The Fantastic Four franchise never really got up and running, mainly because it was just not well received among fans [Ed. Note – That’s an understatement]. So the decision to reboot the product came as no surprise to anyone. Now this reboot has an official release date, but do not get excited quite yet as it is a while.
ERC Box Office have it down as March 6th 2015, a year that will put it in competition with the likes of Avengers 2, Justice League, and the final installment of The Hobbit (probably). I do not know if I would take this news as real either, because it is far enough away that it could get set back if problems arise. This release date also means that there is going to be a lot of time before we find any juicy news about the movie. The positive of this is that because of the luke warm response of the first two movies and the eight year gap there will be before we see another one, it seems the right time for the fab four to fly back into action. As good as I felt Amazing Spider-Man was, Sam Raimi’s version was still fresh in people’s heads when it came out this year.
We already know that Chronicle director Josh Trank is on board and newbie Jeremy Slater is on hand with the writing. This information came out during Comic-Con, so the project is slowly coming together, which is probably a good thing. Trank has a superb eye and his visuals are stunning, as well as him having a good grasp on character interaction. So here is hoping that this translates over to the reboot as the original suffered greatly from miscasting and no real chemistry between the cast (aside from Michael Chiklis as The Thing, he was fantastic). So now us fans have to play the waiting game. Will this keep fans excited about the franchise or will the long wait make them forget about it and move on to the next big super hero flick? Only time will tell, but I do not mind waiting for a bit to see how it all pans out.
What if a serial killer escaped from prison and it is discovered that he had amassed quite a following of fellow serial killers and others while incarcerated and those people are now willing to help him evade the authorities trying to capture him once again? Well then we’d have the show premiering on January 21st, on Fox, called The Following.
Kevin Bacon stars as Ryan Hardy, a former FBI agent who was instrumental in the search and eventual capture a serial killer named Joe Carroll played by James Purefoy. Since the capture, Hardy has stepped out of the spotlight and is living his own life with the mental and physical scars left by the hunt for Carroll. Put in prison for murdering 14 co-eds who attended the Virginia college at which he taught literature, Carroll has spent his time in prison reaching out to and connecting with his fellow serial killers. They form a network that not only puts into motion his escape from prison, but also aide him in finishing what he started years earlier.
The story picks up with Carroll’s escape and the FBI reaching out to Hardy in hopes that his intimate knowledge of the killer will help them track him down again. Hardy is no longer the top dog which takes some getting used to by not only him but by the team now working the case, including a “young, razor-sharp” Mike Weston who idolizes Hardy, and the investigation lead, Specialist Debra Parker who along with everyone else (minus Weston) isn’t too keen on Hardy being around, seeing him as more of a hindrance than a help.
The ensuing investigation leads Hardy and the team back to Carroll’s ex-wife and young son. It appears as if not all was kosher in the “investigator/wife of serial killer” relationship in the past
Well don’t let me tell you all about it, check out the trailer-
REMOVED BY YOUTUBE
Looks rather promising. I’ll admit that I’d hoped this one was on cable, but Fox has had success in the past with good crime(ish) dramas before- 24, Prison Break,New York Undercover– so perhaps my concern will be for naught.
This is Kevin Bacon’s first serialized TV stint (not counting guest spots) since he appeared on Guiding Light way back in 1980. I, for one, hope this doesn’t turn into a movie actor vs. TV actor thing when people start talking about the show. Just because someone who has predominantly worked in film decides to tackle a television project does not mean they’ve given up on life and spend their downtime wearing sweatpants and eating cheese puffs.
James Purefoy (who had a Bacon score of 2 before this show) on the other hand, has gone the TV route more recently with the short-lived but still really good, The Philanthropist. He also played Marc Anthony in the incredible BBC/HBO series, Rome.
