The VGAs ....why do we even bother?

I don't normally watch the VGAs. Usually I enjoy spending my saturdays either playing videogames, surfing teh webzorz or just getting out of the house. However, with the majority of Omaha covered in snow and ice, I found myself just settled in with nothing to watch on tv. I think the problem i have is the whole assumption that in order to be considered serious business, Gaming events have to have a quota of explosions, hot chicks, and commentary about balls. That's kind of like a cross between a Michael Bay (Baysplosions!!) film and a Trey Parker and Matt Stone production. Now that i think about it this hybrid would be both awesome and hilarious, but only if the VGAs had a puppet version of Kim Jong Il that sings.

I don't know if it's just being on Spike, which is the testosterone equivalent of Lifetime, or the general consensus view of the industry and "hardcore" gamers that we have to have an edgy three-ring-circus narrated by the sexy disembodied voice of Claudia Black. However, I doubt that anyone on the outside looking in thinks that this validates gaming as "mature" or "mainstream" for that matter. If anything it reminds me of MTV's VMA show, but with awkward moments between celebs and developers and industry figures. Also, any time i can accurately predict who's going to win based on realistic graphics and hollywood style cinematics I immediately think that the show ....well... seems fixed. There's nothing that makes me doubt this frame of thinking either. I mean it's basically a two hour long commercial for the gaming industry, why wouldn't the spotlight be on the AAA hollywood blockbuster games? Don't even get me started on how broken the categories were.

I do have to say that I'm in total agreement with Stevie Wonder about how music games need to be accessible to everyone, then again by the time that happens noone will be playing music games anymore.

meh on all fronts.