Wii games appear in nominee list for Spike TV's 2007 Video Game Awards
by Candace Savino 
{ Nov 10th 2007 at 3:30PM }
It's hard to take a game awards show seriously that has a "Most Addictive Game Fueled by Dew" category. We don't really think that Spike TV's Video Game Awards are really meant to be taken too seriously, though, so we suppose it's okay. When it comes to the VGAs, it just isn't surprising when the nominees for the "Game of the Year" and "Best Xbox 360 Game" are exactly the same. It's also interesting that 3/4 of the "Game of the Year" group fall in the "Best Shooter" bunch. Let's not forget, though, that Spike is a channel for men, and men like to shoot stuff, cause they're all just badass and burly like that. Oh well, at least (as pointed out by our big daddy blog, Joystiq) Madden wasn't nominated for "Game of the Year" this time around.
Color us shocked, but the Wii actually got some love lukewarm feelings from the VGAs this year. Wii Sports was nominated for the highly esteemed "Most Addictive Game Fueled by Dew" category, and Super Mario Galaxy was put into the "Best Action Game" group. And, uh ... that's about it, unless you count multiplatform titles and those in the "Best Wii Game" bunch.
Check after the break to see the full list of nominees.
Most Addictive Game Fueled by Dew
Halo 3
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Team Fortress 2
Wii Sports
Game of the Year
BioShock
Halo 3
Mass Effect
The Orange Box
Best Shooter
BioShock
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Halo 3
The Orange Box
Best Action Game
Assassin's Creed
God of War 2
Super Mario Galaxy
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Best Rhythm Game
Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Jam Sessions
Rock Band
Best RPG
Eternal Sonata
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Mass Effect
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
Best Driving Game
Colin McRae: DiRT
Forza Motorsport 2
Need for Speed ProStreet
Project Gotham Racing 4
Best Military Game
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
World in Conflict
Studio of the Year
Bungie Studios
Harmonix
Irrational Games
Valve
Best Graphics
BioShock
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Crysis
Mass Effect
Breakthrough Technology
Crysis
Halo 3
Portal
Rock Band
Best PS3 Game
Heavenly Sword
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Warhawk
Best Wii Game
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Paper Mario
Best Xbox 360 Game
BioShock
Halo 3
Mass Effect
The Orange Box
Best PC Game
BioShock
Crysis
The Orange Box
World in Conflict
Best Individual Sports Game
skate
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
Virtua Tennis 3
Best Team Sports Game
Madden NFL 08
NBA 2K8
NHL 08
Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007
Best Handheld Game
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show
The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar
Naruto: Rise of a Ninja
The Simpsons Game
Stranglehold
Best Soundtrack
BioShock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Tony Hawk's Proving Ground
Rock Band
Best Original Score
BioShock
God of War 2
Halo 3
Mass Effect
Best Multiplayer Game
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Halo 3
Rock Band
The Orange Box
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mr Khan @ Nov 10th 2007 4:11PM
This is, of course, newsworthy
A nintendo game making it into the Spike VGAs? Next the 360 will outsell something in Japan
oh, wait...
These are the end times, truly
JC Fletcher @ Nov 10th 2007 4:45PM
Surprising that Halo 3, a game which had its own Halo 3 Mountain Dew Game Fuel, is nominated for Most Addictive Game Fueled by Dew.
ChrisCanberg @ Nov 10th 2007 4:53PM
I hate Microsoft. I really do. Nobody gives the Wii any credit.
The major problems I have, besides the ones already listed, are the Breakthrough Technology nominations, as well as the Best Original Score.
Halo 3?! Breakthrough Technology?! HOW!?
And I believe that Super Mario Galaxy's score is probably the best I've heard in recent years, next to Twilight Princess.
samfish @ Nov 10th 2007 5:11PM
Hahaha! You're my new hero, Candace! So snarky yet so true.
Joop @ Nov 10th 2007 5:36PM
The blatant sponsor whoring and 360 bias doesn't bother me nearly as much as nominating games that aren't even out yet. That's like nominating a movie for an Oscar based entirely on its trailer.
tiamat1990 @ Nov 10th 2007 6:11PM
Halo 3? Oh dear god...honestly where is Galaxy in the Game of the Year??
Oh wait now I know why, if you go the website you can see who does the nominations. About a third of the people are from GameSpot.
thethirdmoose @ Nov 10th 2007 6:14PM
OMG a woman on teh innernetz!!! pix plz!
jk
http://xkcd.com/322/
Jimiisama @ Nov 10th 2007 6:47PM
Is Rock Band even out yet? I love how they assume some games are gonna be good.
Charcoal @ Nov 10th 2007 6:50PM
"And I believe that Super Mario Galaxy's score is probably the best I've heard in recent years, next to Twilight Princess."
I don't think twilight princess technically had a musical score. It was all music remixed from ocarina.
Jeremy @ Nov 10th 2007 7:01PM
I bet if you watch the VGAs that you will see many commercials from Microsoft. I will even go as far that all the game related TV spots during the show will be an XBOX title or a multi platform title.
