Entry Process for Third Annual SXSW Gaming Awards Closes December 4
Finalists to receive two complimentary badges to SXSW 2016
AUSTIN, Texas (December 1, 2015) — As the year closes, South by Southwest (SXSW) Gaming announced today the presenters for its third-annual SXSW Gaming Awards – taking place on Saturday, March 19 at 8 p.m. at the Hilton Austin Downtown. This year’s show will be hosted by rising YouTube megastar Séan “Jacksepticeye” William McLoughlin and internationally-recognized esports host Rachel Quirico.
The SXSW Gaming Awards will honor major studio and indie game titles across 21 categories. Entries for this year’s awards close Friday, December 4 at 11:59 p.m. CT. After this deadline, SXSW staff and the SXSW Gaming Advisory Board will review all entries to produce a list of approximately 100 finalists. All SXSW Gaming Awards finalists receive a choice between either two SXSW Gold badges or two SXSW Music badges.
Attendance at the SXSW Gaming Awards is free to gaming enthusiasts of all ages — badges are not required for entry.
“We’ve struck a magical chord with the Gaming Awards. We continue to see more and more tremendous games entered each year – in 2015, we received more than 400 entries and we expect even more for the 2016 competition,” said Justin Burnham, Producer of SXSW Gaming. “With this in mind, we couldn’t be more excited to have Jacksepticeye and Rachel as our hosts at this year’s show to showcase the best of the gaming industry.”
New to this year is a split in the “Gamer’s Voice” award, which recognizes the best of indie gaming, into separate single player and multiplayer categories. From all entries for this award, SXSW Gaming will curate 24 finalists to receive a free 10×10 booth on the SXSW Gaming Expo floor, which will take place at the Austin Convention Center from March 17 – 19, 2016. From there, the ultimate award winner is determined by a public vote on the Expo floor.
For a full list of past SXSW Gaming Award winners and emcees, please visit the SXSW website.
The official entry form for the SXSW Gaming Awards can be found here and is only eligible for titles released within the 2015 calendar year. There is no cost to enter.
The official entry form for the Gamer’s Voice awards can be found here and is only eligible for indie titles released within the 2015 calendar year, or planned to be released within the 2016 calendar year. There is no cost to enter.
Sponsors of this year’s SXSW Gaming Awards include Windows Games DX, Curse, and G2A.
SXSW Gaming Awards Categories:
- Game of the Year: Awarded to the game that best exemplifies overall excellence.
- Tabletop Game of the Year: Awarded to the best tabletop game that exemplifies overall excellence.
- Mobile Game of the Year: Awarded to the best game of any handheld device that exemplifies overall excellence.
- Excellence in Gameplay: Awarded to the game with the best gameplay mechanics.
- Excellence in Art: Awarded to the game with the most outstanding artistic style.
- Excellence in Animation: Awarded to the game with the most outstanding animation effects and graphics.
- Excellence in Technical Achievement: Awarded to the game that best uses technology to enhance the gaming experience.
- Excellence in Visual Achievement: Awarded to the game with the most stunning visuals.
- Excellence in Narrative: Awarded to the game with the best storyline and dialogue.
- Excellence in Design: Awarded to the game with the best overall design concept and best execution.
- Excellence in SFX: Awarded to the game with the most outstanding and impactful sound effects.
- Excellence in Musical Score: Awarded to the game that best exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score and how it progresses the narrative of the game.
- Excellence in Multiplayer: Awarded to the game with the best player-to-player interaction experience.
- Excellence in Convergence: Awarded to the game that excels in crossover to other entertainment mediums such as film, music, toys, animation, sports and more.
- Most Enduring Character: Awarded to the best game character that left an overwhelming impression.
- Most Valuable Esports Team: Awarded to the professional team that excels in performance and provides the most valuable impact in its competitive scene.
- Most Entertaining Online Personality: Awarded to the online gaming-related personality that consistently entertains and keeps us watching with its humor, stories, special effects, and more.
- Most Fulfilling Crowdfunded Game: Awarded to the game that was primarily produced via platforms such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, or playable through Early Access, that excelled beyond the expectations set before it.
- Most Promising New Intellectual Property: Awarded to a new property that risked creating something fresh and that excelled within its genre or category for the year.
- Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award: Awarded to the game that best challenges the “norm” of everyday gaming and offers a culturally innovative view of a game world, character, or gameplay.
- Gamer’s Voice Award: Awarded to the best game created by indie developers, selected by SXSW Gaming Expo attendees.
About Séan “Jacksepticeye” William McLoughlin
“Jacksepticeye” is the self-proclaimed “most energetic video game commentator on YouTube.” He currently has over 7 million subscribers, close to 3 billion views, and over 1900 uploaded videos. Jack’s channel is the most subscribed and watched in Ireland and is one of the fastest growing channels on all of YouTube. He gained major recognition after a shoutout from PewDiePie and has only grown more and more since. Jack shows a wide variety of games and styles on his channel from over the top, bombastic gameplay commentary to a more humble and down to earth side in his vlogs. He keeps a very consistent schedule for his uploads and engages heavily with viewers and subscribers by answering hundreds of comments daily.
About Rachel Quirico
Rachel “Seltzer” Quirico began her career in esports as a competitive Team Fortress 2 player for PMS Clan. After years of competing and an appearance on the television show WCG Ultimate Gamer, Rachel put aside her controller in favor of a microphone in order to bring her love of gaming to a mainstream audience. Rachel seeks to highlight the excitement and personalities of the pro gaming scene she loves, and since 2010, she has published over 300 interviews with pro players across 15+ games. Additionally, as a host/emcee for well over 30 events spanning Korea, Europe, and the US, Rachel has established herself as an esport icon and one of the scene’s most recognizable female faces. She currently streams on Twitch on her own channel under Seltzer.
Related: Wearable Tech & Homeland Security: A Wrapup of What Went Down at SXSW
Source: Press Release
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