Spike Video Game Awards
Spike Video Game Awards (VGA) is an annual award show hosted by Spike TV that recognizes the best computer and video games of the year. The VGAs feature live music performances and appearances by popular performers in music, movies, and television. Additionally, preview trailers for upcoming games are highlighted. The show is produced by GameTrailers TV's Geoff Keighley. The event has been held at various locations in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California as well as Las Vegas, Nevada. The first event was held on December 2, 2003 (aired on December 4, 2003).
The 2011 Spike Video Game Awards aired on December 10, 2011. Spike's first ever Video Game Hall of Fame award was announced at the 2011 VGAs.[1]
2011 Awards
The 2011 VGAs were held Saturday, December 10, 2011 at the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California, hosted by Zachary Levi.[2] The awards previewed world premieres of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Patriots, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, BioShock Infinite, Alan Wake's American Nightmare, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD, The Amazing Spider-Man, the exclusive PlayStation 3 game The Last of Us developed by Naughty Dog, Command & Conquer: Generals 2 from BioWare Victory, and Fortnite from Epic Games. New trailers for both Hitman: Absolution and Mass Effect 3 were aired during the show, as well as a pre-show announcement for Tekken Tag Tournament 2. Mark Burnett was the Executive Producer for the event, and for the first time, the VGAs aired live on MTV 2 (US), Spike.com (US) and Ginx TV (UK), in addition to Spike TV. The winners, as well as world premiere trailers, were announced during a pre-show red carpet live event hosted by GTTV's Amanda MacKay and Daniel Kayser. The 2011 VGAs also honored The Legend of Zelda franchise with its first ever "Video Game Hall of Fame Award".[1] Another unique award at the 2011 VGAs was the NFL Blitz Cover Athlete award. This award, determined by live online voting during the event (just like Character of the Year), determined which NFL athlete will be on the cover of the upcoming EA Sports game, NFL Blitz.[3]
With appearances by will.i.am, LL Cool J, Felicia Day, Kevin Jonas, Seth Green, Shigeru Miyamoto, Tony Hawk, Hulk Hogan, Stacy Keibler, Charlie Sheen, Hideo Kojima, and musical performances by Black Keys and Deadmau5.
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | |
| Studio of the Year | Bethesda Softworks, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim |
|
| Character of the Year | The Joker, Batman: Arkham City |
|
| Best Xbox 360 Game | Batman: Arkham City | |
| Best PS3 Game | Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception | |
| Best Wii Game | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword | |
| Best PC Game | Portal 2 | |
| Best Handheld/Mobile Game | Super Mario 3D Land |
|
| Best Shooter | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 | |
| Best Action Adventure Game | Batman: Arkham City | |
| Best RPG | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | |
| Best Multiplayer | Portal 2 | |
| Best Individual Sports Game | Fight Night Champion | |
| Best Team Sports Game | NBA 2K12 | |
| Best Driving Game | Forza Motorsport 4 | |
| Best Fighting Game | Mortal Kombat | |
| Best Motion Game | The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword | |
| Best Independent Game | Minecraft | |
| Best Adapted Video Game | Batman: Arkham City | |
| Best Song in a Game | "Build That Wall (Zia's Theme)" by Darren Korb, Bastion |
|
| Best Original Score | Bastion | |
| Best Graphics | Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception | |
| Best Performance by a Human Male | Stephen Merchant as Wheatley, Portal 2 |
|
| Best Performance by a Human Female | Ellen McLain as GLaDOS, Portal 2 |
|
| Best Downloadable Game | Bastion | |
| Best DLC | Portal 2 Peer Review | |
| Most Anticipated Game | Mass Effect 3 | |
| GameTrailers.com Trailer of the Year | Assassin's Creed: Revelations, E3 2011 Trailer |
|
| NFL Blitz Cover Athlete | Ray Rice |
Previous winners
2010 Awards
The 2010 VGAs were held Saturday, December 11, 2010 in Los Angeles, California at the L.A. Convention Center and returned to using a host which was Neil Patrick Harris.[4] Unlike previous years, all the awards were not awarded during the show.
