AUSTIN, TEXAS--As the Game Developers Conference Online reached its apex Thursday night, the event's organizers held the inaugural Game Developers Choice Online Awards. Like the Choice Awards held during the flagship Game Developers Conference in February, this counterpart show was devised to let the creators of online entertainment laud each other.

　　League of Legends cast a spell on the GDC Online Awards. While dozens of games were honored, online game creators were apparently quite taken with Riot Games' League of Legends. The free-to-play hybrid of real-time strategy and role-playing games took home five awards for the night, including the Best New Online Game category. It even won the Audience Award, narrowly edging out Wizard101 from Austin-based Kingsisle Entertainment. The only category in which League of Legends was nominated but failed to win was Best Live Game, an honor claimed by EVE Online at the expense of other high-profile competitors like World of Warcraft and Farmville.

　　While League of Legends dominated the awards, it had to share the spotlight with a pair of online pioneers. The first was Ultima Online, which was named as the first inductee into the GDC Online Awards Hall of Fame. Original Ultima Online developers Rich Bogel, Starr Long, and Raph Koster were on hand to mark the occasion, with each offering a few words of thanks and appreciation for all the players and developers who have touched the game over the last 14 years.

　　"I remember bringing my baby daughter into the office in a baby carrier to work on the game," Koster said. "She's a teenager now and doesn't want to talk to me."

　　Long offered specific thanks to former Electronic Arts CEO Larry Probst for signing a $100,000 grant approval on the back of a napkin to get the project started and to the player who assassinated the Lord British character during the game's beta phase, making it clear who was really in charge.

　　The other pioneer honored was Dr. Richard A. Bartle, who received the Online Game Legend Award. One of the original designers of the massively multiplayer online game predecessor MUD (multi-user dungeon), Bartle said he was honored, thrilled, humbled, and surprised to receive the award.

　　"I guess the reason I won it is because most of the other people who could've won it are on the nominating committee, and of the remaining ones, I'm closest to death," Bartle joked.

　　Most award categories were for games launched in beta or full versions between May 2009 and May 2010. Nominees for Best Live Game--which honors currently operating titles--had to have launched in North America at least 12 months prior to May 2009 and distinguished themselves with exceptional new content since then. Nominees in the Best Community Relations and Audience Award categories only needed to be currently operating.

　　Categories and Nominees (Winner in italics)

　　Hall of Fame inductee

　　Ultima Online--Electronic Arts

　　Online Game Legend honoree

　　Dr. Richard A. Bartle

　　Best Online Technology

　　Aion--NCsoft

　　Champions Online--Cryptic Studios

　　Global Agenda--Hi-Rez Studios

　　League of Legends--Riot Games

　　Love-Quel Solaar

　　Best Social Network Game

　　FIFA Superstars--Playfish

　　NanoStar Siege--Digital Chocolate

　　Nightclub City--Booyah Inc.

　　Social City--Playdom

　　Treasure Isle--Zynga

　　Best Online Visual Arts

　　GodFinger--Wonderland Software/ngmoco

　　Papermint--Avaloop

　　League of Legends--Riot Games

　　Star Trek Online--Cryptic Studios

　　Love--Quel Solaar

　　Best Audio for an Online Game

　　Aion--NCsoft

　　Champions Online--Cryptic Studios

　　Music Pets--Conduit Labs

　　Nightclub City--Booyah Inc.

　　We Rule--Newtoy/ngmoco

　　Best Community Relations

　　EVE Online--CCP

　　Free Realms--Sony Online Entertainment

　　Guild Wars--ArenaNet

　　Wizard101--Kingsisle Entertainment

　　World of Warcraft--Blizzard Entertainment

　　Best Online Game Design

　　Champions Online--Cryptic Studios

　　Dungeon Fighter Online--Neople/Nexon

　　League of Legends--Riot Games

　　We Rule--Newtoy/ngmoco

　　Zoo Kingdom--Blue Fang Games

　　Best Live Game

　　EVE Online--CCP

　　Dungeon Fighter Online--Neople/Nexon

　　Farmville--Zynga

　　League of Legends--Riot Games

　　World of Warcraft--Blizzard Entertainment

　　Best New Online Game

　　Dungeon Fighter Online--Neople/Nexon

　　FIFA Superstars--Playdom

　　League of Legends--Riot Games

　　Nightclub City--Booyah Inc.

　　We Rule--Newtoy/ngmoco

　　Audience Award

　　League of Legends--Riot Games

　　First runner-up: Wizard101--Kingsisle Entertainment

　　You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

　　Click To Unmute

　　League of Legends: Clash of Fates Official Trailer 1

　　Tears Of The Kingdom Is A Technological Marvel

　　Resident Evil 4 Is A Perfect RemakeHow Alan Wake II Made Me Face My Fear of Horror GamesGameSpot's Top 10 Games of 2023Thompson: The Pop Culture Icon’s Strange Legacy - LoadoutFirearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerHow Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight Trailer

　　Share

　　LinkEmbed

　　Size:640 × 360480 × 270

　　Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop

　　Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?

　　Sign up or Sign in now!

　　Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

　　This video has an invalid file format.

　　00:00:00

　　HTML5

　　Auto HD High Low

　　Report a problem

　　Sorry, but you can't access this content!

Please enter your date of birth to view this video

　　By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

　　Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

　　enter