Welcome to the 2009 Game Developer Front Line Awards, which honor the best tools for game development this year.

As a game development professional, we ask you to choose your preferred tool from a list of five, in the following categories: Art, Audio, Books, Engines, Middleware, and Programming/Production Tools. Feel free to skip any category with which you do not interact directly.

If you have any comments about your favorite/least favorite tools in any given category, there is a comment field beneath each section. Your text may be used in the 2009 Front Line Awards article, but since we do not collect personal data, your name will not be used.