But it's what Wonder, did with the moment that shows why the man is and has been so respected, for so long, in both his art and popular culture. In praising the rhythm genre for creating accessibility to disabled gamers, Wonder - blind since birth - called on the industry as a whole to follow that example, and find ways that this emerging art form may be enjoyed by everyone.

Yes, "video game" would imply that sight is a necessary condition of participation. People have had the same assumption about baseball, which is also played by the blind; basketball is contested by those who use wheelchairs. On and on. These are not the games many people choose to play, and they are not the ones we watch on television. But the value these sports present to their participants can't be qualified by whether the fully abled would want to play.

Similarly, perhaps a game for the blind, whatever form it takes, would not be one that you or I would buy. But Stevie Wonder is right; as the art form mainstreams, it acquires mainstream obligations to serve more communities that wish to enjoy it. His message last night was on the mark. This is a remarkably creative industry, and it can find a way.

Stevie Wonder Pleads for "Disabled Accessibility" [The Lost Gamer]

It just seems a little soon for this. So soon, Left 4 Dead players have announced they're boycotting it. Hey-oh!!! OK, that's a groaner; at least it wasn't half as awkward as Stephen A. Smith last night.

Anyway, the 2009 Video Game Awards did hand out some hardware and pimp some new games. We've already posted the Batman and Medal of Honor trailers, and the Halo: Reach opening cinematic. Here are the rest of the major videos from last night's broadcast (via Gametrailers), with a list of all of last night's award winners at the bottom.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Debut Trailer





Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Debut Trailer





Spec Ops: The Line Debut Trailer





Green Day: Rock Band Debut Trailer





Crackdown 2





UFC 2010 Undisputed Debut Trailer





Deadliest Warrior Debut Trailer





Tron: Evolution Debut Trailer





True Crime Debut Trailer





Winners at the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards:

• Game of the Year: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
• Studio of the Year: Rocksteady Studios
• Best Independent Game: 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: Dragon Age: Origins
• Best Handheld Game: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
• Best Shooter: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Best Fighting Game: Street Fighter IV
• Best Action Adventure Game: Assassin's Creed II
• Best RPG: Dragon Age: Origins
• Best Multiplayer Game: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• 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 (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)
• Best Performance By A Human Male: Hugh Jackman (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)
• Best Cast: X-Men Origins: Wolverine
• Best Voice: Jack Black (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

Spike Video Game Awards 2009 [site]

Of course, the game itself will get a debut trailer at tonight's Video Game Awards on Spike. But other than the gameplay, you now have the big news it will deliver.

GameStop Weekly Ad [Thanks Philip]

"Do not miss the first five minutes of the VGAs for our biggest surprise premiere in VGA history!" Keighley Tweeted about four hours ago. Granted, that "history" goes waaaaaay back to 2003. But given Destructoid's talk with Keighley yesterday it sounds like he's talking about some full-bore NDA-signing shit here that no one can even hint at until the show.

So, let's get to guessin'. I've got no idea myself. If it's a bona fide bombshell we are probably not talking about a new IP, and racking my brain, I'm not sure what unannounced, unknown, undated, unrumored sequel is out there that could get people out of their seats. But I'm ready to be surprised.

Geoff Keighley on Twitter [site]

The awards show will feature the first ever gameplay footage of the UFC Undisputed 2010, plus commentary from top UFC fighters. A news release from THQ says "the footage will be introduced through a special UFC guest appearance." I just hope it's not a scripted bout with whomever's presenting.

Following is a teaser trailer that went up earlier today; it doesn't give up much of anything to expect in UFC Undisputed 2010.

Update: My picks for what will win run first. My picks for what/who should win are bracketed.

Note: • = Named as a winner in the rehearsal.

