Every year, Unreal Engine celebrates the hard work of its development community with the Unreal E3 Awards. With E3 in full swing, we reached out to Unreal Engine to see how the nominating process was going.
NVIDIA: Could you please provide us with an idea on how nominees and winners are determined? With so many great candidates, debates must get pretty heated!
Unreal Engine: Well fortunately our categories are pretty clear, but it is challenging to come to a consensus when there are so many great titles at the show! Each day we scour the floor and social media to identify as many games as we can. Then, we meet each evening to discuss the list of games and start making suggestions for each category. Wednesday night is when things get tricky! Our panel must narrow it down to a shortlist of nominees to be announced on Thursday morning – each person makes arguments for the titles they feel should be included and we hash it out until we agree. Once we’re back from the show, we all gather to then make cases for the top winners. Sometimes there is a stand-out winner, but often there’s back-and-forth until we come to a decision that everyone feels good about.
NVIDIA: The Unreal Underdog is a fun category. The award is described as being about not just the product, but the people and process behind it. Can you explain how past winners in this category have caught your attention?
Unreal Engine: The Unreal Underdog category certainly has a special place in our team’s heart. Not only are we looking for a great game, but we’re trying to find the scrappy teams that have leveraged everything they’ve got to make a memorable presence at E3 – the unexpected gems that shine through all the activity at the show. For instance, last year’s The Forgotten City, based on The Forgotten City Skyrim mod of the same name, came out to compete with AAA titles and managed to get coverage on a number of outlets – that’s a pretty impressive feat if you ask us!
As a reminder, here is a list of the categories:
EYE CANDY – This award is given to the most visually impressive Unreal Engine game at E3 2019 and rewards the use of leading-edge graphics that push the medium of interactive entertainment forward.
BIGGEST BUZZ – This award is given to the project that creates the most talked-about moment of E3 2019. From a major game reveal to an undeniably impressive demo or a twist that flips the industry on its ear, this award goes to the Unreal Engine team or project that produces the most buzz.
MOST ENGAGING – This award is given to the experience that we simply can’t put down. Nominees will make players forget about their surroundings and be transported into a truly immersive experience.
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL GAME – This award is given to the project with huge potential as an all-new IP. Nominees will spark interest not only through gameplay, but through original characters, worlds, and the potential that is put on full display during E3 2019.
UNREAL UNDERDOG – This award is given to the team that pushes the limits to achieve an amazing showing for their game or experience at E3. Focusing on not just the product, but the people and process behind it, this award acknowledges a team’s perseverance to make a big splash at the big show.
Thursday, June 13 – Nominees announced at unrealengine.com/e32019
Thursday, June 20 – Winners announced at unrealengine.com/e32019
Follow Unreal Engine on Twitter @UnrealEngine for all the very latest on the contest!
