RE4 named Game of Year at Spike Awards

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Nov 19, 2005 12:26 am PT

[UPDATE] Capcom's zombie thriller joins World of Warcraft and King Kong as big winners at Spike's third annual game awards show.

LOS ANGELES--The "First Network for Men" taped its third annual awards show for games Friday night in a star-studded affair set to air next month.

Spike TV held the 2005 Video Game Awards at the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles with a variety of rappers, rockers, and movie stars praising the winners of categories voted on by industry veterans and Spike viewers.

This year, Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Snakes on a Plane) served as MC, delivering award show banter with a gaming twist and introducing performances by Missy Elliott and Def Leppard. 50 Cent, the first musical act to perform on the show, apparently needed no introduction.

Also appearing on the show were Snoop Dogg (last year's host), Carmen Electra, The Rock, Vin Diesel, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Carson Daly.

Based largely on the formula of the Video Music Awards on Spike's fellow Viacom network, MTV, the show featured plenty of celebrity presenters, several musical acts, and a less-than-formal approach to the show in general. Another thing it had in common with MTV's awards show, and most awards shows for that matter, was scripted banter between the presenters.

A number of innuendo-laden (or outright profane) jokes drew sizable laughs throughout the night (Jackson's gag about one Katamari Damacy code that lets players "roll their balls over Paris Hilton" and another to cure them of whatever ailments the first code brought got the best reaction), but they were rare. More common was the sight of celebrities distancing themselves from material that bombed, noting for the record that they didn't write the jokes.

A certain irreverence regarding not just games but the awards show itself saturated the taping. Jack Black, in a taped segment accepting the award for Best Performance by a Human--Male, thanked "all the people of the b******* academy over there," before wondering aloud, "Who votes on this thing?"

And like at other award shows where winners are given time to speak afterward, some chose to use the moment as a platform for a cause. After receiving the award for Best Action Game, God of War designer David Jaffe talked about people who "didn't get" the darkly violent game. "They're trying to shut games down, to keep them down and keep them quiet," Jaffe said, obliquely referencing recent political outcry over violence in games.

Jackson also chimed in on the issue, satirically juxtaposing California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's recent stance on protecting children from violent video games with scenes from Schwarzenegger's own Terminator series of action movies.

Another serious issue Jackson touched upon with a wink and a nod was the depiction of race in games. After complaining that people of color are only featured in sports games, Jackson took the audience through some racially reimagined game franchises. Some of his "Hot Chocolate mod" included African-American revamps of Super Mario Bros. and Halo.

As for the big winners, World of Warcraft took home awards for Best Multiplayer Game, Best PC Game, Best RPG, and Most Addictive Game Fueled by Mountain Dew. Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie wasn't far behind, taking home awards for Best Cast, Best Performance by a Human--Male, and Best Game Based on a Movie. Resident Evil 4 also had a good night, bringing home the Game of the Year award, as well as Best Graphics.

The night did have a few surprises, as Kiefer Sutherland gave a world-premiere peek at the upcoming game based on his hit show 24, and the audience was treated to new footage of Scarface: The World Is Yours and Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run (introduced in person by The Rock).

As much as Spike might have refined the show over its past pair of efforts, it was clear the network had not yet found a way to perfectly merge the subject matter, the celebrities, and the audience. Nowhere was evidence of this more pronounced than in the significant number of audience members heading for the exits right after Missy Elliott's climactic performance, having seen all they came for and not caring to find out who was going to take home the Game of the Year award.

Winners for Best Gaming Publication, Best Gaming Website, and Best Gaming Blog were not announced at the show. Spike TV will broadcast the show December 10 at 9 p.m. EST.

