards for you:

Innovation Choice Awards
Line Rider (Boštjan Cadež)
Okami (Clover Studio, Capcom)
Wii Sports (Nintendo)

New Studio Choice Award
Iron Lore Entertainment with Titan Quest
Runners Up: Gastronaut Studios (Small Arms), Naked Sky Entertainment (RoboBlitz), Ready at Dawn Studios (Daxter), and Wadjet Eye Games (The Shivah)

Writing Choice Award
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo)
Runners Up: Bully, Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, Sam & Max Episode I: Culture Shock, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Game Design Choice Award
Wii Sports (Nintendo)
Runners Up: Bully, Okami, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Viva Pinata

Maverick Choice Award
Greg Costikyan

Audio Choice Award
Guitar Hero II (Harmonix, RedOctane)
Runners Up: Company of Heroes, DEFCON: Everybody Dies, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend, LocoRoco

Character Design Choice Award
Okami (Clover Studio, Capcom)
Runners Up: Final Fantasy XII, LocoRoco, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Viva Pinata

First Penguin Choice Award
Alexey Pajitnov

Technology Choice Award
Gears of War (Epic Games, Microsoft)
Runners Up: Company of Heroes, Dead Rising, Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis, Wii Sports

Visual Arts Choice Award
Gears of War (Epic Games, Microsoft)
Runners Up: Final Fantasy XII, Okami, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Viva Pinata

Community Contribution
George “The Fatman: Sanger

Lifetime Achievement Choice Award
Shigeru Miyamoto

Best Game Choice Award
Gears of War (Epic Games, Microsoft)
Runners Up: Okami, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Wii Sports

By Luke Guttridge