Cliff Bleszinski to host 12th annual Game Developers Choice Awards

We can’t think of a more influential and camera-ready representative of the games industry than Cliff Bleszinski. Apparently, neither can the Game Developers Choice Awards. The man behind Unreal Tournament and Gears of War will be hosting the 12th annual GDCAs. The show will stream live on GameSpot, March 7 at 6:30 pm PST, along with the Independent Games Festival awards, hosted by indie game mogul Andy Schatz.

This years nominees include Batman: Arkham City, Portal 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception in several categories. Ironically, Team Bondi, the now-shuttered home of LA Noire, appears in the Best Debut category. A full list of nominees is available here, as is an archive of past winners.

Lastly, don’t forget about the Independent Games Festival awards. This self-proclaimed “major celebration of the best in indie gaming” is in its 14th year, and has lead to many of its recipients finding distribution and success. Audiosurf, Darwinia, and Alien Hominid all went on to public acclaim and commercial success after being honored by the IGF. Keep an eye on this year’s winners to grab the next indie breakout before it goes totally mainstream.