This Past Weekend's VGA's (Video Game Awards)

As opposed to years past - though I still did not watch the Spike VGA's this year - I actually agree with a lot of the winners from Saturday night's show. Here is the list copied from 1up.com:

• Best Voice in a Video Game: Jack Black as Eddie Riggs in Brutal Legend
• Best Cast: X-Men Origins: Wolverine
• Best Performance by a Human Male: Hugh Jackman in X-Men Origins: Wolverine
• Best Performance by a Human Female: Megan Fox in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
• Best Indie Game Fueled by Dew: Flower
• Best Downloadable Game: Shadow Complex
• Best Downloadable Content: GTA4: The Ballad of Gay Tony
• Best Graphics: Uncharted 2
• Best Soundtrack: DJ Hero
• Best Original Score: Halo 3: ODST
• Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show: South Park: Let's Go Tower Defense Play
• Best Multiplayer Game: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Best Action/Adventure: Assassin's Creed 2
• Best Driving Game: Forza Motorsport 3
• Best Fighting Game: Street Fighter 4
• Best Music Game: Beatles Rock Band
• Best RPG: Dragon Age: Origins
• Best Shooter: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Best Team Sports Game NHL 10
• Best Individual Sports Game: UFC 2009 Undisputed
• Studio of the Year: Rocksteady Studios for Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Best PlayStation 3 Game: Uncharted 2
• Best Wii Game: New Super Mario Bros. Wii
• Best Xbox 360 Game: Left 4 Dead 2
• Best Handheld Game: GTA: Chinatown Wars
• Best PC Game: Dragon Age Origins
• Most Anticipated Game: God of War 3
• Game of the Year: Uncharted 2 

The most exciting presentations of the night were not game awards but were instead game announcements. These were game announcements from Harmonix, LucasArts, and Rocksteady. Most if not all games can be figured out from the naming of their game studios alone but since you have already heard about them from other sources, I will spare you any clever mention of them and just come right out with it.

The first and the one I am most excited for - based solely on the fact that I have have had some time to develop some anticipation for the game - is Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2. The first game was not without it's flaws but it was also a game that captured what it would feel like to wield the force. As long as the game improves upon its predecessor in terms of polish it think we will have another amazing Star Wars game on our hands.

Green Day: Rock Band will also be a fun game if for no other reason other than the fact than I have been a Green Day fan since Dookie released in 1994. There is nothing else to say on the matter but it will be hard, if not impossible, to follow up on The Beatles: Rock Band.

Another game that will be hard to develop a follow-up for is Arkham Asylum and yet Rocksteady has been kind enough to, at the very least, bless us with the announcement for the sequel not six months after Arkham Asylum the first was released. I am a little disappointed that the game is using the "same location" but apparently ArkhamHasMoved.com has other plans in store.
 
In other news Zachary Quinto was announced as a voice for Star Trek Online and that makes for a very happy Nate. I now just need a PC in which to play this on.

Lastly there was a Crackdown 2 video that touted some gameplay but I have to say that despite enthusiasm I have seen for the trailer on Twitter I was not impressed. The game looks to be copying a lot from games that have come out since the first Crackdown dropped (one thing that I noticed in particular was something that looked a lot like a zombie).

If nothing else the VGA's were a good place for announcements in an otherwise barren period of new game announcements.

E309: The Beatles: Rock Band and Shadow Complex Thoughts

I wanted to start off the night (it is currently 1:34am EST) by saying I am going to post my thoughts on all things announced at all of the  E3 press conferences of June 1, 2009 provided, of course, that I found them interesting to begin with. Forgive me if I have fallen asleep before finishing. I fell asleep before I even finished this post, I need to work on my midnight blogging skills.


I am interested, as we all know, in The Beatles: Rock Band but having a trailer for a rhythm game, despite the fact that it involves The Beatles, still does not do much for me. I appreciate the artistic integrity of what they are trying to do but I really just want to get my hands on it and play Beatles songs.

What is interesting is the fact that the game will support three part harmonies which is an amazing feature. Interesting question: How is it going to be fair to score the accuracy of back-up vocals when there is not always a lot there to be sung by the back-up vocalists?

And then there is Shadow Complex, Epic Games' first XBLA title, and all I want to know is what it is. I am sure I would be excited to play it but all they did was compare it to Metroid. That is fine and all but I am still at a loss. It is possible that they did/will show it in action and I just missed it because I did not actually have the pleasure of watching the press conference. I want to be excited for Shadow Complex and I am sure Epic will give me that chance sooner rather than later.