Metal Gear Solid 3 Japanese Commercial

I like gameplay footage in my video game commercials, but this Japanese Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ad is so good it doesn't even need it. Humor is truly universal.

2007 Spike TV's Video Game Awards Winners

Awards shows usually suck and I don’t watch them, but it’s kind of neat that Spike TV supports and recognizes the video game industry with it’s own Oscar-like event, the Video Game Awards. This year’s show was aired last night, and in case you didn’t watch it here are the winners and nominees.

Best Shooter: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

BioShock

Halo 3

The Orange Box

Best Action Game: Super Mario Galaxy

Assassin's Creed

God of War 2

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Best Rhythm Game: Rock Band

Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80s

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Jam Sessions

Best RPG: Mass Effect

Eternal Sonata

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

Best Driving Game: DiRT

Forza Motorsport 2

Need for Speed ProStreet

Project Gotham Racing 4

Best Military Game: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas

World in Conflict

Studio of the Year: Harmonix

Bungie Studios

Irrational Games

Valve

Best Graphics: Crysis

BioShock

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Mass Effect

Breakthrough Technology: Portal

Crysis

Halo 3

Rock Band

Best PC Game: The Orange Box

BioShock

Crysis

World in Conflict

Best Individual Sports Game: Skate

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground

Virtua Tennis 3

Best Team Sports Game: Madden NFL 08

NBA 2K8

NHL 08

Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007

Best Handheld Game: The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords

Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show: The Simpsons Game

The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja

Stranglehold

Best Soundtrack: Rock Band

BioShock

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground

Best Original Score: BioShock

God of War 2

Halo 3

Mass Effect

Best Multiplayer Game: Halo 3

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Rock Band

The Orange Box

Most Addictive Game Fueled by Dew: Halo 3

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Team Fortress 2

Wii Sports

Best PS3 Game: Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Heavenly Sword

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

Warhawk

Best Xbox 360 Game: BioShock

Halo 3

Mass Effect

The Orange Box

Best Wii Game: Super Mario Galaxy

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Super Paper Mario

Game of the Year: BioShock

Halo 3

Mass Effect

The Orange Box

As you can see, Halo 3 got owned in the Xbox 360 Game of the Year and Overall Game of the Year awards by the less-hyped BioShock. It sucks balls that Super Mario Galaxy wasn’t even nominated for Game of the Year. This, my friends, is why awards shows blow. You never know if big game companies like EA buy them out, or if the judges are stoned.

Oddworld is Coming to Theaters and TV

Oddworld Inhabitants' action/puzzler is coming to both theaters and television. GameIndustry.biz talked with Lorne Lanning from Oddworld Inhabitants and he told them there are currently four Oddworld projects in the works; a CG movie, a TV series and two unknown projects. Lanning also mentioned all four projects will use game technology, whatever that means.

I liked Abe's Oddysee (1997, PS1), but only played demos of Munch's Oddysee (2001, Xbox) and Stranger's Wrath (2005, Xbox). Overall I really like the Oddworld universe, maybe because there are plenty of alien farts and burps. I look forward to more game titles as well as the movie and TV series.

Star Wars Could Return to Theaters in 2008

Since Hasbro has the Star Wars license for making action figures and such it’s no surprise to know they will be making toys based on the upcoming Clone Wars animated series, but during the Hasbro Fall 2007 Analyst Event the company’s COO revealed that Lucasfilm plans to release the series pilot episode in theaters on August 8 2008. Now that I didn’t know.

When asked about this story, a Lucasfilm representative said they are looking at several exciting ways to promote the new Clone Wars TV series, but they have not made any decisions yet.

So why would Hasbro not only say they’re releasing it on theaters, but also give a specific date? Did Hasbro jump the gun or are they full of Bantha poodoo? We’ll know soon enough as more information becomes available.

Source: TheForce.net

Guitar Hero Rocks South Park

In last night’s episode of South Park, called “Guitar Queer-o”, Stan and Kyle both put money to buy Guitar Hero. They play co-op and totally kick ass, scoring over 100,000 points. Word of this gets out and soon a music agent contacts the boys and offers them fame and fortune if they can beat 1,000,000 points in a live performance at the local arcade. It turns out Stan is the better player, and the agent convinces Stan to ditch Kyle in favor of another kid, Thad, who is so good at Guitar Hero he can play the songs without even hearing the music or watching the screen.

The episode was not as funny as I had hoped, but it was good nonetheless. It focused on Stan’s rise and fall in the “music” industry. Stan loses his cool and becomes addicted to another game, “Heroin Hero”, where you chase a magic dragon around, but are never able to catch it. Stan’s dad tries to be cool in front the kids by playing the game’s music on a real guitar, but is considered gay by everyone. The ending made me laugh a lot, so it was all worth it.