Honours even at GDC Online Awards

A bustling cross-section of net-focused games companies were honoured last night at the Game Developers Choice Online Awards in Austin, Texas.

As a testament to the sheer breadth of companies succeeding in the online space, the GDC-O awards were handed to seven different studios across ten hotly-contested categories. No group, even the trailblazing Mojang, picked up more than two awards.

But it is the Minecraft developer that will win the headlines. Persson’s Swedish outfit won the Best Live Game and Best Community Relations awards for its remarkably successful indie game.

The heavily VC-funded Trion Worlds, however, won two other awards that some might say weigh more in gold. The group’s ambitious World of Warcraft challenger, called Rift, took Best New Online Game and Best Online Technology. Trion’s platform is being utilised across its other titles.

Sony Online Entertainment also took a pair of prizes, though in the wake of dramatic staff cuts to the company it may have felt like the honour was posthumous.

The full list can be found below.

Best Online Game Design: Spiral Knights | Three Rings Design/Sega

Best Online Visual Arts: DC Universe Online | Sony Online Entertainment

Best Online Technology: Rift | Trion Worlds

Audience Award Winner: Wizard 101 | KingsIsle
Entertainment

Online Innovation Award Shadow Cities | Grey Area

Best Audio for an Online Game: Clone Wars Adventures | Sony Online Entertainment

Best Community Relations: Minecraft | Mojang

Best Social Network Game: Gardens of Time | Playdom

Best Live Game: Minecraft | Mojang

Best New Online: Game Rift | Trion Worlds