It's had a handful of names over the years. The Video Game Awards, VGX and starting last year, host Geoff Keighley rebooted the broadcast as The Game Awards, a two-hour program with a focus on live streaming, exclusive announcements and an overall celebration of the games industry.
On Thursday, developers, fans and talent came together to celebrate the past year in gaming. Though, CD Project Red's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and indie title Her Story each took home more than a couple awards, there was plenty of fun to be had throughout the night.
World Premieres
While not quite as spectacular as past Game Awards announcements, (see: Skyrim, Batman:Arkham City, The Last of Us) this year's show had more than a few surprises up its sleeve.
Naughty Dog showed off a new trailer for
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
, revealing a new character. Ubisoft brought the prehistoric goods in a gameplay reveal for February's
Far Cry Primal
and Remedy's Xbox One-exclusive
Quantum Break
still looks like a weird and ambiguous time-stopping adventure.
On top of that, 2009's
Shadow Complex
is getting remastered for PC, Xbox One and PS4, and the insane and over-the-top
Rocket League
is coming to the Xbox One in 2016.
But, like always, the real fun comes from the total surprises. We got a teaser for a Batman game from Telltale, makers of The Walking Dead episodic game series and The Wolf Among Us and countless others. They also showed off a new title for their TWD spinoff, Michonne, set for release early next year.
Then came Psychonauts 2, the long-awaited sequel to the cult classic. And surprise, surprise, it'll be crowdfunded. We also got a glimpse of Rock Band VR, a new title from Oculus Studios and Harmonix. Looks they're feeling the heat from Guitar Hero Live.
And then of course, there were the awards.
Award Winners
Game of the Year -
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Developer of the Year - CD Projekt Red (The Witcher series)
Best Action/Adventure Game - Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Best Fighting Game - Mortal Kombat X
Best Sports/Racing Game - Rocket League
Best Multiplayer - Splatoon
Best Family Game - Super Mario Maker
Best Score/Soundtrack - Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Best Performance - Viva Seifert in Her Story
Best Mobile/Handheld Game - Lara Croft Go
Best Independent Game - Rocket League
Best Narrative - Her Story
Best Art Direction - Ori and the Blind Forest
Games for Change Award - Life is Strange
Most Anticipated Game - No Man's Sky
eSports Team of the Year - Optic Gaming
eSports Game of the Year - Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Trending Gamer - Greg Miller
Best Fan Creation - Portal Stories: Mel (Prism Studios)
