Nominations are open for the 5th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards, the most prestigious honors in game development.

Nominations will be accepted through Jan. 14, 2005. All those involved in the video game industry or the development of videogames are eligible to submit nominations at www.igda.org/awards.

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) will present the awards
on March 9, 2005, at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco.
GDC is the world’s largest conference and exposition dedicated to video
game development and related industries.

"The recognition I received at the Choice Awards had to be one of the greatest honors of my career," noted last year’s Lifetime Achievement honoree Mark Cerny, creator of the classic Marble Madness and producer of the Crash Bandicoot series. "Receiving the award was particularly meaningful because I was chosen by fellow game developers for making a difference within the
industry."

"The game industry has really adopted the Choice Awards as their key form
of creative validation," said Jamil Moledina, conference director, GDC.
"The prestige and objectivity of the awards stem from the fact that they
are nominated, juried, and presented by developers to developers, while
the process is administered by the IGDA, an independent developer advocacy
non-profit."

The Game Developers Choice Awards categories focus on rewarding and recognizing innovation and excellence in the art of making games – regardless of genre,
platform or delivery medium.

"Game developers are the creative engine of this industry," said Jason Della Rocca, executive director, IGDA. "Having them be recognized by their
peers for their talent and achievements is only fitting."