As far as mainstream awards ceremonies for videogames go, they don’t get much bigger than The Game Awards. The show will return later this year and be available in VR.
That is according to event creator and producer Geoff Keighley. Last night Keighley took to Twitter to post an image of a banner hanging outside the LA Convention Center, home of the 2016 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), which gets underway next week. The banner reveals that this year’s show will be held on December 1st, but also states that it will be available in VR. Other details are scarce, though Keighley did confirm that more information would be arriving this summer.
Banners starting to go up at @E3 so I can confirm @thegameawards return December 1st. More details this summer. pic.twitter.com/Zob8Vv0rFP
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) June 10, 2016
We can only assume this means The Game Awards will be livestreamed in 360 degrees, which fans will be able to watch through headsets like Gear VR. We also wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Oculus VR itself had a hand in making this happen; last year the VR specialist showcased Rock Band VR for the Oculus Rift at the event. Perhaps we can expect to see another reveal from the company this year, though that’s getting ahead a little ahead of ourselves; let’s see what Oculus has in-store for E3 itself first.
It’s also going to be interesting to see if this year’s awards will feature a VR category. Both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are now available with plenty of games and experiences out, and PlayStation VR is due to launch in October with 50 games available by the end of the year. There’s more than enough material for such a section, though we’re arguably yet to see many experiences that are truly award-worthy. That’s not stopping some; the third annual Proto Awards, which focus specifically on VR, will be held soon.
For now, though, let’s get back to next week’s big show.
