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{{Short description|1994 video game awards show}}
{{Infobox television
{{Use American English|date=August 2023}}
| image =
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
| caption =
{{Italic title}}
| genre = Video game awards show
{{Infobox award
| creator =
| name = ''Cybermania '94''
| writer =
| image = Cybermania '94.png
| director =
| caption = Poster by ]
| presenter = William Shatner
| venue = ]
| starring =
| country = United States
| judges = Confidential
| presenter = {{ubl|]|]}}
| narrated =
| date = {{Start date|1994|11|05}}
| theme_music_composer =
| most_wins = '']'' (2)
| open_theme =
| most_nominations = '']'' and '']'' (3)
| end_theme =
| award1_type = Best Overall Game
| composer =
| award1_winner = '']''
| country = United States
| coverage = Television
| language = English
| runtime = 2 hours
| num_episodes =
| producer = | producer = Peter Hayman
| director = Sue Brophey
| executive_producer =
| network = ]
| runtime = 120 minutes
| ratings = 1.1% (])
| company =
| network = TBS
| picture_format =
| audio_format =
| first_aired = {{Start date|1994|12|09}}
| last_aired =
}} }}


'''''Cybermania '94: The Ultimate Gamer Awards''''' was the first televised ] show. Created by the ] (AIAS), the two-hour event was broadcast live on ] on November 5, 1994, with ] and ] as the hosts. Out of twelve award categories, '']'' won "Best Overall Game". Although the show was received negatively, it was seen by 1.1% of US households and the AIAS produced a less successful follow-up in 1996. ], who had been part of the production for ''Cybermania '94'', went on to work on video game awards for other networks and created ] in 2014.
'''''Cybermania '94: The Ultimate Games Awards''''' was the first televised video game awards show that aired in the United States on December 9, 1994, on the TBS network. The two-hour special celebrated the best video games of the year and featured various celebrity appearances, musical performances, and gaming-related segments.


== Background == == Background ==
Andrew Zucker, an entertainment lawyer, envisioned an ] for video games while watching the ] in 1991. The show briefly introduced ], who had founded the administering ] in 1946, when televisions were scarce in American households. As Zucker believed that the ] would experience a similar growth in the future, he established the ] (AIAS) later in 1991.<ref name="The Atlanta Journal 1994" /> The academy announced its first foray into awards ceremonies, the Ajax, in June 1993, aiming to distribute them at a self-funded event in April 1994.<ref name="Los Angeles Times 1993 1" /><ref name="Los Angeles Times 1993 2" /> In March 1994, it planned to announce the nominees in thirty-four categories in May and hand out the awards at the ] on June 16.<ref name="Pasadena Star-News 1994" />
The early 1990s marked a significant period of growth for the ] industry, with increasing popularity and mainstream recognition. In response to the growing interest in video games and the need for recognition of outstanding achievements in the field, ''Cybermania '94'' was conceived as the first-ever televised video game awards show.<ref name="auto">{{cite news |last1= |first1= |date=November 25, 1994 |title=Cybermania '94: The Ultimate Gamer Awards |work=Entertainment Weekly |url=https://ew.com/article/1994/11/25/cybermania-94-ultimate-gamer-awards/ |access-date=}}</ref>


In creating the awards for ''Cybermania '94'', the group solicited nominations from 2,500 multimedia companies across the United States. Because of an application fee, only 200 competing entries were received. Some companies, such as ], decided to stay out of the event due to the unclear credibility of the AIAS.<ref name="Computer Player 1995" /> The academy's 300-member body compiled and voted nominations based on their quality and sales numbers.<ref name="Computer Player 1995" /><ref name="Playback 1994" /> A total of fifty categories were prepared, of which twelve were to be televised and the rest mentioned in a ]. Subscribers of the ] service were asked to reduce the number of nominees for "Best Overall Game" by voting on nine candidates.<ref name="The Atlanta Journal 1994" />
== Format ==
''Cybermania '94'' was hosted by ], known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the '']'' franchise. The show's format followed the traditional awards ceremony, with various categories celebrating different aspects of video games.<ref name="auto" />