Several new games were announced which include BioWare's announcement of Mass Effect 3, Prototype 2, Insane from acclaimed movie director Guillermo del Toro, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Mortal Kombat featuring Kratos, Resistance 3, Portal 2, SSX: Deadly Descents, and Forza Motorsport 4. Batman: Arkham City had another CGI trailer debut and the first trailer of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception aired during the awards.
With appearances by the cast members of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Danny DeVito, Kaitlin Olson, Rob McElhenney, Academy Award Nominated Director Guillermo del Toro, Halo: Reach star and VGA Nominee Nathan Fillion, Thor: God of Thunder star Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Munn, AnnaLynne McCord, and Tony Hawk, among others. Including musical performances by award winning violinist Diana Yukawa,[5] My Chemical Romance and José González.[6]
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Red Dead Redemption | |
| Studio of the Year | Bioware, Mass Effect 2 |
|
| Character of the Year | Sgt. Frank Woods, Call of Duty: Black ops |
|
| Best Xbox 360 Game | Mass Effect 2 | |
| Best PS3 Game | God of War III | |
| Best Wii Game | Super Mario Galaxy 2 | |
| Best PC Game | StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty | |
| Best Handheld Game | God of War: Ghost of Sparta | |
| Best Shooter | Call of Duty: Black Ops | |
| Best Action Adventure Game | Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood | |
| Best RPG | Mass Effect 2 | |
| Best Multiplayer | Halo: Reach | |
| Best Individual Sports Game | Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 | |
| Best Team Sports Game | NBA 2K11 | |
| Best Driving Game | Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit | |
| Best Music Game | Rock Band 3 | |
| Best Soundtrack | DJ Hero 2 | |
| Best Song in a Game | "Far Away" by José González, Red Dead Redemption |
|
| Best Original Score | Red Dead Redemption | |
| Best Graphics | God of War III | |
| Best Adapted Video Game | Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game | |
| Best Performance by a Human Male | Neil Patrick Harris as Peter Parker/Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions |
|
| Best Performance by a Human Female | Tricia Helfer as Sarah Kerrigan, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty |
|
| Best Downloadable Game | Costume Quest | |
| Best DLC | Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare | |
| Best Independent Game | Limbo | |
| Most Anticipated Game | Portal 2 | |
| Strongest Heroes of All Time |
|
|
| Best Original Game | Red Dead Redemption | N/A |
| Best Zombie Game | Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare | N/A |
| Best Dressed Assassin | Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood | N/A |
| Biggest Badass | Kratos, God of War III | N/A |
2009 Awards
The 2009 VGAs were held on December 12, 2009 at the Nokia Event Deck in Los Angeles, California[7] and were the first and only VGAs to not have a single host, but rather a number of presenters for the awards[8] It opened with a trailer announcing the sequel to Batman Arkham Asylum. There were other exclusive looks at Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, UFC 2010 Undisputed, Halo: Reach, and others. Samuel L. Jackson previewed LucasArts newest upcoming Star Wars game, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II. In addition, Green Day: Rock Band was announced and accompanied with a trailer.
