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Spike Video Game Awards ratings down 26%
Now that the Spike Video Game Awards are a faint recollection, Variety reports that the quality piece of programming was way down in the ratings. This year's event sideshow was down 26%, with about 680,000 viewers, says the high lord of television ratings, Nielsen. It's the second lowest (a little above 2006's 618k) rated year since the show started in 2004, which was its most impressive with 1.23 million viewers.It gets worse: Spike caters to the key 18-34 male demographic, which was down 29% from the prior year, with its lowest ever figures of 229,000 viewers.* Boys 12-17 were up by 30% to 199k. Variety does note that this year's show did go against some program called the Cowboys-Giants football game on NBC, which was the highest rated Sunday Night Football game ever. Still, those Spike numbers aren't too hot in a year that could become the biggest sales year in gaming history. *Fun fact: 34,000 women aged 18-34 watched.
How to fix the Video Game Awards
In a lot of ways, last night's Video Game Awards were the most promising and yet, the most frustrating. It was a far cry from 2007's awards, a two-hour long cringe made bearable only by the occasional exclusive trailer. This year, there was real entertainment to be had, as well as a better sense than ever before of how to appeal to gamers. There were even some good gags. But that made the areas where the show stumbled, both big and small, even harder to swallow.Fear not, the internet, we at Joystiq are ready to spring to the rescue and humbly provide our suggestions to help the VGAs reach their full potential (without the use of topless girls). Which brings us to tip number one:
VGA 2008: See Dante's Inferno, Watchmen, Terminator Salvation and more
True to our word, we've returned with the second string of Video Game Award 2008 videos -- the "B" squad, if you will. It's not that these clips aren't exciting, they're just ... less so. Right after the break check out Dante's Inferno, Watchmen, Terminator Salvation, Mafia II and Fight Night Round 4. So, what's the verdict? Do these clips have you pumped for 2009? Or are you holding out judgment until you can see a little more gameplay and fewer cinematics?
VGA 2008: See God of War 3, Brtal Legend, Uncharted 2 & Lost and Damned
If you missed the VGAs last night, you needn't worry, we've prepared the full virtual experience for you this morning. First, go read our liveblog of the event. Then, watch the delightful batch of trailers we've got for you after the break. Finally, imagine Jack Black is yelling at you in his underwear. You are there!Enjoy this first crop of media from Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, God of War 3, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Brütal Legend. We'll have the rest of the media for you in a bit.
Spike 2008 VGAs name Boom Blox best Wii game
There were plenty of stellar Wii games to release this year, but, as far as the last night's Spike VGAs goes, you should look to Boom Blox as this year's best Wii game. The game certainly deserves the recognition (and sales figures), but we're not sure we'd go and say it is the Wii game of the year. What about Brawl? What about World of Goo? Oh, and how about that little game No More Heroes?So, you agree, or would you name something else as your Wii game of the year?%Gallery-15446%
Grand Theft Auto IV crowned Game of the Year at Spike VGAs
It seems like Spike Video Game Award judges and Time magazine now have something in common. The Spike VGA Game of the Year was just announced and it was ... wait for it ... drumroll please ... more drumroll, please ... that's better ... Grand Theft Auto IV. The announcement was preceded by the latest Brutal Legend trailer, so we almost missed it basking in the awesomeness of Tim freaking Schafer. Congratulations to Rockstar.Curious which games won – and, by proxy, which ones lost – in the rest of the categories? Find the full list of winners after the break.
Liveblogging the 2008 Video Game Awards
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Liveblogging_the_2008_Video_Game_Awards'; Forget reading! Here's our video stream.We literally don't know what channel Spike is.It's not the most noble start to our annual VGA liveblog, but it's the best we've got. We hope you'll hang in there with us as we detail all the ... well, whatever it is. Our man Kevin Kelly is inside, and he'll be giving us the dog's eye view.And away we go!