Game of the Year: Grand Theft Auto IV [Gears of War 2]
Studio: Media Molecule [Bethesda]
Shooter: Left 4 Dead• [Gears of War 2]
RPG: Fallout 3 [Fallout 3]
Fighter: Soulcalibur IV• [Smash Bros. Brawl]
Sports: Shaun White Snowboarding• [Same]
Handheld: God of War: Chains of Olympus [Same]
Best Graphics: LittleBigPlanet [Same]
Adapted Game (TV or Movie): Lego Indiana Jones• [Holds nose, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed]
Music Game: Rock Band 2 [RB2]
Driving Game: Burnout: Paradise• [Burnout Paradise]
Action Adventure: Grand Theft Auto IV [Metal Gear Solid 4]
Team Sports Game: FIFA 09 [FIFA 09]
Soundtrack: Grand Theft Auto IV [Not nominated: Bionic Commando: Rearmed]
360 Game: Gears of War 2 [Gears 2]
Wii Game: Boom Blox• [Smash Bros. Brawl]
PS3 Game: Metal Gear Solid 4 [LittleBigPlanet]
PC Game: Left 4 Dead• [Left 4 Dead]
Original Score: Fallout 3 [Fallout 3]
Multiplayer: Left 4 Dead• [Left 4 Dead]
Performance by a Male: Michael Hollick (Grand Theft Auto IV)• [Jason Zumwalt, Grand Theft Auto IV]
Performance by a Human Female: Debi Mae West (Metal Gear Solid 4) [Debi Mae West, MGS4]
Big Name in the Game, Male: Kiefer Sutherland (COD 4)• [Don't care, bullshit category]
Big Name in the Game, Female: Jenny McCarthy (Command & Conquer Red Alert 3)• [Ditto]
Independent Game: Braid [Braid]

According to the eyes and ears at PrimoTech, this is some of what what you can expect tonight. Note: We can't vouch for the accuracy of individual items, just that the rehearsal cam did spill some legit information. So some of this can't be considered verified. But the fact the rehearsal cams went silent about an hour ago is a big indicator. My commentary is in brackets.

Special Announcements
• Gears of War 2 ‘Combustible’ Map Pack available on Xbox Live Marketplace 12 PM Pacific/3 AM East TONIGHT
• EA debuts Dante’s Inferno title, coming in 2009 (See Variety)
• Pearl Jam’s ‘Ten’ available as downloadable Rock Band album in March

Award Winners
• Best Multiplayer: Left 4 Dead (Valve)
• Best PC: Left 4 Dead (Valve)
• Best Fighting: Soul Calibur 4 (Project Soul)
• Best Driving: Burnout Paradise (Criterion)
• Best Portable: Professor Layton (Level 5)
• Best Wii: Boom Blox (EA Casual)
• Best Individual Sports: Shaun White Snowboarding (Ubi Montreal)
• Best Female in a Game: Jenny McCarthy as Tanya in Red Alert 3 (EA Westwood)
• Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show: Lego Indy (Traveller’s Tales)
• Best Performance by a Human Male: Michael Hollick as Niko Bellic (Grand Theft Auto IV)
• Big Name in a Game: Kiefer Sutherland (Call of Duty: World at War)
• Gamer God Inductee: Will Wright (Sim City, Spore)

Appearances
• Marisa Miller presenting. [Geoff Keighley told Major Nelson it's tied to the Gears 2 announcement].
• LL Cool J presenting ‘Best Shooter’
• Peter Moore presenting Fight Night Round 4 [confirmed]
• Neil Patrick Harris presenting ‘Best Indie Game’ [Doogie Howser: Day of Crisis?]
• Eliza Dushku presenting Kieffer Sutherland as ‘Big Name in Game’ winner
• Kim Kardashian presenting first footage of EA’s Dante’s Inferno
• Tony Hawk presenting Game God Inductee Award to Will Wright [Name of award and recipient confirmed by Keighley to Nelson]
• Geoff Keighley presents Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned DLC
• Jerry Stiller makes a cameo for some strange reason [to Air the Grievances?]

