Each year, the GDC Choice Awards recognizes the achievements of developers in the video game industry. This year marks the 17th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards, and the GDC advisory committee has chosen to honor the pioneering work of developer Tim Sweeney.

Not only did Tim Sweeney found Epic Games, he is also the creator of ZZT, one of the earliest games to allow for user-created worlds. After founding Epic MegaGames in 1991, Sweeney served as the company’s CEO and helped the company develop games like Unreal, Gears of War, and the Unreal Engine, which went on to power blockbuster titles like BioShock, Assassin’s Creed, and Batman: Arkham Asylum.

The Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony Wednesday, March 1 from 6:30-8:30pm PST. Stay tuned for move coverage of the show from Game Informer.

Our Take

Sweeney is in good company. Previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipients includes Todd Howard, Shigeru Miyamoto, Warren Spector, John Carmack, Hideo Kojima, and Sid Meier among others. Sweeney works has clearly effected the industry, so he deserves the recognition.