BAFTA opening Games Awards to the public with hands-on arcade

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts will open its Games Awards show to the public this year, with a pre-show exhibit granting attendees hands-on access to upcoming titles, event organizers announced today.

The Inside Games Arcade exhibit will include "a wide range of highly anticipated games from the world's biggest studios," according to a post on the BAFTA website. Both the Arcade and BAFTA Games Awards will take place on March 12 at the Tobacco Dock in London.

The event will feature talks led by developers and designers currently in the industry spotlight. Games slated for hands-on experiences include Namco Bandai's Dark Souls 2, Runescape by Jagex, Deep Silver's Metro: Last Light and Respawn Entertainment's Titanfall. Sega will also be showcasing Company of Heroes 2 and Football Manager as well as unspecifed Total War and Sonic the Hedgehog titles. Valve will also be in attendance with company t-shirts, plushes and other goods for sale.

Tickets to the Inside Games Arcade and BAFTA Games Awards, hosted this year by comedian Dara O'Briain, are available through the BAFTA website.