The council has spoken: 2013 VGX nominees announced
The VGA’s are dead. Long live VGX. Spike TV’s recently renamed video game awards show / marketing bonanza has unveiled the nominees for this year’s show. It’s your typical mix of triple A blockbusters and indie darlings, with some surprises thrown in for good measure. Read on, and check out the full list for yourself.
If you’re unfamiliar with how VGX (formally VGA’s) work, here’s a crash course. A council of video game industry elders gather once a year in Geoff Keighley’s fortress high in the Austrian Alps to decide the nominees in each category. They then pass their power onto us, the fans, and we get to vote for the winners. This year’s list of nominees, carried down from the mountaintop retreat in the talons of a mighty eagle, was delivered earlier today to the residents of a small village which rests at the base of the mountain. The villagers then posted the list online. Check it out below.
Game of the Year
- BioShock Infinite
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- Super Mario 3D World
- The Last of Us
- Tomb Raider
Studio of the year
- Irrational Games
- Naughty Dog
- Rockstar North
- The Fullbright Company
Most Anticipated Game
- Destiny
- Titanfall
- South Park: The Stick of Truth
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Watch Dogs
Best Xbox Game
- BioShock Infinite
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- Tomb Raider
Best Playstation Game
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- Rayman Legends
- The Last of Us
- Tomb Raider
Best Nintendo Game
- Pikmin 3
- Rayman Legends
- Super Mario 3D World
- The Wonderful 101
Best PC Game
- Battlefield 4
- Gone Home
- Papers, Please
- The Stanley Parable
Best Handheld Game
- Animal Crossing: New Leaf
- Pokemon X/Y
- Tearaway
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Best Independent Game
- Gone Home
- Kentucky Route Zero
- Papers, Please
- The Stanley Parable
Best Casual Game
- Animal Crossing: New Leaf
- Disney Infinity
- Plants vs. Zombies 2
- Skylanders Swap Force
Best Shooter
- Battlefield 4
- BioShock Infinite
- Call of Duty: Ghosts
- Metro: Last Light
Best Action Adventure Game
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- The Last of Us
- Tomb Raider
Best RPG
- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
- Fire Emblem: Awakening
- Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
- Pokemon X/Y
Best Sports Game
- FIFA 14
- MLB 13: The Show
- NBA 2K14
- NHL 14
Best Driving Game
- F1 2013
- Grid 2
- Forza Motorsport 5
- Need for Speed Rivals
Best Fighting Game
- Divekick
- Injustice: Gods Among Us
- Killer Instinct
- Tekken Revolution
Best DLC
- Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep
- Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall
- Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
- Mast Effect 3: Citadel
Best Voice Actress
- Ashley Johnson (as Ellie in The Last of Us)
- Courtnee Draper (as Elizabeth in BioShock Infinite)
- Camilla Luddington (as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider)
- Ellen Page (as Jodie Holmes in Beyond: Two Souls)
Best Voice Actor
- Troy Baker (as Joel in The Last of Us)
- Troy Baker (as Booker DeWitt in BioShock Infinite)
- Steven Ogg (as Trevor Philips in Grand Theft Auto 5)
- Willem Dafoe (as Nathan Dawkins in Beyond: Two Souls)
Best Soundtrack
- BioShock Infinite
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
- The Last of Us
Best Song in a Game
- “A.D.H.D.” performed by Kendrick Lamar (Grand Theft Auto 5)
- “Sleepwalking” performed by The Chain Gang of 1974 (Grand Theft Auto 5)
- “Survival” performed by Eminem (Call of Duty: Ghosts)
- “Will the Circle be Unbroken” performed by Courtnee Draper & Troy Baker (BioShock Infinite)
The name isn’t all that’s changed about the VGA’s. Instead of being broadcast on television, VGX will be streamed online across a wide variety of services including Xbox Live, PSN, Twitch, iOS, Android, Yahoo, Spike.com, Gametrailers.com, MTV.com, MTV2.com, and for some reason ComedyCentral.com and BET.com. The stream will run for three hours, starting at 6:00pm ET on December 7th. Spike TV will then air highlights of the show at midnight, December 9th. Fans can start voting now on the official VGX website
