December is nearly upon us, which means it’s almost time for Spike TV to air its annual awards show devoted to honoring the most successful big-budget blockbuster games released in the year. We don’t care if you thought Gone Home beats them all (and, hey, it’s in the Best Indie category). That’s not what the VGX – formerly VGAs – is about!
Spike’s official lineup of Game of the Year contenders include no surprises: BioShock Infinite, Grand Theft Auto V, Super Mario 3D World, The Last of Us, and Tomb Raider. The rest of the categories dig a little deeper. Best PC Game, for example, pits the multi-platform blockbuster Battlefield 4 against PC-only favorites Gone Home, The Stanley Parable, and Papers, Please. Then there’s Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons sneaking into the Bext Xbox Game category alongside BioShock, GTA, and Tomb Raider.
It’s not that giving props to the strongest games of the year is a bad thing. Just that these Spike awards shows are so odd. Picking the “best” of something is already highly subjective, but you’ve also got apples/oranges scenarios of tiny indies that are more “interactive fiction” than “game” taking on dazzling AAA beasts. Then there’s the show itself, which puts more emphasis on revealing trailers than it does on actually handing out awards. It feels more like a marketing event than an awards ceremony.
It serves a purpose though, and it gives the fans what they want (usually). There’s a new format this year too, with an all-day approach that will allow for deeper looks at upcoming games and time to chat with the people who actually make video game magic happen. It’s a positive step forward for the annual event, especially if the tone shifts to a less jokey, more respectful angle on games and the people who play them.
The whole thing happens on December 7, 2013. Check this link for details on how and where to watch it.
