The final edition of Downloathable Content in the year 2012 focuses on that horrifying annual tradition of the Spike TV Video Game Awards. Be warned, this is a 3+ hour Podcast. Make sure you have a lot of dull office work to do before listening.

LINKS

• Check out Leanne’s podcast 8-Bits and Pieces.
• Opening and closing music performed by Random Encounter.
• First intermission performed by Arm Cannon
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THOUGHTS

Oddly enough I think the Spike VGA’s are starting to fulfill a bit of a purpose. While this is hardly the realm of true critical reception and acknowledgment, and in fact seems much more to be a celebration of Samuel L. Jackson being a pop culture icon, the different categories managed to generate a lot of discussion on how we define genre and how we measure those games in terms of accomplishment. Do you judge a best original score by how memorable the tunes are or how fitting an emotional reaction they create? Do you measure the Best Adaptation on how true to the spirit of its source material it is or how fun a game it is? Just what is an Action Adventure game, anyway?

This is an important spot to sit and ponder what we should do for a video game awards celebration. Measuring games based on best visuals and writing rather than graphics and music. Maybe next year the group will brainstorm more fitting categories instead of poking at and tearing apart Spike’s.