Geoff Keighley Launching New Game Awards Show

If this were any other person, I'd be groaning in annoyance, but I've always gotten the impression Keighley's heart is in the right place and he's just a dude trying to do cool video game shit. Obviously, the shit doesn't always work out (e.g. Joe McHale and dorito/mountain dew memes), but still...

Anywho, I hope the event turns out good. Video games don't necessarily need a big awards show, but if done right, I would certainly welcome it with open arms.

Yeah I agree with this sentiment. Cool video game announcements are cool. Believe in the Keighley!

Like the Academy Awards it has a generic name so we need to give the physical award itself a fun colloquial name. How about the Keighster?

I will definitely watch the Giant Bomb crew watch this.

Come on Skyrim 2!

I look forward to much awkward banter between rap stars and super models as they introduce games like No Man's Sky and Persona 5 without knowing anything about any game made after 1993.

I don't even follow the giant bomb GOTY awards outside of knowing they happen and seeing the buzz come and go. I like seeing the excitement around here but that's about it. No grief intended at our pal Geoff, these type of functions just aren't my cup of tea. Certainly wish him and all involved success in this venture though.

Is this the thing Danny O'Dwyer went off to deal with in the first hour of Gamespot's Extra Life marathon?

And Kojima is going to be there! That means release date for sure this time. Right?! RIGHT?!

As much as I love Joel McHale for Community, he was the one that made it a train wreck last year. Being rude and judgy isn't fun when you're doing it to real people.

@galacticpunt said:

Which games will the Dewritos Pope canonize this year????

Literally the first result of a search for "Gregorian chant translation":

"Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One."

This was basically what Jeff was saying when they discussed the VGX's last time around; give Geoff Keighley the reins and he'll do what's right. The tone of the article is a bit dismissive but I'll hold off on judgment until after. As for the marketing tie-ins, maybe it doesn't matter that these aren't the Oscars with fancy tuxedos and old farts voting on tried-and-true formulas. I'll gladly watch a bunch of announcement trailers alongside meaningful awards awarded by devs for devs.

I'm willing to sit back and see what happens.

I think...well it crazy...but it might be interesting is to have The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. The two organizations have jointly administered the Tonys since 1967 to take gaming under it wing. I don't mean right away or right or fully, but I think 'theater' should start thinking in this way. In the next decade or so they need to start planning how games might fit under their umbrella. And, not just looking at it that way, but also going to the game development/publishing community to make ties.

Think about it, games are not literature, they are not painting, they are not movies either. But video games are a little like interactive theater productions....directors, producers, actors, technical people, stage designers, etc. Theater is somewhat interactive too, but games are more so...like theater in the round.

...and the Tony goes to.....Uncharted 10!

Seems like he truly wants to make an award show that ends up not being a joke...

@humanity: You saying Fallout 4 has to be Infinity Engine or something?

I'm not against the idea of an awards show in principle, they just always seem to bastardize the medium they're supposed to celebrate. With video games especially, they structure these shows to appeal to a marketing executive's idea of a "video gamer" (even writing that quotation makes me hate everything). So you end up with guys acting extra....I don't even know... like a mountain-dew fueled 3 hour pantomime of reddit memes from 3 years ago. It just ends up embarrassing everyone involved.

It's why I enjoy this site so much. I love the GOTY discussion in all it's arbitrary glory. It's a discussion that never really ends or begins, just one that surges and lulls when fall turns to winter. I love how there are no set categories, but that they manifest themselves for the discussions the crew wants to have. It leaves you with a pure discussion of a medium we all love, with a really awesome interaction of unique opinions from people we KNOW care about this stuff, and isn't this ownerless dog and pony show horseshit sponsored by Doritos and half a dozen other entities that could not give less of a damn about video games. Here's four 15-second clips, then we'll tell you that this year's "Best Game by Toyota" is GTA 5. Cut to commercial. Return to some horrendous performance. Repeat.

But hey, maybe he gets it too...

im fine with this as long as Bethesda announces fucking fallout 4. you know the same way they announced skyrim

If they dredge up Joel McHale from whatever slimy cave he lives in to host this thing again (yes, I know it's technically a different entity from the VGA/Xs), I'm not even sure a Fallout 4 trailer (WHICH TOTALLY MIGHT BE A THING THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE OF THIS TWEET NO I'M NOT DESPERATE AND CLINGING ON TO ANY POSSIBLE SHRED OF HOPE WHY DO YOU ASK) would salvage this fucking thing.

I always read "Geoff Keighley" as "Keira Knightley" for some odd reason.

