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Finalists in 21 Categories Announced for Third Annual SXSW Gaming AwardsAUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- South by Southwest (SXSW) Gaming today announced the finalists for the third annual SXSW Gaming Awards, presented by Windows Games DX, Curse, G2A, IGN, Porter Novelli and Imaginary Forces. Taking place Saturday, March 19 at 8 p.m. CST in the Austin Grand Ballroom on the 6th Floor of the Hilton Downtown Austin, the Gaming Awards will honor indie and major game studio titles in 21 categories. The SXSW Gaming Awards are free and open to the public of all ages with a SXSW Guest Pass and streamed online at http://sxsw.is/23g6kEc. All Interactive, Music, Film, Gold, and Platinum badgeholders receive early entry and preferred seating. The SXSW Gaming Awards is an extension of the SXSW Gaming event. New for 2016: SXSW Gaming takes place March 17-19, 2016 inside the Austin Convention Center downtown (500 E Cesar Chavez Street). "First, congratulations are in order for all of our entrants and finalists. This year we saw a record number of entries and an incredibly diverse set of games," said Justin Burnham, SXSW Gaming Producer. "This year's show – thanks to the help of our hosts and finalists, is going to be one of the best yet. We can't wait to see which titles take home this year's Awards." Winners for the Gaming Awards will be determined in part by a public vote that will take place from Monday, February 1 to 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, February 12. The ballot can be found online at http://sxsw.is/1WHAv2u, courtesy of IGN. Keeping the evening exciting and fun, YouTube megastar Séan "Jacksepticeye" William McLoughlin, and internationally-recognized esports host Rachel "Seltzer" Quirico will kick off the Gaming Awards show as this year's hosts. Out of a record 527 titles entered in the competition, this year's SXSW Gaming Awards finalists include: Game of the Year: Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a distinct gaming experience across all platforms and genres
Tabletop Game of the Year: Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and ingenuity of any tabletop game in any genre
Mobile Game of the Year: Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a unique gaming experience on any handheld device
Excellence in Gameplay: Awarded to the game with the best gameplay mechanics
Excellence in Art: Awarded to the game with the most expressive and creative 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 pushed the capabilities of technology and programming
Excellence in Visual Achievement: Awarde to the game with the most well-designed and 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 crowdfunding platforms and had 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 favorite game in the Indie Corner as decided exclusively by attendees on the SXSW Gaming Expo floor. Indie Corner is a spot in the Expo where anyone can test out 40 indie games. This year's Gamer's Voice Award is split between unique multiplayer and singleplayer categories. MULTIPLAYER FINALISTS:
SINGLEPLAYER FINALISTS:
To celebrate the best of indie gaming, all 40 Gamer's Voice finalists will receive a free 10 x 10 booth at the SXSW Gaming Expo. The free booths will enable attendees to play each of these games and then vote for their top Gamer's Voice titles. How Did The Gaming Awards Entry Process Work? The entry process opened in August through the official Gaming Awards page and closed in December. Finalists for the SXSW Gaming Awards categories were selected and voted on by the SXSW Gaming Advisory Board, which consists of more than 40 gaming, comic and geek culture industry experts. Each year's nominated game titles demonstrate the best and most innovative games in each respective category. The game titles that receive the most votes will be honored at the SXSW Gaming Awards as the winner of its category. To be considered for the Gamer's Voice Award, games must have been produced with a small development team on minimal resources; provide a working and playable demo; and be released in 2015 or 2016. About SXSW Gaming SXSW Gaming 2016 will take place from Thursday, March 17, 2016 through Saturday, March 19, 2016 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. SXSW Gaming is free and open to the public with a SXSW Guest Pass. For more information on SXSW Guest Pass, visit: http://guestpass.sxsw.com/ About the South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conferences & Festivals The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conferences & Festivals offer the unique industry convergence of music, film, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery. The event is a launch pad for innovative content with new media presentations, music showcases and film screenings providing exposure for creators and compelling entertainment for attendees. For more information, please visit http://www.sxsw.com. SXSW 2016 takes place March 11-20 in Austin, TX. SXSW 2016 is sponsored by Esurance, Mazda, Monster Energy, Capital One, The Austin Chronicle and Sonicbids. Press Contact:
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/finalists-in-21-categories-announced-for-third-annual-sxsw-gaming-awards-300209350.html SOURCE SXSW 
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