AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- South by
Southwest (SXSW) Gaming today announced the finalists for its
second-annual SXSW Gaming Awards presented by iam8bit, Logitech,
Porter Novelli and Wikia – part of
SXSW Gaming 2015 – taking place on Saturday,
March 14 at 7 p.m. at Austin
City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. The Gaming Awards will honor
major studio and indie game titles in 21 categories. The SXSW
Gaming Awards are free and open to the public of all ages;
Interactive, Gold and Platinum Badge holders receive early entry
and preferred seating.
The SXSW Gaming Awards complements the 2015 SXSW Gaming Expo,
which runs March 13-15, 2015. Located
at the Palmer Events Center, the SXSW Gaming Expo is also a free
event and open to the public of all ages.
"It's fantastic to see the SXSW Gaming Expo continue to get
bigger and better each year and to have the Gaming Awards continue
to grow along with it," said Justin
Burnham, SXSW Gaming Project Manager. "We've added several
new award categories in 2015 and with a diverse list of finalists,
from heavy-hitting AAA titles like Middle-earth: Shadow of
Mordor to indie stand-outs like Shovel Knight, we're
excited to see who comes out on top!"
Making the awards ceremony a truly entertaining and celebratory
evening, this year's event will be hosted by actress and comedian
Janet Varney along with actor and
popular YouTube personality Markiplier. Audience Entertainment,
Imaginary Forces, 3BlackDot, Thrilling Adventure Hour and Critical
Hit will also provide the audience with entertainment throughout
the ceremony.
Wikia superfans will also be helping anoint winners of this
year's SXSW Gaming Awards. Representing over 85,000 of the most
authoritative fan communities on console, pc and mobile games,
Wikia fans will have the opportunity to collaborate alongside the
industry experts to select the best in up to 20 award categories.
Voting kicks off soon on gameshub.wikia.com/sxsw.
Chosen from more than 400 submissions, here are the finalists
for the second-annual SXSW Gaming Awards:
Game of the Year: Awarded to the indie or mainstream game
that exemplifies gaming excellence.
- Bayonetta 2 – Nintendo/Platinum Games
- Dark Souls II – Bandai Namco Games/From
Software
- Dragon Age: Inquisition – Electronic
Arts/BioWare
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Warner
Bros. Interactive/Monolith Productions
- Shovel Knight – Yacht Club Games
Mobile Game of the Year: Awarded to the mobile game that
exemplifies gaming excellence
- Bravely Default – Nintendo/Square Enix
- Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft – Blizzard
Entertainment
- Monument Valley – ustwo
- Super Smash Bros. 3DS – Nintendo
- Threes – Sirvo
Table Top Game of the Year: Awarded to the table top game
that exemplifies gaming excellence
- Dead of Winter – Plaid Hat Games
- Five Tribes – Days of Wonder
- King of New York
– IELLO
- Sheriff of Nottingham – Arcane Wonders
- Star Realms – White Wizard Games
Excellence in Gameplay: Awarded to the title that
exemplifies excellence in gameplay mechanics
- Dragon Age: Inquisition – Electronic
Arts/BioWare
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Warner Bros.
Interactive/Monolith Productions
- Nidhogg – Messhof
- Super Smash Bros. Wii U – Nintendo
- Titanfall – Electronic Arts/Respawn
Entertainment
Excellence in Art: Awarded to the title that exemplifies
excellence in art and design
- The Banner Saga – Versus Evil/Stoic Studio
- Child of Light – Ubisoft/Ubisoft Montreal
- Monument Valley – ustwo
- Transistor – Supergiant Games
- The Wolf Among Us – Telltale Games
Excellence in Animation: Awarded to the title that
exemplifies excellence in animation
- Assassin's Creed Unity – Ubisoft/Ubisoft
Montreal
- inFAMOUS: Second Son – Sony Computer
Entertainment/Sucker Punch Productions
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Warner Bros.
Interactive/Monolith Productions
- Super Smash Bros. Wii U – Nintendo
- Titanfall – Electronic Arts/Respawn
Entertainment
Excellence in Technical Achievement: Awarded to the title
that exemplifies excellence in technical achievement
- Alien: Isolation – Sega/The Creative
Assembly
- Destiny – Activision/Bungie
- Dragon Age: Inquisition – Electronic
Arts/BioWare
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Warner Bros.