Miscellaneous (this sounds like they caught comedy bits or scripted lines. Commentary is Primotech's):
• Plaxico Burress named ‘Best Shooter’ [LMFAO]
• Jack Black is all zany with his Xbox 360 headset! How zany!
• Talking Spore creatures are somewhat fond of Will Wright
• Dante’s Inferno is “based on a book or something.” This perturbs Kim Kardashian a great deal.

Live Winners and News from The Spike 2008 Video Game Awards Show

• Marisa Miller, who just got done prancing for Victoria's Secret, and will cavort on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, is going to be involved in this ultra-double-secret announcement about Gears of War 2 tonight.

• "Xbox fans are really gonna like how (host Jack Black) opens the show. There'll be a big surprise, how he opens the show," said Keighley.

• First gameplay footage for God of War 23. (How the hell did I typo that one as 2 ... I'd be less embarrassed if I took my dick out in church. At a wedding.) Exclusive premiers and trailers also for Uncharted 2, Mafia II, Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and the Damned, Terminator Salvation, Watchmen: The End is Nigh, and Jack Black's own Brütal Legend. Keighley said there will also be announcements regarding unnamed games no one even knows about yet.

• "Every segment will have a new world exclusive," Keighley said. "Every five to seven minutes." Sounds good, but aren't there supposed to be some awards handed out?

• Peter Moore will unveil Fight Night Round 4, we knew that. But Gametrailers says it features "a virtual bout between two legends of the ring." I'm halfway hoping that means the boxers themselves are playing the game, but it probably just means gameplay footage. Either way, let's hope the fighters are new and/or interesting.

• Performance by 50 Cent.

• Boldface names live in attendance include Cliffy B and Hideo Kojima. Will Wright will receive a lifetime achievement award.

All these world exclusives, announcements and trailers are exciting and interesting, and will no doubt make for hellacious grist for the coming week (and cause GameTrailers to go into exclusive orgasm overload.) But ... I mean, aren't they gonna like give out awards for games people are actually already playing and stuff?

Anyway. The sixth annual Video Game Awards are on Spike TV tonight at 9 p.m. U.S. Eastern time, 7 p.m. Crecente.

NOTE: This broadcast WILL BE tape delayed on the West Coast. Pacific time viewers can tune in at 6 p.m. local only. Speaking as one, that, in two words, sucks ass.

Major Nelson Podcast #302 [Major Nelson, thanks Kyle M.]

The story touches on the show's roots and the importance of game trailers to game sales, with Spike TV's Geoff Keighley calling them the Angelina Jolie of this business. Yeah, that doesn't really make sense to me either.

But what really grabbed my attention was some of the behind the scenes stuff MTV and Spike TV are doing to try and maintain and build the show's credibility through, of all things, ethics.

The awards also have attracted a row of gamer-friendly sponsors, including Burger King, GameStop, Energizer, Verizon Wireless and the Army, according to Spike.

But the network does not allow game publishers to sponsor the program. Publishers also are not allowed to place game ads near a segment of the show where their titles are nominated. Jeff Lucas, an executive vice president for ad sales for MTV Networks, said the rules were enforced to “maintain our editorial credibility.”

These rules mirror the policies for other award shows. For decades, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did not allow commercials for forthcoming movies during the Oscars, to avoid any appearance of undue influence. Beginning with the 2009 show, each distributor will be able to buy one commercial in the show.

That's fantastic. As a judge for the awards I'm very happy to hear that Spike is not only taking the issue of ethics seriously, but researching what other awards shows are doing and following in their footsteps.

The VGAs may have had its share of issues, and some of them may even still exist, but you can't say it's not improving every year.

Video Games Awards, and Sneak Previews

That same something is also telling me that the regret the comedian seems to be feeling about his "money grubbing" appearance means that he won't shed many tears when producers don't ask for a return in 2008.