The following is a list of nominees with the winner in each category highlighted in bold:

GAME OF THE YEAR
God of War (Sony Computer Entertainment America)
Resident Evil 4 (Capcom)
Call of Duty 2 (Activision Inc.)
World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
F.E.A.R. (Vivendi Universal Games)

BEST ACTION GAME
Resident Evil 4 (Capcom)
Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Ubisoft)
The Warriors (Rockstar Games)
50 Cent: Bulletproof (Vivendi Universal Games)
God of War (Sony Computer Entertainment America)

BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 (Electronic Arts)
SSX On Tour (Electronic Arts)
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (Activision Inc.)
Top Spin (2K Sports)
Fight Night Round 2 (Electronic Arts)

BEST TEAM SPORTS GAME
Blitz: The League (Midway)
Madden NFL 06 (Electronic Arts)
NBA 2K6 (2K Sports)
World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 International (Konami)
NBA Street V3 (Electronic Arts)

CYBER VIXEN OF THE YEAR
Charlize Theron as Aeon Flux in Aeon Flux (Majesco Entertainment)
Jessica Alba as Invisible Woman in Fantastic 4 (Activision Inc.)
Traci Lords as Cassandra Hartz in True Crime: New York City (Activision Inc.)
Joanna Dark in Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft Game Studios)
Maria Menounos as Eva in James Bond 007: From Russia With Love (Electronic Arts)

BEST GAME BASED ON A MOVIE
Star Wars Battlefront II (LucasArts)
Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Ubisoft)
The Warriors (Rockstar Games)
James Bond 007: From Russia With Love (Electronic Arts)
The Matrix: Path of Neo (Atari Inc.)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN -- MALE
50 Cent in 50 Cent: Bulletproof (Vivendi Universal Games)
Jack Black in Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Ubisoft)
Michael Chiklis in Fantastic 4 (Activision Inc.)
Sean Connery in James Bond 007: From Russia With Love (Electronic Arts)
Terrence "T.C." Carson in God of War (Sony Computer Entertainment America)

BEST SUPPORTING MALE PERFORMANCE
Eminem in 50 Cent: Bulletproof (Vivendi Universal Games)
Dr. Dre in 50 Cent: Bulletproof (Vivendi Universal Games)
Christopher Walken in True Crime: New York City (Activision Inc.)
Michael Clarke Duncan in The Suffering: Ties That Bind (Midway)
Diddy in Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (Atari Inc.)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN -- FEMALE
Charlize Theron in Aeon Flux (Majesco Entertainment)
Naomi Watts in Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Ubisoft)
Josie Maran in Need for Speed Most Wanted (Electronic Arts)
Jessica Alba in Fantastic 4 (Activision Inc.)
Cornelia Hayes O'Herlihy as Fiona Belli in Haunting Ground (Capcom)

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE PERFORMANCE
Maria Menounos as Eva in James Bond 007: From Russia With Love (Electronic Arts)
Rosario Dawson in Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (Atari, Inc.)
Natasha Bedingfield in James Bond 007: From Russia With Love (Electronic Arts)
Mariska Hargitay in True Crime: New York City (Activision Inc.)
Traci Lords in True Crime: New York City (Activision Inc.)

BEST CAST
Fantastic 4 (Activision Inc.)
Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Ubisoft)
50 Cent: Bulletproof (Vivendi Universal Games)
True Crime: New York City (Activision Inc.)
James Bond 007: From Russia With Love (Electronic Arts)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Maybe We Crazy" by 50 Cent in 50 Cent: Bulletproof (Vivendi Universal Games) "Lights and Sounds" by Yellowcard in Burnout Revenge (Electronic Arts)
"When I Get Angry" by Spider Loc in Madden NFL 06 (Electronic Arts)
"Getting Up Anthem: Part I" by Talib Kweli and Rakim in Mark Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (Atari Inc.)
"Error Operator" by Taking Back Sunday in Fantastic 4 (Activision Inc.)

BEST SOUNDTRACK
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (Rockstar Games)
50 Cent: Bulletproof (Vivendi Universal Games)
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (Activision Inc.)
Guitar Hero (RedOctane)
SSX On Tour (Electronic Arts)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Call of Duty 2 (Activision Inc.)
We Love Katamari (Namco Hometek Inc.)
God of War (Sony Computer Entertainment America)
Indigo Prophecy (Atari Inc.)
Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft Game Studios)

DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
David Jaffe for God of War (Sony Computer Entertainment America)
Rob Pardo for World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Michel Ancel for Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Ubisoft)
Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendogs (Nintendo Co. Ltd.)
Craig Hubbard for F.E.A.R. (Vivendi Universal Games)

PONTIAC BEST DRIVING GAME AWARD (Viewer's Choice)
Gran Turismo 4 (Sony Computer Entertainment America)
L.A. Rush (Midway)
Forza Motorsport(TM) (Microsoft Game Studios)
Burnout Revenge (Electronic Arts)
Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition (Rockstar Games)

MOST ADDICTIVE GAME FUELED BY MOUNTAIN DEW (Viewer's Choice)
We Love Katamari (Namco Hometek Inc)
World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Lumines (Ubisoft)
Nintendogs (Nintendo Co. Ltd)
Meteos (Nintendo Co. Ltd.)

