Develop Winners 2009

Thursday 16th July/...LittleBigPlanet and its creator Media Molecule were the big big winners at last night's Develop Industry Excellence Awards.

Between them, the game and developer scooped five of the prestigious accolades, triumphing in the Best New IP, Visual Arts, Technical Innovation, Best New Studio and Best Independent Developer categories.

Elsewhere, Phil Harrison was awarded the Development Legend award for his sterling contribution to the European games industry during a long and illustrious career. And agent Jacqui Lyons - the first person in the world to recognise the pulling power of games developers - was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Codemasters, meanwhile, took home the Grand Prix - an award that acknowledges the many achievements made by the company on the global games development stage during almost 25 years of business.

Over 500 games industry creatives gathered at the sold-out event to honour their peers, as Jason Manford hosted a star-studded evening celebrating the very best in the European development industry.

Now in their seventh year, the Develop Industry Excellence Awards are the only dedicated awards evening for European games developers. Voted for by a panel of industry experts pooled from the magazine's influential and knowledgeable readership, they are a real reminder of the skill, creativity and influence of the European development industry.

“It's just brilliant that a game which has been commercially successful across the world should be rightly honoured so extensively by the territory in which it was created,” says Michael French, editor in chief, Develop Magazine. “LittleBig

Planet is a real exercise in smart, imaginative game development, and one which put Media Molecule on the map. When the industry is often wrongly criticised for its reliance on licensed titles, Media Molecule has shown the value in a wholly original approach.

“Elsewhere, the Awards were fiercely contested, illustrating the rude health of the creative industry at the moment. We salute the winners, and pat the shoulders of those nominated - but everyone in the business should be rightly congratulated for another stellar year.”

The winners in full:

CREATIVITY

Best New IP

LittleBigPlanet (Media Molecule)

Best Use of a Licence

Lego Batman (Traveller's Tales)

Visual Arts

LittleBigPlanet (Media Molecule)

Audio Accomplishment

Fable II (Lionhead)

Publishing Hero

Apple

TECHNOLOGY & SERVICES

Technical Innovation

LittleBigPlanet (Media Molecule)

Best Tools Provider

Autodesk

Best Engine

Unreal Engine 3 (Epic Games)

Recruitment Company

Amiqus

Services

Audiomotion

Creative Outsourcing

Side & Sidelines

STUDIOS

Best New Studio

Media Molecule

Best Handheld Games Studio

Rockstar Leeds

Business Development

Playfish

Best Independent Developer

Media Molecule

Best In-House Team

Rockstar North

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Development Legend

Phil Harrison

Lifetime Achievement Award

Jacqui Lyons

Grand Prix

Codemasters

Ends

Editors notes:

The Develop Industry Excellence Awards 2009

The Develop Industry Excellence Awards were designed to seek excellence in every facet of the UK and European development business, from new start-up studios to multi-team in-house developers, as well as tools providers, service providers and publishers. Judged in secret by a jury of almost 100 independent industry experts they single out those companies who keep this part of the globe at the very forefront of game development.

Develop magazine is the international monthly for games programmers, artists, musicians and producers. It is published by Intent Media.

The Develop Industry Excellence Awards are managed by Intent Media and Barrington Harvey.

For more information, please contact Michael French at Intent Media:

Tel: +44 (0)1992 535646

Email: Michael.French@intentmedia.co.uk

Barrington Harvey PR, Troopers Yard, Bancroft, Hitchin, Herts, SG5 1NW .