The game Developers Choice Awards Advisory Board on Monday announced the recipients of its 2007 special awards. The winners will receive their award at next month’s Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, Calif., during the seventh annual Game Developers Choice Awards.
Among the recipients are Alexey Pajitnov, creator of Tetris. He will receive the First Penguin Award, which acknowledges developers who “dive head first into unknown territory.” The advisory board said that Tetris “gave birth to the casual game industry.”
The Community Contribution Award goes to George “the Fatman” Sanger, music and sound designer for more than 250 games, including beloved hits like The 7th Guest, Loom, Wing Commander and Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo. The Community Contribution Award recognizes developers who embody “the spirit of community” and encourage improvement among peers.
The Maverick Award goes to risk-taking developers who experiment with unconventional methods; this year’s recipient is Greg Costikyan, founder of online retailer Manifesto Games, which focuses on distribution of independently developed titles.
And the Lifetime Achievement Award will go to Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of beloved Nintendo icons like Mario, Donkey Kong and Zelda. Past recipients of the Lifetime Achievement award include Ultima creator Richard Garriott, Defender maker Eugene Jarvis, the maker of Sonic the Hedgehog, Yuji Naka and others.