BEST FIGHTING GAME
Fight Night Round 2 (Electronic Arts)
Soul Calibur III (Namco Hometek Inc.)
Tekken 5 (Namco Hometek Inc.)
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower (Capcom)
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (Midway)

BEST FIRST-PERSON ACTION
Call of Duty 2 (Activision Inc.)
Far Cry Instincts (Ubisoft)
F.E.A.R. (Vivendi Universal Games)
Battlefield 2 (Electronic Arts)
Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft Games Studio)

BEST MILITARY GAME
Call of Duty 2 (Activision Inc.)
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood (Ubisoft)
Battlefield 2 (Electronic Arts)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory (Ubisoft)
SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs (Sony Computer Entertainment America)

BEST GRAPHICS
Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Ubisoft)
Call of Duty 2 (Activision Inc.)
F.E.A.R. (Vivendi Universal Games)
Project Gotham Racing 3 (Microsoft Game Studios)
Resident Evil 4 (Capcom)

BEST HANDHELD GAME
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (Rockstar Games)
Lumines (Ubisoft)
Nintendogs (Nintendo Co. Ltd.)
Meteos (Nintendo Co. Ltd.)
Burnout Legends (Electronic Arts)

BEST MULTIPLAYER GAME
World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs (Sony Computer Entertainment America)
Battlefield 2 (Electronic Arts)
City of Villains (NCSoft)
Guild Wars (NCSoft)

BEST BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY
Sony PSP (Sony Computer Entertainment America)
Xbox 360 (Microsoft Game Studios)
Nintendogs Voice Recognition (Nintendo Co. Ltd.)
Unreal Engine 3 (Epic Games Inc.)
Facial Mo-cap of NBA Live 06 (Electronic Arts)

BEST PC GAME
Call of Duty 2 (Activision Inc.)
F.E.A.R. (Vivendi Universal Games)
Sid Meier's Civilization IV (2K Games)
World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Battlefield 2 (Electronic Arts)

BEST RPG
Jade Empire (Microsoft Game Studios)
X-Men Legends II: Rise of the Apocalypse (Activision Inc.)
Dungeon Siege II (Microsoft Game Studios)
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (LucasArts)
World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)

BEST WIRELESS GAME
Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (Atari Inc. & Glu)
Need for Speed Underground 2 (EA Mobile)
Massive Snowboarding (Gameloft)
The Incredibles 3D (Disney Mobile)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory (Gameloft)

159 Comments

  • club-sandwich

    Posted Jul 27, 2007 12:12 pm PT

    Resident Evil 4 totally deserved that CAPCOM FTW

  • Sony_FreaK

    Posted Jul 23, 2007 7:13 am PT

    WTF why are they remaking this game????

  • frankfurter209

    Posted Feb 3, 2007 11:34 pm PT

    Where the hell was Ninja Gaiden: Black? NGB was better than RE4 in my opinion.

  • avlin1122

    Posted Dec 14, 2006 6:18 am PT

    God Of War is truly a spectacular vg. It draws you in from the first scene to the last. I don't like RE's so i haven't played RE4, but it must've been pretty fn great to beat God of War. What happened to Guitar Hero? Wasn't that nominated for Game of the Year?

    PSP beating Xbox360 is a huge surprise to me. I love my PSP, but I really thought they would've gone for the 360 as far as innovations. Maybe they're saying that the 360 wasn't that much different from the original Xbox except for graphics. What else was new about it?

    The PSP is indeed a grand piece of innovative technology. It does soo much already and with the PS3, it's getting updates to do more. Plus the new GPS is going to be a godsend to me.

  • FoShaiZa_YoMama

    Posted Aug 18, 2006 9:34 pm PT

    I used to vote for COD 2 but now it's RE4 for me baby!!