In addition to two great actors, The Following is created and written by a man who is no stranger to TV hits. Even though he has had some shows that sucked, Hidden Palms being a good example, Kevin Williamson has been the creative force behind two shows that are undeniably TV classics. Okay, so The Vampire Diaries might be just more popular than classic right now, but there is no one that can deny that Dawson’s Creek is a television benchmark for an entire generation. If you are a member of that generation and want to have a nostalgic, if not tear-jerking moment (I cried. Pathetic, I know.), check out James Van Der Beek’s letter to Dawson Leery.
As for Williamson’s latest outing, I’m hoping that The Following has the ratings that lead to a longer run because I’m interested in seeing how he and the writing staff tell this cat and mouse story.
If you can’t wait and just need more footage of Bacon and Purefoy playing that game, I am more than happy to oblige.
A bit more of an in-depth look at the upcoming show:
James Purefoy and Kevin Bacon talk to The Hollywood Reporter at Comic-Con:
The Following will premiere on Fox, on January 21st at 9 Eastern/8 Central.
[Ed. Note – Also, Natalie Zea left Justified for this, so it better not suck…]
Between Jack Reacher and Oblivion, it looks like it’s quickly becoming a pattern that Tom Cruise shall from now on only play characters named Jack. It’s actually another Sci-Fi outing from Tom Cruise, who likes to star in a science fiction movie every couple of years, probably because he’s living one, but I digress from that easy joke. Despite being a huge fan of Sci-Fi, I found myself guessing as to what this movie was an adaptation or remake of, and upon viewing the trailer found myself surprised that it seemed to be an original story! Generic as hell, but still, original! Well my hopes were dashed after researching the movie a bit further, as it IS an adaptation. It’s apparently adapted from an eponymous graphic novel by Joseph Kosinki. If you’ve never heard that name before, don’t worry because neither have I, although you might be familiar with his work. He did that relatively famous Gears Of War video game commercial, set to “Mad World” by Gary Jules. Oh, he also did Tron: Legacy, which I haven’t seen but I’ve heard was good.
The trailer for Oblivion however, looks… Well here, take a look for yourself:
Here’s where I have to emphasize just what a huge fan of Sci-Fi I am, so you don’t misunderstand me when I say this looks like the most derivative, unoriginal, and ultimately boring Sci-Fi film to come along in recent years. I kept watching it and waiting for it to bring in an interesting hook or storyline that would make me excited to actually see the film, and it kinda-sorta got close with the brief allusions to lost memories or whatever near the end there. I’m guessing that Earth isn’t as wiped out as the Evil Totalitarian Government wants poor Jack to think, and there’s a pocket of survivors/resistance on Earth, who are hellbent on rebelling against the Evil Totalitarian Government. They have a cause to expose whatever dark secret they’re hiding, and meanwhile they’re being led by Morgan Freeman and some kind of Darth Vader creature.
Seriously, at 1:53 on the trailer friggin’ Darth Vader outta NOWHERE.
Overall I’m very underwhelmed by the movie, and find myself disappointed that the whole thing wasn’t some super secret adaptation of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion instead. This just looks… disappointing.
The Jeremy Renner episode of SNL was a very long three weeks ago and usually when there is a longer break, the show’s writers, who were recently nominated for a Writers Guild Award, come back with a renewed vigor that makes for a great show. Last night with Jamie Foxx was no different.
It started off strong with the cold open. Jay Pharoah’s Pres. Obama impression is on fire. At the beginning of the season I was a little nervous but seriously, it has just gotten better each and every time he’s come out. That combined with Bill Hader’s picked on John Boehner, was hysterical. Poor John Boehner, his milk is thrown in the trash and they held him down and took his pants.
I have to say, Jamie Foxx if the most comfortable I’ve seen anyone while doing the monologue this season. Even Louis C.K. seemed a little out of his element even though the monologue that week was stand-up, exactly his element. I imagine it is partly in thanks to Foxx’s time spent on the timeless classic, In Living Color, but he looked right at home. I cringed just a bit when he sat down at the piano because seriously this has been the season of the musical monologues, but this is Jamie Foxx! He can certainly sing, this we know. And I’ll admit, his cheekbones did seem more defined after he sang a little ditty.
