The 2011 Game Developers Choice Awards will honour Peter Molyneux, co-founder of Bullfrog Productions and founder of Lionhead Studios, with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the art and science of games.
The organizers have also revealed the return of Tim Schafer, the LucasArts veteran and founder of Double Fine Productions (Brutal Legend), as host of the March 2nd ceremony during the 2011 Game Developers Conference.
“As a passionate creator of video games for more than 25 years and counting, and one of the original developers to tackle the ‘god game’ genre, Peter Molyneux exemplifies the principles of the Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes the career and achievements of a developer who has made an indelible impact on the craft of game development and games as a whole,” said the GDC awards committee via press statement.
While at Bullfrog Productions, which he co-founded in Guildford, England in 1987, Molyneux helped to create a string of seminal and innovative ‘Britsoft’ titles, including beloved games such as Theme Park, Magic Carpet and Dungeon Keeper. His time at Bullfrog is particularly known for classic ‘god game’ progenitor Populous.
After leaving Bullfrog Productions in 1997, when it was owned by Electronic Arts, Molyneux went on to form Lionhead Studios. The developer created the notable PC franchises Black & White and The Movies before devising the Fable RPG franchise and being acquired by Microsoft in 2006.
The Lifetime Achievement recipient is chosen by the elite Game Developers Choice Awards Advisory Committee, which includes game industry notables such as Doug Lombardi (Valve), Mark Cerny (Cerny Games), Harvey Smith (Arkane), Raph Koster (Metaplace), Julien Merceron (Square Enix), John Vechey (PopCap), and Clint Hocking (LucasArts).
“Peter is a remarkable asset to the games industry, and truly embodies everything that the Lifetime Achievement Award represents,” said Meggan Scavio, event director of GDC. “We’re proud to honour someone who has had such a profound impact on the industry, through his boundless enthusiasm and profound talent in creating games about choice and interactivity that the entire world loves to play.”
The 2011 Choice Awards, produced in association with the Game Developers Conference and presented by Gamasutra.com and Game Developer Magazine, will take place on 2 March 2011.
As is customary, this year’s show is held immediately following the Independent Games Festival Awards. Those not attending GDC can watch both awards shows live online via GameSpot.com, the official streaming media partner to the GDCAs.
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