  • zzhavegame

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 2:54 pm PT

    Yes. Resident evil 4 deserved game of the year.

  • hawkeye1944

    Posted Dec 26, 2005 9:07 pm PT

    I haven't played F.E.A.R yet but will soon but from what i hear, its scary as all hell and i looooove the Resident Evil series but i doubt its as scary as F.E.A.R seeing as i know a guy who won't play it anymore because it freaks him out....can't wait to play it though.

  • Zerofitz

    Posted Dec 23, 2005 9:30 am PT

    KICK ASS! RE4 ALL THE WAY MAN. Kiss my ass Bill Gates.

  • valgear

    Posted Dec 22, 2005 2:39 pm PT

    DAMN RIGHT!!!! RE4 FOR LIFE!!!!

  • valgear

    Posted Dec 22, 2005 2:37 pm PT

    DAMN RIGHT!!!! RE4 FOR LIFE!!!!

  • Rossuron

    Posted Dec 16, 2005 10:03 am PT

    I must agree with the very very first post from Haklong... horrible job on the part of Spike TV.... I wish they dis invented the VGAs.... I know like years before it I was wishing there would be something... but after looking at the winners and even the nominees... there was only a few select games... the VGA s mean one thing now: Nothing.... the way they picked games was horrible... I mean they should call it the unofficial VGA s... and have an online poll only for the true results... even then gamers wouldnt know and not be able to cast their vote. VGA = Very G-Unit Associated....... the 50 Cent game got horrible ratings yet it was nominated like 10 times.... when a game that is played by millions (ie: Guild Wars) only got nominated for one thing! Granted World of Warcraft got what it deserved... truly greatness there. I am appalled by this wannabe VGA thing.

  • Killerjoe17

    Posted Dec 12, 2005 4:44 am PT

    can't believe resident evil 4 got game of the year i like it but i didn't know it game of the year

  • jamil2nice

    Posted Dec 11, 2005 12:22 am PT

    This really sucked in too many ways

    one way is that Resident Evil 4 beat
    FEAR, Call of Duty 2, PRG3, and KING KONG in graphics
    these game for the PC and or Xbox360 look
    way better than RE4 for the Gamecube or PS2

    another,
    whats so great about God of War that won
    it designer of the Year?
    Myamoto's Nintendogs obviously was more loved
    he never runs out of ideas

  • earthking

    Posted Dec 10, 2005 9:53 pm PT

    [This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

  • VietnameseMastr

    Posted Dec 8, 2005 1:23 pm PT

    HOW IS THE PSP A BETTER BREAKTROUGH THAN THE 360. now i know the PSP is cool and all but think about people who like sony, you would say the same if a new gameboy beat the PS3. yeah... i like what some one else said "lets should boycot the next Spike video game award show"

  • VietnameseMastr

    Posted Dec 8, 2005 1:16 pm PT

    the spike video game awards shouldnt even be called a video game award show. its more like which celeb can make the most of their fans come that dont care about video games. and can you say BIASED, the awards given are totally given to the wronge games. the developers who actually put a lot of time into these great games (or systems) should get reconized, not all the stupid celebrity singers that actually have bo talent

  • gill9221

    Posted Dec 6, 2005 8:38 pm PT

    Has anyone seen the guest list??? No gamer cares about Carmen Electra!

  • gill9221

    Posted Dec 6, 2005 8:34 pm PT

    I quit watching the Spike TV vg awards after the first year. It's total ****.

  • killamagig

    Posted Dec 6, 2005 12:06 pm PT

    RE4 Rocks! it deserves all the awards it got, AND MORE!

  • Vegeta-sama

    Posted Dec 5, 2005 9:36 pm PT

    RE4 beat FEAR and PGR3? I mean it's a fine looking game, but it looks like trash next to those two gems. And God of War for best Designer? WTF? and half the games that deserved to be on that list were not... God of War was a cool game, but it by no means had better game design than any of the other games even on their ill fitted list... instead of taking something by it's technical merits they push stupid pop culture into the picture... I wont hold anything against them for making RE4 GotY as I think it's f'n awsome, but some of the other stuff is f'n stupid... game awards should be based on merit and not f'n popularity... PSP winning over Xbox 360 and URE 3? GTFO

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