Zucker planned the television strategy with ICE Integrated Communications & Entertainment, the only company he knew that produced award shows in addition to making video games.<ref name="Playback 1994" /> The AIAS pitched the idea of a televised awards show to several ]s and eventually reached an agreement with ].<ref name="Broadcasting & Cable 1994" /> ICE subsequently presented its work to TBS and was hired to produce the event.<ref name="Playback 1994" /> According to early reports, the show was to be titled ''Cybermania: The 1994 Interactive Games Awards'' and later ''Cybermania '94: The Ultimate Gamers' Event'', to be broadcast from ] in ].<ref name="Los Angeles Times 1994" /><ref name="The Star Press 1994" />
The award categories included accolades for best video game of the year, best action game, best strategy game, and best sports game, among others. The winners were chosen by a panel of judges, whose identities remained confidential. The show also featured video clips showcasing the nominated games and their gameplay.<ref name="auto" />


== Format ==
Throughout the broadcast, ] guests from the entertainment industry made appearances, adding to the show's appeal. Additionally, musical performances by popular artists of the time provided entertainment between award segments.<ref name="auto" />
''Cybermania '94'' was produced by the AIAS, ICE and TBS, with ICE's Peter Hayman as the ].<ref name="Playback 1994" /><ref name="Broadcasting & Cable 1994" /> It was staged in the ] at ] and broadcast live on TBS on Saturday, November 5, 1994, at 5:05&nbsp;p.m. ].<ref name="Time Extension 2022" /><ref name="The Desert Sun 1994" /> The show ran for two hours with the actors ] and ] as hosts.<ref name="Entertainment Weekly 1994" /> ] narrated the nominee announcements.<ref name="Los Angeles Times 2017" /> Awards in twelve categories were handed out by a range of lesser-known celebrities, interlaced with acts like ], ], and dancers performing to music by ], as well as comedic clips about the gaming scene.<ref name="Computer Player 1995" /><ref name="Entertainment Weekly 1994" /><ref name="Electronic Games 1995" />


] over an ] was used to determine the "Best Overall Game", with votes tabulated on a backstage computer in a process audited by ].<ref name="Broadcasting & Cable 1994" /><ref name="Entertainment Weekly 1994" /> The eventual winner was '']''.<ref name="Entertainment Weekly 1994" /> Four out of twelve awards, making for almost half of all entertainment categories, were won by ].<ref name="Computer Player 1995" /><ref name="Billboard 1994" /> According to a representative, the company considered its products winning awards on national television "worthwhile" as a marketing strategy and morale boost for its employees.<ref name="Computer Player 1995" /> A ] of ''Cybermania '94'' was broadcast on November 12, 1994, at 1:05&nbsp;p.m. PST.<ref name="Playback 1994" />
== Content ==
The show featured a range of performers and presenters, including ] and ]. The eclectic mix of entertainment, including midgets juggling and spinning dishes, and a performance by ] with ]-type dancers, contributed to the surreal nature of the event. In addition, various ] stars like ], ], ], and ] presented awards in an awkward manner, giving the impression that they were not fully invested in the proceedings.


== Awards ==
The nervous audience of game programmers, who were in attendance to witness the announcement of the winners, added to the peculiar atmosphere of the show. The winners of 12 categories were recognized, including '']'' for Best Action/Adventure, '']'' for Best CD-ROM, '']'' for Best Portable Game, '']'' for Best Art or Graphics, '']'' for Best Musical, '']'' for Best Sports, '']'' for Best Actress (]), '']'' for Best Actor (]), and '']'' (determined by a call-in vote) for Best Overall Game.
Winners are listed first, highlighted in '''boldface''', and indicated with a double dagger ({{double-dagger}}).

