The award categories are similar to previous years, though a "Best New Social/Online Games" category was added to the mix this time around. Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2 leads the pack, having been nominated for seven awards, but Thatgamecompany's downloadable PSN title Flower also captured four nominations, followed closely by Ubisoft Montreal's extra-stabby Assassin's Creed 2.

Valve Software's Gabe Newell was also recently announced as the winner of the GDC Pioneer Award, though recipients of the other special accolades such as GDC Ambassador and Lifetime Achievement awards have yet to be revealed.

The winning games and developers will be announced during the Game Developers Choice Awards show held in San Francisco during the 2010 Game Developers Conference on Thursday, March 11th, though there's no word yet as to who the show's host will be.

Best Game Design

• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady)
• Assassin's Creed 2 (Ubisoft Montreal)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)
• Uncharted 2 (Naughty Dog)
• Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)

Best Visual Art

• Borderlands (Gearbox Software)
• Uncharted 2 (Naughty Dog)
• Assassin's Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)
• Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)

Best Technology

• Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Infinity Ward)
• Red Faction: Guerrilla (Volition)
• Uncharted 2 (Naughty Dog)
• Killzone 2 (Guerrilla Games)
• Assassin's Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)

Best Writing

• Brutal Legend (Double Fine)
• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios)
• Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
• Uncharted 2 (Naughty Dog)
• Halo 3: ODST (Bungie)

Best Audio

• Uncharted 2 (Naughty Dog)
• Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
• Rock Band: The Beatles (Harmonix)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)
• Brutal Legend (Double Fine Productions)

Innovation

• Scribblenauts (5th Cell)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)
• Uncharted 2 (Naughty Dog)
• Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)
• Demon's Souls (From Software)

Best Debut

• The Maw (Twisted Pixel)
• League Of Legends (Riot Games)
• Spider: The Secret Of Bryce Manor (Tiger Style)
• Torchlight (Runic Games)
• Zeno Clash (ACE Team)

Best Downloadable Game

• Plants Vs. Zombies (PopCap)
• Trials HD (RedLynx)
• PixelJunk Shooter (Q Games)
• Shadow Complex (Chair Entertainment)
• Flower (Thatgamecompany)

Best New Social/Online Game

• Restaurant City (Playfish)
• Farmville (Zynga)
• Dungeon Fighter Online (Neople/Nexon)
• Free Realms (Sony Online Entertainment San Diego)
• Bejeweled Blitz (PopCap)

Best Handheld Game

• Scribblenauts (5th Cell)
• Flight Control (Firemint)
• Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (Rockstar Leeds/Rockstar North)
• Spider: The Secret Of Bryce Manor (Tiger Style)
• Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (Nintendo EAD)

Game of the Year

• Uncharted 2 (Naughty Dog)
• Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
• Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios)
• Demon's Souls (From Software)
• Assassin's Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)