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The Spike Video Game Awards (in short VGAs, known as the VGX for the final show) was an annual award show hosted by American television network Spike from 2003 that recognized the best computer and video games of the year. Produced by GameTrailers TV's Geoff Keighley, the show featured preview trailers for upcoming games, live music performances and appearances by popular performers in music, movies, and television.
| Spike Video Game Awards | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded for | Outstanding achievements in the video game industry |
| Location | Santa Monica, California / Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Country | United States |
| First awarded | December 3, 2003 |
| Website | http://www.spike.com/event/vga  |
The VGAs was held at various locations in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California as well as Las Vegas, Nevada. Spike's only Video Game Hall of Fame award, given to The Legend of Zelda, was awarded at the 2011 awards show.[1]
On November 15, 2013, Spike announced a new format under the name VGX, calling it "The next generation of the VGAs". The last award show, carrying this name, aired on December 7.[2] Changes from the previous format included "in-depth extended demos of the next generation of games and interactive one-on-one interviews and panels in an intimate studio setting."[3]
In November 10, 2014, Keighley announced a new awards show, the Game Awards, dropping the support from Spike.[4]
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2013 awards
The 2013 awards, the final awards show, was rebranded as VGX and held on December 7, 2013, and was hosted by Joel McHale.[2] The show featured a different format from previous years. It featured extended demos of next-generation games, one-on-one interviews, and "a more intimate studio setting." Rather than airing live on Spike TV, the show was livestreamed online on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Twitch, Steam, iOS, and Android devices, as well as on GameTrailers.com and the websites of Spike, Comedy Central, MTV, MTV2, and BET.[5] As with previous years, the show featured exclusive world premieres of game demos and trailers. The 2013 VGX premieres included Telltale Games' and Gearbox Software's collaboration Tales from the Borderlands, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (an Xbox One and PlayStation 4 port with graphical updates and all DLC included), Remedy Entertainment's Agents of Storm for iOS, Telltale Games' Game of Thrones, and independent developer Hello Games' No Man's Sky. The 2013 show also featured reveals of Titanfall, Thief, Quantum Break, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Broken Age, Dying Light, Tom Clancy's The Division, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé demoed an upcoming Wii U game, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and Rockstar Games worked with the production team to produce a musical performance of the music of Grand Theft Auto V.[6]
| Award | Winner[7] | Nominees[8] |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto V | |
| Studio of the Year | Naughty Dog, The Last of Us |
|
| Character of the Year | The Lutece Twins, BioShock Infinite |
|
| Best Shooter | BioShock Infinite | |
| Best Action-Adventure Game | Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag | |
| Best Sports Game | NBA 2K14 | |
| Best Independent Game | Gone Home | |
| Best RPG | Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch | |
| Best Fighting Game | Injustice: Gods Among Us | |
| Best Driving Game | Forza Motorsport 5 | |
| Best DLC | Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon | |
| Best Xbox Game | Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons | |
| Best PlayStation Game | The Last of Us | |
| Best Nintendo Game | Super Mario 3D World | |
| Best PC Game | Gone Home | |
| Best Handheld Game | The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds | |
| Best Casual Game | Animal Crossing: New Leaf | |
| Best Mobile Game | Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time | |
| Best Voice Actor | Troy Baker as Joel, The Last of Us |
|
| Best Voice Actress | Ashley Johnson as Ellie, The Last of Us |
|
| Best Soundtrack | Grand Theft Auto V | |
| Best Song in a Game | "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" performed by Courtnee Draper and Troy Baker, BioShock Infinite |
|
| Most Anticipated Game | Titanfall |
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2012 awards
