This sponsored post is produced in association with Epic Games.
The Unreal E3 Awards return. Get your Unreal Engine–powered game noticed and win a brand new GTX 1080, provided by Nvidia. Enter by sending an email to E32016@unrealengine.com.
Last year, when GamesBeat partnered with Epic Games for the Unreal E3 Awards, developers submitted nearly 70 Unreal Engine–powered games to be showcased — and 11 were recognized as the top games and virtual experiences at the show.
GamesBeat called Epic’s Unreal Engine “the gold standard for many game developers,” and it was clear from the lineup that it’s for all types of entertainment. Games ranged the gamut from online battle co-ops to platformers, adventures, shooters, and more.
And while blockbusters made a showing with games like Gears of War 4, major players like Microsoft and Square Enix weren’t the only ones in the game. Indie teams of just a few members made a big splash with games like Adr1ft and Ashen.
What became crystal clear was that no matter the creator or the category, high-fidelity, large-scale games are continuing to stretch technology, storytelling, and social experiences in innovative, boundary-breaking ways.
“Narrowing down exactly who would get one of our 11 awards was more of a challenge than we initially thought it would be,” GamesBeat noted last year, with virtual reality games making up a wide swath of the competitors.
This year, the competition returns and developers who will be announcing or demonstrating an Unreal Engine game at E3 are invited to enter.
However, you’re also eligible if you’re making news or showing your Unreal Engine game anywhere. Throughout the week Epic will be attending press conferences and events as well as scouring the show floor at E3 to round up a list of exceptional games for GamesBeat editors to review.
There’s also going to be extensive coverage throughout E3 from both Epic and GamesBeat, so stay tuned to get the latest as things unfold.
Judging will take place on Wednesday, June 15, with awards announced on-site on Thursday, June 16.
And besides the fame and glory? The winning team of each Unreal E3 Award by GamesBeat will receive a brand new GTX 1080 provided by Nvidia.
Epic will also be selecting two teams from the Unreal E3 Awards candidate pool to send to GamesBeat 2016, August 1 to 3. These teams will be able to demonstrate their games or projects with exhibit space and signage courtesy of Epic.
Got what it takes? Check out the 10 categories that games will be judged on.
2016 Unreal E3 Awards categories
Eye Candy: High-end Visuals
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.
Killer App Killer: Design
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.
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: Addictive
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.
Shut Up and Take My Money: Established IP
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.
The Hype is Real: New IP
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.
Watercooler Moment: Buzz
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.
The Great Escape: Immersion
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.
VR Voodoo: Technical Achievement
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.
Hardware Mover: Awesome
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.
Unreal Underdog: Triumph
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.
Check out the list of last year’s Unreal E3 Awards winners, read more about awards entry at the Unreal Engine blog, and subscribe toYouTube.com/UnrealEngine for E3 coverage from Epic Games.
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