With appearances from Stevie Wonder, MTV Jersey Shore cast, Green Day and Jack Black, live music performances at the 2009 awards included Snoop Dogg and The Bravery.[7]
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Uncharted 2: Among Thieves | |
| Studio of the Year | Rocksteady Studios, Batman: Arkham Asylum |
|
| Best Independent Game Fueled by Dew | Flower | |
| Best Xbox 360 Game | Left 4 Dead 2 | |
| Best PS3 Game | Uncharted 2: Among Thieves | |
| Best Wii Game | New Super Mario Bros. Wii | |
| Best PC Game | Left 4 Dead 2 | |
| Best Handheld Game | Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars | |
| Best Shooter | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | |
| Best Action Adventure Game | Assassins Creed 2 | |
| Best RPG | Dragon Age: Origins | |
| Best Multiplayer Game | Left 4 Dead 2 | |
| Best Fighting Game | Street Fighter IV | |
| Best Individual Sports Game | UFC 2009 Undisputed | |
| Best Team Sports Game | NHL 10 | |
| Best Driving Game | Forza Motorsport 3 | |
| Best Music Game | The Beatles: Rock Band | |
| Best Soundtrack | DJ Hero | |
| Best Original Score | Halo 3: ODST | |
| Best Graphics | Uncharted 2: Among Thieves | |
| Best Game Based On A Movie/TV Show | South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! | |
| Best Performance By A Human Female | Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen |
|
| Best Performance By A Human Male | Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, X-Men Origins: Wolverine |
|
| Best Cast | X-Men Origins: Wolverine | |
| Best Voice | Jack Black for the voice of Eddie Riggs, Brütal Legend |
|
| Best Downloadable Game | Shadow Complex | |
| Best DLC | Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony | |
| Most Anticipated Game of 2010 | God of War III | |
| Best Comedy Game | Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard | N/A |
2008 Awards
The 2008 VGAs were held on December 14, 2008 at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City.[9] The show, hosted by Jack Black, featured ten previews of upcoming games. Musical performances included 50 Cent, The All-American Rejects, Weezer, and LL Cool J.[10]
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto IV | |
| Studio of the Year | Media Molecule, LittleBigPlanet |
|
| Gamer God | Will Wright, creator of The Sims and Spore | N/A |
| Best Shooter | Gears of War 2 | |
| Best RPG | Fallout 3 | |
| Best Individual Sports Game | Shaun White Snowboarding | |
| Best Handheld Game | Professor Layton and the Curious Village | |
| Best Graphics | Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots | |
| Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show | Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures | |
| Best Music Game | Rock Band 2 | |
| Best Driving Game | Burnout Paradise | |
| Best Action Adventure Game | Grand Theft Auto IV | |
| Best Soundtrack | Rock Band 2 | |
| Best Xbox 360 Game | Grand Theft Auto IV | |
| Best Wii Game | Boom Blox | |
| Best PS3 Game | LittleBigPlanet | |
| Best PC Game | Left 4 Dead | |
| Best Original Score | Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots | |
| Best Multiplayer Game | Left 4 Dead | |
| Best Independent Game Fueld By Dew | World of Goo | |
| Best Fighting Game | Soulcalibur IV | |
| Best Male Voice | Michael Hollick as Niko Bellic, Grand Theft Auto IV |
|
| Best Female Voice | Debi Mae West as Meryl Silverburgh, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots |
|
| Big Name in the Game Male | Kiefer Sutherland as Sgt. Roebuck, Call of Duty: World at War | N/A |
| Big Name in the Game Female | Jenny McCarthy as Special Agent Tanya Adams, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 | N/A |
| Best Team Sports Game | NHL 09 |
2007 Awards
The 2007 VGAs aired December 9, 2007. Hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, the winners were announced ahead of the event which was held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The show featured performances by Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, and exclusive world videogame premieres of Borderlands, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 and TNA iMPACT![11]
