iPhone sweeps IGF's Mobile Games Awards

The eleventh annual IGF, held in conjunction with the Game Developers Conference 2009 in San Francisco, has focused new attention on the iPhone as the platform of choice for independent mobile game developers, with nearly every category win being awarded to App Store titles for the iPhone and iPod touch.

This is the second year the IGF has awarded mobile games. In addition to Java and Flash Lite titles for mobile phones, finalists also included titles for the Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable. Full details on all of the finalists in the Mobile awards are listed on the IGF's finalist and winners site. Winners were announced yesterday and will be presented along with IGF's console and desktop awards today.

IGF Best Mobile Game, Achievement in Art

Subatomic Studios' Fieldrunners, a $2.99 tower defense game, was awarded both Best Mobile Game and Achievement in Art awards.

Fieldrunner beat out Sykhronics Entertainment's Smiles and Mobigame's Edge, two other iPhone finalists for Best Mobile Game, as well as Wardive for the Nintendo DS and Cubic Republic for the Flash Lite platform.

The two other finalists for the Achievement in Art award were also iPhone titles: Igloo Games' Dizzy Bee and Song New Creative's Ruben & Lullaby.

Best iPhone Game, Audio Achievement

Zen Bound's Secret Exit won the $10,000 prize Best iPhone Game as presented by ngmoco, in addition to the Audio Achievement award. Developed exclusively for the iPhone, the $4.99 title is a unique puzzle game.

The other finalists for Best iPhone Game were Igloo Games' Dizzy Bee, Mobigame's Edge, Subatomic Studios' Fieldrunners, and The Iconfactory's Frenzic.

The other two finalists for Audio Achievement were also iPhone games, Studio Radiolaris' Radio Flare and Mobigame's Edge.

Innovation in Mobile Game Design

Hassey Enterprises' Galcon, a $2.99 action strategy game, was awarded Innovation in Mobile Game Design.

The other finalists for Innovation in Mobile Game Design were Wardive for the Nintendo DS and Steph Thirion's Eliss for iPhone.

Technical Achievement

Firemint's not yet released Real Racing title for the iPhone beat out Football Tycoon for Java and Wardive for Nintendo DS.

Next Great Mobile Game

The only award not presented to an iPhone game was in the category for The Next Great Mobile Game, Presented by NVIDIA, which was won by Reflection for the Nintendo DS, created by Team Reflection of the University of Southern California.

Other finalists in this category were VillaVanilla's yet to be released Depict for the iPhone, FastFoot Challenge for J2ME, Rhythm of War for the Sony PSP, and Picopoke for "photo/Internet-capable Mobile Handsets."