Pearl Jam's 'Ten' album coming to Rock Band in March
An "exclusive" from Geoff Keighley, who likely read that line from a teleprompter while presenting live from the Spike VGAs: Pearl Jam's "Ten" album is coming as a Rock Band downloadable album in March. That should be just enough time for you to find the appropriate amount of flannel to wear while you play.
Gears of War 2 Combustible Map Pack available 3AM ET tonight
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Gears_of_War_2_Combustible_Map_Pack_available_3AM_ET_tonight'; This just in from the Spike VGA Awards: Gears of War 2 Combustible map pack, which includes Flood, Gold Rush and Fuel Station, will be available tonight at 3AM ET. No price mentioned. Now back to the liveblog ... Update: According to a source speaking to X3F, the map pack will be 800 points / $10. Gallery: Gears of War 2 - Imulsion Map DLC
VGA 2008: Cliffy B says he's slitting Bethesda tires
If Gears of War goes down to a Bethesda game again, Cliff Bleszinski's getting schoolyard. Live at the VGA red carpet, he just told us "Well, last time we lost Game of the Year to Oblivion and this year we might lose to Fallout 3. So I slit the tires on [exec. producer] Todd Howard's car."With his considerable delts/pecs/biceps, we'd think Cliffy B. Young Cliff could just rip those tires asunder. We're a little disappointed.
VGA 2008: Will Wright's got a new project, he's not talking
This won't come as a surprise, but we're betting it'll do your spirits well. Will Wright just told us, "I'm working on a big new project that I'm very excited about, but I don't want to talk about it yet because if it takes three years to come out I don't want people saying 'Wow, he's been talking about that for a loooong time.'"Jeez Will, you sound like a guy who's had a little (read: a decade) of experience with that.
VGA 2008: MM: LittleBigPlanet packs 'very substantial'
Our man Kevin Kelly is grilling celebs on the red carpet at the VGAs, and in addition to Kevin's standards ("Where's the cool party after the show?" and "Can I have a ride home?"), he's also asking about a few more substantial topics. This first nugget comes from Alex Evans of Media Molecule who said: "The LittleBigPlanet packs are going to be a lot more than what people are thinking they will be. They will be very substantial."That's all we've got for you at the moment, but stay put for all the latest updates.
Reminder: See Nathan Drake and Kratos in action tonight at 9PM EST
Did you forget? The Spike Video Game Awards are tonight and will include some very special guests. Not only is Jack Black hosting the show, but there will be new trailers for some of our most anticipated 2009 titles. While the awards themselves may not excite you, perhaps the chance of seeing some footage of Watchmen, Brutal Legend, God of War III and Uncharted 2 will get you to tune in at 9PM EST tonight on Spike. If you're based in Europe then chances are you'll be asleep for the show, but Gametrailers will have all the trailers up for you to see when you wake up in the morning. 2008 hasn't ended yet and already the hype for some of 2009's biggest games has begun in earnest. We love it.
Reminder: Tune in to Joystiq tonight for reluctant Spike Video Game Awards coverage
We here at Joystiq typically try our best to make you, our dear readers, feel as appreciated as humanly possible, so forgive us for breaking form as we reveal to you that we hate your stupid guts sometimes. Our disdain stems from admittedly flawed logic -- if it weren't for you, we'd have no audience, and the brothers McElroy would have no reason to watch and liveblog the 2008 Spike Video Game Awards show tonight. Instead, we'd be out performing activities preferable to watching the VGAs -- activities like eating light bulbs, throwing ourselves in front of trains and ritual self-immolation.However, you're here, and your cacophonous demand for VGA coverage has fallen on attentive, spiteful ears. Tune in tonight at 9 p.m. EST -- we'll be reprising our liveblogging roles of yesteryear (now with streaming video) to keep you in the loop about the grim events that unfold in the name of video game adjudication. We've got our fingers crossed for the following: Ravi Drums, drug-related humor, subtle judgment of our chosen hobby, painted ladies, celebrities pretending to know what the hell they're talking about, and the sweet, sweet embrace of death.