If you are like me and had never heard “Birthday Song” and had no idea who the dude was that showed up at the end of the monologue… that was an artist named 2 Chainz. Learn something new everyday.
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen an episode in which there were two game show sketches. I’m not complaining by any means because I happen to be a fan of game show sketches, just thought it was odd. The first “Bitch, What’s the Answer?” was quite amusing in it’s simplicity. I think it’s the mark of a good episode that when the second worst sketch of the entire show is actually funny. Make no mistake though, this was a low point which makes one wonder- why on earth do you lead with the bottom of the barrel? So unusual.
I’m about to say something critical of Taran Killam. I hate saying critical things of Taran Killam.
This sketch has got to go. It’s third on my most hated list (right behind Fred Armisen as the disgusting talk show producer and The Californians) and it has just run it’s course. Jason Sudeikis is actually the funniest part of this one but even he can not save it. It was barely funny when they first did this sketch, it’s not even remotely funny anymore. Just put it out to pasture already. Please.
Alex Cross 2/Madea Special Ops
Again, a pre-taped piece is one of the better ones of the night.
I’m sort of surprised that it took them this long to write this bit. Maybe they knew Jamie Foxx was coming up so they shelved it until this week, who knows? What I do know is I loved it. When “Madea” was telling “Alex Cross” to look her in the eye and Jamie Foxx was going crosseyed, I damn near pissed myself I laughed so hard. The premise was equally ridiculous and genius all wrapped up in hysterical.
Ne-Yo can be described with these few words: Fly girls, WTF are those pants, perfect fedora, stage too small for that many dancers, “she is” sound like “shit”. The end.
Weekend Update was perfect this week. Perfect. Perfect picture of perfection. I take that back, there was one blemish in the near perfect complexion and that would be “Chicken Sandusky”. I wonder where it was written that SNL, and Seth Myers especially, is required to make the whole Jerry Sandusky thing funny. It seems as if they are trying really hard to find the joke and have been doing so all season. Give it up guys and gals, it isn’t working.
You know what is working? Jamie Foxx as a Ding Dong.
Between “snack profiling” and “snack brother from a different batter”, I was dying. Even my husband who is not much of an SNL type of comedy fan, found the “call me dong” line hysterical. I was also really impressed that even though it was obvious Jamie Foxx was moments away from losing it completely, he kept it together and was able to finish the bit without only a few little breaks. That’s tough, once you get the giggles it’s difficult to regain composure. At least I’ve never been able to do it.
Even though this episode had very little female presence, what little it did have was divine. Aidy Bryant is slowly but surely starting to get in more sketches which just makes my heart sing. Her Mrs. Claus was both brilliant and disturbing. I don’t know about anyone else, but the idea of Santa’s grooming situation downstairs is not something I want to think of at all. However when she mentioned Criss Angel: Mind Freak, I guffawed. Quite loudly. I don’t know who wrote her bit but good on them. It was so much fun.
Usually I’ll chuckle a time or two during the actual “news” parts of Weekend Update but there was twice this week that I was actually laughing. The first was the “Obama insults Israel” line about Fox News and the National Christmas Tree and the second was this: I don’t know if it was because it was just so unexpected and/or so ridiculous but damn was I tickled by this. It wouldn’t have mattered what that tweet said, the name “muffinbuster14” alone was enough to set me off. I’m still laughing about it today.
The “Tree Pimp” was somewhat entertaining but outside of Keenan Thompson humping a tree, it wasn’t all that great. Well the tree humping and then Fred Armisen making out with the tree in his car. Freaky.
There are sketches and parts of sketches that have worked their way from SNL into everyday lexicon. I imagine there are many people who would recognize John Belushi as the Samurai and Martin Short’s Ed Grimley. In more recent times, Turd Ferguson is pretty well known as is Chris Farley’s “van down by the river”. I think three of the last four (Tree Pimp being the fourth) sketches have potential of becoming that kind of catchphrase.
