Game Awards 2015
The Game Awards 2015 air Thursday. You can watch the live stream beginning at 9 p.m. EST (6 p.m. PST). Video Game Awards

With the year coming to an end, 2015 will be remembered as a great one for video games. Hit titles did not disappoint critically or commercially while strong sales of consoles continued. Though not quite the Oscars, the Game Awards 2015 celebrates the year's achievements while looking ahead to the future. The show, airing live Thursday, will hand out awards, reveal new games and include musical performances by Chvrches and Deadmau5.

The Game Awards 2015 live stream can be viewed on Twitch, YouTube, Steam, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live beginning at 9 p.m. EST (6 p.m. PST).

Game of the Year nominees feature open world epics, a farewell from a gaming legend, a game that celebrates creativity and one of the most challenging titles of the year. "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" is Hideo Kojima's last game for Konami while "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" and "Fallout 4" led to many lost hours for gamers. For "Super Mario Maker," player-created levels are the main highlight with many creators trying to make the hardest levels imaginable. "Bloodborne" is the latest From Software, developer of the "Dark Souls" series, a game that refuses to coddle players.

"Each of the nominated games this year allow you to express yourself however you want. Whether it's as a creator, player or, even as an author of your own story," Geoff Keighley, the show's producer and creator, said in an interview with International Business Times.

Other Game Awards 2015 nominees include Developer of the Year, Best Independent Game, Games for Impact, eSports Player of the Year and Best Score/Soundtrack. A jury panel will select the majority of the Game Awards 2015 winners, but the makeup of the group has drawn criticism. Of the 30 critics selected for the jury, only one was female and a second woman was added after Polygon changed who will represent the site.

In addition to the awards and musical guests, Keighley announced there would be 10 world premieres -- be it announcements of new games, new trailers or new DLC -- during the Game Awards 2015. The first DLC for "Rise of the Tomb Raider," "Baba Yaga," is expected to be part of the show while new "Mortal Kombat X" DLC characters will be announced Thursday. An announcement from Oculus founder Palmer Luckey and new footage from "Quantum Break" are also set for the award show.

You can view the Game Awards 2015 live stream on Twitch and YouTube below.