The nominees for the 17th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards have been revealed, including a new category recognising the emergence of AR and VR games.
Double Fine’s Tim Schafer returns as host for this year’s awards, which will be held on 1st March 2017 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. It’s Schafer’s sixth year as host, having previously fronted the GDC Awards in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015.
Leading this year’s nomination list with six nods is Playdead’s startling adventure game, Inside. The follow-up to the critically acclaimed Limbo received accolades across the board and was one of the game of the year picks, here at Thumbsticks. Inside is nominated for Best Audio, Best Design, the Innovation Award, Best Narrative, Best Visual Art and Game of the Year.
Blizzard’s Overwatch and Campo Santo’s Firewatch, receive five nominations each. Overwatch is recognised in the Audio, Design, Technology, Visual Art and Game of the Year categories, while Firewatch is in the running for Best Debut, the Innovation Award, Narrative, Visual Art and Game of the Year.
Also nominated are Bethesda’s Doom reboot, mobile sensation Pokémon Go, EA’s Battlefield 1 and Sony’s long-awaited, The Last Guardian. The much-maligned No Man’s Sky is also up for the Innovation and Technology Awards and Super Mario Run from Nintendo also makes the shortlist for Best Mobile/Handheld game.
The new Best AR/VR game category sees nods for Pokémon Go, Superhot VR, Job Simulator, Fantastic Contraption and Rez Infinite.
2017 Game Developers Choice Awards Nominees
Best Audio
- Battlefield 1 (EA DICE / Electronic Arts)
- Thumper (Drool)
- DOOM (id Software / Bethesda Softworks)
- Inside (Playdead)
- Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)
Best Debut
- Heart Machine (Hyper Light Drifter)
- Campo Santo (Firewatch)
- ConcernedApe (Stardew Valley)
- Drool (Thumper)
- Night School Studio (Oxenfree)
Best Design
- Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)
- Dishonored 2 (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- The Witness (Thekla)
- Inside (Playdead)
- DOOM (id Software / Bethesda Softworks)
Best Mobile/Handheld Game
- Super Mario Run (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Clash Royale (Supercell)
- Pokémon Go (Niantic)
- Reigns (Nerial / Devolver Digital)
- Pokémon Sun/Moon (Game Freak / The Pokémon Company)
Innovation Award
- The Witness (Thekla)
- Inside (Playdead)
- No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
- Firewatch (Campo Santo / Panic)
- Pokémon Go (Niantic)
Best Narrative
- The Last Guardian (JAPAN Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Oxenfree (Night School Studio)
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Inside (Playdead)
- Firewatch (Campo Santo / Panic)
Best Technology
- Battlefield 1 (EA DICE / Electronic Arts)
- No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)
- Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)
- DOOM (id Software / Bethesda Softworks)
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Best Visual Art
- Firewatch (Campo Santo / Panic)
- The Last Guardian (JAPAN Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Inside (Playdead)
Best VR/AR Game
- Rez Infinite (Monstars / Enhance Games)
- Superhot VR (SUPERHOT Team)
- Job Simulator: The 2050 Archives (Owlchemy Labs)
- Pokémon Go (Niantic)
- Fantastic Contraption (Radial Games / Northway Games)
Game of the Year
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)
- Inside (Playdead)
- Dishonored 2 (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- Firewatch (Campo Santo / Panic)
The 2017 Game Developers Choice Awards are available to attend for all GDC 2017 pass-holders and the event will also be livestreamed on the official GDC Twitch channel.
Image: Official GDC Flickr.
