What, no Samuel L. Jackson? Spike has tapped musician and actor Jack Black to their 2008 Video Game Awards, which will feature world premiers of God of War III, Uncharted 2, and many more.
Depending on which version of Jack Black shows up, this could be the first Spike Video Game Awards I actually remember to tune into. If we are getting Tenacious D Jack, I'm in. Kung Fu Panda Jack, not so much. Black will not only be hosting the awards, but also premiering his video game Brütal Legend at the show, sharing the stage with exclusive premieres of God of War III, Fight Night Round 4, Terminator Salvation, Uncharted 2, Watchmen: The End is Nigh, and Mafia II. The press release also teases a special Gears of War 2 announcement and "other surprises."
Tune in to Spike TV on Sunday, December 14th at 9PM Eastern to catch the show live.
JACK BLACK TO HOST SPIKE TV’S 2008 “VIDEO GAME AWARDS”
6th Annual Celebration To Include Mind-Blowing World Premieres Of God Of War III, Brütal Legend, Fight Night Round 4, Mafia II, Terminator Salvation, Uncharted 2, Watchmen: The End is Nigh, A Special Gears Of War 2 Announcement
And Other Surprises
Premieres LIVE Sunday, December 14 At 9:00 PM ET
New York, NY, December 2, 2008 – On Sunday, December 14th, the future is in play when Jack Black, one of the entertainment industry’s most versatile and talented stars, takes viewers on a trip to gamer heaven as host of Spike TV’s 2008 “Video Game Awards.” Recognizing outstanding artistic and technical achievement in the gaming industry, plus premiering first-looks at the hottest games of 2009 and beyond, the 2008 “VGAs” debuts LIVE and in HIGH-DEFINITION on Sunday, December 14 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/tape delay on west coast) from Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, CA.
In emceeing the night’s festivities, Black will be capping a 2008 which saw him star in two Hollywood blockbusters, “Tropic Thunder” and “Kung Fu Panda” that grossed over $800 million worldwide combined. Also, he will star opposite Michael Cera in director Harold Ramis’ June 2009 release of “The Year One.”
“Jack is a huge gamer and a former performer and winner on the ‘VGAs’ having taken home Best Performance By A Human – Male in 2005,” said Casey Patterson, Spike TV’s senior vice president, event production and talent development. “We’re thrilled to have him as our host. With a record 10 world premieres including Brütal Legend starring Jack, it will be a big night and wild ride!”
In addition to the world premiere of Brütal Legend gameplay from designer Tim Schafer (Grim Fandango and Psychonauts) and Double Fine Productions, the 2008 “VGAs” will be stacked with an unprecedented number of wall-to-wall world exclusives. Games scheduled to make their global debut include the first look at the gameplay of the PlayStation 3™ exclusive God of War III, Uncharted 2, EA’s Sports Fight Night Round 4, Mafia II, Terminator Salvation, Watchmen: The End is Nigh, a special announcement regarding Gears of War 2 and more blockbuster surprises set to be revealed shortly.
At the show, legendary game designer Will Wright will receive the first-ever Gamer God award for his achievements in the gaming industry. Other industry luminaries set to attend include Game of the Year-nominees Hideo Kojima (designer, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots), Cliff Bleszinski (design director, Gears of War 2), Todd Howard (executive producer, Fallout 3), Alex Evans (co-founder, Media Molecule, creators of LittleBigPlanet), Rockstar Games and more names soon to be announced.
The official sponsors of Spike TV’s 2008 “Video Game Awards” are Burger King®, GameStop™, Gillette®, Energizer®, Mountain Dew, Stride® Gum, U.S. Army and Verizon Wireless.