The Spike TV 2012 Video Game Awards (VGAs) are tonight. After a less-than-stellar show last year, Samuel L. Jackson is back to host. I'm sure there's going to be quite a few changes, and then I'm sure there's still going to be some of the same acts that continue to support an immature stereotype of gamers. So here's what I want to see from the 2012 VGAs…
Don't constantly mention that it's the 10th VGAs
It's a milestone. We get it. It's been all over Spike TV's advertising. VGA TEN marks the 10th annual Video Game Awards show. It's great, it really is. So mention it a couple of times at the beginning of the show, have Samuel L. Jackson say a few things about it in his monologue, and just continue on with the show. It's going to get really annoying if every time we have someone present a category, they mention that it's the tenth VGA. The stage will have VGA 10 everywhere, but don't remind us of it every five seconds, bragging like a kid that just ganked you in League of Legends and won't stop bragging about it in /ALL Chat.
Please, for the love of God, no teabagging
Maybe this was for the 13-year-olds, but I and everyone I know cringed when they had that teabagging part in last year's VGAs. First of all, while it's video games, it's still an award show where people in the industry should be recognized for their achievements. We should have fun with it, because video games are meant to be fun, but teabagging is immature and low-brow humor. Teabagging jokes are just immature and reinforce stereotypes that gamers are trying to get away from.
World Premieres that give us goose bumps
Outside of E3, this is the best time to have a world premiere of a game. This year, the world premieres are going to be Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, Gears of War: Judgment, The Last of Us, and BioShock Infinite. While I'm excited to see something from all of these games, my guess is that there will be a surprise premiere that no one expects. And that'll be the premiere that gives us goose bumps.
Let Samuel L. Jackson be himself
I actually don't think we need to worry about this one too much, because Samuel L. Jackson is going to do whatever he feels like doing. He'll have his one-liners in there — his quotable moments — he'll make people laugh, and he'll come off as the awesome entertainer that he is. Now, I like Zachary Levi. I believe he is talented and that he really does love video games. That being said, last year's show wasn't good. The blame shouldn't all fall on Levi, but we're about to see the difference in what a host like Jackson offers. He's had it with these motherf**kin' amateurs hosting these motherf**kin' awards shows.
Solid release dates for the games they show
I don't know about you, but I'm still waiting to hear when The Last of Us will be released. Naughty Dog will have our complete and utter attention, so at the end of their little trailer/gameplay video — or whatever it is they're going to show — I want to see a release date at the end before it fades to black. Imagine the crowd reaction to that.
No more augmented reality
Been there, done that. It's really not as entertaining as the VGA's producers think it is. Time to say good bye to that and do something different.
Have a Conan O'Brien "Clueless Gamer" review
I never don't laugh at one of Conan's "Clueless Gamer" reviews. The guy is so funny and knows absolutely nothing about video games. It just seems like his reviews keep getting funnier and funnier. If they have him on the show, it could very well be the funniest part of the night.
If you're going to have Felicia Day, utilize her talents the right way
Last year, Felicia Day and Brooklyn Decker went bobbing for cupcakes. That is an actual thing that happened. I remember saying, "what the f**k am I watching?" It wasn't funny and just came off as awkward television. Now, I love me some Felicia Day, so this time around, if you're going to have her, do something worthwhile with her. And as attractive as I find Brooklyn Decker, let's get celebrities on the show that love and know things about gaming. Mila Kunis comes to mind. As a matter of fact..
If you're going to have a celebrity make an appearance, it better be Mila Kunis
Because I like her.
Let's hope that this is the best VGAs yet. If not, I'm sure I'll have something interesting to right tomorrow.
You can follow Movies and Culture Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He likes talking sports, video games, and the stupidity of celebrities. Email at [email protected]
