For years, Spike has hosted a yearly Video Game Awards show that’s been promising to focus on rewarding those in the industry who have set great accomplishments, while, at the same time, revealing new exclusive items to get fans excited. Over the years, though, the show has faded a bit, and last year’s online-only VGX show ended up being heavily mocked, mainly due to the snarkiness of co-host/comedian Joel McHale.
However, it appears that video games will once again be put into the spotlight, as Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and a handful of third parties have joined together to back The Game Awards 2014, a new event that will be held on December 5th at the Axis Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The show will be produced like an awards show, with a similar format to the Video Game Awards, but obviously more legitimate. That means programmers and teams will be promptly rewarded for their efforts, while the show will have its fair share of exclusives, including world premiere trailers and other content.
Geoff Keighley, who’s been a co-host of the Video Game Awards shows on Spike, is providing his expertise to the show. It will be available for viewing across the web, not only on a mainstream site, but also through Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Nintendo’s site and Valve’s Steam.
“The ‘Game Awards 2014′ will celebrate our collective love of games and the passion we all hold in our hearts for this incredible entertainment medium,” Keighley said, speaking with Variety. “Gaming has never been stronger, and this year we will celebrate the fastest-selling launch year ever for new game consoles, the dramatic rise of eSports and mobile gaming around the globe, and preview the games that will make 2015 the biggest year yet.”
As mentioned above, several big game companies are involved with the show, including Konami, Ubisoft, and Electronic Arts. Said EA president Peter Moore, “Electronic Arts has long championed the way gaming brings together players with the talented teams behind the world’s greatest video games, and this event will be an exciting new opportunity to do just that. We look forward to supporting ‘The Game Awards’ alongside our friends in the industry.”
“’The Game Awards’ is a special event to honor the achievements in gaming, our talented developers and devoted fans. We look forward to celebrating the power of games this December,” said Ubisoft’s Guillemot.
Added Jennifer Kolbe, VP of Publishing at Rockstar Games, “We have long been believers in the potential for videogames to inspire, challenge and entertain, and we look forward to standing with the industry to celebrate the medium at ‘The Game Awards’ this year.”
We certainly wish The Game Awards the best of luck . . . and hope that the team avoids the same pratfalls that ended up hitting the VGX presentation from last year.