Interactive/Monolith Productions
- Sunset Overdrive – Microsoft Studios/Insomniac
Games
Excellence in Visual Achievement
- Alien: Isolation – Sega/The Creative
Assembly
- Far Cry 4 – Ubisoft/Ubisoft Montreal
- Monument Valley – ustwo
- Transistor – Supergiant Games
- The Vanishing of Ethan
Carter – The Astronauts
Excellence in Narrative: Awarded to the title that
exemplifies excellence in game narrative
- The Banner Saga – Versus Evil/Stoic Studio
- Dragon Age: Inquisition – Electronic
Arts/BioWare
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War – Ubisoft/Ubisoft
Montpellier
- The Wolf Among Us – Telltale Games
- Wolfenstein: The New Order – Bethesda
Softworks/MachineGames
Excellence in Design and Direction: Awarded to the title
that exemplifies excellence design and direction
- Dark Souls II – Bandai Namco Games/From
Software
- Dragon Age: Inquisition – Electronic
Arts/BioWare
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Warner Bros.
Interactive/Monolith Productions
- Sunset Overdrive – Microsoft Studios/Insomniac
Games
- The Talos Principle – Devolver
Digital/Croteam
Excellence in SFX: Awarded to the title that exemplifies
excellence game sound effects
- Alien: Isolation – Sega/The Creative
Assembly
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare –
Activision/Sledgehammer Games
- The Evil Within – Bethesda Softworks/Tango
Gameworks
- Far Cry 4 – Ubisoft/Ubisoft Montreal
- Titanfall – Electronic Arts/Respawn
Entertainment
Excellence in Musical Score: Awarded to the title that
exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score, and how it is
used to progress the narrative of a game
- The Banner Saga – Versus Evil/Stoic Studio
- Destiny – Activision/Bungie
- Child of Light – Ubisoft/Ubisoft Montreal
- Transistor – Supergiant Games
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War – Ubisoft/Ubisoft
Montpellier
Excellence in Multiplayer: Awarded to the title that
exemplifies excellence in multiplayer gaming
- Destiny – Activision/Bungie
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare –
Activision/Sledgehammer Games
- Super Smash Bros. Wii U – Nintendo
- Titanfall – Electronic Arts/Respawn
Entertainment
- Towerfall Ascension – Matt Makes Games
Excellence in Convergence: Awarded to the title that
exemplifies excellence and pure crossover appeal through multiple
mediums
- Alien: Isolation – Sega/The Creative
Assembly
- Disney Infinity 2.0 – Disney Interactive
Studios/Avalanche Software
- FIFA 15 – EA Sports/EA Canada
- South Park: The Stick of Truth – Ubisoft/Obsidian
Entertainment
- The Wolf Among Us – Telltale Games
Most Valuable Character
- Bigby Wolf (The Wolf Among
Us) – Telltale Games
- Ellie (The Last of Us: Left Behind) – Sony
Computer Entertainment/Naughty Dog
- The Goat (Goat Simulator) – Coffee Stain
Studios
- Octodad (Octodad: Dadliest Catch) – Young
Horses
- Red (Transistor) – Supergiant Games
Most Valuable Esports Team: Awarded to the Esports
team that exemplifies excellence in competitive gaming
- Alliance
- Cloud9
- Evil Geniuses
- Fnatic
- SK Gaming
Most Valuable Online Channel: Awarded to the online
channel that exemplifies excellence in online entertainment
- Cynical Brit
- Rooster Teeth
- SMOSH Games
- TheSyndicateProject
- VanossGaming
Most Valuable Add-On Content: Awarded to the title that
exemplifies excellence in add-on content
- Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea Series – 2K
Games/Irrational Games
- Dark Souls II: Crown of the King Series – Bandai
Namco Games/From Software
- Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Blizzard
Entertainment
- The Last of Us: Left Behind – Sony Computer
Entertainment/Naughty Dog
- World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor – Blizzard
Entertainment
Most Anticipated Crowdfunded Game: Awarded to the title
that exemplifies excellence as a crowdfunded game
- The Banner Saga – Versus Evil/Stoic Studio
- Divinity: Original Sin – Larian Studios
- Shovel Knight – Yacht Club Games
- Star Citizen –
Cloud Imperium Games
- Wasteland 2 – inXile Entertainment
Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award: Awarded to the
title that most challenges the "norm" of everyday gaming, and
offers a culturally innovative view of a game world, character or
