This annual Video Game Hall of Fame Award honor will recognize the most memorable and innovative video game franchises in history. The inaugural recipient, “The Legend of Zelda,” is one of the most influential and beloved gaming franchises of all time. The legendary series will take its rightful place as the first entry into the Video Game Hall of Fame, with a special tribute at the 2011 “Video Game Awards” (#VGA) – the network’s ninth annual live televised event to celebrate the best in games.
Star of NBC’s “Chuck,” voice actor for “Fallout: New Vegas” and “Halo: Reach,” owner of the nerd culture site www.TheNerdMachine.com and video game super fan Zachary Levi will host Spike TV’s 2011 “Video Game Awards” (#VGA). Telecasting from Los Angeles, CA and featuring some of the most notable names in video games, Hollywood, music, sports and more, the two-hour event honoring the outstanding achievements within the video game industry over the past year will premiere LIVE on Spike TV, MTV2 and Spike.com on Saturday, December 10 at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT.
“Zac Levi is an avid gamer who is truly a part of gaming culture and understands the fans,” says Casey Patterson, Executive Producer and Executive Vice President, Event Production, Talent & Studio Relations for Viacom Entertainment Group. “He has great ideas about this year’s show. Zac is all about honoring the year in gaming and ushering in the future by showcasing massive world premieres at this year’s event. We’re excited to be working with Zac.”
Audience members and viewers will also be treated to a live performance by Grammy Award recording artists The Black Keys, who will perform their video game hit, “Lonely Boy,” and the duration of the festivities will feature Grammy nominee and dance music innovator deadmau5, who will transform the show with his visual representation of sound into a real life video game experience.
Among the list of presenters and attendees are Sports Illustrated cover model and star of “Battleship” Brooklyn Decker, “Family Guy” star and voice of Joker in the “Mass Effect” series Seth Green, cast members of “Workaholics” Blake Anderson, Adam Devine and Anders Holm, multiplatinum and Grammy Award-winning recording artist LL Cool J, stars of the upcoming “American Reunion” Jason Biggs and Seann William Scott, the most prolific quarterback and wide receiver combination in NFL history, Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, and many more to be announced shortly.
This year, Spike TV will be bestowing the Gamer God Award upon the three founders of Blizzard Entertainment for their immense contributions to the electronic gaming medium. Creators of the “World of Warcraft,” “Starcraft” and “Diablo” entertainment universes, Blizzard is celebrating its 20th anniversary – as well as the 15th anniversary of “Diablo” – in 2011. Co-founders Michael Morhaime, Allen Adham, and Frank Pearce will accept the award and treat Blizzard’s global community to the full never-before-seen opening cinematic of the company’s upcoming release, “Diablo III.”
Telecasting from Los Angeles, CA and featuring some of the most notable names in video games, Hollywood, music, sports and more, the two-hour event honoring the outstanding achievements within the video game industry over the past year will premiere LIVE on Spike TV, MTV 2 and Spike.com on Saturday, December 10 at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT.
The 2011 “Video Game Awards” will feature world premieres of the most anticipated games of 2012 and beyond. In addition to the previously announced exclusives debuts of BioWare’s next project, the next “Alan Wake” game and “Metal Gear Solid: Rising,” this year’s viewers will get the first look at footage from “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6 Patriots,” “Transformers: Fall of Cybertron” and Most Anticipated Game nominee, “BioShock Infinite.”
For the first time, Viacom Media Networks will broaden the reach and impact of the 2011 “VGAs” by simultaneously airing the show LIVE on both Spike TV and MTV2, as well as on Spike.com. Internationally, the “VGAs” will air in over 100 countries and territories around the world. In addition, the show will include unique interactive opportunities only available to viewers during the initial live broadcast. Further details will be announced in the weeks to come.