Last month Develop brought together the sector’s leading lights for our yearly Industry Excellence Awards. Here we bring you a round up of all the winners, and their reactions to taking home their prizes.

Special Prizes

Grand Prix – Unity Technologies

“This is a such a crazy, big honour. We’re such a young company and in many ways newcomers to the games industry, so to be selected as the first pure technology for the Grand Prix is just immense. Phil Harrison’s kind introduction to us focused on how we have ‘transformed how games are made, distributed and played’, and really hit the spot – that exactly describes what we set out to do.”
David Helgason, Unity Technologies

Development Legend – Andrew and Paul Gower, Jagex

“Looking at the list of people who’ve won this award over the years – I feel honoured to be listed amongst them. Sometimes I think of the early days of RuneScape development. Back then it was pretty much a hobby with hopes of maybe being able to earn myself a living from it. It blows my mind how far things have come.”
Paul Gower, Jagex

Creativity

Best New IP – Heavy Rain (Quantic Dream)

“We are really honoured by this award. I would like to thank everyone who voted for us in the industry and all the gamers who gave Heavy Rain a chance.”
David Cage, Quantic Dream

Best Use of a Licence or IP – Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios)

“This is fantastic. We’d like to thank Eidos and Warner Bros for believing in us, the team for all their hard work, and everyone who purchased Arkham Asylum.”
Sefton Hill, Rocksteady Studios

Best New Download IP – Angry Birds (Rovio)

“Getting an award is one of the greatest compliments any studio can have. We would like to thank Develop and everybody that voted for Angry Birds.”
Matthew Wilson, Rovio

Visual Arts – Split/Second (Black Rock Studio)

“We’re thrilled that Split/Second received the recognition for Visual Arts. It’s a huge honour and a very proud moment for everyone at
Black Rock.”
Paul Ayliffe, Black Rock Studio

Publishing Hero – Channel 4

“I’m astounded and completely delighted to receive this on behalf of C4 and, of course, all
of the indies whose work we publish. Thank
you Develop.”
Alice Taylor, Channel 4

Audio Accomplishment – DJ Hero (FreeStyleGames)

“Everyone at FreeStyleGames is delighted that we won this award. We have been overwhelmed by the reaction to DJ Hero from both gamers and press.”
Dan Neil, FreeStyleGames

TECHNOLOGY & SERVICES

Technical Innovation – Unity Engine (Unity Technologies)

“We’re so honoured to receive this fantastic award. This comes before our launch of Unity 3 – our biggest update – which will take Unity to new places.”
David Helgason, Unity Technologies

Tools Provider – Hansoft

“We have launched two strong releases this spring, and being recognised by our industry peers feels truly amazing for all of us.”
Patric Palm, Hansoft

Engine – Unreal Engine 3

“We couldn’t be more excited about Unreal Engine 3’s third consecutive Develop Industry Excellence Award and what it means to Epic and the industry.”
Mark Rein, Epic Games

Services – Testology (Epic Games)

“Winning Best Services at the Develop Awards 2010 is an amazing achievement for Testology. Without our extraordinary clients we wouldn’t be here.”
Andy Robson, Testology

Audio Outsourcer – Side

“The team at Side are honoured and delighted to have won the Audio Outsourcer award this year. A win for Side is great positive feedback.”
Andy Emery, Side

Visual Outsourcer – Axis Animation

“We’re delighted to win at the Develop Awards 2010. To know that guys we work with think we have had a great year is a real seal of approval.”
Richard Scott, Axis Animation

Recruitment Company – Amiqus

“We’re absolutely delighted to have won this Develop Award for the second year running. We have exciting times ahead of us at Amiqus.”
Liz Prince, Amiqus

STUDIOS

Best New Studio – Hello Games

“As a studio of four, we are frankly stunned to be recognised as Best New Studio. From our photos, we could have won an award for most excited idiots.”
Sean Murray, Hello Games

Micro Studio – Hello Games

“This is a new award, and one where we feel a great camaraderie with the other nominees. The category is testimony to the rise of the small indie studio.”
Sean Murray, Hello Games

Handheld Studio – SCEE Cambridge

“Like a game development Mickey Rourke we’ve been on the comeback trail, so to be recognised on a studio level means the world to everyone here.”
James Shepherd, SCE Cambridge Studio

Business Development – Sony XDev

“It’s hugely rewarding to win an award for investing in new ideas and business within the games industry. A massive thank you from the whole XDev team.”
John Rostron, XDev Studio Europe

In-House Studio – Rocksteady Studios

“We are very honoured to be recognised by our industry peers in this way and the coveted trophy will be prized.”
Jamie Walker, Rocksteady Studios

Independent Studio – Quantic Dream

“We feel humbled by the honour of winning two Develop Awards this year. These represent a very special recompense for all the hard work.”
Guillaume de Fondaumière, Quantic Dream

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THE JUDGES
66 people voted on this year’s awards and Develop is very grateful for all their support. They are:

Jason Bates (Red Lynx), Ian Baverstock (Tenshi), Tony Beckwith (Black Rock Studio), Ian Bell (Slightly Mad Studios), Ben Board (Xbox), James Brooksby (Doublesix), Terry Cavanagh (Distractionware), Charles Cecil (Revolution Software), John Chasey (FinBlade/Metismo), Gavin Cheshire (Codemasters), David Coghlan (Havok), Kieran Connell (Microsoft), Rob Crossley (Develop), Ivan Davies (Catalyst Outsourcing), Ed Daly (Zoe Mode), Stuart Dinsey (Intent Media), Gary Dunn (Sega), Andrew Eades (Relentless), Hugh Edwards (High Score), Harvey Elliot (EA Play), Mark Estdale (Outsource Media UK), Paul Farley (Tag Games), Guillaume de Fondaumiere (Quantic Dream), Will Freeman (Develop), Michael French (Develop), Simon Gardner (Climax Group), Caspar Gray (Square Enix), Mark Healey (Media Molecule), Nils-Holger Henning (Bigpoint), Sefton Hill (Rocksteady Games), Karl Hilton (Crytek UK), Martin Hollis (Zoonami), Adrian Hon (Six to Start), Brendan Iribe (Scaleform), Miles Jacobson (Sports Interactive), Richard Jacques (Richard Jacques Studio), Darren Jobling (Eutechnyx), Daniel Jones (Binary Tweed), John Kearney (VooFooStudios), Richard Keen (IGN), John Klepper (Imagination Studios), Chris Lee (FreeStyleGames), Ian Livingstone (Square Enix), Colin Macdonald (Realtime Worlds), David Mollerstedt (EA DICE), Mike Montgomery (Lightning Fish Games), Mick Morris (Audiomotion), Daniel Neve (Mere Mortals), Patrick O’Luanaigh (nDreams), Patric Palm (Hansoft), Ben Parfitt (MCV), Jason Perkins (Curve Studios), Liz Prince (Amiqus), David Ream (Hello Games), Torsten Reil (NaturalMotion), Stuart Richardson (Develop), Andy Robson (Testology), Martin de Ronde (OneBigGame), Tim Rogers (Eurocom), Keith Russell (Babel Media), Hayden Scott-Baron (Starfruit), James Shepherd (SCE Cambridge), Jonathan Smith (Traveller’s Tales), Samuli Syvähuoko (Recoil Games), Alice Taylor (Channel 4), Sebastian Wloch (Asobo Studio)