The 2012 VGAs (promoted as VGA 10 for the tenth anniversary) was held on December 7, 2012, at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. Samuel L. Jackson returned to host for a fourth time.[9] This was the last year under the name "Spike Video Game Awards". For the first time, the awards were broadcast on Xbox Live. Live users could "play" the show as it aired live. Responses to poll questions were tabulated in real time on screen for the Xbox Live audience and users with Xbox SmartGlass devices got a unique second-screen experience that updated in real time alongside the show content. Additionally, Spike TV and Entertainment Weekly partnered to create the first-ever "Entertainment Weekly and Spike VGA Best Game of the Decade" award. Exclusive world premieres that debuted at VGA 10 include Naughty Dog's The Last of Us, Epic Games' Gears of War: Judgment, Obsidian Entertainment's South Park: The Stick of Truth, Konami's Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, Irrational Games' BioShock Infinite, Crystal Dynamics' Tomb Raider, Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washington, and 343 Industries' Halo 4: Spartan Ops. Two new games were announced, including Dark Souls II by FromSoftware, and a new game called The Phantom Pain (later revealed to be Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain). The event also had appearances from all past hosts of the VGAs except David Spade. The event featured musical performances by Linkin Park, Tenacious D, Gustavo Santaolalla and Wolfgang Gartner.[10]
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | The Walking Dead: The Game | |
| Studio of the Year | Telltale Games, The Walking Dead: The Game |
|
| Best Xbox 360 Game | Halo 4 | |
| Best PS3 Game | Journey | |
| Best Wii/Wii U Game | New Super Mario Bros. U | |
| Best PC Game | XCOM: Enemy Unknown | |
| Best Handheld/Mobile Game | Sound Shapes | |
| Best Shooter | Borderlands 2 | |
| Best Action Adventure Game | Dishonored | |
| Best RPG | Mass Effect 3 | |
| Best Multi-player Game | Borderlands 2 | |
| Best Individual Sports Game | SSX | |
| Best Team Sports Game | NBA 2K13 | |
| Best Driving Game | Need for Speed: Most Wanted | |
| Best Fighting Game | Persona 4 Arena | |
| Best Independent Game | Journey | |
| Best Adapted Video Game | The Walking Dead: The Game | |
| Best Song in a Game | "Cities" by Beck, Sound Shapes |
|
| Best Original Score | Journey | |
| Best Graphics | Halo 4 | |
| Best Performance by a Human Male | Dameon Clarke as Handsome Jack, Borderlands 2 |
|
| Best Performance by a Human Female | Melissa Hutchison as Clementine, The Walking Dead: The Game |
|
| Best Downloadable Game | The Walking Dead: The Game | |
| Best Social Game | You Don't Know Jack | |
| Best DLC | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dawnguard | |
| Most Anticipated Game | Grand Theft Auto V | |
| Character of the Year | Claptrap, Borderlands 2 |
|
| Best Game of the Decade | Half-Life 2 |
2011 awards
The 2011 VGAs was held Saturday, December 10, 2011, at the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California, hosted by Zachary Levi.[11] 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 would be on the cover of the EA Sports game, NFL Blitz.[12] Appearances were by Charlie Sheen, Brooklyn Decker, Seth Green, Felicia Day, LL Cool J, Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Tony Hawk, will.i.am, Hulk Hogan, Stacy Keibler, Bellator MMA stars Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler, Blake Anderson, Adam Devine, Anders Holm, and game designers Cliff Bleszinski of Epic Games and Hideo Kojima of Konami. Musical performances were by The Black Keys and Deadmau5.[13]
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | |
| Video Game Hall of Fame | The Legend of Zelda | N/A |
| Gamer God | Blizzard Entertainment | N/A |
| Studio of the Year | Bethesda Game Studios, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim |
|
| 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 |
|
| Character of the Year | The Joker, Batman: Arkham City |
|
| NFL Blitz Cover Athlete | Ray Rice |
2010 awards
The 2010 VGAs was 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. 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. Appearances included AnnaLynne McCord, Thor: God of Thunder video game star Chris Hemsworth, Dane Cook, Olivia Munn, Dominic Monaghan, Michael Chiklis, Academy Award nominated film director Guillermo del Toro, Halo: Reach star and VGA nominee Nathan Fillion, Nick Swardson, Tony Hawk, and the cast from the hit series It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Danny DeVito, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, and Rob McElhenney. Musical performances included award-winning violinist Diana Yukawa,[14] My Chemical Romance, and José González. The show featured use of ground breaking augmented reality technology, conceived by Done and Dusted; with Lee Lodge, in partnership with Weider Design, Full Mental Jacket, and Orad.[15]
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Red Dead Redemption | |
| Studio of the Year | BioWare, Mass Effect 2 |
|
| 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 | |
| Character of the Year | Sgt. Frank Woods, Call of Duty: Black Ops |
|
| 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 was held on December 12, 2009, at the Nokia Event Deck in Los Angeles, California and is the only VGAs that did not feature a host. 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, Tron: Evolution, Medal of Honor, Crackdown 2, Bonanza, Spec Ops: The Line, Rock Band 3, Deadliest Warrior: The Game, and True Crime. 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. Appearances were made by Stevie Wonder, the cast of MTV's Jersey Shore, Green Day, and Jack Black, with live music performances by Snoop Dogg and The Bravery.[16]
