So this last weekend we saw the latest incarnation of the Spike TV Video Game Awards now known simply as the VGX’s… but why the change and should we care?
The name change in itself is a bit of an anomaly that points to a wider issue at heart here. Up until this year it was simply known as the VGA’s (Video Game Awards) which made perfect sense but they’ve now decided to change it to the VGX’s to highlight the next generation of video game awards…
Does that make sense? No of course not, it’s a ridiculous change just to try and make the name sound more hip and happening to try and stay relevant in this ever changing world. However if the way to stay relevant was to change names I think the Academy Awards and Grammy’s would be dead by now.
No unfortunately this name change points to a deeper problem in the make up of GameTrailers and the VGA’s. According to a post on reddit by someone claiming to be a previous employee of both GameTrailers and Spike the problem really is that their holding company, Viacom, is only worried about the views on GameTrailers and see themselves as a direct competitor to YouTube.
So to distinguish themselves from YouTube they invented an awards show which is nothing more than a large marketing attempt for their own properties.
The VGAs are really to promote GameTrailers, a site Viacom has spent a lot of money on and is probably going to wind up killing sooner rather than later. The short of it is that Viacom had to demonstrate to publishers that there was a compelling reason to not just post everything on YouTube. They haven’t done that.
When discussing the name change he is a little more direct with his feelings
The VGAs this year had the rank stench of executive piss about them, to be honest, starting with the name change: I know the staff there still and VGX is definitely an order from on high. They can be cheesy but they wouldn’t do something like that voluntarily. I’d lay down money McHale was a last-minute addition to the show and that neither he nor GT wanted him on there. The budget cuts, again, classic Viacom executive: I guarantee that the new guy just cut the budget in half and sent it back with a note saying “Do Better.”
In reality the problem here is that a media conglomerate is attempting to control an awards show that showcases brand new and exciting games to the public. The problem is that these same games are published by companies who advertise on GameTrailers which simply means that there is no way they can be impartial and that makes the entire show a disaster waiting to happen.
Look at the host this year, once again instead of looking inside the industry they decided to hire Joel McHale who without being overly harsh, is a middle of the road actor who’s top awards are from the EWwy Awards.
In reality we should be seeing gaming veterans, insiders or even gaming media like IGN’s Greg Miller or ex-Destructoid editor, Jim Sterling, taking the reigns. Someone who really knows what is going on and can truly ask the real questions in the so-called interviews.
If GameTrailers real goal is to be the number one site for video game trailers and previews then they are obviously failing and when you are failing and are owned by a corporate monolith there is no light at the end of the tunnel. When they one day decide to stop propping the site up it will disappear and with it so will the award show.
Hopefully when that happens someone in the industry, not the media, will start a true awards show aimed at gaming. PEGI are actually in a good place in Europe to do just that.
So how do you feel about it all? Did you stay up late to watch the event live or are you happy just watching the YouTube embeds of all the trailers and demos on the Internet this morning?
Last Updated: December 9, 2013
Alien Emperor Trevor
December 9, 2013 at 13:06
I’m perfectly happy seeing them here. Why would I waste valuable gaming time watching an entire meaningless awards show just to see a trailer or two that interests me.
Kensei Seraph remembers Madiba
December 9, 2013 at 13:40
What the Emperor said.
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
December 9, 2013 at 13:06
BECAUSE 90s X-TREME BRO!!!
http://nikoscream.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/superboy.jpg?w=700
Alien Emperor Trevor
December 9, 2013 at 13:09
Party on, Banana!
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
December 9, 2013 at 13:15
Wayne’s World made me the man I am today!
Skyblue
December 9, 2013 at 16:37
Thanks for that, been way too long since I last watched it.
Umar Seeker of Truth
December 9, 2013 at 13:09
And this is why I raged this morning……………Why not get Sterling up there or some one with integrity but Joel?….My god, this isn’t E! ……. sigh , gamers deserve better
El Capitan del Blade
December 9, 2013 at 13:22
I would have preferred friggin Richard “Lord British” Garriot over McHale….
FoxOneZA
December 9, 2013 at 13:17
4hrs long? o_0
RinceGivesRspectsToMadiba
December 9, 2013 at 13:17
Engage foil hat!
El Capitan del Blade
December 9, 2013 at 13:21
I watched some of the award presentations… it was the most god-awful joke of an “event”…. I couldn’t take it seriously….
Kromas
December 9, 2013 at 14:36
I dare say gupta tv could have done a better job hosting. 😛
Sageville
December 9, 2013 at 13:25
“The VGAs this year had the rank stench of executive piss about them”
I love the smell of executive piss in the morning! Booyaah!
Funny how some clueless peeps are still on the “Put an X in the name = cool” bandwagon. I think the last brand to do that successfully was the X-factor…..
CodeName Tailgunner
December 9, 2013 at 13:26
Hi Gavin,
Don’t want to be that guy, but the Academy Awards officially changed their name to the Oscars this year.
Gavin Mannion
December 9, 2013 at 13:28
Seriously? Why the hell would they do that?
CodeName Tailgunner
December 9, 2013 at 13:31
I don’t know
In order to keep up with the times, same reasons you gave here. Ja it’s a bit different as it is still hosted by the academy but the branding now refers to only the oscars
Sageville
December 9, 2013 at 15:31
thats fine, at least everyone has heard of “The academy awards” and “The Oscars”.
Changing VGA to VGX is akin to changing the academy awards to the “The Xoscarz”.
Gavin Mannion
December 9, 2013 at 13:30
From what I can see they didn’t change the name. they just refer to it as the oscars but the official name is still The Academy Awards.. they renamed a theatre though
Anon A Mouse
December 9, 2013 at 13:37
As far as I know, this year’s show is called “The Oscars”, but even the co-producer of the event said it might change next year. They’re just trying to get it more “fresh and contemporary”; what ever that means.
CodeName Tailgunner
December 9, 2013 at 13:40
The big thing here is that everyone referred to it as “The Oscars” anyway
Kensei Seraph remembers Madiba
December 9, 2013 at 13:39
“The problem is that these same games are published by companies who
advertise on GameTrailers which simply means that there is no way they
can be impartial and that makes the entire show a disaster waiting to
happen.”
COD is going to get at least 1 LG award. Hopefully it’s for ‘Biggest Spelling Mistake in an Advert’.
Mathias
December 9, 2013 at 13:58
I didn’t care when they were the VGAs… These awards are awful bad, ALWAYS, but this edition won Worst One Ever.
oVg
December 9, 2013 at 14:21
“the rank stench of executive piss about them”
Im stealing that one 🙂
K (VichusYotaru)
January 5, 2014 at 17:21
What would any actor’s level of talent or awards won factor into them being on the VGX if you don’t want actors to be on the show at all?
In fact, couldn’t some no-name actor on a show you never watched be a really hardcore gamer, and thus a better fit for the show than a McHale or a big name like Sam Jackson?