Besides Spike TV sucks balls.
sepaar @ Nov 10th 2007 7:58PM
I do believe it did have a soundtrack, and not most of it was remixed from Ocarina of Time. I've got the soundtrack, and aside from a couple of throwbacks to the Gorons, it seemed new.
Yes, this list does seem a little biased. But, that's not to say that these aren't good games either.
DonWii @ Nov 10th 2007 9:37PM
Right on the money, Candance.
No blood/guns, no Game of the Year Nomination for Super Mario Galaxy.
Also, I'll place my bets right now that Galaxy won't even win the Action category, because Assasins Creed has blood.
In addition, CoD4 easily beats out Halo 3. I assume that it is just there because of the popularity.
Orion @ Nov 10th 2007 11:03PM
i love how a bunch of 1st person shooters get best game of the year and best music score, but a game like mario galaxy that actually does something new besides the same old same old (with possibly a single new weapon or something) gets didly jack. I dont know about other people, but when i saw the video review for galaxy from IGN and heard the orchestrated music it really touched me. hearing music ive grown up with since the first mario bros when i was 5 years old beats out any stupid generic shooter's crud "soundtrack".
Laughing_Hands @ Nov 11th 2007 12:24AM
@13
Have you even heard Bioshock's Soundtrack? It's really good. I would understand your concern if it had been Halo 3 or something there, but as such I see no problem.
Laughing_Hands @ Nov 11th 2007 12:27AM
Oh, I thought you were talking about the "Best Soundtrack", but I see that there is also a "Best Original Score" category. And it does have Halo 3 in it... wtf?
directive0 @ Nov 11th 2007 12:50AM
What a farce.
DaBoy @ Nov 11th 2007 4:02AM
Yeah, that it is.
Since the Xbox is doing so well, it is understandable that Microsoft would get far more publicity in something like this then anyone else, so that doesn't bother me much, but including games that aren't even released yet? What on earth? Are they just trying to sell these things to consumers before the launch day (ala la pre-orders)? And, what is with the "game of the year" going to shooters? I have little love for the action and role-playing nominations up there (save Mario and, maybe, Ratchet), but come on! There is no living reason on earth to nominated more then one shooter (okay, maybe one plus BioShock, due to its uniqueness). I know Mass Effect is mostly a Role-playing game, but with the other three being shooters its hard to take this "award" with any seriousness. And, if they don't mean to be serious, what is the point of this whole thing again?
schwal @ Nov 11th 2007 6:17AM
even as a 360 fan and fps fan this list is clearly crap. irrational games got bought by 2k like 6 months ago. not to mension they cant decide whether to call each game in the orange box it's own title. seriously, tf2 is the only multiplayer in the thing. (though portal does deserve the win for best new tech). and i don't think crysis will be out until well after the awards.
Hame @ Nov 11th 2007 8:08AM
Yes the VGAs are farcical even by Award Show standards and yes it does kinda look like 'The XBox 360 Awards' and the fact that Super Mario Galaxy isn't in the 'Game of the Year' category is an absolute joke, in fact the list contains many jokes. But I don't think they "hate" Nintendo as much as some are saying.
After all, last year Nintendo won Best Handheld Game (New Super Mario Bros.), Best Breakthrough Technology (Wii) and the Critic's Choice Award (Twilight Princess). Who knows, maybe all the Nintendo games will win every category they're in this year.......? It could happen.
Jonah Falcon @ Nov 11th 2007 9:20AM
"Most Addictive Game Fueled by Dew"
Gee, you think Halo 3 will win that award?
Haohmaru @ Nov 11th 2007 11:28AM
Spike TV's VGA's have always been a joke. No surprise here. :P
Fullmetal Salchemist @ Nov 11th 2007 4:12PM
"Since the Xbox is doing so well, it is understandable that Microsoft would get far more publicity in something like this then anyone else,"
If success of the console dictates the number of nominations, then why doesn't the Wii have more than the other consoles?
DaBoy @ Nov 12th 2007 6:19PM
Actually, Fullmetal, I meant third party support more then anything. I know both Mass Effect and Halo are done by Microsoft, but the fact that about 98% of the nominations are at least multi-platforms, if not Xbox exclusives, kinda proves that point. This is what I am "less upset about".
However, more importantly, and perhaps, closer to your point, I see another possible explanation in the console sales. Put more succinctly, it's very likely that their entire reasoning is based off whatever consoles they play (read: 80% Microsoft/20% SONY). The fact that they are appealing to their, ahem, "base", as well as their own play-style, with these awards should come as no surprise, but still is something I am VERY upset about.
This award show is nothing more then a pat on the back of those people who already own these games and the associated plat-form, then it is a critical look at each of the games on offer. If Halo has 7 million fans, can Spike avoid the lure of their support? Money is always greater then integrity in the showbiz world. That's why I avoid such things like the plague!