SXSW Interactive Adds Awards Ceremony to Growing Gaming Expo

SXSW Gaming Awards to Honor Major Studio, Indie and Fan-Submitted Games

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Sep 12, 2013, 02:31 ET

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival today announced the inaugural SXSW Gaming Awards to take place on Saturday evening, March 8, 2014 at the Dell Hall, located in the Long Center for the Performing Arts. The Gaming Awards will honor major studio and indie game titles in 15 categories, including the SXSW Gamer's Voice Award, recognizing the best independent developer-submitted game.

The SXSW Gaming Awards complements the 2014 SXSW Gaming Expo, which runs March 7-9. Located at the Palmer Events Center (adjacent to the Long Center), the SXSW Gaming Expo is a free event open to the public of all ages.

"2013 was a banner year for the SXSW Gaming Expo, and its success clearly demonstrates that the SXSW Interactive and local communities have embraced the gaming and geek culture. The addition of the SXSW Gaming Awards will not only provide another opportunity to bridge the gap between industry leaders and these communities, but to also honor the best mainstream and indie games in a way that only SXSW can achieve," said SXSW Interactive Director Hugh Forrest.

Categories for the 2014 SXSW Gaming Awards include:

Gamer's Voice Award: Awarded to the best indie developed game, selected in part by SXSW Gaming Expo attendees.
Game of the Year: Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies gaming excellence.
Excellence in Gameplay: Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in gameplay mechanics.
Excellence in Art: Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in art and design.
Excellence in Animation: Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in animation.
Excellence in Technical Achievement: Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in technical achievement.
Excellence in Narrative: Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in game narrative.
Excellence in Design and Direction: Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in design and direction.
Texas Arts Achievement Award: Awarded to a Texas-based studio or game for their achievements in game development.
Excellence in Gaming Marketing: Awarded to the most memorable marketing campaign for a game title or hardware.
Convergence Award: Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence and pure crossover appeal through multiple mediums.
Cultural Innovation in Gaming: Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that most challenges the "norm" of everyday gaming and offers a culturally innovative view of a game world, character or gameplay.
Excellence in SFX: Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in game sound effects.
Excellence in Musical Score: Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score and how it is used to progress the narrative of a game.
Best Multiplayer Game: Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in multiplayer gaming.

PLEASE NOTE: All categories award games that were released during the January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013 calendar year.

For studios or publishers wanting their new titles to be considered for the 2014 SXSW Gaming Awards, please email [email protected].

If you are an independent developer, then you are encouraged to submit your innovative and creative projects for the SXSW Gamer's Voice Award. The top 10 SXSW Gamer's Voice nominees selected by SXSW Gaming staff will be granted free space in the Indie Showcase, March 7-9 on the 2014 SXSW Gaming Expo floor. Attendees will have a chance to demo their games and vote for their favorite. The winner will take home the first-ever SXSW Gamer's Voice Award at the Gaming Awards show.

The deadline to submit for the SXSW Gamer's Voice Award is Friday, December 13, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. CST. There is no application fee, however, applicants must have not raised over $2 million in funding from combined resources and be at least 18 years of age. Additionally, submitted games must have launched no earlier than August 30, 2013 and no later than May 30, 2014. To apply for the SXSW Gamer's Voice Award and additional information, including rules and regulations, visit the official SXSW Gamer's Voice Award submission website.

For information on the SXSW Gaming Awards, please visit: http://sxsw.com/interactive/awards.

About SXSW Gaming

Scheduled Friday, March 7 through Sunday, March 9, 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 SXSW 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 the SXSW Interactive Festival

The 21st annual SXSW Interactive Festival returns to Austin from Friday, March 7 through Tuesday, March 11. An incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity, the 2014 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 2014 for the sessions, the networking, the evening events, the 17th Annual SXSW Interactive 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.