Reminder: Spike VGAs air tonight, debut of Gears 2, GTAIV and more
Reminder that tonight, at 9:00PM eastern on Spike TV, the Spike Video Game Awards will be airing and among the various awards that'll be handed out will be exclusive debuts of highly anticipated games. GTAIV's Lost and Damned episodic content will be shown, Fight Night Round 4 will be debuted, Brutal Legend will fight its way on stage and even more. Xbox.com also informs us that sometime during the VGAs we'll find out "what's next for Gears of War 2". Hmm, DLC much? The big reveals go down tonight at 9:00PM eastern on Spike TV.[Thanks, Spartan5565]
No coin-cidence: 50 Cent, 50 Cent game to appear on Spike VGAs
Just dying to see new footage of 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand? (No, really, are you dying? We'll call for help.) Well, you'll get to peep it in the background as the rapper performs – live and in person – at Spike TV's 2008 Video Game Awards on Sunday, December 14. Those are the VGAs to those in the know. Mr. Cent will be joined (not all at once, mind you) by Weezer, All American Rejects and LL Cool J. "Video games and music are an explosive creative combination," according to Spike TV vice president, Casey Patterson. Sony Picture Studios, the event venue, could not be reached to confirm that it holds adequate creative explosion insurance.
GTA IV 'The Lost and Damned' to premiere at Spike VGAs
In its continuing and unyielding quest for world exclusives, Spike TV is adding another notch to its already pretty well-notched VGA belt with the "world premiere" of "The Lost and Damned," the first of two Xbox 360-exclusive DLC expansions for Grand Theft Auto IV.There's not much more to glean from this press release – "The Lost and Damned" will provide "new missions that offer an entirely fresh way to explore Liberty City with new multiplayer modes, weapons and vehicles; and a diverse soundtrack with additional music" – but we're imagining the actual reveal will be a little more ... revelatory. Find out December 14th at 9PM on Spike TV (or, alternatively, a couple minutes later on Joystiq). %Gallery-37692%
Brutal Legend appearing at Spike VGAs (oh, and Jack Black as host)
Though still wandering a shadowy, publisher-less limbo, Brütal Legend stands tall in the minds of gamers everywhere, who are eager to see (and, perchance, if the Gods are favorable to their plight, experience) the latest from Tim Schafer and his crew at Double Fine. It is something of a blessing that we're able to count master thespian, raconteur, and all around rabble-rouser Jack Black amongst that group of gamers – not only is Mr. Black the centerpiece of Brütal Legend, he's the host of this year's Video Game Awards on Spike. Astute readers may know we've had our fair share of complaints about the VGAs in the past. While last year included a roster of worthy winners (note: this blogger was, and is, a VGA judge) the actual show itself left ... well, it left a lot to be desired. While we're not sure how much better this year's show will be, Spike is replacing longtime host Samuel L. Jackson with someone who actually knows how to hold a game controller. Shocking! And Mr. Black is bringing a date to the show: "the world premiere of Brütal Legend gameplay." You know what that means? The Spike VGAs just became must-see TV for nerds everywhere, who will undoubtedly cringe at the desperate gestures to the mainstream audience while celebrating the more obscure "world premieres" littered throughout the show. Included with the price of admission (free) is: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, God of War III gameplay, Fight Night Round 4, Mafia II, Terminator Salvation, Watchmen: The End is Nigh, "a special announcement regarding Gears of War 2" (imulsion maps?) and more. Set those TiVos for December 14 at 9:00 PM ET – just be ready with that skip button.
Presenting the 2008 Spike Video Game Award nominees
With the end of the year hurtling towards us at an alarming speed, the time has come for prestigious critics and classy establishments to choose and reward the greatest video games of 2008. And because it's the fashionable thing to do, the Spike Video Game Awards will also let you folks know which games -- some "fueled by dew" -- were worthy enough to receive pointy gongs. Peer past the break for the full list, which includes categories such as Best Studio, Best Independent Game and Best Shooter. There's even one that somehow manages to toss Dame Judi Dench in with Liv Tyler, Eliza Dushku and Jenny McCarthy. Never going to happen again, ladies.
