The 13th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards has revealed the recipients of the remaining two of its Special Awards, the Pioneer Award and the Ambassador Award.
The Pioneer Award will be given to Steve Russell, creator of 1962’s Spacewar!, the earliest known digital computer game and one that would spawn numerous imitators such as classic title Asteroids.
According to a press release, the Pioneer Award is “given to developers for creating breakthrough video game genres or concepts,” and the same press release goes on to state that Russell’s work on Spacewar! “influenced technological advances and gave rise to the cultural phenomenon of video games; Spacewar! created a model for game development, establishing shooting as a core game mechanic, and inspired space and science fiction themes for future games.”
The Ambassador Award is “given to those who have helped the game industry advance to a better place,” and has been announced as going to Chris Melissinos for curating “The Art of Video Games,” an exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 2012. The press release states that Melissinos’ work with the exhibition “helped to cement the message of interactive entertainment as a form of modern culture.”
The third of the GDCA’s Special Awards, the Award for Lifetime Achievement, has already been announced as going to BioWare founders Dr. Ray Muzyka and Dr. Greg Zeschuk.
The 13th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony will take place on 27th March at the San Francisco Moscone Center and is hosted by Double Fine Productions’ Tim Schafer.