Spike VGAs

I made a blog about this at GameSpot last night, but it's a bit on the ranty side, and I don't really feel like carrying that attitude over here, so I'll jjust reword it. 

 

For starters, I don't view the Spike VGAs as credible in the slightest.  The first show was absolutely atrocious, even giving an award to a game that wasn't out  yet.  It reaks of publisher payoffs and it seems for a game to win an award, it has to sell a certain amount of units or be noticed by enough people, and that isn't the way an awards show should be.  I haven't watched the Spike VGAs since. 

 

I know it seems unfair to judge the show since I haven't watched it in years, but from what I heard last night, it doesn't sound like it became any better.  There were some very, very questionable choices this year, and I'll talk about a couple of ones that really stood out.

 

• Best voice actor:  Neal Patrick Harris for Spider-Man in Shattered Dimensions

 

Now, I love NPH.  I grew up watching Doogie Houser, M.D. as a kid.  I thought he made Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, and he was the only reason why I tolerated Escape from Guantanamo Bay.  I was delighted to learn he voicing Spider-Man in Shattered Dimensions, and I really enjoyed his performance.  Unfortunately, Nolan North also starred in the game and did a much better job as Dead Pool.   Nolan North is a fine voice actor and didn't even get nominated for anything.  t is my belief that NPH only won the award because he was hosting the show.  What's worse is Robert Craig Smith wasn't even nominated for doing Ezio in Brotherhood.  They'd rather nominate two voice actors from Black Ops...

 

• Best RPG: Mass Effect 2

 

Now, I'm a little bit annoyed with this because I  honestly don't view ME2 as an RPG anymore.  So many RPG elements were scaled back in favor for more streamlined third-person shooter action that the game became a shooter with RPG elements.  As much as I don't want to say this, FFXIII should have won over it.  I loved FFXIII, but was disappointed in it as a Final Fantasy mainstay.  Still, it was more of an RPG than ME2 ever was. 

 

The only thing award that I really agreed with was for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit winning Racer of the Year.  It truly is a sublime game.  Full of speed, exotic cars, great tracks, wonderful gameplay events; really everything you need in an NFS game, and a driving game for that matter.  I'm still hard at work playing the game, and I hope to finish it soon so I can review it for you guys.

 

Anyway, let's hope someone comes along in the future and does a TV game awards show better than Spike VGAs that will at least feel respectable.