In every competitive field, there is the best among the rest- even in the gamers' world. Last year, Geoff Keighley, Canadian video game journalist and producer, created what seemed to be the Oscars version of video games, the Game Awards.
On Thursday, the most brilliant individuals, organisations, and other accomplishments in the video game industry were recognized in Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles, the exact same place where the Emmys are hosted.
The independently produced Game Awards however, would not be aired on network television but rather online. The show is expected to attract millions of viewers and enthusiasts on streaming services.
Geoff Keighley, on his interview with Delmarva Public Radio, tells the story on why he started the award giving body for video games: "I had worked for many years at Viacom at a network called Spike TV working on what was the video game awards there and really fell in love with the gaming industry and the opportunity to recognize these creators...you know their games."
Keighley said that people know "Call of Duty", "Grand Theft Auto","Candy Crush" and other popular games that took the gaming and entertainment industry by storm but not necessarily know who are behind the brilliance of those technological creations.
He continued that he always felt like they're one of the most creative individuals out there in the entertainment field. "I wanted to create a platform for them and it became clear that the way distribution works online - you don't really need a big network to put something like this together. You can reach this audience on your own", Keighley added.
He also explained that the show will not be up any time soon on a traditional television channel. Keighley, who is the former executive producer and host of the popular show GameTrailers TV always had people asking on when is he going to get back on television. He responded that, it is not a goal for him anymore. "When you come in and see our set, you see the scale of what we're doing. This is not me in an apartment setting up a green screen announcing my favorite games...this is a multi-million dollar award show".
The awards show is doubled in scale topping last year's event. Keighley sees the need to continue investing into making it into a franchise.
As an avid fan of video games for more than 20 years, Keighley has never been thrilled to witness a show like the Game Awards. Getting everyone involved in during the dawn of digital technology is the future for Keighley.