Godawful/Thank God [MySpace via GameSetWatch and Looky Touchy]

FOUR-TIME GRAMMY AWARD WINNING ROCK BAND, FOO FIGHTERS, TO PERFORM AT SPIKE TV'S 2007 "VIDEO GAME AWARDS"

IN SPECIAL PERFORMANCE FOR ALL-NEW "ROCK BAND" VIDEO GAME

Hosted by Samuel L. Jackson; Premieres Sunday, December 9 At 9:00 PM

New York, NY, December 5, 2007 - Spike TV announced today that multi-platinum recording artists, Foo Fighters, will take the stage at Spike TV's 2007 "Video Game Awards." Fresh off the release of their highly anticipated new album, "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace," the Foo Fighters are set to rock out in front of some of Hollywood's hottest talent and the video game world's top creators and designers. Hailed by The Independent (UK) as "the last great American rock band," Foo Fighters are featured in Rock Band; which will be one of the biggest games of the year. This performance will be a monster. Hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, the "Video Game Awards" tapes at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Friday, December 7 and premieres on Spike TV Sunday, December 9 (9:00-11:00PM, ET/PT).

To kick off the party, celebrities will have their music abilities tested, as Spike TV will feature the all-new platform designed for music fans and gamers, MTV Games' Rock Band on the red carpet. The red carpet will never be the same as celebrities will show off their video game prowess in front of their loyal fans. While, inside the walls of the Mandalay Bay Events Center, a who's who of the video game industry will gather to witness mind-blowing, never-before-seen world premieres of some of the most anticipated releases to date. Borderlands (2K), Gran Turismo™ 5 Prologue (Sony Computer Entertainment America), Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (Ubisoft) and TNA iMPACT! (Midway) will all be unveiled. Also, viewers will have a first look at the new DLC Halo 3 Maps from Microsoft Game Studios.

Talent includes some of the industry's hottest celebrities, sports stars, comedians and the hottest women in gaming. The night will feature award presentations and appearances by actress Rachel Bilson, actor Hayden Christensen, "Heroes" Kristen Bell, legendary boxing promoter Don King, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, rock star Kid Rock, "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening, magician Criss Angel, "TNA" wrestling stars Kurt and Karen Angle, actress Tia Carrere, artist Chingy, "Rob & Big's" Rob Dyrdek and Big Boykin, "Chuck" stars Joshua Gomez and Zachary Levi, former NFL star Rocket Ismail, UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and "Ultimate Fighter 1" champ Forrest Griffin, "Mad TV" star Bobby Lee, MTV reality couple Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, NFL quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Matt Leinart, rock star Dave Navarro, "Jackass" Steve-O, comedian Patton Oswalt, comedian and Comedy Central star Brian Posehn, MTV's Tila Tequila and professional skateboarder Danny Way and many more to be announced shortly. In addition, the world's leading video game concert series, Video Games Live, will make their national television debut. Comedian Ralphie May was just added to perform.

The official sponsors of Spike TV's 2007 "Video Game Awards" are Burger King®, GameStop™, Mountain Dew, Stride® Gum, Tag™, U.S. Air Force and Verizon Wireless.

Spike TV will launch a "Video Game Awards" mobile channel cross carrier on December 3rd. The mobile "VGA" winners will be announced on the red carpet at the event and will air on Spike mobile beginning December 10th and run all week.

Nominees for Spike TV's 2007 "Video Game Awards" were determined by the VGA Advisory Council, made up of a group of the most well-respected experts in the industry who, for the first time in history, will also determine the show's winners. Games released between November 16, 2006 and December 1, 2007 were eligible for nomination. Fan voting, however, will not be left out as the winner in the Most Addictive Game category will be solely determined by the fans. To vote for this award, go to www.vga.spiketv.com- through Saturday, December 8.

Spike TV's 2007 "Video Game Awards" pays tribute to the outstanding achievements of games, designers, animation, breakthrough technology, music and performances of the past year in the industry. The awards also provide a glimpse at the future of gaming, including exclusive sneak peeks and world premiere footage of some of the most anticipated games of 2007 and beyond.

