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Spike TV Video Game Awards Air Live on December 14

And the nominees are...

By Jeff Gerstmann  |  Nov. 17, 2008

You're invited to tune in on your televisions!
You're invited to tune in on your televisions!
Spike TV has announced the nominees for its fifth annual Video Game Awards. The awards show will be airing live this year, which is probably a great improvement over the previous shows, which were pre-taped, so the winners were always given out earlier than the broadcast.

This is my second year as a judge for the awards. Actually, it might be my third. Dude, it's kind of a blur. Anyway, being a judge entails selecting nominees, then voting on those nominees to select a winner. The nominees are listed below. You can find out the winners at the same time I do, when the show broadcasts on Spike on December 14th.

This year, the judges didn't vote on the sponsored "Fueled By Dew" category for best independent game. If we did, I'd be totally torn between Braid and Audiosurf. Nothing says independence quite like Mountain Dew, I say.

And now, the fat list of nominees. Who do you think got robbed? And who do you think will win?

Game of the Year
  • Gears of War 2
  • Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
  • Grand Theft Auto IV
  • LittleBigPlanet
  • Fallout 3

Studio of the Year
  • Media Molecule
  • Rockstar North
  • Harmonix
  • Bethesda Game Studios

Best Shooter
  • Far Cry 2
  • Resistance 2
  • Gears of War 2
  • Left 4 Dead

Best RPG
  • Fable II
  • Fallout 3
  • Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
  • The World Ends With You

Best Fighting Game
  • Soul Calibur IV
  • Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
  • Super Smash Bros. Brawl
  • Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit

Best Individual Sports Game
  • Shaun White Snowboarding
  • Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
  • Wii Fit
  • Skate It

Best Handheld Game
  • God of War: Chains of Olympus
  • Professor Layton and the Curious Village
  • Patapon
  • Castlevania Order of Eccelsia

Best Graphics
  • Gears of War 2
  • Fallout 3
  • LittleBigPlanet
  • Metal Gear Solid 4

Best Game Based on a Movie or a TV Show
  • Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
  • Quantum of Solace
  • Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
  • Naruto: The Broken Bond

Best Music Game
  • Rock Band 2
  • Guitar Hero: World Tour
  • Wii Music
  • SingStar

Best Driving Game
  • Burnout Paradise
  • Pure
  • Midnight Club: Los Angeles
  • Mario Kart Wii

Best Action Adventure Game
  • Grand Theft Auto IV
  • Dead Space
  • Mirror’s Edge
  • Metal Gear Solid 4

Best Team Sports Game
  • NHL 09
  • Madden NFL 09
  • NBA 2K9
  • FIFA Soccer 09

Best Soundtrack
  • LittleBigPlanet
  • Grand Theft Auto IV
  • Rock Band 2
  • Guitar Hero World Tour

Best Xbox 360 Game
  • Fable II
  • Gears of War 2
  • Grand Theft Auto IV
  • Fallout 3

Best Wii Game
  • Super Smash Bros. Brawl
  • Boom Blox
  • Wii Fit
  • No More Heroes

Best PS3 Game
  • Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
  • Resistance 2
  • LittleBigPlanet
  • Grand Theft Auto IV

Best PC Game
  • Spore
  • Crysis Warhead
  • Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
  • Left 4 Dead

Best Original Score
  • Fallout 3
  • Spore
  • Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
  • LittleBigPlanet

Best Multiplayer Game
  • Gears of War 2
  • Left 4 Dead
  • Resistance 2
  • Call of Duty: World at War

Big Name In The Game (Male)
  • Michael Hollick (Niko Bellic, Grand Theft Auto IV)
  • David Hayter (Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid 4)
  • Stephen Fry (Narrator, LittleBigPlanet) 
  • Jason Zumwalt (Roman Bellic, Grand Theft Auto IV)

Big Name In The Game (Female)
  • Nathalie Cox (Juno Eclipse, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed)
  • Debi Mae West (Meryl Silverburgh, Metal Gear Solid 4)
  • Paula Tiso (Silvia Christel, No More Heroes)
  • Keeley Hawes (Lara Croft, Tomb Raider: Underworld)

Best Independent Game (Fueled By Dew)
  • World of Goo
  • PixelJunk Eden
  • Braid
  • Audiosurf
40 Comments
DanceDanceKennypantson Nov. 17, 2008 at 5:42 p.m.
I think, given the way games are going, we are all winners.
If someone had shown the ten year old me Metal Gear Solid 4, I'd have peed myself.