There were a lot of people (internet people) who were pissing and moaning that there was way too much “racial humor” in this episode. Well that’s just ridiculous. It was humor, plain, simple, and funny humor. Of course some of it had a racial tone to it but it’s no different than when people who are from other countries host the show, their culture is usually worked into different sketches. When it comes to “Dylan McDermott or Dermot Mulroney” the race component is only a small part of the joke. Yea yea, it’s funny that white people think all black people look the same and all black people think white people look the same but with this one? No one can tell these two apart! I can not tell you the number of times I’ve watched a movie or TV show that one of them has been in and wondered to myself, now who is this again?
If “Rupert Everett is the gay Dylan McDermott” was comedy gold then “Derbel McDillet” was platinum. I’m sure my neighbors thought we’d added a hyena to our animal collection because I was laughing like a mad woman. I’d almost go so far as to say that Derbel McDillet is funnier than Turd Ferguson. Derbel McDillet- that shit’s funny.
If ever there was a sketch that you could point at and say, “yes that was written by people conscious thanks solely to copious amounts of caffeine and nicotine”, this was it. “Maine Justice” worked only because it was so over the top and so asinine that it couldn’t be anything but hilarity. Even with how stupid this sketch was, it was enjoyable. Especially to watch Jason Sudeikis who seemed to genuinely have a good time as the Col. Sanders look-a-like judge. Sadly, I think it’s been awhile since he has enjoyed this job as much as he did in the past so it was nice to see that again. Of course there have been rumors flying around for over a year whether or not he would be leaving, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him announce he was done if not in the next weeks, in the next few months. He will be missed but hopefully he’ll go on to have a successful movie career, even perhaps team up with his Horrible Bosses and now “Maine Justice” co-star, Charlie Day.
The ‘stupidest, most ridiculous, how on earth did this make it on the show, yet funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time’ award goes to “Swavorski Crystals”. Give Vanessa Bayer and Cecily Strong credit for this sketch’s success because it was all in the timing. Anyone can make a joke about ex-porn stars shilling Swavorski Crystals but these two took that joke and made it their own. Although Cecily Strong forgetting her name and Vanessa Bayer losing her foot because it “broke off in a butt” were funny, I think we can all agree that “Anal” was the funniest thing uttered in that entire sketch, if not the entire show.
It is rare that SNL ends on such a strong sketch, but it was a refreshing change that is for sure.
Overall, very strong episode. I love this kind of episode where you could see the host easily being a cast member each week. I would not be opposed to seeing Jamie Foxx as an SNL regular. Actually I’m surprised he’s only hosted twice! That needs to be amended. Perhaps in another couple years we’ll see him back on the SNL stage. For now, I’m just going to go rewatch this episode and laugh at Derbel McDillet some more.
Next week is Martin Short and Paul McCartney which has the potential to be quite a good episode.
I am very well aware of the words that I am typing will garner attention amongst my countrymen and family as being blasphemous and outrageous but I think we cannot ignore the signs. He is a hero in the Philippines, the fighting Congressman of the Sarangani Province. He is the cultural icon that has wonderfully represented the motherland and he is the poster boy of graciousness and humility. But as a fan and admirer of the Pac-Man, I think it’s time to face the facts that are in front of us: Manny Pacquiao should retire and begin the next phase of his life as congressman and full-time ambassador.
AP Photo Credit to Julie Jacobson
The above image is only one of the reasons why I think Manny needs to reassess his boxing career. Despite being only 33 years old, Manny Pacquiao has already fought in 61 professional bouts. He has been fighting constantly for the better part of two decades and the last few years, the results are starting to show his age. He has become more showman and entertainer than boxer. His last few fights never really challenged him like Marquez always does. Joshua Clottey was buried in his defensive shell, Mosley never bothered to engage Manny, Bradley gave up on the fight halfway through (and won despite the sheer absurdity of the result), and Margarito’s face was rearranged by Pacquiao’s swift justice. All of them were carried in their fights by Manny because he wanted to deliver a “good fight”. I think Manny had gotten obsessed with the idea of entertainment and people getting their moneys worth. He could’ve easily taken them down earlier, like the Hatton bout, but felt compelled to give a good fight for the audience and the several million viewers watching pay-per-view. With Bradley, he had shown his complacency and whether you believe the outside vices or influences had taken its toll on him, I think he became more entertainer than boxer at the moment and let up in the final few rounds. After that controversial loss, he wanted to prove to the world that he was still the great Manny Pacquiao and preached his rededication to knock the snot out of Marquez to settle the argument on who was the better fighter in their rivalry. However, all it took was the overconfidence and his idea of just flipping a switch for him to walk into the right hand of Marquez.
