Celebrating its tenth year, the annual New York Game Awards, presented by the New York Videogame Critics Circle, takes this year’s Awards show globally with a virtual-only event later this month – and nominations include Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners.
The virtual event will feature an “incomparable” group of presenters and performers, including former Legend Award winners, performances by new and returning musical guests and a collection of industry greats (to be announced soon).
The Awards celebrate the NYVGCC’s non-profit work in underserved communities, as well as the best games and game developers in the industry.
From Best AR/VR Game and Best Music in a Game, to Best Mobile Game and Best Kids Game, the New York Game Awards all level up to the Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year, announced at the awards ceremony hosted by award-winning journalist/author and founder of the New York Videogame Critics Circle, Harold Goldberg, with Reggie Fils-Aimé, former President and COO of Nintendo of America, who was the recipient of the 2020 Andrew Yoon Legend Award at last year’s 9th annual New York Game Awards ceremony.
With esports events booming, a new category in this year’s Awards is the Shea Stadium Award for Best Esports Event.
Among the nominees this year is Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, released in early 2020 by Skydance Interactive, a division of Skydance Media, and Skybound Entertainment, a survival horror VR game set in The Walking Dead universe on Oculus Rift, Rift S, Quest (via Link cable only) and HTC Vive.
Featuring an original storyline, freedom of choice and visceral combat, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners offers a deep-rooted VR gaming experience in which players must fight to survive the flooded ruins of New Orleans, surrounded by unending herds of walkers and torn apart by warfare between the remaining survivors. Players will explore this expansive world as they fight their way through humans and walkers, scavenge weapons and supplies, make brutal moral choices and uncover a mystery that will determine the future for everyone left alive in NOLA.
Another nominated comics tie-in, for Best Writing and Best Music, is Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the action-adventure game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
In the game, teenager Miles Morales is adjusting to his new home while following in the footsteps of his mentor, Peter Parker, as a new Spider-Man. But when a fierce power struggle threatens to destroy his new home, the aspiring hero realises that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. To save all of Marvel’s New York, Miles must take up the mantle of Spider-Man and own it…
“We’ve had a blast preparing for the virtual New York Game Awards event,” said New York Videogame Critics Circle founder and board president, Harold Goldberg. “Sometimes when you flip an event on its head you come up with an even better way to celebrate.”
“It’s an exciting time to see the New York Game Awards pivot to a virtual-only event, making the tenth annual event such a global celebration of the organisation’s good work,” said Reggie Fils-Aimé.
“I’ve been honoured to participate in a number of the New York Videogame Critics Circle’s activities this year, from mentoring students to making the organisation’s podcasts a must-listen; co-hosting this year’s event is another high-point for me.”
New York Game Awards Nominees
• PC and Video Games on Amazon UK (Affiliate Link)
Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- The Last of Us Part II
- Final Fantasy VII: Remake
- DOOM Eternal
- Yakuza: Like A Dragon
- Hades
Central Park Children’s Zoo Award for Best Kids Game
- Dreams
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Moving Out
- Good Job!
- Drake Hollow
- Sackboy: A Big Adventure
- Astro’s Playroom
A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game
- Roundguard
- Necrobarista
- Creaks
- Little Orpheus
- Good Sudoku
- Genshin Impact
- Wide Ocean Big Jacket
Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best AR/VR Game
- Half-Life: Alyx
- Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
- Dreams
- Paper Beast
- Star Wars Squadrons
• PC and Video Games on Amazon UK (Affiliate Link)
Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- The Longing: Patience
- Hades
- Fall Guys
- Spiritfarer
- Umurangi Generation
Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Final Fantasy VII: Remake
- The Last of Us Part II
- Teenage Blob
- Hades
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Fuser
- Ghost of Tsushima
Statue of Liberty Award for Best World
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Final Fantasy VII: Remake
- Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Hades
- Umarangi Generation
- Demon’s Souls
- Cyberpunk 2077 (for PC)
• PC and Video Games on Amazon UK (Affiliate Link)
Herman Melville Award for Best Writing
- The Last of Us Part II
- If Found
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Hades
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Cyberpunk 2077(for PC)
- Treachery in Beatdown City
Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game
- Laura Bailey as Abby in The Last of Us Part II
- Ashley Johnson as Ellie in The Last of Us Part II
- Briana White as Aerith in Final Fantasy VII: Remake
- August Aiden as Tyler Ronan in Tell Me Why
- Logan Cunningham as Lord Hades / Poseidon / Achilles / Charon / The Storyteller / Asterius in Hades
- Nadji Jeter as Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand in Cyberpunk 2077
Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake
- Final Fantasy VII: Remake
- Resident Evil 3
- Mr. Driller: DrillLand
- Black Mesa
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2
- Demon’s Souls
Captain Award for Best Esports Team
- DAMWOM Gaming
- San Francisco Shock
- Red Bull OG
- Dallas Empire
- TSM
Shea Stadium Award for Best Esports Event
- Street Fighter League
- Overwatch League
- League of Legends Worlds
- IEM Katowice
- Mortal Kombat 11 Final Kombat
For the tenth anniversary of the Awards, not just one, but four industry greats will be honoured with the Andrew Yoon Legend Award. These Awards will be streamed over three nights (7th January, 14th January and 21st January) via Twitch and YouTube at 8.00pm ET.
Past recipients include Reggie Fils-Aimé, Jade Raymond, Richard Garriott, Todd Howard, Rockstar Games and Ralph Baer. The Legend Award recognises individuals and organisations that exhibit a significant, sustained body of work that shows exceptional achievement and innovation.
The New York Game Awards relies on its sponsoring donors to bring the show to life, with a special thanks to platinum donor, Genvid Technologies, the leader in interactive livestreaming. Their generous support helps the New York Videogame Critics Circle continue to grow game industry mentorship programs. Check out Genvid Technology’s latest project, Rival Peak, here.
Based in Manhattan, the New York Videogame Critics Circle is a not-for-profit multicultural organisation comprised of 40 of the finest videogame critics, writers, reporters and bloggers and in the nation. Members of the NYVGCC give back to their communities by providing scholarships, mentoring and community outreach to NYC schools students. The New York Videogame Critics Circle sees great benefit in advocating for those who are less fortunate.
Its members are a culturally diverse and passionate group of videogame journalists from media outlets including Tom’s Guide, CNET, Time and The Washington Post; view a full list of members here.
• The previously ticketed and in-person-only New York Game Awards event will stream free for all via Twitch and YouTube on 26th January 2021 at 8.00pm ET (pre-show starts at 7:30pm)
• PC and Video Games on Amazon UK (Affiliate Link)
• For more information on getting involved through volunteering or fundraising with the NYVGCC, click here.
• Click here for more information on the New York Videogame Critics Circle or contact founder Harold Goldberg at mediacur@gmail.com. To donate, click here
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: downthetubes News, Games, Other Worlds, US Comics
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