The PlayStation Experience wasn’t the only big event to take place in Las Vegas this weekend, as the community of gamers also flocked to the first ever Game Awards event on Friday night.
The event, set to replace the yearly VGX awards usually hosted by Spike, was aired online across various channels, including YouTube and Twitch, along with game networks like Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. The Game Awards were put together by Geoff Keighley, a co-host of the GameTrailers programs who also hosted the yearly Spike awards when they were happening.
Not only was the event a celebration of various game development accomplishments in 2014, but they were also a venue for new game announcements, including the return of Sierra’s King’s Quest franchise (complete with trailer, below) and the debut of other new projects, such as Before and a game based on the Godzilla franchise.
For a first year show, the Game Awards have proven to be a huge success, with Keighley raving about early viewership numbers. “Wow, just saw some initial viewer numbers for @thegameawards – blown away,” he tweeted. “Thank you for tuning in and supporting me.”
With big game companies like Nintendo on board – and a keen interest returning following last year’s lackluster VGX presentation – it appears that the Game Awards will be around for some time. Savvy game marketers will be eyeing next year’s event for more opportunities to make an impression on millions of gamers.