Albie Hecht, Oscar®-nominated producer and co-creator of the "Kids' Choice" and "Video Game Awards," and Casey Patterson, senior vice president, event production & talent development for Spike TV will serve as executive producers of Spike TV's 2007 "Video Game Awards." Greg Sills is supervising producer, Alicia Portugal is producer and Scott Fishman is executive in charge of production.

Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.

# # #

Game of the Year BioShock Halo 3 Mass Effect The Orange Box

Best Shooter
BioShock
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Halo 3
The Orange Box

Best Action Game
Assassin's Creed
God of War
Super Mario Galaxy
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Best Rhythm Game
Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Jam Sessions
Rock Band

Best RPG
Eternal Sonata
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Mass Effect
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

Best Driving Game
Colin McRae: DiRT
Forza Motorsport 2
Need for Speed ProStreet
Project Gotham Racing 4

Best Military Game
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
World in Conflict

Studio of the Year
Bungie Studios
Harmonix
2K Boston / 2K Australia
Valve

Best Graphics
BioShock
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Crysis
Mass Effect

Breakthrough Technology
Crysis
Halo 3
Portal
Rock Band

Best PS3 Game
Heavenly Sword
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Warhawk

Best Wii Game
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Paper Mario

Best Xbox 360 Game
BioShock
Halo 3
Mass Effect
The Orange Box

Best PC Game
BioShock
Crysis
The Orange Box
World in Conflict

Best Individual Sports Game
skate
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
Virtua Tennis 3

Best Team Sports Game
Madden NFL 08
NBA 2K8
NHL 08
Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007

Best Handheld Game
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show
The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar
Naruto: Rise of a Ninja
The Simpsons Game
John Woo Presents Stranglehold

Best Soundtrack
BioShock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
Rock Band

Best Original Score
BioShock
God of War 2
Halo 3
Mass Effect

Best Multiplayer Game
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Halo 3
Rock Band
The Orange Box

Most Addictive Game Fueled by Dew
Halo 3
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Orange Box
Wii Sports

The Spike TV Videogame Awards are coming up on December 9. Over at Spike.com they've posted the list of this year's nominees, decided on by a panel that includes Kotaku's own Brian Crecente and this week's guest editor Geoff Keighley. For Game of the Year, the nominees are Orange Box, Mass Effect, BioShock and Halo 3. Check out all the other nominees over on the official site.

VGA Nominees Announced [Spike.com]

Spike TV held their Video Game Awards show Friday night and I'm sure you've all been hanging on the edge of your seats for us to print the winners list. Actually, I forgot it was happening and somehow I really couldn't get up the energy to care. Thankfully, the robots at Destructoid never sleep and already went to the trouble of putting this list together so I didn't have to. For those of you who can't wait for the December 13 show date to see the outcome, make the jump for the list of winners. Some highlights appear below...

• GAME OF THE YEAR: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• STUDIO OF THE YEAR: Epic Games
• BEST ACTION GAME: Dead Rising
• BEST SHOOTER: Gears of War

Spike TV VGA Winners List

GAME OF THE YEAR
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Softworks)

STUDIO OF THE YEAR
Epic Games (Gears of War)

BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME
Tony Hawk Project 8 (Activision/Neversoft)

BEST TEAM SPORTS GAME
NBA2K7 (2K Sports/Visual Concepts)

BEST SONG
"Lights and Sounds" by YellowCard in Burnout Revenge-XBOX 360 (Electronic
Arts/Criterion Games)

BEST SOUNDTRACK
Guitar Hero II (Red Octane/Harmonix)

BEST WIRELESS GAME
SWAT Force (Vivendi/KAOLink)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN - MALE
Patrick Stewart in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Softworks)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN - FEMALE
Vida Guerra in Scarface: The World is Yours (Vivendi/Radical
Entertainment)

BEST CAST
Family Guy (2K Games/High Voltage Software)

MOST ADDICTIVE
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Softworks)

CRITIC'S CHOICE
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo/Nintendo EAD)

