We're not massive fans of the VGAs, even though we love games. Problem is that the event is riddled with overblown flash in a tremendously American way – if it was the Brits hosting it, no doubt we'd have tea and crumpets and then a butler would arrive and announce the names of the nominees as they walked in, a bit like the ballroom scene in My Fair Lady but with less Audrey Hepburn. It boils down to three big problems:
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1 ) They have an award for “most anticipated game.” What kind of bullshit is that? Should they really be congratulating a game's PR crew for hyping up their game to ridiculous lengths by offering them more hype?
2)As gaming doesn't really have celebrities to hand out the awards, they draft in famous people from other walks of life – like Charlie Sheen, Will.i.am and a variety of other folk – who say something unexciting about games and then move on their way, pocketing their appearance fee.
3 )The event is punctuated with exclusive first looks at trailers for new games, which is nice and all, but really waters down the importance of those awards and highlights how much of a marketing stunt the whole affair is.
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Basically they're NOT GREAT. But you know who is great? Felicia Day. Much like our current cover star and all round geek Goddess Olivia Munn, she's a massive nerd BUT unlike most massive nerds who live in basements and eat nothing but Cheetos, she's pretty cute. And she's written and starred in her own sitcom (which was about games, natch, which makes her an excellent host), which is more than we've ever done.
She's pretty much the only decent thing about the awards - so next year, can't we do away with all the trailers and the celebrities and big entrances, and just have Felicia Day sitting quietly in a nice room (there'd be an open fireplace, and she could be wearing a lovely jumper perhaps) and she'd go through the nominations in a gentle voice and we wouldn't have to put up with the cavalcade of nonsense they serve up every year.
You know what? We're being too negative. We're sorry. We're glad that games are being recognised by the mainstream as the HUGE industry that they are, just... maybe not like this, eh?
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