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The VGX Awards Show was a Fail, Again

After watching the revamped VGX awards show and witnessing every tweet rip the show apart, I can’t help but wonder why Spike can’t get it right. This attempt to make the show and video games just as relevant as movies and music is unnecessary. If Spike does decide to take another shot at the awards thing, at least hire people who know a lot of something (we’ve seen what a little something gets us) about video games, to put the show together. Is that too much to ask?

Ever since Spike first aired the Video Game Awards show in 2003, the gaming community has, understandably, torn it down. Video games always took a back seat to the glitz and glamour, celebrity appearances, and musical performances. The VGX was supposed to be Spike’s attempt at finally making their awards show about the games and the people who make them. The intimate setting and one-on-one interviews were supposed to give developers a chance to talk about their creations and give gamers a sneak peek of what is to come. Instead, the interviews felt like a rushed and sloppy E3. The developers would talk for five minutes, Joel McHale would make an awkward joke, and then Geoff Keighley would cut the interview short, announcing time was running out. It’s like Keighley’s sole purpose as co-host was to make sure everything stayed on time. Honestly, I didn’t really care for the interviews. I just wanted to see the world premiere trailers and demos. Directors aren’t interviewed during the Oscars, so why do interviews during an awards show? That is what E3, comic con, and other conventions are for.

Other awards shows enlist a celebrity for the hosting gig, and Spike has followed this tradition every year: David Spade, Snoop Dogg, Samuel Jackson (four times), Jack Black, Neil Patrick Harris, Zachary Levi, and now Geoff Keighley and comedian Joel McHale. I’m sure all of these hosts have played video games, and I’m sure some of them enjoy video games very much, but what is wrong with getting someone within the gaming industry—preferably someone who talks to an audience about video games on a daily basis—to host the show? There are a number of people with podcasts and websites where their sole purpose is to talk about video games and feel comfortable doing it. Keighley and McHale made it feel awkward.

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Watching Joel force jokes and Geoff chuckle uncomfortably and quickly move on to the next thing made it painful to watch. The hosts also made sure to constantly comment on how much they love and play video games. They don’t have a real passion for video games and it showed. The sarcasm, disinterest, and constant berating of gamers were just too much.

Video games are a unique form of entertainment. Dousing it with the same formalities as any other awards show does not work. The gaming community is strong enough to stand on its own without needing to force its relevance. The funny skits, the secret trailers, and the gameplay demos are what kept me watching. I was even excited about the concert at the end of the show because I knew the music would be from a video game. These things should be kept for the next show.

Go ahead, have the awards take place at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, but fill it with real fans. Have musical performances as long as the music is from video games. Don’t even worry about making it a star studded affair; for once, it’s not about the celebrities. Hire hosts who love video games and would genuinely be excited. Put the show back on television—a marathon of Cops aired on the Spike channel during the VGX stream. Take elements of other awards shows and make them relevant to video games, instead of trying to force it into this traditional pattern. Gamers may have their disagreements (PS4 vs. Xbox One) and temper tantrums (Mass Effect 3 ending), but there is one thing we can all agree on: Spike failed again. Will it be able to gain back our trust or even our attention? At this point, I really don’t know. Maybe Spike should just give up and let someone else give it a try.

GIGA: Play

Game of the Year Editions: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Being that I love fighting games and comic books, I bought the deluxe edition of NetherRealm’s Injustice: Gods Among Us at a midnight release, complete with free DLC and a statue. I’ve also purchased most of the DLC that has been released. I even downloaded the mobile game in order to unlock some special content. Then a few weeks ago WB Games announced Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition, which will include all of the DLC that have been released and the original game for only $60. This, of course, annoyed me.

Honestly, this was something I hoped wouldn’t happen, which is ironic because I own several “game of the year” (GOTY) edition games, all of which I got at bargain prices. I was grateful for that since I’m not made of money. However, like when I bought Marvel vs. Capcom 3, I wish I had known this would happen, so I could decide if I’d rather spend more money upfront or wait and pay less later.

There are benefits to GOTY editions, both for developers and gamers. There are some annoying downsides to them, too. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly:

The Good: For developers, this is great marketing. Some players may not have the awareness or ability to purchase DLC. Some may wait to see if the game is worth playing, and seeing that the game has won awards will tell them is worth purchasing. In some ways, it’s like the seemingly “old-fashioned” price drop that would happen with game titles six to twelve months after its release. This has been true of games like Fallout 3, Gears of War 2, and the Batman: Arkham titles.

Some games have issues with their net code or gameplay mechanics, which have to be fixed via updates. GOTY’s come with those patches.

The Bad: Unfortunately, some GOTY editions do not offer bonus content. They’re simply re-packaged versions of the original game with a reduced price. Then there are those oddities like Mortal Kombat (2011 version), which get later editions that aren’t labeled “game of the year.” They’re popular and may have won awards, but these new versions seem to be made strictly for marketing purposes.

One benefit of buying early is getting more practice on the online multiplayer. Players who wait might find themselves getting trounced or disrespected by “veteran” players who have had the game since day one. This steepens their learning curve a bit.

Another downside is it dramatically decreases the resale value of the original version. A game that once would have had a $30 trade-in value at GameStop will drop to a $10 trade-in value.

The Ugly: The catch-22, however, is these editions of games aren’t made unless the original does well. A game usually must win multiple awards from recognized publications or websites and sell well to warrant a GOTY. Hence why such versions aren’t announced until about six to eight weeks prior to release. By then, months have passed and most players have purchased all the DLC, in some cases, doubling the amount of money they have invested in the game.

Gamers must face a dilemma: pay more day one or spend less later. Strapped for cash? The answer is obvious, but for those who can afford games day one, what should they do? This anemic economy has made everyone more money-conscious. Some gamers feel cheated to have purchased a game and its DLC only to see it re-packaged with DLC at a lower price. It not only saved people money, but it also saved them hard drive space.

Conclusion: I’ve been on both sides of the issue. As I mentioned, I bought Injustice day one, but I bought GOTY editions of  Mortal Kombat (the 2011 version) and the Arkham games; I even bought them when they were on sale for twenty dollars! For a penny-pincher like myself, it was great.

Ultimately, players must decide which option is best for them or the one they would prefer. That may be the best thing about the GOTY concept: it opens up more possibilities for gamers.

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