That's no help at all. Sorry.
GUnitVer1on Nov. 17, 2008 at 5:44 p.m.
I'm actually looking forward for the exclusive game reveals like Fight Night Round 4 (hopefully they deliver). I'm pretty sure the show will be the same as last year. Some games will deserve wiil win and some will robbed along with watching crappy bands perform.
archsoldier1on Nov. 17, 2008 at 5:45 p.m.
Hard to pick the winners...
MrMuiseon Nov. 17, 2008 at 5:53 p.m.
We're all winners! Except world of goo, which is 90% loser.
Pibo47on Nov. 17, 2008 at 5:53 p.m.
I have my winners picked. Me and a few buddies are betting on it. ALways fun with a few bets.
FallopianTubeon Nov. 17, 2008 at 5:55 p.m.

Dude metal gear vs gears for graphics. thats a tough one

trecipticonon Nov. 17, 2008 at 5:56 p.m.
Best Music Game
  • Rock Band 2
  • Guitar Hero: World Tour
  • Wii Music
  • SingStar

There is no point in even putting Wii music or SingStar here. You know they're not going to win over Rock Band/Guitar Hero
Just filler.

RHCPfan24on Nov. 17, 2008 at 5:58 p.m.
Actually that is a pretty solid list.  Reminds me how great this year has been. 
I wish Braid could have fit in more categories though.  Why isn't there a best downloadable game category?
Kiroon Nov. 17, 2008 at 6 p.m.
I'll seriously cry if Wii Music takes "best music game". I bet they put it in there just to fill up the spots
MKO619on Nov. 17, 2008 at 6:01 p.m.
its obvious that Mario Kart Wii and Smash Bros are going to win, what a shame. Seriously If Burnout or MK doesnt win then the comitee will be the equivilant to crap. It seems a little weird that the sports game catogorie is almost all EA games.
trav3leron Nov. 17, 2008 at 6:02 p.m.
These lists... suck.  Castle Crashers is not on the indie game list.  Not to mention that MGS4 shouldn't be up for GOTY, it swooped a spot that by all rights should have been either Left 4 Dead's or SSBB's.
Also, the best game based on a movie category is an absolute joke, Gears 2 should have gotten the nod for best soundtrack AND original score over LBP, and the fact that the guy who does Cole isn't in the best Male voice category makes me cry.

Congrats, Spike TV, for showing once again you know shit about video games.
Death_Burnouton Nov. 17, 2008 at 6:10 p.m.
As much as i like Michael Hollick i totally want Stephen Fry to win that Big Name In The Game award...theres no way he will but God dammit he should, he was in Fable II also! legend!

Ok im done.
unangbangkayon Nov. 17, 2008 at 6:12 p.m.
Nice of them to consider games that aren't out yet or have only been for a couple of weeks (to the consumer, at least). Also, where's Valkyria Chronicles in that Best Graphics list? We're going to need a spot of color in all that grey and brown.
jakob187on Nov. 17, 2008 at 6:12 p.m.
I can already list the winners based solely on the fact that these retarded-every-year awards are airing on Spike still:
Grand Theft Auto IV
Rockstar North
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Fable II
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero
Grand Theft Auto IV

with the announcement trailer being shown for 

Grand Theft Guitar Hero V: Albion's Revenge
dsplayer1010on Nov. 17, 2008 at 6:13 p.m.
Good list of nominees.
Phished0neon Nov. 17, 2008 at 6:15 p.m.
If David Hayter dosent win i will RAAAAAGGGGEEE!
keyhunteron Nov. 17, 2008 at 6:31 p.m.
I'm pretty sure Gears 2 should be in the best original score category.
Demilichon Nov. 17, 2008 at 6:54 p.m.
Why isn't L4D a GOTY nominee dammit.
Kaneon Nov. 17, 2008 at 6:56 p.m.
Destroyeronon Nov. 17, 2008 at 7:04 p.m.
Just make sure Spore doesn't win anything.
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