VGA Awards on Spike, Arkham Asylum 2 & More
Did you watch Spike TV’s Video Game Award show this weekend? If you missed it then you missed quite a few world exclusive videos and trailers. Some of them were disappointing while others were very promising. One of the most exciting trailers that came out of the award show was the Batman: Arkham Asylum sequel. This time Arkham has moved so there’s no telling where Batman will be fighting crime but I’m all in!
Halo: Reach was shown but it was just a CGI trailer showing no gameplay. At this point it’s still anyone’s guess about what this game will be. I can’t say I was overly impressed but after ODST my faith in Bungie and Halo have been restored so I’m looking forward to Reach. Those of you with ODST, you’ll have access to the Reach beta next Spring.
Game of the Year went to Uncharted 2 on the PS3. Many had Modern Warfare 2 as the front runner for it but it only managed a few awards for multiplayer and action. I wouldn’t have had a problem with Batman: Arkham Asylum getting it.
In other news, Mikewarrior’s favorite game, Borderlands, received nothing. Here’s more on the VGA’s from Pilex….
With the Defending Champs squandering their playoff hopes on Thursday and no hockey on… my Sunday boiled down to reviewing the VGA’s. At least when I could keep my attention on the unprepared hosts, poorly written segue ways, and shameless Spike plugs. With Spike “stars” doing most of the presenting, one can only wonder what it is going to take to put the game back in VGA. Aside from Snoop hitting the stage and Alyssa on the red carpet, the VGA’s have once again fallen short in nearly every sense of the word.
When I tune in I’m looking for few things from this experience…trailers, awards and cool graphics/presentation. While they were all in the show, they weren’t great or even good for that matter. I want more than the O.K., The Bad, and The Ugly.
The OK : Stars Wars – The Force Unleashed II, Medal of Honor, Batman: Arkham Asylum 2, Halo: Reach, UFC Undisputed 2010, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Spec Ops: The Line, and Crackdown 2 all come in at minimal rise on my wow meter. I see nothing special or new and would have given Crackdown 2 the VGA’s only good rating had it not featured zombies again. Seriously! Are there actual zombies making a ton of video games about themselves like Bollywood did to Hollywood?
The Bad: Pretty much everything else, with emphasis on Green Day: Rockband. The saturation of this series is now complete. Please take note Harmonix. You are destroying yourselves. To get into the rest of the details that bothered me would take quite some time so I will summarize with this. Get some knowledgeable gamers into the high production positions and give us something that appeals to gamers. Better is the key word. Do it better.
The Ugly: Where should I begin with the worst of the worst? Mike Tyson and the “stars” of The Jersey Shore…terrible. Tony Hawk…was he stoned? Jack Black…over the top again. Tron and True Crime…what exactly about those trailers was supposed to make us want the games? Which brings us to the top of the super poo list…. Deadliest Warrior…which may be the biggest pile of steaming dung ever using the World Premiere tagline.
Maybe these games turn out, I’m not a psychic, but put together a trailer that doesn’t look like I made it in my basement.
I appeal to the gaming community and Spike TV. Don’t put us through this again! Get some big title news, change the date on the event, quit trying to go celeb power and go game power. Next year I’d like to keep my dinner in my stomach.
December 14th, 2009 at 10:20 am
I don’t even watch these, but after what Pilex told me, I definitely disagree with one category in particular – Most anticipated game. Final Fantasy XIII doesn’t even get a nomination? Utter clueless bs
December 14th, 2009 at 10:21 am
ONLY thing I am in agreement with on the awards is Uncharted 2. MW2 did not deserve to get GoTY. Other than that the VGA can kiss my ass.
December 14th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Spike needs to get rid of this. It’s just an embarrassment to gaming.
As for the trailers, some of them were good. I’m looking forward to Force Unleashed 2 and Arkham Asylum 2. Both Spec Ops and Medal of Honor looked interesting.
I’m not sure what to make of the Halo Reach trailer. Hopefully these Spartans don’t act like the guys from Gears and Army of Two because that’s kind of the vibe I was getting.
December 14th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
yeah it is an embarrassment to the gaming community in its current form imo…
December 14th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Batman AA 2 FTW!! The trailer looked pretty awesome, other than that, I have to agree. The VGAs are pretty sad.
December 14th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Spike’s VGA’s are more focused on celebrities who don’t have a clue about video games to get viewers to tune in. Somebody slides them some cash and some expensive gift bags and they pretend to like video games. I don’t own a PS3, but Uncharted looks liks a good game. I would’ve chosen Batman: Arkam Asylum.
December 14th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
From everything I’ve read about Uncharted 2, it deserves GotY. Fully agree with that pick. This is actually the first time I’ve sat down and watched the entire award show. I honestly enjoyed it.
December 14th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
…”In other news, Mikewarrior’s favorite game, Borderlands, received nothing.”
Just had to rub that in, huh? I guess that proves the VGAs are full of tools!
December 15th, 2009 at 4:35 am
I am pretty sure the “Reach” CGI was 100% in game engine, not full CGI.
December 15th, 2009 at 9:02 am
you’re probably right JP but there was no gameplay so it still didnt’ give us much lol
December 15th, 2009 at 9:21 am
except for what seems like the standard “add a women to the unit” trend in games lately…
December 15th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
I’m actually really excited for Reach, and SW:TFU2 looks pretty tight as well.
I really did not see anything that stood out for me regarding Medal of Honor or Spec Ops: The Lines.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
even though that is Bat Man in the pic I have to side with the undead, , , wait Batty died a few months ago,
I WIN Both Sides!
December 17th, 2009 at 1:39 am
Now While i am excited for Batman AA2
i feel like the developer’s are just rushing out a sequal to get sale’s and i don’t like that
it’s been 4 month’s since the release of the first game. And they’ve already announced a sequal it usually take’s a year for a normal dev to announce a sequal and then another year to release it..
yes i know halo reach had a trailer as well (wasn’t that announced in late 2008 along with odst)
i’m unhappy that borderland’s didn’t win anything unlike that other fps that is just a 4 hour campaign (plus the ending screamed sequal just like any other activision game) and multiplayer though the Spec Op’s (dlc for spec op’s pwease) is bloody great…
also it look’s like rock band is going down the road of guitar hero (s*itty sequals) now only if they made a gun’s and rose’s rock band i’d dive on that like a fly dive’s on s*it… lol
i’m glad to see AC2 won something though it should of been goty
also deac the dlc for ac2 is gonna be cheap $4.99 and $3.99 (i don’t know what that is in £ but in microsoft points it should be 560 and 400 i think)