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The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced that it’ll introduce a new Game Beyond Entertainment category for the British Academy Games Awards in 2018. This new category has been created to recognise ‘the unique and maturing medium of games to deliver a transformational experience beyond pure entertainment’.
According to a press release, ‘the new category will recognise the best game that capitalises on the unique and maturing medium of games to deliver a transformational experience beyond pure entertainment — whether that is to raise awareness through empathy and emotional impact, to engage with real world problems, or to make the world a better place.’
Each entrant into the category will have to submit a short statement alongside their entry, explaining why their game should be considered, the agenda it’s focused on, and how the game presents this to the player. BAFTA says that, ‘entries in this new category will be judged solely on content; its emotional impact, thematic fit and innovative use of the medium to explore and deliver impactful messages.’
Every year BAFTA reviews its awards lineup to make sure that each one remains relevant, and reflective of the industries progression. The British Academy Games Awards aims to celebrate the good things that are happening in gaming, as well as highlighting the industry’s accomplishments. The addition of this new category is hoping to cast a spotlight on video games that are acknowledging modern society, and trying to do something culturally effective.