BEST DRIVING GAME AWARD
Burnout Revenge-XBOX 360 (Electronic Arts/Criterion Games)

BEST ACTION GAME
Dead Rising (Capcom)

CYBER VIXEN OF THE YEAR
Alyx Vance - Half-Life 2: Episode 1 (Valve)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Softworks)

BEST FIGHTING GAME
Mortal Kombat Armageddon (Midway Games)

BEST PC GAME
Company of Heroes (THQ/Relic)

BEST RPG
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Softworks)

BEST SHOOTER
Gears of War (Microsoft/Epic Games)

BEST MILITARY GAME
Company of Heroes (THQ/Relic)

BEST GRAPHICS
Gears of War (Microsoft/Epic Games)

BEST HANDHELD GAME
New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo/Nintendo EAD)

BEST MULTI-PLAYER GAME
Gears of War (Microsoft/Epic Games)

BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY
WII (Nintendo)

BEST GAME BASED ON A MOVIE OR TV SHOW
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (LucasArts/Traveller's Tales)

BEST SUPPORTING MALE PERFORMANCE
James Gandolfini in The Sopranos: Road to Respect (THQ/7 Studios)

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE PERFORMANCE
Rachel Leigh Cook in Kingdom Hearts II (Square Enix)

GAMERS CHOICE: BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Rosario Dawson in Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure
(Atari/The Collective)

GAMERS CHOICE: CHARACTER OF THE YEAR
"Jack Sparrow" portrayed by Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: The
Legend of Jack Sparrow (Bethesda Softworks/7Studios/Buena Vista Games)
Faith's Avatar

Plus, there may even be a little bit of gaming quality justice dispensed as the voting panel includes some highly qualified video game journalists including Gamespot's Greg Kasavin, IGN's Tal Blevins, EGM's Dan Hsu and even our very own Brian "I Thought Gundam Crossfire Was A Solid B-" Crecente. On second thought, maybe we should be concerned.

I'll hopefully has a nice little wrap up for you later tonight (or tomorrow morning, depending on teh booze situation) so get your sarcastic comments ready. Michael McWhertor

Spike TV Video Game Awards

Samuel L. Jackson may have had it with these motherfucking snakes, but he's clearly not had it with these motherfucking video game awards shows. The Kangol Hatted One is coming back to host the 2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards which will air on the network for bro's and dudes the second week of December.

Voting for the awards is now open, with the exclusion of the Critic's Choice award, one that strangely enough will allow a game released after the award show airs to win the highly coveted honor. Keep in mind, when voting, that winners are determined "in part" by viewer voting. My guess is that the award will be given to whomever shows up.

One thing's for sure, you guys better head over there now and flood the network with votes for Princess Peach in the Cyber Vixen of the Year category. She's a stone fox! Michael McWhertor

Spike 2006 Video Game Awards Official Site

Heh. I mentioned in my previous post that I attended the Spike TV Video Game Awards and I forgot to mention who won. Doh!

Resident Evil 4 won the Game of the Year. Now, it's a fine game and I'm sure it has a ton of fans among our readers, but it was up against World of Warcraft (not to mention God of War, Call of Duty 2 and F.E.A.R.). Am I the only one who thinks it should have been WoW? I mean, that title is so HUGE and I've lost so many of my friends to their WoW addiction in the past year that I'm left scratching my head. Anyone else out there who thinks the VGA picked the wrong game?

Full list of winners in the extended entry.

Here are the nominees in each category. The winners are in bold.