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | BioShock | |
| Studio of the Year | Valve, The Orange Box |
|
| Best Shooter | Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | |
| Best RPG | Mass Effect | |
| Best Military Game | Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | |
| Best Individual Sports Game | Skate | |
| Best Handheld Game | The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass | |
| Best Graphics | BioShock | |
| Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show | The Simpsons Game | |
| Best Rhythm Game | Rock Band | |
| Best Driving Game | Colin McRae: Dirt | |
| Best Action Game | Assassin's Creed | |
| Best Team Sports Game | Madden NFL 08 | |
| Best Soundtrack | BioShock | |
| Breakthrough Technology | The Orange Box/Portal | |
| Best Xbox 360 Game | BioShock | |
| Best Wii Game | Super Mario Galaxy | |
| Best PS3 Game | Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction | |
| Best PC Game | The Orange Box | |
| Best Original Score | BioShock | |
| Best Multiplayer Game | Halo 3 | |
| Most Addictive Video Game | Halo 3 |
2006 Awards
The 2006 VGAs featured musical performances by Tenacious D and AFI and show appearances by 50 Cent, Eva Mendes, Sarah Silverman, Seth Green, Masi Oka, Hayden Panettiere, Brandon Routh, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tony Hawk, Michael Irvin, Method Man, Maria Menounos, Tyrese, Xzibit, James Gandolfini, Kurt Angle, among others. In character as Stewie Griffin and Tom Tucker from Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane served as the voice of the VGAs.[12] The awards aired December 13, 2006 at the Galen Center in Los Angeles and were hosted by Samuel L. Jackson.[13]
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion | |
| Studio of the Year | Epic Games, Gears of War |
|
| Cyber Vixen of the Year | Alyx Vance, Half-Life 2: Episode One |
|
| Best Individual Sports Game | Tony Hawk's Project 8 | |
| Best Team Sports Game | NBA 2K7 | |
| Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show | Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy | |
| Best Performance by a Human Male | Patrick Stewart as Emperor Uriel Septim VII, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion |
|
| Best Supporting Male Performance | James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, The Sopranos: Road to Respect |
|
| Best Performance by a Human Female | Vida Guerra as Femme Fatale, Scarface: The World Is Yours |
|
| Best Supporting Female Performance | Rachael Leigh Cook as Tifa, Kingdom Hearts II |
|
| Best Cast | Family Guy Video Game! | |
| Best Song | "Lights and Sounds" by Yellowcard, Burnout Revenge |
|
| Best Soundtrack | Guitar Hero II | |
| Best Original Score | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion | |
| Best Driving Game Award | Burnout Revenge | |
| Most Addictive Game | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion | |
| Best Fighting Game | Mortal Kombat: Armageddon | |
| Best Action Game | Dead Rising | |
| Best Shooter | Gears of War | |
| Best Military Game | Company of Heroes | |
| Best Graphics | Gears of War | |
| Best Handheld Game | New Super Mario Bros. | |
| Best Multiplayer Game | Gears of War | |
| Breakthrough Technology | Wii | |
| Best RPG | The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion | |
| Best PC Game | Company of Heroes | |
| Best Wireless Game | SWAT Force |
|
| Critic's Choice (released after 11/15/2006 and before 12/31/2006) | The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | |
| Gamer's Choice-Breakthrough Performance | Rosario Dawson as Tina, Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure | N/A |
| Gamer's Choice-Character of the Year | Jack Sparrow portrayed by Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow | N/A |
2005 Awards
The 2005 VGAs were held December 10, 2005 at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.[14][15] This was the first year that Samuel L. Jackson hosted the VGAs.
