Spike celebrates games people play

Kirk Baird

Friday, Nov. 28, 2003 | 8:34 a.m.

First movies.

Then TV and music.

Even music videos got in on the act.

Now video games are getting the award-show treatment with the Spike network's Video Game Awards (VGAs).

The show, hosted by comedian David Spade, will tape live at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and the tape-delayed broadcast will air at 9 p.m. Thursday on Spike TV (Cox cable channel 29).

A Spike TV executive insisted the VGAs will be different than any other awards celebration. "I spent most of my summer talking about about the video game awards show to focus groups," said Scott Fishman, vice president of Spike TV and producer of the VGAs. "Guys said they want entertainment, comedy, music and a cool host."

That became his approach in developing what he called the "un-award show," including a high-tech, futuristic set billed as "part next-century Tokyo ... part 'Minority Report.'"

"There's no podium, no speeches and no clips. It's about the celebration of winners, expressed in ways done through a new entertainment medium," Fishman said. "I think it will make for an entertaining two-hour program."

Among the celebrities scheduled to appear: Pamela Anderson, L'il Kim, Ray Liotta, Orlando Jones, Steve-O (from MTV's "Jackass") Tony Hawk, porn star Jenna Jameson and 100 official "Star Wars" Stormtroopers.

Musical performers include DMX, P.O.D. and Bubba Sparxxx.

Fishman said the VGAs developed as a way to reach the network's male-targeted audience.

"It was one of the first things we announced when we said we were going to be a channel for men," he said. "There's not a video game awards show on board for anyone. We saw that playing video games is something our male-demographic audience loves to do. So, why not celebrate the video game industry?"

The VGA features 16 separate award categories.

Among them:

"Game of the Year"

"Best Sports Game"

"Best Action Game"

"Best Animation"

"Best Game Based on Movie"

"Best Performance by a Human"

"Most Anticipated"

"Most Addictive"

"Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" by Rockstar Games received the most nominations with four, including "Game of the Year"; "Madden NFL 2004" and "Def Jam Vendetta" by Electronic Arts received three nominations apiece.

"We spent a lot of time thinking about categories broad enough ... we reached out to industry people," Fishman said. "We made the best decisions we could that would highlight the best of the categories ... all those things that we would want to recognize."

The winners will ultimately be decided by video game experts, Spike TV's editorial board and public opinion via online voting at the network's website, spiketv.com.