So last night the 2007 VGAs were aired. Being a Videot, I wasn't too interested. Awards for Most Addictive game "Fueled" By Mountain Dew? Best Individual/Team Sports Games? Couple that with blatant commercialism and you have a gamerz dream. I'm sure they're happy watching the MTV bands, presenters who know nothing about the games they are presenting and half dressed women, but personally I prefer a little more substance. I mean the ads are about the only thing truthful because they do what they're intending to. The awards and the performers are just more ads dressed up in a way to make you think their not. I also realize that someone could go out there and make a video game awards show that was serious and industry relevant, but the mass population would be bored out of their minds. But when I see Halo 3, Bioshock, Madden, Call of Duty 4, and Skate all win awards, I feel it's very hard to keep my mouth shut. I mean don't you gamerz get tired of falling into the same (hot girl + video game = excited) formula? Challenge yourself and want something more for goodness sakes.
I know I'm going to get a lot of the "David is bitter person and only loves Nintendo." And I'll be honest and say there is some of that. But when did playing video games games become cool? When did the geeks, nerds, and socially inept lose the part specifically that was their own? I feel this is very similar to America (dare I say White America) embracing rap music. It all feels very strange and I feel like I've lost a piece of myself. As a member of the minority we got pushed to the edge, out of the "cool" people circle. We embraced being different and even made it cool. Now that its acceptable we're getting lumped in with people who just put on the 1-up shirt. Having a Nintendo and a Sega means they are "old school." Having a Playstation, 360 , and Wii means they have "all" the systems. It's fine for people to have video games. I would never want to keep something that's been a positive influence on my life from someone else's. But just as there is a difference between Coke and Pepsi, there is a difference between a Gamer and a Videot. I just want people to acknowledge that.
Still a Videot,
David
If you need help understanding the terminology between Gamers, Gamerz, Videots, and Vidiots I'll post a helpful guide in the following days.
Also I found it hilarious that Halo 3 won most Addictive game "Fueled" by Mountain Dew. How else could that award have turned out. I mean we saw that Master Chief on Mountain Dew merchandise all fall. But Thank goodness Halo 3 didn't win game of the year.
10 December 2007
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2 Responses to “Video "Gamer" Awards”
"But when I see Halo 3, Bioshock, Madden, Call of Duty 4, and Skate all win awards, I feel it's very hard to keep my mouth shut."
There is something very wrong and jaded with this statement. Halo 3, Bioshock, and Call of Duty are all very very quality games each deserving to be in the running for game of the year. Skate was extremely innovative and may have single handedly killed the tired Tony Hawk series. I for one loved the demo and have thought many times about picking it up. And from what I understand Madden was the best it had been in years.
Yes this is a little heavy on the shooters, but that is what western developers do well. Japanese development has been very iffy over the past year and maybe it's time they step it up. Aren't you the one who called Mario Galaxy an 8.0 game?
And it's no big surprise that these awards have been shit... the nominations are at least getting better than they have been. Trust me. Even a port of a 10 year old Playstation strat/rpg got a nomination in the handheld category.
Also, I don't blame Japanese development for being in the current state that it is in right now. It seems that the Wii is the only sure thing over there that will make them money in their country.
There has been a growing trend of Japanese developers who have therefore been trying to design games for the 360 that might appeal to a western audience instead. While these efforts have been certainly noble (lost planet and dead rising?), they still have a long way to go. Some sure things that they thought their own country would love like Zelda and Mario have been considered failures over there. Can you believe Mario Party Wii sold better then Mario Galaxy? WTF???
I think that, if anything, Japanese developers are confused about who their audience is and should be, and what systems they should be developing for.
I (clearly) don't hate Japanese developed games. I've just been disappointed in them this year. I never would have thought most of the games in the running for my games of the year would have been western developed.
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