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Resident Evil 4 | |
| Action Game of the Year | God of War | |
| Best Individual Sports Game | Tony Hawk's American Wasteland | |
| Best Team Sports Game | Madden NFL 06 | |
| Cyber Vixen of the Year | Maria Menounos as Eva, James Bond 007: From Russia with Love |
|
| Best Game Based on a Movie | Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie | |
| Best Performance by a Human Male | Jack Black as Carl Denham, Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official game of the Movie |
|
| Best Supporting Male Performance | Christopher Walken as Gabriel Whitting, True Crime: New York City |
|
| Best Performance by a Human Female | Charlize Theron as Æon Flux, Æon Flux |
|
| Best Supporting Female Performance | Traci Lords as Cassandra Hartz, True Crime: New York City |
|
| Best Original Song | "Maybe We Crazy" by 50 Cent, 50 Cent: Bulletproof |
|
| Best Soundtrack | Guitar Hero | |
| Best Original Score | We Love Katamari | |
| Designer of the Year | David Jaffe, God of War |
|
| Pontiac Best Driving Game Award (Viewer's Choice) | Burnout Revenge | |
| Most Addictive Game Fueled by Mountain Dew | World of Warcraft | |
| Best Fighting Game | Fight Night Round 2 | |
| Best First-Person Action | F.E.A.R. | |
| Best Military Game | Call of Duty 2 | |
| Best Graphics | Resident Evil 4 | |
| Best Handheld Game | Lumines | |
| Best Multiplayer Game | Guild Wars | |
| Best Breakthrough Technology | Xbox 360 |
|
| Best RPG | World of Warcraft | |
| Best PC Game | Battlefield 2 | |
| Best Wireless Game | Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure |
2004 Awards
The 2004 VGAs were held in Santa Monica, California at the Barker Hangar. They were hosted by Snoop Dogg.[16] The event featured musical performances including Sum 41, Ludacris and a special live performance by Snoop Dogg and the remaining members of The Doors performing "Riders on the Storm".[17][18]
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | |
| Best Game Based on a Movie | The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay | |
| Best Performance by a Human Female | Brooke Burke as Rachel Teller, Need for Speed: Underground 2 |
|
| Best Performance by a Human Male | Samuel L. Jackson as Sergeant Frank Tenpenny, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas |
|
| Cyber Vixen of the Year | BloodRayne, BloodRayne 2 |
|
| Best Driving Game | Burnout 3: Takedown | |
| Best Sports Game | Madden NFL 2005 | |
| Best Fighting Game | Mortal Kombat: Deception | |
| Best Action Game | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | |
| Best First-Person Action | Halo 2 | |
| Best Song in a Video Game | "American Idiot" by Green Day, Madden NFL 2005 |
|
| Best Soundtrack | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | |
| Designer of the Year | Jason Jones and Bungie Studios, Halo 2 |
|
| Best Military Game | Call of Duty: Finest Hour | |
| Best PC Game | Half-Life 2 | |
| Best Wireless Game | Might and Magic |
|
| Best Graphics | Half-Life 2 | |
| Best New Technology | Nintendo DS |
|
| Best Handheld | Metroid: Zero Mission | |
| Best Massively Multiplayer Game | City of Heroes | |
| Best RPG | Fable | |
| Most Addictive Game (viewer's choice) | Burnout 3: Takedown | |
| Best Gaming Publication (fan favorite) | Official Xbox Magazine | |
| Best Gaming Web Site (fan favorite) | GameSpot |
2003 Awards
The 2003 VGAs were the first VGAs to be hosted by Spike TV. It was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 2, 2003 and aired on December 4, 2003. The event was hosted by David Spade and featured appearances by Lil' Kim, Jaime Pressly, DMX, P.O.D., Orlando Jones, and Cedric the Entertainer.[19] The event also featured a WWE tag team wrestling match with the superstars Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Trish Stratus, and Victoria.
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Madden NFL 2004 | |
| Best Sports Game | Madden NFL 2004 | |
| Best Action Game | True Crime: Streets of LA | |
| Best Animation | Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball | |
| Best Game Based on a Movie | Enter the Matrix | |
| Pontiac/GTO Driving Award | NASCAR Thunder 2004 | |
| Best Music | Def Jam Vendetta |
|
| Best Performance by a Human | Ray Liotta as Tommy Vercetti, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City |
|
| Most Anticipated | Halo 2 | |
| Most Addictive | Soulcalibur II | |
| Best PC Game | Halo: Combat Evolved | |
| Best Online Game | Final Fantasy XI | |
| Best Handheld Game | Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell | |
| Best Fighting Game | WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain | |
| Best First Person Action | Call of Duty | |
| Best Fantasy Game | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic |
Spike's Video Game Hall of Fame
Spike's Video Game Hall of Fame recognizes the video game "franchises throughout history that have brought the industry to where it is today" - Casey Patterson, executive producer of the VGAs and executive vice president of event production for Viacom Media Networks Entertainment Group. The first inductee was awarded at the ninth annual Spike Video Game Awards on December 10, 2011. The inaugural recipient is The Legend of Zelda franchise, with Shigeru Miyamoto accepting the award.[1]
| Year | Inductee |
|---|---|
| 2011 | The Legend of Zelda |
Nomination
With the exception of the fan-voted "Most Anticipated Game", "Character of the Year", and a few other non-annual categories, the award nominees and winners are voted by an advisory council, featuring 25 journalists from various media outlets. Fans, however, can vote online for which games they think should win each category.
