LAS VEGAS--Mass Effect 2 walked away from last night's 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards as the big winner at the 2011 DICE Summit, picking up a number of trophies that included Game of the Year. Tonight, the spotlight turned to the smaller shops, as this year's DICE Summit concluded with the Indie Game Challenge.
Limbo picked up the top professional prize. This year's Indie Game Challenge, the second of its kind, was broken up into two categories, one for the professional studios and another for non-professional game creators. To qualify in the professional category, the team or individual must have had at least two years of professional game-development experience at a professional studio, or have been credited on a published game. Those who didn't meet those requirements could be nominated for the non-professional category.
As for winners, the top honoree of the evening was Inertia, from Team Hermes. A 2D platformer with momentum-based, zero-G gameplay, Inertia walked away with the non-professional Grand Prize. Team Hermes also picked up the Achievement in Gameplay and the Technical Achievement awards, as well as the Gamers' Choice award.
Limbo also added a handful of awards to its IAA Adventure Game of the Year award from last night. The Playdead-developed atmospheric side-scrolling platformer, which has garnered a solid critical response, took home the professional category Grand Prize as well as the Achievement in Art Direction award.
The Grand Prize winner in both the professional and non-professional category walked away from the event with $100,000. Grand prize winners also receive a DesignMetrics title assessment from EEDAR--a $30,000 value. As for category awards, the Technical Achievement, Achievement in Art Direction, and Achievement in Gameplay awards all come with a $2,500 purse. The kitty for the Gamers' Choice award, which encompasses both the professional and non-professional categories, is $10,000.
Professional Grand Prize
Limbo--Playdead
Non-Professional Grand Prize
Inertia--Team Hermes
Achievement in Gameplay
Inertia--Team Hermes
Technical Achievement
Inertia--Team Hermes
Achievement in Art Direction
Limbo--Playdead
Kongregate Award
Symon--ZZZ Games
Gamers' Choice
Inertia--Team Hermes
Professional category nominees
Confetti Carnival--SpikySnail Games
Fortix 2--Nemesys Games
Limbo--Playdead
Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine--Pocketwatch Games
Spirits--Spaces of Play
Vanessa Saint-Pierre Delacroix and Her Nightmare
Non-professional category nominees
Hazard: The Journey of Life--Alexander Bruce
Inertia--Team Hermes
Q.U.B.E.--Toxic Games
Solace--One Man Down
Subsonic--Team Height Advantage
Symon--ZZZ Games