June 9, 2015 – LOS ANGELES and WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) today announced the official selections for the 2015 Into the Pixel (ITP, #IntoThePixel) collection. Created in 2004 and now in its 12th year, the annual ITP art exhibit honors video game artists who continue to push the interactive entertainment art form forward. Co-produced by the ESA and AIAS, the 2015 ITP collection will be shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the world’s premier trade show for video games and related products, from June 16-18, 2015, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in the Concourse Foyer.
“Into the Pixel’s 2015 collection is the most diverse collection we have yet seen. The submissions this year spanned an astonishing array of visual styles, with artists taking inspiration from the histories of art and literature, architecture, world cultures, mythology, cinema, every imaginable sphere of pop culture and of course the history of gaming itself,” said Glenn R. Phillips, Curator, Modern & Contemporary Collections, Getty Research Institute. “It is such a pleasure for me to take part in this jury and to see the range of creative intelligence at work in building these astonishing visual worlds.”
“Into the Pixel is an impactful symbol of the visual and interactive art that makes video games unique and compelling,” said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO and president of ESA. “This collection embodies the spirit of the best of innovation, interaction and storytelling, which are the key drivers behind the global embrace and popularity of the industry.”
“The Academy and the ESA are proud to honor these winning artists covering so many varied styles, narratives and subject matter from our interactive entertainment medium,” said Martin Rae, president, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. “I’d like to thank our diverse panel of jurists who all have a deep appreciation for the creativity that comes from video games. Great care and spirited debate went into curating the 2015 collection and we are exceedingly proud of the 18 pieces – especially our first ever sculptural piece!”
This year’s Into the Pixel includes key pieces selected from a variety of genres. Winners are listed below and can be found, along with images, at: www.intothepixel.com:
| Game | Title | Artist(s) | Publisher | Developer |
| Armikrog | Armikrog Emerald Room | Ed Schofield, Samantha Cadier, Mike Dietz, Bree Paulsen | Versus Evil | Pencil Test Studios |
| Assassin’s Creed Syndicate | The Slums | Hugo Puzzuoli | Ubisoft | Ubisoft Quebec |
| Battleborn | Rendain | Herman Ng | 2K Games | Gearbox Software |
| Destiny | The Graveyard | Dorje Bellbrook | Activision | Bungie |
| Far Cry 4 | The Protector’s Arrival | Kay Huang | Ubisoft | Ubisoft Montreal (lead studio), Ubisoft Toronto (associate studio) |
| Guild Wars 2 | Fallen Logs | Theo Prins | NCSOFT | ArenaNet |
| Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft | Gnomes versus Goblins | Laurel Austin | Blizzard Entertainment | Blizzard Entertainment |
| King’s Quest | A Rock And A Hard Place | Evan Cagle | Sierra | The Odd Gentlemen |
| King’s Quest | Good Knight Stories | Evan Cagle | Sierra | The Odd Gentlemen |
| Monument Valley | Labyrinth | David Fernández-Huerta | ustwo | ustwo games |
| Never Alone | Adrift | Dima Veryovka | E-Line Media | E-Line Media/Seattle and Upper One games |
| Ori and the Blind Forest | Ori and Naru | Johannes Figlhuber, Max Degen | Microsoft Studios | Moon Studios |
| Overwatch | The World Needs Heroes | Arnold Tsang | Blizzard Entertainment | Blizzard Entertainment |
| Quantum Break | The Night Shift | Ville Joonas Assinen | Microsoft Studios | Remedy Entertainment |
| The Order: 1886 | Blackwall Vista | Martin Bergstrom | Sony Computer Entertainment | Ready At Dawn Studios |
| The Wolf Among Us | The Trip Trap Tavern | David Bogan (models: Jason Findley, Steve Moore, Megan Gritzfeld, Erik Ose) | Telltale Games | Telltale Games |
| What Remains of Edith Finch | Lived In Kitchen | Theo Aretos | Sony Computer Entertainment – Santa Monica Studio External Development | Giant Sparrow |
| World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor | Grommash Maquette | Brian Fay | Blizzard Entertainment | Blizzard Entertainment |
The 2015 ITP jurists are:
- Bob Rafei, founder, CEO and visual director, Big Red Button Entertainment;
- Glenn Phillips, acting head, Department of Architecture and Contemporary Art, Getty Research Institute;
- Jon Gibson, founder and partner, iam8bit;
- Matt Hall, senior concept artist, Double Helix/Amazon;
- Nora Dolan, independent curator;
- Patricia Lanza, director of talent and content, The Annenberg Space for Photography; and
- Seth Spaulding, art manager, Blizzard Entertainment.
