Spike VGA Winners: GTAIV snags game of the year
by Dustin Burg 
{ Dec 15th 2008 at 1:30PM }
Here you go, a recap of all of last night's Spike TV Video Game Award winners that is viewable (in its entirety) after the break. And if you weren't already aware thanks to this blog's title, Grand Theft Auto IV beat out all other contenders for Game of the Year honors. It's a bit controversial to say the least, but then again, it is the Spike VGAs. Right?
Gears of War 2 came away with a pair of the colorful monkey awards, one for best shooter and another for best Xbox 360 game. Fallout 3 also did well and Valve's Left 4 Dead had nothing to be ashamed of either. Clicky the linky below to view it all.
Game of the Year: Grand Theft Auto IV
Best Xbox 360 Game: Gears of War 2
Best Shooter: Gears of War 2
Best RPG: Fallout 3
Best Multiplayer Game: Left 4 Dead
Best Soundtrack: Rock Band 2
Best Action Adventure Game: Grand Theft Auto IV
Best Music Game: Rock Band 2
Best Fighting Game: Soul Calibur IV
Best Independent Game: World of Goo
Studio of the Year: Media Molecule
Best Sports Game: NHL 09
Female Big Name in Game: Jenny McCarthy
Male Big Name in Game: Kiefer Sutherland
Best Performance by Female: Debi Mae West
Best Performance by Male: Michael Hollick
Best Original Score: MGS4
Best PC Game: Left 4 Dead
Best PS3 Game: LittleBigPlanet
Best Wii Game: Boom Blox
Best Driving Game: Burnout Paradise
Best Game Based on Movie / TV: Lego Indiana Jones
Best Graphics: MGS4
Best Handheld Game: Prof. Layton and the Curious Village
Best Indiv. Sports Game: Shaun White Snowboarding
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sev @ Dec 15th 2008 1:36PM
I disagree with their GOTY choice. Should've been something more respectable like Fallout 3 or Gears 2. Aside from that the choice were alright.
Sev @ Dec 15th 2008 2:41PM
Adding to this comment, I also tought that award shows were pretty boring, being show on Spike that it is. Xplay may have lost some creditability in the past, but it's slowly gaining it back as their award show was much better. It was 1 hour of straight award giving goodness. While Spikes was 2 hours long, but I finished in less than 45 minutes thanks to DVR. The rest of the crap was well, random crap.
And seriously, whats with the concerts inbetween awards?
francisco @ Dec 15th 2008 1:36PM
I don't know why GTA4 won GOTY lol. I find GTA4 the same as the old ones just better graphic and boring. I rather give it to Fallout 3, Gears of War 2 or Metal Gear 4 either of those 3 games deserve it. Well that's what i think.
Jerkamie @ Dec 15th 2008 1:51PM
I disagree with the goty choice. I traded gta4 for my copy of fallout3.
I was too annoyed with having to pick up my virtual friends take them out for bowling or having a few drinks and then dropping them off.
ryan @ Dec 15th 2008 4:13PM
You don't have to. I never did. The rewards weren't even that special. Sure GTA4 wasn't what everyone expected, but it does fall into these categories for GOTY material:
Multiplat
Multiplayer
Sequel to a popular franchise
Accessible to just about every demographic.
If you judge GOTY on these categories then GTA4 is a no brainer.
pete @ Dec 16th 2008 10:12PM
im sry ryan WHAT???? accessible to almost every demographic? you gotta be fuckin retarded to say something like that. a game where you play a russian mobster who has to drive/walk everywhere he goes, shoots people for a living, and has little empathy for anything is certainly not appealing to every demographic. old people, kids under 10, girls (and i dont care how many nerd girls play the game, rockstar makes is sexist on purpose), parents-- none of these people are going to play gta 4, and its pretty clear that the demographic (singular) that it appeals to has labeled the game as "boring" and "overrated".
so dont try to convince us that everyone and their mom is playing this game, because thats only feeding the hype machine and the ego's of all the crappy reviewers who succumbed to the hype (looking at you txb and ign for your totally unwarranted 10 out of 10s)
Kizzle @ Dec 15th 2008 1:53PM
GTAIV is definitely the most overrated game of the year. We got kneejerk reaction reviews from almost every major media outlet, and now looking back on it, it was simply a very well made game and nothing more. I'd easily take GTA VC or San Andreas over it...hell, I'd take Saint's Row 2 over it since it's more entertaining and the combat is better.
Gears 2, Fallout 3, or Rock Band 2 are all much better choices.
imbecile pete @ Dec 15th 2008 1:57PM
should be limited to 1 award per game
Alex @ Dec 15th 2008 2:42PM
But what if GTAIV starred Snake and Locust, was sold with fake plastic instruments and had lots of free DLC that is better than most paid stuff?
My personal GOTY is probably Hitman Blood Money... Even though it is about 2 years old.
I wonder if some Agent 47 clothing will ever be released for the Avatars?
Alex @ Dec 15th 2008 2:45PM
Change of plan...
My personal GOTY is Condemned 2. Love it, despite it's average/bad reviews.
Fuzz @ Dec 18th 2008 9:35PM
you cant give a game OF THE YEAR award to a game made two years ago.... but nice try i guess.
craig64 @ Dec 15th 2008 1:59PM
Thanks for the breakdown. I would've watched the show, but I knew there was no way I could put up with Jack Black for more than 10 seconds...