Don’t get me wrong, Marquez won the fight fair and square with his intelligence and new found power and strategy. He knew Pacquiao was going to try for the kill after his face collected blood and welts from the vicious lefts Manny was dealing and used that aggressiveness to his advantage to put down Manny twice Saturday evening. Marquez is a brilliant counter-puncher and deserves every bit of recognition for his game plan to win this fight. I also feel that Manny does not have that same focus required to score wins in his boxing matches. Manny’s aggressiveness is both his biggest weapon and his biggest weakness. He’ll win the first half the bout as he racks up punches but he seems to get bored and obsessed with keeping the fight going and rests on his earlier body of work than finishing the job in the end. Maybe it’s just more than fighting style at this point. Yes, you can count on punches landing and hitting but age takes its toll on a man’s speed and power and they have been lacking recently for the pound-for-pound king. While he can still dish it out with some of the best in boxing, I doubt that he can keep this up any longer because let’s face it, he has nothing really to prove at this point. He did admit to his overconfidence after the fight but that does little to quell the critics in their assessment of his eroding skills and seemingly apathetic approach in the ring. Plus, forget about the super-fight with Floyd Mayweather. Floyd has ZERO reason to fight him and probably never will. Floyd would have nothing to gain from defeating someone on the downturn of their career. Yes, three years ago it would’ve been the fight of the century but now its only mention reeks of greed, ego and missed opportunities.
We also can’t forgot about the other job he carries: Congressman of the people of his province in the Philippines. He wants to do what is best for his fellow countrymen and knowing how deep the poverty runs in the Philippines and how corruption has dominated the Philippine political system, he has made his true passion his political career. It has taken over his boxing career and it’s good that he still goes back to the well on what he does best in the boxing ring but everyone around him knows that he does not want to be just a boxer anymore. His goals as Congressman include getting free education and healthcare to his constituents and he wants back up his words. That involves taking time away from the ring training and working towards his goals as a man of the people. Everyone knows that his heart is more into his country than boxing at the moment. Maybe this is the sign he needs to pursue his new passion in life and redefine why he is the champion to his fellow Filipinos.
Photo credit: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images
Manny Pacquiao has done wonders for the world of boxing and he will go down as the top pound-for-pound champion of the world. No one should deny him the glory of his legacy as he departs into the next phase of his life. Despite his recent losses, there is no reason to hang his head nor should he deliver any excuses because father time has caught up to him. I think a Manny Pacquiao that chases his dream of serving his agenda of a better Philippines will have more impact on himself and everyone that follows him than a fading sports star brimming with overconfidence and too much ego to walk away from the sport that made him who he was. Too many times we have seen boxers struggle and fail to walk away because it becomes their obsession to recapture their dominance in the past. That goes for any sports star for that matter because their biggest competition is always themselves. They fight their own physical and mental deterioration to where they just embarrass themselves because they could not let go of past glory and hang around too long. I want the Manny Pacquiao legacy to live on without any more blemishes because his heart is just not fully in it anymore and he needs to move on.
