Tribeca Film Festival has announced it will be including video games in its awards from next year.
Tribeca will open submissions for games to join the festival as Official Selections as part of the inaugural Tribeca Games Award, "which will honor upcoming games from the selections that demonstrate artistic excellence in storytelling in a game" (thanks, THR).
This isn't the first time the festival has acknowledged excellence in gaming, of course; in 2011 LA Noire became the very first game recognised as an official selection, with games like What Remains of Edith Finch, Firewatch, and Santa Monica's God of War swiftly following.
“In the ten years since we first welcomed a game to Tribeca’s official program, we’ve seen an exciting convergence of games, film, and immersive experiences," said Jane Rosenthal, Tribeca Film Festival CEO and co-founder. "Where there was once a clear delineation between media, there is now a blurring of the lines – stories have become games and games have become stories.
"Broad recognition for voices at the forefront of this ever-changing landscape is long overdue, and we intend to be a home for these creators whose incredible work should be celebrated."
“Games have proven to be one of the most sophisticated storytelling vehicles today - not only with narrative but also with incredible artistic mastery, the creation of highly immersive worlds and providing meaningful connections to communities all over the world,” added Casey Baltes, VP of Tribeca Games. “We’re excited to celebrate games and game creators alongside film, immersive, music, art, and more at next year’s Festival."
Included in the Konami Collection bundle is Castlevania, Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest, and Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse. There's also Contra and Super C featured in the bundle alongside the classic Castlevania trio.