Ever notice how the Oscars and the Emmys are really popular events? Ever notice how they DON'T revolve around trailer hype hype hype? Please learn from that.

Maybe split it up into two parts. First hour is awards (the year that was), second hour is 2015 announcements and trailers (the year to come).

Geoff knows what he's doing. Put him in charge and everything will be fine. I'm glad they left Spike TV silliness in favor of online streaming platforms. Video games people, don't let your cynical cold hearts destroy the wonder and majesty! haha.

Game awards are kind of a weird thing to me. I'd rather see the people behind the games get the awards- not the games.

As long as Fallout 4 is announced I'll be happy

Well maybe Geoff Keighley will have more control over the show's content now that it isn't broadcast on cable TV anymore. I've been reading his Final Hours series since Gamespot so I know he can create awesome content

now with more bootlicking, no feelings hurting "fun jabs", and a dress code

The sheer horrific spectacle of the VG[A/X] were really the only thing that made them worth watching. I'd hate for that to stop being the case, because awards shows are otherwise useless self-congratulatory dreck. I can't even imagine a video games awards show without the condescending attitudes, terribly-written jokes, and so on. Surely not one I want to watch, at least.

I'M ON BOARD WITH THIS

Edit: As long as there's going to be a limited Halo MCC themed edition.

AND THE AWARD FOR BEST CHEESE-FLAVORED, TRIANGLE SNACK GOES TO...

That's actually a pretty good idea. Geoff is ok.

Cautiously optimistic, maybe now that Spike has nothing to do with it, it can really get onto the right track, whenever something good actually happened during the last VGA's (the live performance of Red Deads theme for instance) I had always had a feeling, or at least hoped, that it was Geoffs doing that something actually worked for once, like he managed to fight a good idea past the shit producers or whoever was silently running the show in the back. Maybe now that it is his own thing it'll be done right, time will tell, looking forward to it either way.

I never really disliked the show. I watched it because it was sort of fun to have some awards show that was for games, even if it was a bit contrived. But if you look at all the 2000 different music and movie awards on TV, they are all pretty contrived, too, except for the Grammys and Academy Awards. Plus, I always got hyped knowing there would be some big game announcement.

An industry that is trying to mature doesn't need this kind of award show; it's tacky and undermines the growth that's been made in recent years.

I bet he wanted to call it "No Joel McHale allowed show"

Finally. Game awards. Definitely need some of those.

Maybe he didn't like the way the VGAs were being handled with that shit show last year. I mean, I like his co-moderator in Community, but he came off like a real douche who didn't know shit about gaming. And I know that didn't have to happen if they just picked the right person. Like Aisha Tyler, or Seth Green or Yuri Lowenthal. Someone who's really into gaming but more known as a TV celebrity, someone who straddles the line, or a guy that's actually from the industry who's good at talking and real pretty as well. And that's just three random names of the top of my head. Tim Schafer was a great MC in the past, as well.

Edit: Haha, brainfart. I was thinking of Troy Baker when I wrote Yuri Lowenthal. He was Yuri Lowell's voice in Tales of Vesperia. But either one fits. :P

@galacticpunt said:

Which games will the Dewritos Pope canonize this year????

LOL. thanks for the new desktop background.

seriously though, good luck to mr keighley. im sure he'll get it right one of these days.

^^

Hopefully if it is more in Geoff's control it won't be the shameful experience for the community that was the VGA last year. The guy clearly works hard, so if this can really be his baby I'm sure he can line up a show that is both positive and entertaining.

At this point who cares???

I for one enjoyed the Spike TV awards from a few years back. They were at least enjoyable to watch, despite the cheesiness. Then Angry Joe started his bitching, they changed the formula, and the Spike TV awards lost the spectacle, the budget and the great reveal trailers.

Last award show was weak. The whole premise is pointless.

Last year's show was absolutely terrible, it can only get better from here. I dont mind a bit of nonense and fake award giving but at least try to be interesting this time and now let your hosts arrive drunk on set?

Really tired of the industry thinking up ways to throw swanky parties and pat itself on the back.

@jarno said:

To be fair, they are popular events because they revolve around movie stars hype hype hype, and hours long fashion parades. Seriously, look at any of those shows, and notice how the cameras focus more in reaction shots than the actual awards...

The closest equivalent in videogames would be to make it revolve around designers and developers, and (sadly) that doesn't sell tickets. That is the reason why the Academy's Sci-Tech Awards are NOT really popular events.

Well Keighley was at the Baftas this year, I'm sure he's got a good idea of how to make a better awards show.