It's that time of year again, when everyone seems to be handing out gold statuettes. With so many star-studded events, it's hard to keep track of which award show is which. But when you see Super Mario on the red carpet, you know you're at the Ninth Annual Interactive Achievement Awards at the Hard Rock Hotel here in Las Vegas.
The event brings the best video-game designers out of their offices—often for the first time after years of isolation—to walk down the red carpet and be harassed by familiar game characters via big-screen TVs.
"This is really exciting," says Kratos, the menacing antihero of the Greek myth-inspired adventure, God of War. "If I had Pandora's Box right now, I would totally open it up." Kratos has reason to be excited. With 12 nominations, God of War leads the pack.
Comedian Jay Mohr, the event's host, rushes the gauntlet of virtual celebrities, snubbing Clank from Sony's Ratchet and Clank series.
"Jay! Wait, Jay! Just one question!" the wisecracking robot sidekick calls after him.
"I already had to deal with Super Mario hitting on my girlfriend on the red carpet," Mohr says.
Once inside The Joint, it's evident that this year's awards ceremony is suffering from growing pains. Though generally recognized as the Academy Awards of interactive entertainment, the IA Awards have always been low-key. But next year the event will be televised by Dick Clark Productions, which brought us the Golden Globes. Consequently, in preparation for the added publicity, the size of the spectacle has outgrown the usual crowd of attendees.
"I'm performing for, like, five empty rows here," Mohr says as he takes the stage. "It's like a David Spade concert."
The ceremony gets under way, with a few differences from other award shows. The clips of the nominees consist of pre-rendered scenes. And since video-game designers tend to be a shy, soft-spoken bunch, the winners are quick to finish their acceptance speeches, eliminating the need for an orchestra to cut them off.
God of War, Guitar Hero and Nintendogs nab most of the awards, with God of War winning Game of the Year. God director David Jaffe is quick to thank Capcom for refusing to pay Academy fees, thus disqualifying Resident Evil 4, which many consider the best game of 2005.
"We worked so f--king hard to make this game, and the fact that we're standing here is nuts," Jaffe says. "I so want pot right now."
And on that note, the crowd disperses, maybe for a few hours of game play.