Game of the Year:
God of War
Resident Evil 4
F.E.A.R.
World of Warcraft

Best Action Game:
Peter Jackson's King Kong
The Warriors
God of War
Resident Evil 4
50 Cent: Bulletproof

Best Individual Sports Game:
SSX on Tour
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
EA Sports Fight Night Round 2
Tiger Wood PGA Tour 06
Top Spin

Best Team Sports Game:
Madden NFL 6
NBA 2K6
NBA Street V3
Blitz: The League
World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 International

Cybervixen of the Year:
Jessica Alba in Fantastic 4
Traci Lords in True Crime: New York City
Maria Menounos in James Bond 007: From Russia With Love
Charlize Theron in Aeon Flux
Joanna Dark in Perfect Dark Zero

Best Game Based on a Movie:
Peter Jackson's King Kong
The Warriors
The Matrix: Path of Neo
Star Wars: Battlefront II
James Bond 007: From Russia with Love

Best Performance by a Human Male:
Jack Black in Peter Jackson's King Kong
Michael Chiklis in Fantastic 4
Terrence "T.C." Carson in God of War
50 Cent in 50 Cent: Bulletproof
Sean Connery in James Bond 007: From Russia with Love

Best Supporting Male Performance:
Dr. Dre in 50 Cent: Bulletproof
Christopher Walken in True Crime: New York City
Eminem in 50 Cent: Bulletproof
Michael Clarke Duncan in The Suffering: Ties that Bind

Best Performance by a Human Female:
Naomi Watts in Peter Jackson's King Kong
Josie Maran in Need for Speed Most Wanted
Cornelia Hayes O'Herlihy in Haunting Ground
Charlize Theron in Aeon Flux
Jessica Alba in Fantastic 4

Best Supporting Female Performance:
Natasha Bedingfield in James Bond 007: From Russia with Love
Marisa Hargitay in True Crime: New York City
Maria Menounos in James Bond 007: From Russia with Love
Traci Lords in True Crime: New York City

Best Cast:
Peter Jackson's King Kong
50 Cent: Bulletproof
James Bond 007: From Russia with Love
Fantastic 4
True Crime: New York City

Best Original Song:
"Lights and Sounds" by Yellowcard in Burnout Revenge
"When I Get Angry" by Spider Loc in Madden NFL 06
"Maybe We Crazy" by 50 Cent in 50 Cent: Bulletproof
"Error Operator" by Taking Back Sunday in Fantastic 4

Best Soundtrack:
50 Cent: Bulletproof
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
SSX on Tour
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Guitar Hero

Best Original Score:
We Love Katamari
God of War
Perfect Dark Zero
Call of Duty 2
Indigo Prophecy

Designer of the Year:
Rob Pardo for World of Warcraft
Michel Ancel for Peter Jackson's King Kong
Craig Hubbard for F.E.A.R.
David Jaffi for God of War
Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendogs

Pontiac Best Driving Game Award:
L.A. Rush
Forza Motorsport
Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition
Gran Turismo 4
Burnout Revenge

Most Addictive Game Fueled by Dew:
World of Warcraft
Lumines
Meteos
We Love Katamari
Nintendogs

Best Wireless Game:
Need for Speed Underground 2
Massive Snowboarding
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Marc Ecko's Getting Up
The Incredibles 3D

Best Fighting Game:
Soul Calibur III
Tekken 5
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks
EA Sports Fight Night Round 2
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower

Best First Person Action:
Far Cry Instincts
F.E.A.R.
Perfect Dark Zero
Call of Duty 2
Battlefield 2

Best Military Game:
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood
Battlefield 2
SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy Seals
Call of Duty 2
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

Best Graphics:
Call of Duty 2
F.E.A.R.
Resident Evil 4
Peter Jackson's King Kong
Project Gotham Racing 3

Went to Spike TV 2005 Video Game Awards last night in Los Angeles, since Kotaku has been nominated as "Best Gaming Blog" (of course). Had a good time to my surprise. I had watched the VGA the previous two years and didn't think much of the award show. This year, maybe it was because I was sitting a couple rows away from Samuel L. Jackson and 50 Cent, but I had rocking good time in the audience.

The only thing that struck me as odd, however, was that Peter Jackson's King Kong won a bunch of times, and the title isn't even out yet. Who are the people judging this thing? It ain't people like us.

Spike TV [Official site]