Tech Blog
Announcements2009 Spike Video Game Awards Guide + My Picks
Video games. They're a $40 billion dollar industry and arguably
today's dominant form of entertainment even as other industries
contract in the recession. They're bigger than the music industry and
Hollywood box office. And Spike isn't afraid to flaunt it in a big way
in the latest television commercial for their 2009 Video Game Awards
(VGAs). The two hour awards event airs live on Spike on December 12,
2009 starting at 8pm EST. This year's VGAs will return once again to
Los Angeles.
In the promotional advertisement, large banners can be seen draped over such prominent global architectural landmarks as the Gateway Arch, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower and the Hollywood Sign. The message is clear: video games have become a giant, global phenomenon and it's time the world (especially Hollywood) starts paying attention to this burgeoning industry.
The annual award show began in 2003 and recognizes the best in video games and computer games for the year. For the seventh annual VGAs, Spike is readying for a truly global event with the show broadcasting in over 180 territories and countries and will feature appearances of megastars from the worlds of video game, movie, music and sport to celebrate outstanding achievements in the video game industry. Past celebrity appearances include Foo Fighters, Weezer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack Black, Samuel L. Jackson, Tiger Woods, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Hayden Panettiere, Eva Mendes, Tony Hawk, 50 Cent, Mike Tyson, Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron, and many more.
Nominees for Spike TV’s 2009 VGAs were determined by the VGA Advisory Council, made up of a group of the most well-respected experts in the industry for leading game media outlets such as GameTrailers.com, Game Informer, USA Today, Wired, Penny Arcade, GameSpot and IGN. Games released between December 2, 2008 and November 23, 2009 were eligible for nomination. The final list of nominees selected by the advisory council were made public on November 18, 2009.
For the first time ever fans will be able to influence the results by casting their votes at VGA.Spike.Com and GameTrailers.com .
For years now the VGAs have been trying to establish itself as the hallmark, televised gaming award show for the industry in the same vein as film's Academy Awards, television's Emmys, and music's Grammys. But looking back on previous years it's clear that awarding trophies is only half the story when it comes to the VGAs. What sets the award show apart is how it has positioned itself as a forward looking event that presents exclusive footage of trailers for the most antipated games for following year and beyond. This year is no exception. Viewers can expect to world premiere trailers for hotly anticipated titles such as Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Crackdown 2, Metal of Honour, Halo Reach, Tron, as well as a preview of Lucus Arts' next Star Wars game. There are also two "mystery" world premieres to be unveiled at the show, teaser trailers can be found here and here . To help kick off the festivities, I thought I'd have a look at all the categories this year and pick my favourites from the nominees. My picks are highlighted in red. I'd love to hear your predictions in the comments section or hear any omission complaints you have.
GAME OF THE YEAR
Assassin's Creed 2 (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Montreal)
STUDIO OF THE YEAR
BEST XBOX 360 GAME
BEST HANDHELD GAME
BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME
BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos Interactive - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / Rocksteady Studios)
BEST GAME BASED ON A MOVIE OR TV SHOW
BEST DRIVING GAME
BEST ACTION ADVENTURE GAME
BEST TEAM SPORTS GAME
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN FEMALE
BEST CAST
BEST DLC
BEST INDEPENDENT GAME FUELED BY DEW
MOST ANTICIPATED GAME
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