The Unreal E3 Awards by GamesBeat are back! After an awesome showing by developers and publishers last year, we’re pleased to partner with VentureBeat again to bring more recognition to the talented teams showcasing great games and VR experiences at or nearby the Los Angeles Convention Center during E3 2016.
Here’s how it works: If you’ll be be announcing or demonstrating an Unreal Engine game at E3, shoot an email to [email protected] to get it on our radar. Details you provide will be kept strictly confidential.
If you miss this step, don’t worry. We’ll be attending many press conferences and events, and scouring the show floor the whole week. If you’re making news or showing your Unreal Engine game anywhere, you are eligible. Epic is rounding up a massive list of games for the GamesBeat editors to review, and the editors will nominate and select our winners.
Here are a few folks on our respective teams that are covering the award candidates, so feel free to tweet at us and tag @UnrealEngine and @GamesBeat if you like: Dana Cowley (@danacowley), Chance Ivey (@iveytron), Daniel Kayser (@danielkayser), Dean Takahashi (@deantak), Giancarlo Valdez (@_boogs), Jason Wilson (@jason_wilson).
Judging will take place on Wednesday, June 15, and we’ll distribute awards on-site on Thursday, June 16. Stay tuned to YouTube.com/UnrealEngine for our E3 coverage!
Here’s the icing on the cake: The winning team of each Unreal E3 Award by GamesBeat will receive a brand new, incredibly powerful GTX 1080!
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Special thanks to NVIDIA for continuing to provide hardware prizes for this program.
In addition, we’re introducing a new component to our GamesBeat collaboration: Epic will select two teams out of the Unreal E3 Awards candidates pool to send to the GamesBeat Conference, August 1-3. These teams will be able to demonstrate their games or projects with exhibit space and signage courtesy of Epic. We are also working with GamesBeat to help curate a number of speakers for their new lightning talks.
Without further ado, here are our 2016 Unreal E3 Awards by GamesBeat categories:
THEME: HIGH-END VISUALS
NAME: "EYE CANDY"
This award is given to the most visually impressive Unreal Engine title at E3 2016 and rewards the usage of leading-edge graphics that push the medium of interactive entertainment forward.
THEME: DESIGN
NAME: "KILLER APP KILLER"
This award is given to the game that features the most compelling mechanics or intuitive design. Nominees will make us consider the possibilities of interactive entertainment and inspire others to think about the medium from a new perspective.
THEME: ADDICTIVE
NAME: "CAN'T STOP WON'T STOP"
This award is given to the experience that our judges simply can't put down. Nominees will make players forget about their surroundings and compel them to focus on the intended experience. The winner is simply awesome and will lead to fun-induced sleep deprivation.
THEME: ESTABLISHED IP
NAME: "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY! AGAIN"
This award is given to the most impressive project that is a part of an established IP with an energetic fanbase. Nominees will push their franchises forward while exciting both existing and new players about their worlds’ potential.
THEME: NEW IP
NAME: "THE HYPE IS REAL"
This award is given to the project with huge potential as an all-new IP. Nominees will spark interest in not just gameplay, but through original characters, worlds and the potential that is put on full display during E3 2016.
THEME: BUZZ
NAME: "WATERCOOLER MOMENT"
This award is given to the project that creates most talked about moment of E3 2016. From a major game reveal to an undeniably impressive demo or a major twist that flips the industry on its ear, this award goes to the Unreal Engine team or project that produces the most buzz.
THEME: IMMERSION
NAME: "THE GREAT ESCAPE"
This award is given to the VR experience with the deepest immersion. With the newfound capabilities of VR on full display, this project places people in truly believable worlds that excite the senses and inspire imaginations. Nominees will reinforce best practices of VR design and demonstrate how the medium is delivering absorbing experiences.
THEME: VR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
NAME: "VR VOODOO"
This award is given to the VR experience that best exemplifies outstanding technical achievement. Nominees will showcase stunning effects, highly-detailed characters or environments, fantastic physics or other aspects that support technical ambition and prowess in VR development.
THEME: AWESOME
NAME: "HARDWARE MOVER"
This award is given to the game that offers the most fun experience overall. Nominees will be equally as intuitive as they are innovative while providing players with a sense of wonder and enjoyment. This is a game that will move hardware units - be it VR headsets or consoles - right off the shelf.
THEME: TRIUMPH
NAME: "UNREAL UNDERDOG"
This award is given to the team that pushes the limits to achieve an amazing showing for their game or experience at E3. Focusing on not just the product, but the people and process behind it, this award acknowledges a team's perseverance to make a big splash at the show.
GamesBeat also has coverage on the Unreal E3 Awards call for submissions.
Check out the list of 2015 Unreal E3 Awards by GamesBeat winners. Best of luck to everyone preparing for the show! We look forward to seeing you soon.