One 'N Only Jem

Back in November, I knew deep down in my core thatUncharted 2: Among Thieves was decidedly game of the year despite heavy hitter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 not coming out yet. In all the years – and I really mean an approximation of 18 years or so – that I have loved this hobby and it has come to love me back in folds, there has always been a game to define that single year, if not revolutionize the gaming industry. While UC2 did not revolutionize the face of gaming, it has definitely set the bar in the direction all games will be heading towards or hope to head towards.

Every year, Spike TV partakes in a video game judging panel conducted by you, the gamer, in deciding what games go home as the winners that best exemplify a particular category. While I do think that a big portion of the gaming demographic is reserved to mainstream or casual gamers, I tend not to let opinion based award shows such as Spike TV sway my opinion in any shape or form. I do not make an attempt to discern the difference in a mainstream or casual gamer as both tend to fall under the same category if characteristics were mapped out in a Venn diagram. Let’s face it – mainstream or casual gamers may not necessarily be able to identify an excellent game that ascends to a form of art if it hit them in the face because if a video game doesn’t run on high definition medium or include multiplayer or some type of bragging rights in the form of trophies or leaderboards then the game itself should be dismissible. While there are plenty of video games that boast multiplayer, push 1080p graphics or incorporate leaderboards, those qualities alone should not be the staple for a great game, let alone game of the year quality. In my experience and those of others who have expressed as much, excellent games are all about a single component reinforced and held up by several multi-tiered sub-components. For me, the single most important thing about a game that is reinforced by every other factor is the experience that I come out of the game in the initial moment of popping in the video game media in the appropriate platform, in the midst of my adventure and lastly, the summation of that adventure as I’ve finished beating the game and/or completing all the optional tasks that I’ve undertaken. Experience comes in many shapes or forms, but I believe it is a very difficult thing to do to be able to impart a lasting impression on an individual with the vast amount of tools at your disposal.

Without further adieu, let’s get on with the results of the Spike Tv awards.

[Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed henceforth merely reflects the author's ideology from as much of an objective stance as possible]

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