LOS ANGELES (November 9, 2017) – The video game industry’s biggest night, and one of the Internet’s biggest live stream events, is about to get even bigger. Today The Game Awards announced that its 2017 gala event, scheduled to air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday, December 7 in 4K Ultra HD format, will celebrate the best games, eSports, and members of the gaming community with a live stream available on more than 16 gaming and digital streaming platforms, including localized versions for Chinese, South Korean and Japanese audiences. In addition, fans will be able to vote on select categories using Facebook Messenger, Google Search, Twitter DM, and at TheGameAwards.com.
Hailed by The New York Times as “The Oscars of the gaming world,” The Game Awards reached over 8.5 million viewers in 2016. The show brings together game industry creators, eSports champions, digital influencers and Hollywood names for a night of awards, exclusive game world premieres, new game announcements and musical performances. The Game Awards is available to watch for free across almost every major mobile, desktop and console devices used to play video games. Live distribution partners for 2017 include AfreecaTV (South Korea), Facebook, GameSpot, KakaoTV (South Korea), IGN, NicoNico (Japan), Mixer, PlayStation Store, Steam, Tencent (China), Twitch, Twitter, UOL Jogos (Brazil), Xbox Live, YouTube (in 4K Ultra HD), and more to be announced. Highlights will also be featured in a Snapchat Live Story.
“The Game Awards unites the global gaming community, no matter who you are, where you live, or what type of video games you enjoy,” said Geoff Keighley, creator/executive producer of The Game Awards. “This year we are excited to add even more partners to our distribution matrix, give fans new ways to interact with the show, and introduce several exciting new elements including The Game Awards Orchestra.”
Debuting at the 2017 show, The Game Awards Orchestra is all-star group of some of the world’s most talented orchestral and rock musicians. These acclaimed artists will be joined by special guests for a one-night-only performance of the music featured in video games of the past, present and future.
Fans can help pick the winners in select categories via online voting across several digital and social platforms, including TheGameAwards.com. The Game Awards is partnering with Google for a voting experience directly accessible on Google Search (simply type “The Game Awards voting” into the search bar for easy access to a voting ballot). Fans can also vote for certain award categories via Facebook Messenger and Twitter Direct Message. Voting will commence on Tuesday, November 14 when the nominees are announced in more than 25 categories.
Globally, The Game Awards will once again partner with Tencent to air the show live in China, including on QQ.com. In addition to watching a live translated version of the show and an exclusive pre-show, Chinese viewers can use WeChat, QQ.com and Tencent News App to vote on a special “Fans Choice Award,” based on nominees selected by Tencent’s gaming editors. The Game Awards will also air live translated versions of the show in other territories including Brazil (in partnership with UOL Jogos), Japan (in partnership with NicoNico), and South Korea (on KakaoTV and AfreecaTV).
On Twitter, The Game Awards will once again air live globally, creating a unified experience for viewers to watch and comment on gaming’s biggest night. In addition to an on-site activation at the event, this year a custom #TheGameAwards emoji will enhance the live conversation on Twitter, and, for the first time, users will be able to vote on select categories via Twitter DM. Live Twitter comments on breaking news and the results of Twitter user polls will be integrated into the broadcast.
The Game Awards is teaming up with Facebook for an integrated experience around this year’s Awards. In addition to airing The Game Awards on Facebook Live, Facebook Watch will be the exclusive home for a 5-week behind the scenes series, “The Road to The Game Awards.” Premiering the week of November 13th, this docu-reality series takes viewers behind the scenes during the final month of production on the awards. Facebook will also create a special Backstage room at the show, where nominees and digital influencers can go live on their pages to interact with fans in real time.
Returning for 2017 is “The Game Awards Sale,” an opportunity for fans on PlayStation Store, Steam, Xbox Live and other platforms to purchase nominated games at a discount. More details on the sale will be released in early December.
The Game Awards is executive produced by Geoff Keighley and Kimmie H. Kim. LeRoy Bennett is creative director, and Rich Preuss is director.
Nominees for The Game Awards will be announced at 10 AM ET / 7 AM PT on Tuesday, November 14. News on world premieres, presenters, honorees, and other musical performances will be announced in the coming weeks leading into the live show on Thursday, December 7.
Tickets to attend The Game Awards are now on sale for purchase via AXS.com, including a special VIP package with a pre-show reception.
For more information and to stay up to date on the latest announcements, please visit www.thegameawards.com
