“Father of Video Games” Honored by GDC
The CMP 2008 GDC Awards have announced that Ralph Baer, more commonly known as the “father of video games”, will receive the Pioneer Award for his contribution to gaming.
“In the inaugural year of the Pioneer Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards, it felt natural to bestow that award on the man who established our entire industry,” said Game Developers Conference executive director Jamil Moledina.
The committee also chose IGDA executive director Jason Della Rocca to be the recipient of the GDC’s Ambassador Award. “Jason Della Rocca continues to advocate for game developers on multiple vital levels, from quality of life through crediting and beyond,” said Gamasutra editorial director Simon Carless. “The Advisory Committee felt it was high time to recognize him as a true Ambassador to our industry.”
Editors from the CMP-owned gaming site Gamasutra and distinguished industry figures from Ubisoft, BioWare, Harmonix and Big Huge Games were part of the awards committee. The awardees will receive their awards on February 20, during a special GDC 2008 presentation at San Fransisco’s Moscone Center.