Do I want Manny to go away? Absolutely not. I enjoy watching him as a fighter and entertainer. I feel proud as a fellow Filipino to see him fight and watching him conquer the boxing world over the last decade added so much to my pride in my second home of the Philippines. However, you can tell his life has changed for a new purpose. He has rededicated himself to God and his faith and eliminated his old vices and bad habits of his life. His wife and family suffered during his career with him letting fame and his meteoric rise guide his way to bad decisions. He has moved past that and reconnected and found his new calling. When Manny Pacquiao does wave goodbye to the world of boxing, the world he has bled and gave all his energy to for the majority of his life, it will be a celebration and everyone won’t think less of him for it for walking away. When he takes off the gloves for the final time and steps into Congress and out into the streets of his province to work towards his new goal and affect change, he will know that boxing will not be the only label to his legacy. What defines him will be the love for his people and the new redefinition and evolution of his role: the true people’s champion.
Last year I watched the Video Game Awards for the first time ever and reacted pretty harshly to the show. To summarize the article, I found the 2011 VGA’s to be immature and pandering. Some of the most memorable moments of the awards perpetuated the worst stereotypes of an industry that is still plagued by issues of sexism and sexuality. And even disregarding that, recognizing the work of the medium’s most talented artists and writers took a back seat to celebrity shills cavorting about on stage.
I don’t think I have lofty expectations for these awards. I said in last year’s recap:
[box_light]”I understand that the show is a vehicle for game trailers and commercials. I don’t expect or want the grandeur and extravagance of the Oscars. All I want is for the producers to treat the fans, and more importantly the game creators, with respect and at least pretend to care about our medium.” [/box_light]
And this year the Video Game Awards did exactly that. The turnaround that Spike TV made between 2011 and 2012 is admirable. This year’s awards excised a lot of the superfluous nonsense, like the augmented reality stuff (Which I genuinely enjoyed, but admit in hindsight was a waste of use) and the weird Nickelodeon game show-style contests going on in the periphery. The 2012 VGA’s focused instead on the games, and while some of the sketches and performances fell flat, the entire night was without question a show for gamers, about games.
The awards opened with Eric Cartman beating Bilbo Baggins to death with a cane. Of course, this was a shameless tease for South Park: The Stick of Truth, but it was an entertaining introduction to the show (It’s also one of the more anticipated games of 2013) and succinctly opened the night. Samuel L. Jackson took the role of host this year and did a pretty good job with what he had. I’ve gained a lot of respect for award show hosts since hearing Louis CK explain how much of a nightmare these things can be, so I can’t even fault Jackson or his writers for the lackluster jokes. The running gag throughout the show was ‘Sam Jackson Mode’, a gameplay tweak that added Jackson into all types of games and had him use his iconic badassery and curse words to get results. It heralds back to those old MTV awards skits that superimposed celebrities into movies.
I thought this was pretty clever. Far more entertaining than any of the gimmicks from last year’s show, at least. These moments also served to highlight the different games nominated this year, which fall all over the spectrum in terms of genre, scope and play-style. Regardless of what can be said for the VGA’s in years past, they seem to always do a stellar job nominating games that deserve to be recognized. This year took that concept even further, almost to the realm of controversy, by including smaller, independent games in the Game of the Year category. It’s sparked a lot of debate over what constitutes a “Game of the Year” or even a video game for that matter, A challenging discussion, and one that merits a lot of thought. I’m at odds with myself on the matter. I think Journey is easily one of the most worthwhile experiences in gaming this year, but to compare it to something like Assassin’s Creed III, which nearly takes up all of Journey’s playtime before even introducing the protagonist. It’s hard to put them on equal footing. As I did last year, I’ll list the nominees, the winners and my picks below.
Before I do that though, let’s talk reveals. There were some startling trailers last night that caught a lot of people by surprise, and some that were expected but nonetheless welcomed with excitement. The VGA’s premiered new trailers for Tomb Raider, The Last of Us and Bioshock Infinite, which the community already knew about, but continue to look impressive. We were also treated to announcements for Dark Souls II, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 and, the steal of the show, a mysterious game called The Phantom Pain.