I don't really agree with GTA4 though. I thought it was awesome at the time, but I still think a couple other games deserve it a bit more (Fallout 3).
JCP @ Dec 15th 2008 2:00PM
GTA4 as game of the year was a pretty good choice in my opinion, yes it does lack the content that san andreas has but as a next Gen game it truly is a great game, I think it was a deserved win,
the main problem with GTA4 is that it lacks things for the player to do in the world to make money or to just have fun with. like the marathon races in San Andreas or even the remote control car bombs in GTA3, and who can forget customizing cars and jump out of air planes, and robbing people's houses as they slept, lol.
josh @ Dec 15th 2008 2:17PM
JCP. dude GTA4 is too life like. its way to boring. i got tired at chapter 1. didn't buy it which was a very good thing. I just get tired of doing the same shit over and over again. rockstar knows that violance sales and that what they goona be doing from now on.. just look at the new addition, the lost and something lol.. base on a gang.. thats just really low. whats next? Colombian cartel? lol.. but i don't give a shit ill never buy a rockstar game. If you support rockstar you sopport violance. just don't come crying when a family member dies do to violance in society..
Halo2Master @ Dec 15th 2008 2:29PM
Josh, that's a pretty weak argument. I guess I'll start by saying the word is spelled "violence". No "a" to be found.
Secondly, there is a big difference between supporting artistic depictions of violence, and being violent. Are you really claiming that if one were to watch a violent movie, or play a violent game, or read a violent book, that he or she is deserving of an actual act of violence? Why?
How does playing an enjoyable game open oneself to some kind of Karmic act of violence? I LOVE GTA 4, and would never intentionally cause physical harm to another person. While there may be cases in which violent art has inspired violence among the audience, that kind of anecdotal truth should not be superimposed over every member of the audience.
If you don't like the game, fine, don't play it. But don't try to say I am "supporting violence" by playing what is obviously a popular and enjoyable game.
JCP @ Dec 15th 2008 2:51PM
Halo2master and Josh you both have good points, it depends on the individual viewing the content, for example the movie "Fight Club" is a very violent movie and has actually spawned real life fight clubs, on the other hand a little girl who plays GTA saved her family from a car accident ( the car flipped over) by getting her family out of the car because she knew from the game that cars explode when they flip over...lol
I guess now you know I watch a lot of G4 TV LOL
mattclarkie @ Dec 15th 2008 2:02PM
I personally enjoyed GTA IV more than the other GTA games I played, but it got boring really quickly and I am not sure I will ever complete it.
There are so many great games this year, howis GTA IV GotY material.
ryan @ Dec 15th 2008 4:17PM
read my comment above.
mattclarkie @ Dec 15th 2008 2:06PM
And if GTA IV was neither best 360, PS3 or PC game, how can it be GOTY. It has to be either GoW2 (best 360), LBP (best PS3), L4D (Best PC).
Halo2Master @ Dec 15th 2008 2:21PM
Not necessarily. LBP and GoW2 were both console exclusives. It's theoretically possible for one game to reign supreme when every platform is considered, even while individual platforms may have stronger offerings.
Sev @ Dec 15th 2008 2:37PM
I agree. The GotY should be choosen out of games that actually WON some other awards. Like winning tournament brackets sorta.
Halo2Master @ Dec 15th 2008 2:09PM
I think GTA 4 was a damn good choice for GotY. The game was so well-conceived and well-designed, and offered countless hours of entertainment. I have no problem with this choice.
Tann @ Dec 15th 2008 2:21PM
well deserved award
Delirium @ Dec 15th 2008 4:03PM
I thought GTA IV steered away too much from what made Vice City so fucking awesome.
CatalystX @ Dec 15th 2008 4:09PM
I personally believe GTA4 was a decent pick for GOTY. Not my personal pick (MGS4), but I'm glad Gears 2 and Fallout 3 didn't win as I didn't feel they deserved it this year.
dicknjane @ Dec 15th 2008 4:10PM
wow. World of Goo beat Braid?? wtf?
K Fed @ Dec 15th 2008 4:54PM
THANK YOU
i was waiting for someone to pick NHL 09 instead of Madden 09...
and im glad professor clayton won one too
wow the wii has certainly hit the crapper.
Cutty @ Dec 15th 2008 5:29PM
I agree with pretty much everything except GOTY.....Gears got what it deserved, Fallout got what it desrved, and so did left 4 dead(extremely underated)....But GTAIV was not on my shortlist for GOTY....Should have been between Fallout,gears,L4D, and MGS4....GTA IV should have fallen right behind those 4 games.....and possibly little big planet, but I never played it so i would'nt know....
Etchasketchist @ Dec 15th 2008 7:03PM
Duh, GTAIV is the Game of the Year. Doesn't matter if Fallout was better. 2008 was the year of Niko Bellic. Remember that year Titanic won the Oscar? This is like that.
Sam Houser = James Cameron = King of the World!
All your opinions about how GTA IV was flawed in such-and-such a way, or Game X was better in such-and-such a way are all equally valid and all equally meaningless.
pete @ Dec 16th 2008 10:12PM
i don't understand why michael hollick won best performance... his accent was utterly over-the-top, hammy, and unconvincing. if you youtube him, you can hear his regular voice, which is somewhat low... and the fact that he does that totally stereotypical accent where his voice's pitch is raised to make the accent sound more authentic is totally bogus. what a terrible actor.