Recognizing outstanding artistic and technical achievement in the gaming industry, plus premiering first-looks at the hottest games of 2009 and beyond, the 2008 “VGAs” debuts LIVE and in HIGH-DEFINITION on Sunday, December 14 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/tape delay on west coast) from Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, CA.

In emceeing the night’s festivities, Black will be capping a 2008 which saw him star in two Hollywood blockbusters, “Tropic Thunder” and “Kung Fu Panda” that grossed over $800 million worldwide combined. Also, he will star opposite Michael Cera in director Harold Ramis’ June 2009 release of “The Year One.”

“Jack is a huge gamer and a former performer and winner on the ‘VGAs’ having taken home Best Performance By A Human – Male in 2005,” said Casey Patterson, Spike TV’s senior vice president, event production and talent development. “We're thrilled to have him as our host. With a record 10 world premieres including Brütal Legend starring Jack, it will be a big night and wild ride!”

In addition to the world premiere of Brütal Legend gameplay from designer Tim Schafer (Grim Fandango and Psychonauts) and Double Fine Productions, the 2008 “VGAs” will be stacked with an unprecedented number of wall-to-wall world exclusives. Games scheduled to make their global debut include the first look at the gameplay of the PlayStation 3™ exclusive God of War III, Uncharted 2, EA’s Sports Fight Night Round 4, Mafia II, Terminator Salvation, Watchmen: The End is Nigh, a special announcement regarding Gears of War 2 and more blockbuster surprises set to be revealed shortly.

At the show, legendary game designer Will Wright will receive the first-ever Gamer God award for his achievements in the gaming industry. Other industry luminaries set to attend include Game of the Year-nominees Hideo Kojima (designer, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots), Cliff Bleszinski (design director, Gears of War 2), Todd Howard (executive producer, Fallout 3), Alex Evans (co-founder, Media Molecule, creators of LittleBigPlanet), Rockstar Games and more names soon to be announced.

Guided by sacred power chords and blessed bass drums, Tim Schafer and his team of metal historians at Double Fine Productions have cracked the primeval secrets to the Age of Metal. Together, the two groups are in the process of reconstructing and realising the events that took place eons ago, allowing future generations to pay respect and experience first-hand the blood, sweat and chrome needed to ensure metal prevailed.

Work has been going around the clock and insiders close to Schafer have described Brütal Legend as the chronicle of Eddie Riggs, a roadie of a virtuous metal band, pulled back in time to learn his true purpose. Offered the wealth and knowledge of an ancient kingdom in exchange for assembling a legion of his own design, the roadie commands a barbaric mob of demons, dragsters, amp stacks, leather and chrome. Together they thunder across the land in the ultimate Tour of Destruction, driving the ancient world headlong into the Age of Metal.

Piecing the period of time when a divine society used raw materials of ROCK and hot rods which lay dormant in this land, experts at Double Fine also revealed the fantastic nature of this world where Big-block V8 engines were dug out of the ground like minerals. Exhaust pipes were cut from trees made of chrome and a luminous sky was lit up with heavenly lighters held up by the gods.