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Uncharted 2: Among Thieves | |
| Studio of the Year | Rocksteady Studios, Batman: Arkham Asylum |
|
| 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 Action Adventure Game | Assassin's Creed II | |
| Best RPG | Dragon Age: Origins | |
| Best Multiplayer Game | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 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 Male | Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, X-Men Origins: Wolverine |
|
| Best Performance By A Human Female | Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen |
|
| 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 | |
| Best Comedy Game | Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard | N/A |
| Most Anticipated Game of 2010 | God of War III |
2008 awards
The 2008 VGAs was held on December 14, 2008, at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City.[17] Hosted by Jack Black, the show featured previews of Brütal Legend, Dante's Inferno, Fight Night Round 4, Gears of War 2 "Combustion" map pack announcement and trailer, God of War III, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, Mafia II, Pearl Jam's album Ten for Rock Band, Terminator Salvation, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Watchmen: The End Is Nigh. Musical performances included 50 Cent, The All-American Rejects, Weezer, and LL Cool J.[18][19]
| Award | Winner | Nominees[20] |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Grand Theft Auto IV | |
| Best Action Adventure Game | 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 Music Game | Rock Band 2 | |
| Best Soundtrack | Rock Band 2 | |
| Best RPG | Fallout 3 | |
| Best Independent Game Fueled By Dew | World of Goo | |
| Best Team Sports Game | NHL 09 | |
| Best Individual Sports Game | Shaun White Snowboarding | |
| Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show | Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures | |
| Big Name in the Game Male | Kiefer Sutherland as Sgt. Roebuck, Call of Duty: World at War |
|
| Big Name in the Game Female | Jenny McCarthy as Special Agent Tanya Adams, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 |
|
| Best Xbox 360 Game | Gears of War 2 | |
| Best PS3 Game | LittleBigPlanet | |
| Best Wii Game | Boom Blox | |
| Best PC Game | Left 4 Dead | |
| Best Multiplayer Game | Left 4 Dead | |
| Best Fighting Game | Soulcalibur IV | |
| Best Handheld Game | Professor Layton and the Curious Village | |
| Best Driving Game | Burnout Paradise | |
| Best Graphics | Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots | |
| Best Original Score | Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots | |
| 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 |
|
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 video game premieres of Borderlands, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, and TNA iMPACT!.[21]
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | BioShock | |
| Studio of the Year | Harmonix, Rock Band |
|
| 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 | Crysis | |
| 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 | Super Mario Galaxy | |
| Best Team Sports Game | Madden NFL 08 | |
| Best Soundtrack | Rock Band | |
| 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 aired December 13, 2006, at the Galen Center in Los Angeles and were hosted by Samuel L. Jackson. The show featured a world premiere of Blizzard Entertainment's opening cinematic movie for its highly anticipated expansion set, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. The event featured musical performances by Tenacious D and AFI and show appearances by 50 Cent, Eva Mendes, Sarah Silverman, Seth Green, Masi Oka, Hayden Panettiere, Yellowcard, Brandon Routh, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tony Hawk, Michael Irvin, Method Man, Maria Menounos, Tyrese Gibson, 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.[22][23]
| 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 Lockhart, 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 | 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 November 15, 2006, and before December 31, 2006) | The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | |
| Breakthrough Performance | Rosario Dawson as Tina, Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure | N/A |
| 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 was held December 10, 2005, at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.[24] The first VGAs hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, the show featured world premieres of 24: The Game from 2K Games, Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run from Midway Games, Star Wars: Empire at War from LucasArts, and Scarface: The World Is Yours, as well as a 25th anniversary comic tribute to Pac-Man from Namco. Musical performances were by 50 Cent, Def Leppard, and Missy Elliott, and show appearances by Charlize Theron, Kiefer Sutherland, Jack Black, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Rock, Vin Diesel, Carson Daly, Donald Faison, Jaime Pressly, Josie Maran, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Carmen Electra, Natasha Bedingfield, and Dane Cook, among others.[25]