This trailer was announced with very little explanation, and it credits only a previously unknown team, Moby Dick Studio, for development. Now, there are pages and pages of speculation, theorizing and educated guesses pointing to the idea that this is either a new teaser for Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, Metal Gear Solid 5, or a similar Hideo Kojima game. I will err on the side of caution and say that this looks like a very interesting new IP, I look forward to hearing more about it, and that you should immediately go and read this NeoGAF page on the subject.
Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance were both noticeably absent from the awards, as was The Last Guardian once again, to my chagrin. GTA V was nowhere to be seen either, but I expected this with their newest trailer released so recently. Rockstar marches to the beat of its own drum, Video Game Awards be damned.
Alright, now for the nominees and winners. Like last year, winners will be in bold and I’ll mark my picks with an arrow (
[box_light]
Game of the Year:
The Walking Dead: The Game
Assassin’s Creed III (Review)
Dishonored (Review)
Journey
Mass Effect 3 (Review)
Studio of the Year:
Telltale Games
343 Industries
Arkane Studios
Gearbox Software (
Best Xbox 360 Game:
Halo 4 (Review)
Assassin’s Creed III (
Borderlands 2
Dishonored
Best PS3 Game:
Journey
Assassin’s Creed III (
Borderlands 2
Dishonored
Best Wii/Wii-U Game:
New Super Mario Bros. U (
The Last Story
Xenoblade Chronicles
Zombiu
Best PC Game:
XCOM: Enemy Unknown (
Diablo III
Guild Wars 2
Torchlight II
Best Shooter:
Borderlands 2 (
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Halo 4
Max Payne 3
Best Action Adventure Game:
Dishonored
Assassin’s Creed III (
Darksiders II
Sleeping Dogs
Best RPG:
Mass Effect 3 (
Diablo III
Torchlight II
Xenoblade Chronicles
Best Multiplayer Game:
Borderlands 2 (
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Guild Wars 2
Halo 4
Best Individual Sports Game:
Hot Shots Golf World Invitational SSX (
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13
WWE ’13
Best Team Sports Game:
FIFA Soccer 13
Madden NFL 13 NBA 2K13 (
NHL 13
Best Driving Game:
Need For Speed: Most Wanted (
Dirt: Showdown
F1 2012
Forza Horizon
Best Song in a Game:
“Cities” by Beck – From Sound Shapes “Castle of Glass” by Linkin Park – From Medal of Honor: Warfighter
“I Was Born For This” By Austin Wintory – From Journey (
“Tears” by Health – From Max Payne 3
Best Original Score:
Journey (
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Halo 4
Max Payne 3
Best Graphics:
Halo 4 Assassin’s Creed III (
Dishonored
Journey
Best Independent Game:
Journey (
Dust: An Elysian Tale
Fez
Mark of the Ninja
Best Fighting Game:
Persona 4 Arena (
Dead or Alive 5
Street Fighter x Tekken
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Best Handheld/Mobile Game:
Sound Shapes (
Gravity Rush
LittleBigPlanet PS Vita
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Best Performance by a Human Female:
Melissa Hutchison as Clementine – The Walking Dead: The Game Emma Stone as Amanda Cartwright – Sleeping Dogs
Jen Taylor as Cortana – Halo 4
Jennifer Hale as Commander Shepard – Mass Effect 3 (
Best Performance by a Human Male:
Dameon Clarke as Handsome Jack – Borderlands 2 (
Dave Fennoy as Lee Everret – The Walking Dead: The Game
James McCaffrey as Max Payne – Max Payne 3
Nolan North as Captain Martin Walker – Spec Ops: The Line
Best Adapted Video Game:
The Walking Dead: The Game (
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
Transfomers: Fall of Cybertron
The Walking Dead: The Game
Fez
Journey (
Sound Shapes
Best Social Game:
You Don’t Know Jack
Draw Something (
Marvel: Avengers Alliance
Simcity Social[/box_light]
And that was the 2012 Video Game Awards. If you missed the show or want to see it all again, the entire thing is available on Game Trailers. I was so happily surprised with the show this year, and I’m glad I decided at the last second to watch. Here’s to a great 2013, whose first quarter looks to be a massive wallet drain!