| Member | Position | Publication |
|---|---|---|
| Andy McNamara | Editor in Chief | Game Informer |
| Brian Crecente | Editor in Chief | Kotaku |
| Chris Baker | Senior Editor | Wired |
| Chris Kohler | Games Editor | Wired.com |
| Chris Slate | Editor in Chief | Nintendo Power |
| Christopher Grant | Editor in Chief | Joystiq |
| Dale North | Editor in Chief | Destructoid |
| Francesca Reyes | Editor in Chief | Official Xbox Magazine |
| Gary Steinman | Editor in Chief | GamesRadar |
| Geoff Keighley | Host | GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley/Spike TV |
| Jeff Gerstmann | Editor in Chief | Giant Bomb |
| Jeff Jensen | Senior Writer | Entertainment Weekly |
| Jerry Holkins | Writer / Co-Creator | Penny Arcade |
| John Davison | VP of Programming | GameSpot & Metacritic |
| Logan Decker | Editor in Chief | PC Gamer |
| Lou Kesten | Reviewer/Editor | Associated Press |
| Mike Krahulik | Artist / Co-Creator | Penny Arcade |
| Mike Snider | Technology Reporter | USA Today |
| Rich Greenhill | Director of Content and Programming | Yahoo! Games |
| Sam Kennedy | Director of Audience Generation | IGN/1UP.com |
| Scott Alexander | Freelance Writer | Playboy |
| Shane Satterfield | VP of Content | Spike TV |
| Stephen Totilo | Deputy Editor | Kotaku |
| Tal Blevins | VP Games Content | IGN |
| Tina Amini | Assistant Editor / Video Games Channel Manager | Complex |
Reception
Video game journalism veteran Jeff Green has been vocal in his criticism of the Spike Video Game Awards. In his assessment of the 2010 VGAs, Green laments that Spike TV alienated viewers due to their decision to focus the awards on its own primary demographic, rather than the video game community at large. Green states that this leads to appearances by celebrities who "either didn't want to be or know why they were there."[21] 2011 VGA host Zachary Levi recognized this and prior to hosting the event, told MTV in an interview that, "I’m happy to work on the VGAs on Spike and make the network happy, but I want to be respectful to the community of gamers because I am one myself. And [with] the humor involved, I want it to be smart, I want it to be honest, and accurate."[2] Giant Bomb's Alex Navarro has also commented on the VGAs, questioning the importance of the awards themselves next to the VGA's focus on its exclusive reveals.[22]
The 2011 VGAs were given similar criticisms. Kotaku reported that VGA nominees Mark Hamill and Tara Strong were disappointed that they were present at the event but their respective categories were not present at the show, only finding out the results of the "Best Performance by a Human Male" and "Best Performance by a Human Female" awards after the show.[23] Wired.com writer Jason Schreier addressed Spike TV after the event in reference to food eating segments by Felicia Day and the host Zachary Levi having simulations of a sexual act performed on him. Schreier said, "It’s not hard to find the root of the problem here: You think we’re dumb. You think your audience is so stupid that they’ll be amused by YouTube rants and health potion gags. You think we get our jollies out of watching girls bite cupcakes off conveyor belts. You think videogame references make a good substitute for humor." Schreier also quoted Joystiq's Justin McElroy, who voiced his concern at many awards being shown together in a short montage. Praise was given for the handling of The Legend of Zelda's induction into the Hall of Fame including the video package of the franchise's releases and an appearance by creator Shigeru Miyamoto.[24]
Parodies
