Game Developers Choice Awards 2005

Overview

The fifth annual Game Developers Choice Awards were held on March 9, 2005 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.

Personal Awards

These three special honors, selected by the Game Developers Choice Awards advisory board, were also presented at the ceremony.

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Eugene Jarvis

First Penguin Award

• Richard A. Bartle

Maverick Award

• Matthew Adams, Ju Row Farr, Nick Tandavanitj

Community Contribution

• Sheri Graner Ray

Game of the Year

Half-Life 2 Recipients: Ken Birdwell, Gabe Newell, Jay Stelly Developer: Valve Corporation Publisher: Valve Corporation Runners-Up Burnout 3: Takedown - Criterion Games / Electronic Arts Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Rockstar North / Rockstar Games Katamari Damacy - Namco World of Warcraft - Blizzard Entertainment

Innovation Award

Donkey Konga Recipients: Hiroshi Igarashi, Hiroyuki Onoda Developer: Namco Publisher: Nintendo Runners-Up I Love Bees - 4orty2wo Entertainment / Microsoft Studios Katamari Damacy - Namco

Best Audio

Halo 2 Recipients: C Paul Johnson, Martin O'Donnell, Jay Weinland Developer: Bungie Publisher: Microsoft Studios Runners-Up Call of Duty: Finest Hour - Spark Unlimited / Activision Doom 3 - id Software / Activision Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Rockstar North / Rockstar Games Katamari Damacy - Namco

Best Character Design

Half-Life 2 Recipients: Ted Backman, Dhabih Eng, Bill Fletcher, Bill Van Buren Developer: Valve Corporation Publisher: Valve Corporation Runners-Up Katamari Damacy - Namco Prince of Persia: Warrior Within - Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Sly 2: Band of Thieves - Sucker Punch / SCEA World of Warcraft - Blizzard Entertainment

Best Game Design

Katamari Damacy Recipient: Keita Takahashi Developer: Namco Publisher: Namco Runners-Up Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Rockstar North / Rockstar Games Half-Life 2 - Valve Corporation Pikmin 2 - Nintendo EAD / Nintendo World of Warcraft - Blizzard Entertainment

Best New Studio

Crytek for Far Cry Recipients: Avni Yerli, Cevat Yerli, Faruk Yerli Runners-Up The Behemoth for Alien Hominid Cryptic Studios for City of Heroes inXile Entertainment for The Bard's Tale Obsidian Entertainment for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords

Best Technology

Half-Life 2 Recipients: Yahn Bernier, Brian Jacobson Developer: Valve Corporation Publisher: Valve Corporation Runners-Up Burnout 3: Takedown - Criterion Games / Electronic Arts Doom 3 - id Software / Activision EyeToy: AntiGrav - Harmonix Music Systems / SCEA Far Cry - Crytek / Ubisoft

Best Visual Arts

World of Warcraft Recipients: Sam Didier, William Petras, Justin Thavirat Developer: Blizzard Entertainment Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment Runners-Up Doom 3 - id Software / Activision Half-Life 2 - Valve Corporation Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - Intelligent Systems / Nintendo Prince of Persia: Warrior Within - Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft

Best Writing

Half-Life 2 Recipient: Marc Laidlaw Developer: Valve Corporation Publisher: Valve Corporation Runners-Up Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Rockstar North / Rockstar Games Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude - High Voltage Software / Vivendi Universal Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - Intelligent Systems / Nintendo Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords - Obsidian Entertainment / LucasArts