| 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 Madam 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 |
|
| Best Driving Game | Burnout Revenge | |
| Most Addictive Game | 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 | PlayStation Portable | |
| Best RPG | World of Warcraft | |
| Best PC Game | World of Warcraft | |
| Best Wireless Game | Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure | |
| Best Cast | Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie | N/A |
2004 awards
The 2004 VGAs was held in Santa Monica, California on December 14, 2004, at the Barker Hangar and hosted by Snoop Dogg. The show featured exclusive world premiere game play and footage of Midway Games' Fear & Respect, The Godfather: The Game from John Singleton and Electronic Arts, and Need for Speed: Underground Rivals for the PlayStation Portable. Musical performances included Sum 41, Ludacris, and a special live performance by Snoop Dogg and the remaining members of The Doors performing "Riders on the Storm". Other performances included Snoop Dogg and Pharrell, Mötley Crüe, Busta Rhymes, and Method Man and Redman in the first-ever Def Jam: Fight For NY performance. Celebrity appearances included Brooke Burke, Samuel L. Jackson, Vin Diesel, Green Day, Giovanni Ribisi, Gabrielle Union, Tara Reid, Papa Roach, Tony Hawk, John Singleton, Danny Masterson, Frankie Muniz, Bai Ling, Ron Perlman, Bam Margera, Freddy Adu, Fabolous, Bobby Crosby, Barry Zito, and Michelle Rodriguez, among others.[26][27]
| 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, 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) | Game Informer | |
| Best Gaming Web Site (fan favorite) | GameSpot |
2003 awards
The 2003 Spike Video Game Awards was the first video game award show 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. 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.[28] The event also featured a WWE tag team wrestling match with the superstars Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, Trish Stratus, and Victoria.[29][30]
| Award | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Madden NFL 2004 | |
| Best Sports Game | Tony Hawk's Underground | |
| 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 | |
| Best Driving Game | 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 |
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Spike's Video Game Hall of Fame was established to recognize 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 only inductee, due to the award show ending in 2013, was awarded at the ninth annual Spike Video Game Awards on December 10, 2011. The inaugural, and subsequently only, recipient was The Legend of Zelda franchise. Shigeru Miyamoto accepted the award.[1]
| Year | Inductee |
|---|---|
| 2011 | The Legend of Zelda |
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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 over 20 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 |
| Ben Silverman | Writer | Yahoo! Games |
| Brian Crecente | News Editor | Polygon |
| Chris Grant | Editor | Polygon |
| Chris Kohler | Games Editor | Wired |
| Dale North | Editor in Chief | Destructoid |
| Darren Franich | Staff Writer | Entertainment Weekly |
| Francesca Reyes | Editor in Chief | Official Xbox Magazine |
| Geoff Keighley | Host/Executive Producer | GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley/Spike TV |
| Jeff Gerstmann | Editor in Chief | Giant Bomb |
| Jeremy Parish | Editorial Director | usgamer.net |
| Jerry Holkins | Co-Creator | Penny Arcade |
| Justin Calvert | Executive Editor | GameSpot |
| Logan Decker | Editor in Chief | PC Gamer |
| Lou Kesten | Reviewer/Editor | Associated Press |
| Ludwig Kietzmann | Editor in Chief | Joystiq |
| Mike Krahulik | Co-Creator | Penny Arcade |
| Mike Snider | Entertainment Reporter | USA Today |
| Russ Frushtick | Senior Editor | Polygon |
| Sophia Tong | Editor in Chief | GamesRadar |
| Stephen Totilo | Deputy Editor | Kotaku |
| Tal Blevins | VP Games Content | IGN |
| Tina Amini | Coordinator Editor | Kotaku |
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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."[32] 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."[11] 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.[33]
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.[34] 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 video game 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.[35]
The 2013 VGX received considerable negative press after airing;[36] much of the criticism was aimed at host McHale's insults towards the developers and the audience.[37][38][39][40]
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- The Video 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.[41]
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