- The Video Game Awards were parodied on an episode of MADtv, highlighting the fictional 1st Annual Video Game Awards on June 21, 1977, hosted by Joe Namath (played by Michael McDonald) and Farrah Fawcett (played by Arden Myrin), musical guest The Jackson 5, and award presenter Mark Spitz (played by Ike Barinholtz). Pong and Asteroids were the only video games nominated for all of the awards presented, even though Asteroids wasn't released in the arcade until 1979. The categories shown in the sketch were "Best Graphics in a Video Game" (Asteroids wins), and "Most Realistic Sound in a Video Game" (Pong and Asteroids win in a tie). Bobby Lee accepts an award as a designer of Asteroids. Space Invaders is shown to display the future of video games, although it was released before Asteroids in 1978.[25]
References
- ^ a b c Spike Press Release (2011-11-16). "Spike Announces VGA Nominees & Honors "Legend Of Zelda" With First Ever Video Game Hall Of Fame Award". Spike. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
- ^ a b Webb, Charles (2011-12-05). "Spike VGAs Interview: Meet Your Host, Zachary Levi". MTV. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ VGA (2011-12-06). "NFL Blitz Cover Athlete To Be Determined Live By VGA Fans". Spike.com. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
- ^ "2010 Spike TV Video Game Awards, nominees, Winners, TV Schedule". Chiff.com. Retrieved 2010-11-14.
- ^ Diana Yukawa Performs Halo Music at Video Game Awards
- ^ "Spike Video Game Awards 2010".
- ^ a b "'Uncharted 2' nabs top prize at VGAs". Yahoo!. 2009-12-13. Retrieved 2009-12-13. [dead link]
- ^ "Spike Video Game Awards 2009". SpikeTV. 2009-12-11. Retrieved 2009-12-13.
- ^ "Spike 2008 VGA REsults". Blend Games. 2008-12-15. Retrieved 2009-12-13.
- ^ Eric Bush. "Spike TV Announces 2008 Video Game Awards Winners". Retrieved 2009-12-13.
- ^ "Spike TV VGA 2007 Winners Announced". Digital Tech News. 2007-12-08. Retrieved 2009-12-13.
- ^ "Spike TV 2006 VGA Winners Announced". UGO Games. 2006-12-09. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
- ^ "Spike TV 2006 Video Game Awards Breaks the Mold". LAs The Place.com. 2009-12-15. Retrieved 2009-12-13.
- ^ "Spike TV VGA 2005 Honors Activision Games". Team XBox. 2005-11-23. Retrieved 2009-12-13.
- ^ "2005 VGA". Video Game Awards 2005 Award Winners by Spike TV. IGN.com. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ "American hip-hop star Snoop Dogg to host annual Video Game Awards". Encyclopedia.com. 2004-09-15. Retrieved 2010-3-14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Spike TV announces Video Game Awards 2004 nominees". Gaming Age. 2004-11-16. Retrieved 2009-12-13.
- ^ "2004 VGA". Video Game Awards 2004 Award Winners by Spike TV. Gamespy.com. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
- ^ Lewinson, Tim (12-3-2002). "Unintentional Hilarity at Spike TV". Gaming Age. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Meet the VGA 2011 Advisory Council". Spike TV. 2011-11-03. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
- ^ Green, Jeff (2010-12-12). "A Rant about the Spike VGAs". Greenspeak. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ^ Navarro, Alex (2011-11-03). "2011 Spike Video Game Awards Will Award Video Games With Awards, Also Announce Things". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ^ Totilo, Stephen (2011-12-11). [kotaku.com/5867014/ "Mark Hamill, Tara Strong (aka The Joker and Harley Quinn) Both Miffed about the VGAs"]. Kotaku. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ Schreier, Jason (2011-12-11). "An Open Letter To The Spike VGAs". jasonschreier.com. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
- ^ MADtv Episode #1121, Air Date: May 13, 2006.