gameplay
- Goat Simulator – Coffee Stain Studios
- The Last of Us: Left Behind – Sony Computer
Entertainment/Naughty Dog
- Never Alone – E-Line Media/Upper One Games
- This War of Mine – 11 bit studios
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War – Ubisoft/Ubisoft
Montpellier
Gamer's Voice Award: Awarded to the favorite game in the
Indie Corner as decided exclusively by gamers on the SXSW Gaming
Expo floor
- Apotheon – Alientrap Games
- Armikrog – Pencil Test Studios
- Assault Android Cactus – Witch Beam
- Cadence – Made With Monster Love
- Children of Morta – Dead Mage
- Chroma Squad – Behold Studios
- Darkest Dungeon – Red Hook Studios
- Extreme Exorcism – Golden
Ruby Games
- Gemini – Echostone Games
- Grow – CriKeT
Games
- Hyper Light Drifter – Heart Machine
- Ice-Bound – Down to the Wire
- Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes – Steel Crate
Games
- Lurking – DigiPen
Institute of Technology Singapore
- Noct- c3sk
- Nom Nom Galaxy – Q-Games
- Nova-111 – Funktronic Labs
- Push Me Pull You – House House
- ROCKETSROCKETSROCKETS – Radial Games
- Salt and Sanctuary – Ska Studios
- SoundSelf – Robin
Arnott
- SpeedRunners – tinyBuild Games
- Stardust Vanguards – Zanrai Interactive
- That Dragon, Cancer – Numinous Games
- The Escapists – Team17 Digital
- The Flame in the Flood – The Molasses Flood
- White Night – Osome Studio
- XING: The Land Beyond – White Lotus
Interactive
- Yomi's Gate – Spriteborne
- Zombie Night Terror – Jerome Levet
The submission process opened in August through the official
Gaming Awards page and closed in December. Finalists for the SXSW
Gaming Awards categories are selected and voted on by the SXSW
Gaming Advisory Board, consisting of more than 40 gaming, comic and
geek culture industry experts, and represent the game titles that
demonstrate the best and most innovative of the year in each
respective category. The game titles receiving the most
votes will be honored at the SXSW Gaming Awards.
To be considered for the Gamer's Voice Award games must have had
less than $1 million in funding; a
working and playable demo; and be released by the end of 2015 or
shortly thereafter.
Winners of the 2014 SXSW Gaming Awards included Nidhogg (Gamer's
Voice Award), Bioshock Infinite (Excellence in Art), Brothers: A
Tale of Two Sons (Excellence in Gameplay) and The Last of Us (Game
of the Year).
About SXSW Gaming
SXSW Gaming is an integral part of the SXSW experience. This
diverse and widely popular array of events combines well-loved
elements of geek culture with the cross-console video game world.
And it all happens in Austin,
Texas, a true hotbed for the expanding gaming industry. With
the Gaming Awards, panels, a free expo, rocking parties and
exceptional demos, no event bridges the gap between industry
insiders and the general public quite like SXSW Gaming.
About SXSW Interactive
The 22nd annual SXSW Interactive Festival returns to
Austin from Friday, March 13 through Tuesday, March 17. An incubator of cutting-edge
technologies and digital creativity, the 2015 event features five
days of compelling presentations and panels from the brightest
minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events
hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable lineup of special
programs showcasing the best new websites, video games and startup
ideas the community has to offer. From hands-on training to
big-picture analysis of the future, SXSW Interactive has become the
place to preview the technology of tomorrow today. Join us in
March 2015 for the sessions, the
networking, the evening events, the 18th Annual SXSW Interactive
Innovation Awards, SXSW Accelerator, the SXSW Gaming Expo, the SXSW
Trade Show, SXSW Create, the Digital Creative Job Market,
cross-industry conversations with attendees from SXSW Film and
SXSW Music, and, most of all, the unforgettable inspirational
experiences that only SXSW can deliver.
SXSW Interactive 2015 is sponsored by Miller Lite, Esurance,
AT&T, IFC, Mazda, Monster Energy, McDonald's, Philips, Capital
One, and The Austin Chronicle.
Media Contact:
Kelly Krause
1-512-467-7979
kelly@sxsw.com
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SOURCE South by Southwest