Spike TV’s ninth annual Video Game Awards (VGA) celebrated the artistic and technical achievements in the world of gaming over the past year during a two-hour global event which premiered LIVE on Spike TV, MTV 2 and Spike.com. Bethesda Studios release The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim took home the Vector Monkey after being named Game of the Year. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim also won Best RPG, and garnered Studio of the Year honors for Bethesda Game Studios.
Other multiple award winners included Portal 2 which won in five prominent categories, including Best PC Game and Best Multiplayer, and Batman: Arkham City, which won four Vector Monkeys, including awards for Character of the Year for the Joker, Best Xbox 360 Game and Best Action Adventure Game.
The Legend of Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto made a surprise appearance to accept the first ever Video Game Hall of Fame Award on the franchise’s behalf. “We always push ourselves,” said Miyamoto, “and we’re grateful you notice.”
Additional honors included the second ever Gamer God Award, which was bestowed upon Blizzard Entertainment, the creators of the World of Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo series. Original founders Michael Morhaime, Allen Adham and Frank Pearce were all on hand to accept the award.
The VGAs also debuted Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, the surprise reveals of Command & Conquer: Generals 2, Alan Wake American Nightmare, Epic Games’ Fortnite, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6 Patriots, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, BioShock Infinite and the winner for Most Anticipated Game Mass Effect 3.
Full list of winners:
- GAME OF THE YEAR: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- STUDIO OF THE YEAR: Bethesda Game Studios
- CHARACTER OF THE YEAR: The Joker – Batman: Arkham City
- VIDEO GAME HALL OF FAME AWARD: The Legend of Zelda
- GAMER GOD AWARD: Blizzard Entertainment
- BEST XBOX 360 GAME: Batman: Arkham City
- BEST PS3 GAME: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
- BEST Wii GAME: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
- BEST PC GAME: Portal 2
- BEST HANDHELD/MOBILE GAME: Super Mario 3D Land
- BEST SHOOTER: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
- BEST ACTION ADVENTURE GAME: Batman: Arkham City
- BEST RPG: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- BEST MULTI-PLAYER: Portal 2
- BEST INDIVIDUAL SPORTS GAME: Fight Night Champion
- BEST TEAM SPORTS GAME: NBA 2K12
- BEST DRIVING GAME: Forza Motorsport 4
- BEST FIGHTING GAME: Mortal Kombat
- BEST MOTION GAME: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
- BEST INDEPENDENT GAME: Minecraft
- BEST ADAPTED VIDEO GAME: Batman: Arkham City
- BEST SONG IN A GAME: Build that Wall (Zia’s Theme) by Darren Korb – Bastion
- BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Bastion
- BEST GRAPHICS: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
- BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN MALE: Stephen Merchant as Wheatley – Portal 2
- BEST PERFORMANCE BY A HUMAN FEMALE: Ellen McLain as GLaDOS – Portal 2
- BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME: Bastion
- BEST DLC: Portal 2 Peer Review
- MOST ANTICIPATED GAME: Mass Effect 3
- GAMETRAILERS.COM TRAILER OF THE YEAR: Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – E3 2011 Trailer
- EA SPORTS NFL BLITZ DIGITAL COVER ATHLETE: Ray Rice