Well the Spike Video Game Awards have been advertised, hyped, they've come, and they've gone. The question is, who here watched it? Better question is... who here actually liked it? I'm going to be honest with you here, I don't much care for these awards myself, and to be honest the freelance writer Jason Schreir sums it up better than I could here with his open letter to the Spike VGA. However many of you here already know this.
We know that the Spike Video Game Awards aren't a serious awards show and many of us just watch it for the trailers for upcoming video games. It is plagued with horrible "celebrity" appearances, bad jokes, and it seems nothing more than a mockery of gamers. It makes us look stupid. Now I can't really blame Spike for this, they have advertisers they have to adhere to and make sure they put on a show, the question is why are they the ones putting on this show? Shouldn't it be G4? Oh wait they sold out, but that's a different topic. As far as I can see there was a need and it was then filled. Whose fault is it? Gamers, Developers, and Publishers.
First off it is gamers fault for not demanding for a more respectable awards show to recognize the developers, artists, and musicians who work hard to put this much effort into a video game. However a gamer's voice can only go so far even within this technological age. So where does that leave us? Well the developers and publishers could certainly do more.
Let's take a look at the Academy Awards, yeah the Oscars. That was started by a group of producers, directors, actors, and the likes to recognize those who gave their contributions to the art of motion pictures. Why can't the developers and publishers get together and work out something of this nature? Well the reason is because those in the higher power do not see video games as art just as a business and it seems that's going to be at a standstill until there is something definitive. How can that happen, well that's where we go back to the gamers, we got to help each other out.
Now I know that seems like a stretch and there is a lot of false hope there and you're probably right. If you don't believe in false hope then just go ask the fans of Earthbound and Mother 3, they'll be more than happy to tell you all about hope. Now if you want an easier solution then there are two video game awards events that you can help promote and get out there more.
British Academy of Film and Television Arts, a.k.a. BAFTA, hold the British Academy Video Game Awards or BAFTA Video Game Awards, with categories that seem to resemble something more to what you would come to expect from an awards show.
Now if you want something a bit more fun, but not as dumbed down as Spike, then you can try out the Golden Joystick Awards. They're not as fancy as BAFTA, but they're still good.
Now I know on Newgrounds we have our usual Video Game Awards, however let's say you were to create a Video Game Awards show, you had to make this show back during the 80's say starting during the year 1980. You have to have categories for the different games and those who contribute to them. How would you go about making an award show like this and having go on through the years. You would have to introduce new awards as well, but the awards that would be introduced would have to be staples to go on. Doesn't sound that easy does it?
Questions of the Day
1. What do you think of the Spike Video Game Awards?
2. What do you think of the BAFTA Video Game Awards and Golden Joystick Awards?
3. If you were to make a Video Game Awards event, how would you do it?
4. What are your thoughts on G4?
