SpikeTV Snags Sam Jackson
Hey, he worked well the last two years, so why not have him do it again?
Published: November 30, 2007
It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since Spike last threw their Video Game Awards shindigs, but here we are, and Spike is sparing no expense to pimp their little ode to honoring the best games of the year. Granted, there are plenty out there that will roll their eyes at the mere mention of the VGAs, mainly because they're seen as something of a mouthpiece for whatever company has the deepest pockets that particular year (here's a hint: it's usually EA), but as the industry continues to pick up steam, edging ever closer to becoming as ubiquitous and mainstream as TV and movies, there's bound to be increased attention.
And, y'know, awards shows are a great way to sell advertising.
At the helm as emcee of the proceedings will be Samuel L. Jackson, who has become all but a staple of the show, hosting it for the past two out of the four years it's been around. With the 5th year of the show, Jackson notches a third hosting title on his belt and we continue to wonder just how much of a gamer the guy is.
He's at least as big a fan as Spike's list of celebrity attendees, which gives us ample reason to cut and paste the names in to pad this news story with even more delicious readability (not to mention gives us a heads up on who we might be rubbing elbows with next week when we attend the taping). "Criss Angel, “TNA” wrestling stars Kurt and Karen Angle, actress Tia Carrere, “Chuck” stars Joshua Gomez and Zachary Levi, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, former NFL star Rocket Ismail, UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and “Ultimate Fighter 1” champ Forrest Griffin, legendary boxing promoter Don King, MTV reality couple Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, NFL quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Matt Leinart, rock star Dave Navarro, “Jackass” Steve-O, comedian Patton Oswalt, comedian and Comedy Central star Brian Posehn, MTV’s Tila Tequila, actor Anton Yelchin and many more" will be chuggin' booze and playin' games with the rest of us schmucks at some point during the night.
It's not just about synergizing a bunch of on-screen Viacom talent, though, oh no. There are games to be shown off, kids -- even premieres of games, including the new Halo 3 map pack, and the unveilding of TNA iMPACT!, Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and Borderlands. Hell, there's even going to be a Video Games Live performance during the show, something that has VGL founder Tommy Tallarico all verklempt.
“It was quite an honor for us to be contacted about performing in the show,” Tallarico gushed. “Spike TV’s goal of celebrating video games and bringing them to the masses is exactly the reason we created Video Games Live in the first place.” VGL co-creator/conductor Jack Wall chimed in too, adding, “We’re really excited about this opportunity which gives us a platform to reach millions of people. We have a few new surprises in store for the audience that we’re really looking forward to performing live.”
So there you have it. Apparently there will be more announcements coming soon, so we'll be sure to keep those of you biting your nails in anticipation in the loop.
And, y'know, awards shows are a great way to sell advertising.
At the helm as emcee of the proceedings will be Samuel L. Jackson, who has become all but a staple of the show, hosting it for the past two out of the four years it's been around. With the 5th year of the show, Jackson notches a third hosting title on his belt and we continue to wonder just how much of a gamer the guy is.
He's at least as big a fan as Spike's list of celebrity attendees, which gives us ample reason to cut and paste the names in to pad this news story with even more delicious readability (not to mention gives us a heads up on who we might be rubbing elbows with next week when we attend the taping). "Criss Angel, “TNA” wrestling stars Kurt and Karen Angle, actress Tia Carrere, “Chuck” stars Joshua Gomez and Zachary Levi, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, former NFL star Rocket Ismail, UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and “Ultimate Fighter 1” champ Forrest Griffin, legendary boxing promoter Don King, MTV reality couple Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, NFL quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Matt Leinart, rock star Dave Navarro, “Jackass” Steve-O, comedian Patton Oswalt, comedian and Comedy Central star Brian Posehn, MTV’s Tila Tequila, actor Anton Yelchin and many more" will be chuggin' booze and playin' games with the rest of us schmucks at some point during the night.
It's not just about synergizing a bunch of on-screen Viacom talent, though, oh no. There are games to be shown off, kids -- even premieres of games, including the new Halo 3 map pack, and the unveilding of TNA iMPACT!, Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and Borderlands. Hell, there's even going to be a Video Games Live performance during the show, something that has VGL founder Tommy Tallarico all verklempt.
“It was quite an honor for us to be contacted about performing in the show,” Tallarico gushed. “Spike TV’s goal of celebrating video games and bringing them to the masses is exactly the reason we created Video Games Live in the first place.” VGL co-creator/conductor Jack Wall chimed in too, adding, “We’re really excited about this opportunity which gives us a platform to reach millions of people. We have a few new surprises in store for the audience that we’re really looking forward to performing live.”
So there you have it. Apparently there will be more announcements coming soon, so we'll be sure to keep those of you biting your nails in anticipation in the loop.