Oh no… not ANOTHER Video Game Awards show…

SpikeTV sent EvilAvatar a press release announcing… Ah geez. Yeah… another Video Game Awards show.

I was hoping the first one was bad enough that they wouldn’t make any more.

Well, here’s the press release, followed by some comments from me. (Darn, I didn’t get nominated for the blog award.)

SAMUEL L. JACKSON TO HOST, THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, VIN DIESEL, THE ROCK, MISSY ELLIOTT, SNOOP DOGG & OZZY OSBOURNE TO APPEAR AT

SPIKE TV “VIDEO GAME AWARDS 2005â€?

3rd Annual Awards Take Place Friday, November 18 at Gibson Amphitheater in LA

World of Warcraft, Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie,

Call of Duty 2 and 50 Cent: Bulletproof Lead This Year’s Nominations

Jack Black, Charlize Theron, Jessica Alba, Naomi Watts, Eminem, Diddy,

Dr. Dre, Jay Z, 50 Cent, Rosario Dawson and Sean Connery

All Nominated for their Performances in Video Games

Two-Hour Awards Extravaganza Premieres on Spike TV on Saturday, December 10 at 9PM

New York, NY, October 25, 2005 – The biggest night of the year for video games will take place at the Spike TV “Video Game Awards 2005â€? (VGA) hosted by acclaimed actor and producer Samuel L. Jackson, who was a winner at last year’s show for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Vin Diesel, The Rock, Missy Elliot, Snoop Dogg, Carmen Electra, Xzibit and Ozzy Osbourne are also set to appear at the third annual awards event. Many musical acts, presenters and attendees will be announced shortly.

The Spike TV “Video Game Awards 2005â€? takes place on Friday, November 18 at the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles with the two-hour “games vs. gamesâ€? extravaganza premiering on Spike TV Saturday, December 10 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT).

“Video games have taken over the world as the most creative, cutting edge platform for major names in entertainment to showcase their talent and reach a massive audience,â€? says Casey Patterson, Executive Producer VGA’s and Senior Vice President, Event Production and Talent Development for Spike. “Sam Jackson is one of the coolest guys on the planet; we’re thrilled to have him hosting this year’s show which promises more stars, more rock and more games than ever before.â€?

Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie from Ubisoft tops this year’s VGA nominations with seven including “Best Action Game,â€? “Best Graphics,â€? “Best Performance by a Human – Male & Femaleâ€? for actors Jack Black and Naomi Watts and Michel Ancel for “Designer of the Year.â€? 50 Cent: Bulletproof (Vivendi Universal Games); World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment); James Bond 007: From Russia with Love (Electronic Arts) and Call of Duty 2 (Activision, Inc.) and each have six nominations.All categories and nominees are listed below.

This year’s awards will be held at the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles’ Universal City which will be transformed into the ultimate gamers haven. It will feature dozens of 100 foot tall walls of video screens, skybox audiences and game-versus-game iconoclastic graphics.

Albie Hecht, Oscar®-nominated producer and co-creator of the “Kids’ Choiceâ€? and “Video Game Awardsâ€? will serve as an Executive Producer on this year’s telecast.

Ballots were sent out to the VGA Advisory Board, which was responsible for advising on categories and determining nominees in selectedaward categories. Winners of the VGAs are determined by votes from theVideo Game IndustryVoting Council which is made up of more than 200 industry journalists. Winners in two “Viewers Choiceâ€? categories will solely be determined by viewer voting.

The Spike TV “Video Game Awards 2005â€? pays tribute to the outstanding achievements of games, designers, animation, breakthrough technology, music and performances of the past year in the world of video games. The awards also provide a glimpse at the future of gaming – including exclusive sneak peeks and world premiere footage of some of the hottest and most anticipated games of 2006 and beyond.

Following are the nominees for the Spike TV Video Game Awards 2005:

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)
EA 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.â€? 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 (Electronic Arts)
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 (Electronic Arts)
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 Crazyâ€? by 50 Cent in 50 Cent: Bulletproof (Vivendi Universal Games)
“Lights and Soundsâ€? by Yellowcard in Burnout Revenge (Electronic Arts)
“When I Get Angryâ€? by Spider Loc in Madden NFL 06 (Electronic Arts)
“Getting Up Anthem: Part Iâ€? by Talib Kweli and Rakim in Mark Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure (Atari, Inc.)
“Error Operatorâ€? 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 ♥ 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™ (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 ♥ Katamari™ (Namco Hometek Inc)
World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Lumines (Ubisoft)
Nintendogs (Nintendo Co. Ltd)
Meteos (Nintendo Co. Ltd.)

BEST FIGHTING GAME
EA Sports Fight Night Round 2 (Electronic Arts)
SOULCALIBUR®III (Namco Hometek Inc.)
TEKKEN®5 (Namco Hometek Inc.)
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower (Capcom)
Mortal Combat: 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)
PGR™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 MULTI-PLAYER 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 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)

BEST GAMING NEWS PUBLICATION
Game Informer
Official Xbox Magazine
EGM

BEST GAMING WEBSITE
www.1up.com
www.gamespot.com
www.ign.com

BEST GAMING BLOG
www.kotaku.com
www.joystiq.com
games.slashdot.org

The official sponsors of the Spike TV Video Game Awards 2005 are AOL, Burger King Corporation®, Circuit City, Mountain Dew, New Dentyne® Fire Mints, Pontiac, U.S. Air Force and Verizon Wireless V Cast™.

Albie Hecht and Casey Pattersonwill serve as Executive Producersof the Spike TV’s 2005 “Video Game Awards 2005.â€? Greg Sills is Supervising Producer, Magda Lioliswill serveas Producer andScott Fishmanis the Executive inCharge of Production. Acclaimed British director Julia Knowles will serve as director.

Spike TV, the first network for men, is available in 88 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

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I don’t understand something. Half-life 2 and Halo 2, both released in Nov. 2004, were included in last year’s event, while WoW was included in THIS year’s event. Also, I note that we have a whole bunch of unreleased video games that have been nominated. Hmm, well, I guess these awards will be totally NOT a marketing fest with the biggest advertising contributors getting the most nominations. Oh, wait…

Also, I note the absence of Quake 4. I guess Activision didn’t cough up enough cash to get Quake 4 AND Call of Duty 2 nominated.

King Kong sure got lots of noms. Must be the greatest game ever. I wonder if Peter Jackson is actually taking this crap seriously. It’ll be interesting to see his reaction to all of this.