Spike TV today announced the nominees, categories and two world premieres for the 2010 Video Game Awards. The eighth annual “VGAs” will be a global event, broadcasting in over 175 territories and countries around the world and gathering some of the most notable names in video games, Hollywood, music, sports and more to honor the outstanding achievements within the video game industry over the past year. The two-hour event, taking place in Los Angeles, CA, will premiere LIVE on Spike TV Saturday, Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
The 2010 Video Game Awards will feature global premieres of some of the most anticipated upcoming games, as well as unannounced titles, from some of the industry’s leading publishers. This year, viewers will get an exclusive preview of Batman: Arkham City, where one of Batman’s deepest secrets will be revealed. Additionally, the next blockbuster title from acclaimed developer and Studio of the Year nominee, BioWare, will be unveiled at the show. Acclaimed film director and Academy Award-Nominee Guillermo del Toro will unveil his upcoming video game franchise from THQ.
“This year more than ever, video games dominate the brave new world of entertainment. We’ll honor the year’s best in gaming, as well as give gamers a look into their future with more world premieres than ever before,” said Casey Patterson, executive producer and senior vice president, event production, Spike TV. “We’re incredibly excited about our partnership with Done and Dusted and Hamish Hamilton. They have a bold vision for the show and how to use technology to present the games in a way we’ve never seen before on TV.”
Leading the way with ten nominations is BioWare’s Mass Effect 2 including nods for Game of the Year, Best Xbox 360 Game, Best PC Game and Best RPG. Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption racked up nine nominations, including Game of the Year, Best Action Adventure Game, Best Graphics and Best Original Score. Both Bungie Studios’ Halo: Reach and Activision’s blockbuster Call of Duty: Black Ops received seven nominations each, including Game of the Year, Best Shooter and Best Multi-Player.
Nominees for Spike TV’s 2010 Video Game Awards were determined by the VGA Advisory Council, made up of a group of some of the most well-respected video game journalists from media outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, Kotaku, GameSpot, IGN, Game Informer Magazine, Penny Arcade, Joystiq and WIRED. Games released between November 25, 2009 and November 23, 2010 were eligible for nomination.
Take a look at several of the nominees and categories below and visit VGA.Spike.com for the full list.
GAME OF THE YEAR
“Call of Duty: Black Ops” (Activision/Treyarch)
“God of War III” (Sony Computer Entertainment/SCE Studios Santa Monica)
“Halo: Reach” (Microsoft/Bungie Studios)
“Mass Effect 2” (Electronic Arts/BioWare)
“Red Dead Redemption” (Rockstar Games/Rockstar San Diego)
“God of War III” (Sony Computer Entertainment/SCE Studios Santa Monica)
“Halo: Reach” (Microsoft/Bungie Studios)
“Mass Effect 2” (Electronic Arts/BioWare)
“Red Dead Redemption” (Rockstar Games/Rockstar San Diego)
STUDIO OF THE YEAR
BioWare
Blizzard Entertainment
Bungie Studios
Rockstar San Diego
Blizzard Entertainment
Bungie Studios
Rockstar San Diego
BEST SHOOTER
“Battlefield: Bad Company 2” (Electronic Arts / DICE)
“BioShock 2” (2K Games / 2K Marin)
“Call of Duty: Black Ops” (Activision / Treyarch)
“Halo: Reach” (Microsoft / Bungie Studios)
“BioShock 2” (2K Games / 2K Marin)
“Call of Duty: Black Ops” (Activision / Treyarch)
“Halo: Reach” (Microsoft / Bungie Studios)
BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME
“EA Sports MMA” (Electronic Arts / EA Tiburon)
“Shaun White Skateboarding” (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Montreal)
“Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11” (Electronic Arts / EA Tiburon)
“UFC Undisputed 2010” (THQ / Yuke’s Media Creations)
“Shaun White Skateboarding” (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Montreal)
“Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11” (Electronic Arts / EA Tiburon)
“UFC Undisputed 2010” (THQ / Yuke’s Media Creations)
For additional information about other “VGA” world exclusives and announcements, log ontoVGA.Spike.Com and get updates via Twitter @SPIKE_TV as well as the hashtag #VGA.
I want to see a new a new IP win Game of the Year.
[Rest of post just goes into detail which games deserve it which don't.]
I really don’t like how such a media outlet as Spike TV brings to the nongaming masses their choices which historically go to games that are the most popular. We don’t need to recognize a game that’s popular, the revenue a popular game gets should be enough.
A game of the year should be innovative, bringing to the table an element of incredible precedent, something fresh, and also have some success in the market (a quality that has become the overwhelming force for GOTY choices).
Black OPs brings nothing innovative to the table…absolutely nothing. It is a stop gap for the next great shooter, people are starved for it, the only new maps people can get anymore is through the developer/publisher and they charge you for it, this inevitably shortens the lifespan of a video game because people get bored of the same 10 levels month after month. It allows the publisher to maintain a steady flow of income from a game after purchase but more importantly it gives publishers the ability to convince you through boredom to get their new game.
You can’t pick who your server provider, for the game (no competitive pricing/rates = bad for the gamer) Limited power and do I mean limited power for admins who actually do rent the servers. This is additional attempt to prevent the community from doing things like mods or anything that would help aspiring game developers to showcase their skill on the most popular title at the moment.
That isn’t innovative, it’s a compromise where we got the short end of it.
Halo: Reach brings some new modes of gameplay but none of them are ground breaking. The formula much like Black Ops is tried and true and merely refined…in this regard neither deserve the award. Halo’s only reason for life is that it’s Halo. You can be absolutely certain that months from now you can pop in that game and find someone online playing. That is not like other games where interest dwindles to where no one is left online. Part of this is because Halo allows you some ability to be creative. However this isn’t new for Halo, and keeping the formula as it is isn’t innovative.
I have not played God of War 3 but seeing as how it’s the second sequel and not a new IP I don’t think it’s right for it to overshadow a new IP that a developers takes a great risk on. A risk that pays off and brings a new perspective is far more admirable and deserving of the award.
I know a lot of you love GOW3 game, and I’m not saying in any fashion that it is bad. I simply do not think it’s right for a game to overshadow a new IP that is banking on it’s past success in hopes that sales and popularity overwhelm a more unknown but successful title that achieved new and great things.
Mass Effect 2, awesome game but did it innovate? I love this game and I’m almost as obsessed with it as DK, but I do not think it is as deserving. It’s a difficult subject this one because I think the game has many merits to it that deserve this kind of recognition but the last two simply had more.
Dammit I’m starting a wall o’ text right now…This is a terrible conclusion…I’m ashamed to leave it this weak, but here it goes; I don’t think I could choose between RDR and Batman.
If Black Ops wins Game of the Year I’ll probably shit myself with rage minutes before going back to not caring about award shows, and then play Black Ops most likely. Point is, its nothing new. Shouldn’t even have been nominated since its been out a week.
Who I think will win what:
1. Game of the Year: Red Dead Redemption
2. Studio of the Year: Blizzard
3. Best Shooter: Halo: Reach
4. Best Individual Sports Game: IDK?