Rewatching the 2004 Spike TV Video Game Awards: A Gaming Time Capsule

The Game Awards is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, but it wasn't always this way. For a full decade before, another game-honoring awards show, produced by Geoff Keighley and known as the Spike TV Video Game Awards, was in full swing. Just like the modern-day Game Awards, this show aired live on an actual television channel without the accompaniment of a Twitch chat. It had skits, a celebrity host like Snoop Dogg in 2004, and it offered a unique glimpse into how video games were marketed alongside extreme sports, Mountain Dew, and lingerie-clad models.

Uncovering the Past and Present of Gaming Awards

Early Days and Unique Features

There's an incomplete and heavily edited version of the 2004 Spike TV Game Awards on YouTube. Despite extensive searching, the full version seems to have been lost to time. To understand what was gained or lost when the "Oscars of gaming" transitioned into an independent operation, the author decided to rewatch as much as possible. The first half of the YouTube video includes a segment called "The Ultimate Gamer" where a lucky guy wins a home makeover for his gaming setup. While it's a time-capsule trip, it ends up being quite boring and most of it is skipped.The actual awards show starts with Snoop Dogg doing a skit. Some of the vibes from this old show could potentially make a comeback. It would be great to see Snoop hosting the TGAs this year. Although the "Cyber Vixen of the Year" award may not deserve a reprise, the TGAs could use a host like him.In the cold open, Snoop is playing golf in an argyle sweater vest on a miniature home office golf set. This sets the stage for Peak 2004 Famous Athlete Tiger Woods to walk out wearing a fur coat, gold necklaces, and a fedora over a black toque. They both look adorable in their respective "switched" outfits. Tiger Woods then makes a humorous comment about the PGA Tour.

Musical Performances and Celebrity Appearances

In the theater, attendees are treated to a CGI version of rapper Ludacris greeting the Video Game Awards crowd. He is surrounded by other CGI dudes and starts beating them up, likely promoting a Def Jam game. Then, IRL Ludacris comes out on stage and performs "Get Back" with a live band. The energy and joy in this show are in stark contrast to the formality of current TGAs.Snoop Dogg rattles off a list of guests who will be appearing, ranging from Lil Wayne to John Madden to Michelle Rodriguez. He also lists off musical guests like Busta Rhymes, Mötley Crüe, and Sum41. Before Snoop comes out on stage, Funkmaster Flex serves as his hype man and introduces him as "the biggest rap star of all time." Snoop then introduces himself again, but this time as a CGI version on a secondary screen and mocks real people.

Awards and Controversies

Snoop Dogg introduces the "Best Performance By a Human Female" award and a "Human Male" award. In 2004, this was the first time the award was divided by gender. Snoop makes a comment about loving human females performing for him and gestures to two Victoria's Secret angels who descend on wires. One of the women mechanically intones a line about the awards.As the show progresses, there are various awards and nominees. For example, Brooke Burke wins the "Vector Monkey" award for her performance in Need for Speed: Underground 2. There is also a separate Voice Actor category. The voting process involves Spike TV's Advisory Board and consumer voting.Later, BMX rider Mat Hoffman and pro skateboarder Bam Margera read jokes about fake injuries. They then announce the winner for Most Addictive Game "fueled by Dew," which includes games like City of Heroes and Donkey Konga. There is no winner announced immediately, and the voting happens live during the show.Funkmaster Flex introduces "the next generation of sports superstars" Bobby Crosby and Freddy Adu. Their staged bit involves Bobby being too busy playing games on his PSP. Freddy makes a joke about selling it and runs offstage. Bobby reads the nominees for Best First-Person Action.Michelle Rodriguez and Ron Perlman accept Halo 2's award, which feels like a significant amount of star power. Bungie composer Marty O'Donnell is also present.Next, Tony Hawk hypes up Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which is a Game of the Year nominee.There is a "world premiere" exclusive where Snoop returns to introduce a trailer for The Godfather video game adaptation.Roy Jones Jr. talks about best driving games sponsored by the Pontiac GTO. A Pontiac GTO rolls up and hands a copy of Burnout 3 to Roy Jones Jr., who announces it as the winner.Funkmaster Flex introduces Giovanni Ribisi who was in Call of Duty. Ribisi hands off to Sum41 performing "No Reason."After a commercial break, Danny Masterson introduces Half-Life 2. There are interviews with anonymous gamers. Funkmaster Flex reads a rather uncomfortable joke.Tara Reid introduces Best Song in a Video Game, and "American Idiot" by Green Day wins. Steve Schnur accepts the award alongside part of Green Day.Lil Jon and the East Side Boys introduce Snoop Dogg's song "Let's Get Blown" with Pharrell singing backups.Finally, Papa Roach runs through multiple awards, including Best Fighting Game, Best Action Game, Best Graphics, Best New Technology, Best Handheld, Best Mass Multiplayer Game, and Best Cyber Vixen of the Year.The main change in 20 years is that flagrant misogyny is no longer a part of The Game Awards. While there is plenty to laugh at in the Spike TV Video Game Awards, it was also a fun show that managed to get mics in front of more women and had a more diverse lineup of guests. It's a reminder of a bygone era in gaming awards.