Golden Globe Awards Producer to Produce AIAS Awards Show

[fitbabits]

Thanks to Next Generation (http://www.next-gen.biz) for the head's-up (http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2230&Itemid=2).

The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has announced a deal with Dick Clark Productions to televise the 2007 Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony.

Dick Clark Productions is known for covering live events such as the Golden Globe Awards. The show will air the first quarter of next year.

Joseph Olin, president of the AIAS said, "We're thrilled with this. It's going to be a TV spectacular."
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (http://www.interative.org)

Hopefully this means that there will finally be a tasteful awards show for videogames. I don't know if my gamer cred can take another broadside from SpikeTV.

[saneman]

Bling bling!

[fitbabits]

Bling bling!
Ah, I sure do love constructive posts.

[Nite_Moogle]

Hopefully this means that there will finally be a tasteful awards show for videogames.
Next thing you know there will be someone in Washington DC that plays WoW.

[EternalGamer]

I don't know fits, I'm not trying to sound elitest, but I really don't think the game industry has matured enough to deserve an awards show. I mean, it would essentially be like the academy awards that only focuses on aesthetic elements like special effects and soundtracks. There are exceptions to the rule, but can you honestly say you could think of three or four games a year that are worth consideration for an "award" for best narrative development, best vocal performance, etc? At the risk of dragging us into a tired argument once again, the more I think about the idea, they more I am compelled to think this demonstrates that people like Ebert are right in their perspectives that games have not proven themselves worth serious artistic consideration. I like smashing boxes, pumping random enemies full of bullets, and slaying fire demons as much as the next guy, but none of these things are exactly what I would consider enlightening explorations of the human condition. A games award show seems like a films award show that focuses only on Jerry Bruckheimer releases. Sure some of his films might have more compelling material or subject matter than others, but none of them are exactly worthy of artistic celebration.

Dan

[sTubbs]

I don't know fits, I'm not trying to sound elitest, but I really don't think the game industry has matured enough to deserve an awards show. I mean, it would essentially be like the academy awards that only focuses on aesthetic elements like special effects and soundtracks. There are exceptions to the rule, but can you honestly say you could think of three or four games a year that are worth consideration for an "award" for best narrative development, best vocal performance, etc? At the risk of dragging us into a tired argument once again, the more I think about the idea, they more I am compelled to think this demonstrates that people like Ebert are right in their perspectives that games have not proven themselves worth serious artistic consideration. I like smashing boxes, pumping random enemies full of bullets, and slaying fire demons as much as the next guy, but none of these things are exactly what I would consider enlightening explorations of the human condition. A games award show seems like a films award show that focuses only on Jerry Bruckheimer releases. Sure some of his films might have more compelling material or subject matter than others, but none of them are exactly worthy of artistic celebration.

Dan


I would argue that there are more than enough suitable games in a year to easily fill the four or five nominations required for each award. I have played games that far surpass the deepest emotional experience ever received from a film. ICO for example is quite possibly the most emotionally affecting experience I have gotten from any entertainment media. If you want an enlightening experience of the human condition, there it is. It is a work of art, just as much as any movie can be a work of art. The same goes for Rez, Shadow of the Collussus, the MYST series, Deus Ex, Psychonauts, and more that are not coming to me right now.

While I have to agree in part with what you are saying, I think that if done right an awards show such as this could be a good step in getting the positive recognition that gaming so sorely needs. Besides, finding a good movie these days is just as hard as finding a good game.

[Reanimated]

Hopefully it gets aired on at least a quasi-reputable channel.

[EternalGamer]

I liked Ico, I thought it was a lot of fun, and aesthetically amazing. And narratively it was nice and minimalistic but with archetypal appeal. But honestly I still wouldn't put it in the same category with the books and films that have had a significant impact on me. You spend the majority of the game running around pulling on switches and swining around a stick at the same black shadow enemies for hours. Not exactly experiences that left me contemplating it for days and weeks afterwards.

And I have to disagree with you on films. There are more good films than there are time enough to watch. However, granted most of them don't play at the local megaplexes.

Dan

[Kefkataran]

Ah! Personally, I'm psyched for this, assuming it gets pulled off right.

[jeffool]

Oh my God, I may have a heart attack... And though I agree with Eternal that there aren't always five or so games a year that I would call 'art', I think that the industry recognizing the best games is a good incentive for developers to aim higher. (At least in theory.)

[Spigot]

I think that as long as they only hand out GOTY awards to games THAT HAVE ACTUALLY SHIPPED, they'll already be leagues ahead of the Spike VGA's. Having some measure of logic applied to the categories of games would be nice too.

I'm just waiting for a game award show that, while not as staid and dull as the Oscars or Grammys, would not aim squarely for the 17-year old male demographic. Highlight the cinematics, the storytelling, the quirky games. For the love of god, DO NOT give any award to a game staring in EA SPORTS and ending in whatever the current or next year is.

A mature yet accessible award show could be the kind of thing that would allow me to talk about a game like Chibi-Robo to a non-gamer and not get called a lunatic for buying a housecleaning game.

[fushi]

Dude, the URL is wrong.

[fitbabits]

Dude, the URL is wrong.
Which one? Both links in the news post work for me.

[B_Money]

Oh boy, now maybe the video game industry can have an award ceremony as meaningful as the Golden Globes, or maybe even the Grammys.

[SteveRage]

Oh boy, now maybe the video game industry can have an award ceremony as meaningful as the Golden Globes, or maybe even the Grammys.

I sense sarcasm. I endorse this post.

[Kefkataran]

I sense sarcasm. I endorse this post.

I think what you meant to say was, "STEVE RAGE SMASH!!! RAAAGGGH!"

[Atepsflame]

Sure, games may not have matured enough as a dedicated art form to warrant an awards show comparable to the Academy Awards, but you have to realize that the Oscars have been around almost as long as film has, and yet here we are, almost thirty years into the existance of home gaming and we still haven't gotten any recognition, even though now, more than ever, we are seeing the realease of games that trully are artisticly impressive. This is only going to increase as we move into the next generation. As far as I am concerned, now is as good a time as any for the industry to get some real face time. Besides, do you really want to continue letting Spike TV define to the general basic cable public what kind of kudos games really deserve?