{| class=wikitable
|-
! style="background:#eedd82; width:60em;" | Best Overall Game
! style="background:#eedd82; width:60em;" | {{color|black|Best Action/Adventure}}
|-
| valign="top" |
* ''''']''''' {{double-dagger}}
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
| valign="top" |
* ''''']''''' {{double-dagger}}
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
|-
! style="background:#eedd82" | {{color|black|Best CD Computer Game}}
! style="background:#eedd82" | {{color|black|Best Portable}}
|-
| valign="top" |
* ''''']''''' {{double-dagger}}
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
| valign="top" |
* ''''']''''' {{double-dagger}}
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
|-
! style="background:#eedd82" | {{color|black|Best Comedy}}
! style="background:#eedd82" | {{color|black|Best Art and Graphics in an Interactive Product}}
|-
| valign="top" |
* '''''The Wacky World of Miniature Golf''''' {{double-dagger}}
** '']''
** ''Dennis Miller: That's News to Me''
** '']''
** ''Dating & Mating''
| valign="top" |
* ''''']''''' {{double-dagger}}
** '']''
** ''OceanLife II, III''
** ''Space: A Visual History''
** ''Macworld Interactive Vol. I, II''
|-
! style="background:#eedd82" | {{color|black|Best Music}}
! style="background:#eedd82" | {{color|black|Best Simulation/Strategy}}
|-
| valign="top" |
* ''''']''''' {{double-dagger}}
** ''Video Jam''
** '']''
** ''Freak Show''
** ''The Uptown Blues''
| valign="top" |
* ''''']''''' {{double-dagger}}
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
|-
! style="background:#eedd82" | {{color|black|Best Sports}}
! style="background:#eedd82" | {{color|black|Best Actor – Female}}
|-
| valign="top" |
* '''''Caesars World of Boxing''''' {{double-dagger}}
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
** '']''
** ''Sports Illustrated Multimedia Almanac''
** ''QB1''
** ''A Great Day at the Races''
| valign="top" |
* '''] ('']''{{--)}}''' {{double-dagger}}
** Eileen Weisinger ('']''{{--)}}
** Tonia Keyser ('']''{{--)}}
** ] ('']''{{--)}}
|-
! style="background:#eedd82" | {{color|black|Best Actor – Male}}
! style="background:#eedd82" | {{color|black|Special awards}}
|-
| valign="top" |
* '''] ('']''{{--)}}''' {{double-dagger}}
** ] ('']''{{--)}}
** ] ('']''{{--)}}
** ] ('']''{{--)}}
** ] (''A Great Day at the Races''{{--)}}
| valign="top" |
* Governor's Award for Best Achievement in Virtual Reality: ] (''Virtual Adventures''{{--)}}
* Special Achievement in Education: ''Ruff's Bone''
* Individual Growth In Development: American Institute for Learning (''Addiction and Its Processes''{{--)}}
|}


== Reception == == Reception ==
The broadcast was seen by 1.1% of US households, according to ].<ref name="Entertainment Weekly 1994" /> The journalistic reception was largely negative.<ref name="Time Extension 2022" /> ], writing for '']'', criticized the show's production value, including missing details for games (such as platforms, ], and ]), no names for people who collected awards, missed ], poor writing, and bad performances. He noted that, as a ], he never had to "endure anything like TBS' horrendous ''Cybermania '94'', the first televised attempt to integrate electronic games and the tired TV award show format".<ref name="Electronic Games 1995" /> Chris Nashawaty of '']'' described the ceremony as "a low-rent whack at the ] without the faintest whiff of ]'s legitimacy".<ref name="Entertainment Weekly 1994" /> In 2022, '']'' contacted several of the show's winners, of whom several reported that they had not known the show was televised.<ref name="Time Extension 2022" />
The reception to <nowiki>''Cybermania '94'' was mixed receiving both praise and criticism. Some reviewers praised the show for celebrating the growing influence of video games in popular culture and appreciated William Shatner'</nowiki>s lively and humorous performance as the host.<ref name="auto" /> However, critics also pointed out that the show lacked the prestige and production value associated with established awards shows like the Oscars.<ref name="auto1">{{cite news |last1= |first1= |date=December 5, 2017 |title=First-ever game awards show |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-game-awards-20171205-story.html |access-date=}}</ref>

The eclectic mix of performers and presenters, including Leslie Nielsen and Jonathan Taylor Thomas, added an unusual and surreal dimension to the event. The inclusion of lesser-known celebrities presenting awards awkwardly contributed to the show's low-rent feel.<ref name="auto" />

The nervous audience of game programmers attending the ceremony also added to the peculiar atmosphere. The winners of the various categories were acknowledged, with games such as <nowiki>''</nowiki>Doom<nowiki>''</nowiki>, <nowiki>''</nowiki>The 7th Guest<nowiki>''</nowiki>, <nowiki>''</nowiki>Aladdin<nowiki>''</nowiki>, <nowiki>''</nowiki>Myst<nowiki>''</nowiki>, <nowiki>''</nowiki>Xplora 1: Peter Gabriel's Secret World<nowiki>''</nowiki>, <nowiki>''</nowiki>Caesars World of Boxing<nowiki>''</nowiki>, <nowiki>''</nowiki>Voyeur<nowiki>''</nowiki>, and <nowiki>''</nowiki>Mortal Kombat<nowiki>''</nowiki> emerging as award recipients.<ref name="auto1" />


== Legacy == == Legacy ==
''Cybermania '94'' was the first televised ]s show.<ref name="Computer Player 1995" /><ref name="Los Angeles Times 2017" /> The AIAS produced a follow-up event, ''The Second Annual AIAS Awards'', originally scheduled for December 1995. To broaden its audience, the academy sought a ] slot on a major network and a well-known host. Considerations for the latter included ], ], and ].<ref name="Internet Underground 1995" /> The show was ultimately held online via ] on April 17, 1996, and hosted by ].<ref name="AIAS 1996" /><ref name="Los Angeles Times 1996" /> According to Joseph Olin, the 2004–2010 AIAS president, "maybe five people watched it". Reestablished in 1996, the academy went on to create the ] in 1998.<ref name="VentureBeat 2017" />
''Cybermania '94'' is historically significant as the first televised video game awards show. Its impact on the gaming industry led to the establishment of various gaming awards ceremonies in subsequent years, many of which are still held annually.<ref name="auto1"/>

], at the time a teenager writing for a ], was part of the ''Cybermania '94'' production team through a connection between his father and Hayman.<ref name="The Ringer 2022" /> As the "interactive products specialist", he wrote Shatner's narrations and informed other team members on video games.<ref name="Los Angeles Times 2017" /><ref name="The Ringer 2022" /> He said that being at an event with the creators behind popular games like '']'' and '']'' left a big impression on him. Keighley went on to work on the annually hosted award shows of ] (]) and ] (]) until 2013. In 2014, he created ], which he hosts.<ref name="Los Angeles Times 2017" />


== References == == References ==
{{Reflist}} {{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="AIAS 1996">{{cite web |url=http://www.interactive.org/show/index.html |title=The Second Annual AIAS Awards |year=1996 |publisher=] |archive-date=November 7, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961107025651/http://www.interactive.org/show/index.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Billboard 1994">{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZggEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58 |title='Cybermania' Cites Tops In Multimedia |magazine=] |date=November 19, 1994 |publisher=BPI Communications |page=58 |via=] |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824123655/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZggEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Broadcasting & Cable 1994">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/bc-1994-09-26/page/32/mode/2up |title=WTBS to air first interactive games awards show |first=Mark |last=Berniker |magazine=] |volume=124 |issue=39 |date=September 26, 1994 |publisher=] |via=] |access-date=August 24, 2023}}</ref>

<ref name="Computer Player 1995">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/ComputerPlayer09Feb1995/page/n11/mode/2up |title=Buying Your Award – Cybermania '94: Respected Awards Show or Joke of the Year |first=Jeremy |last=Berg |magazine=Computer Player |volume=1 |issue=9 |date=February 1995 |publisher=HG Publications |pages=13–14 |via=] |access-date=August 24, 2023}}</ref>

<ref name="Electronic Games 1995">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/electronic-games-1995-01/page/144/mode/2up |title=The Kunkel Report: TBS & The Sonic Hedgehog |first=Bill |last=Kunkel |author-link=Bill Kunkel (journalist) |magazine=] |volume=2 |issue=11 |date=January 1995 |publisher=Decker Publications |page=144 |via=] |access-date=August 24, 2023}}</ref>

<ref name="Entertainment Weekly 1994">{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1994/11/25/cybermania-94-ultimate-gamer-awards/ |title=Cybermania '94: The Ultimate Gamer Awards |first=Chris |last=Nashawaty |date=November 25, 1994 |magazine=] |access-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823221614/https://ew.com/article/1994/11/25/cybermania-94-ultimate-gamer-awards/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Internet Underground 1995">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/InternetUnderground01Dec1995/page/n19/mode/2up |title=Interactive Media Awards |magazine=Internet Underground |volume=1 |issue=1 |date=December 1995 |publisher=Sendai Media |page=20 |via=] |access-date=August 24, 2023}}</ref>

<ref name="Los Angeles Times 1993 1">{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-17-fi-4024-story.html |title=Oscar, Emmy, Tony: Move Over for Ajax |first=John |last=Lippman |date=June 17, 1993 |website=] |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824105504/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-17-fi-4024-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Los Angeles Times 1993 2">{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-22-fi-5536-story.html |title=Interactive Interplay |first=Amy |last=Harmon |date=June 22, 1993 |website=] |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824120234/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-22-fi-5536-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Los Angeles Times 1994">{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-11-tv-37032-story.html |title=Preview '94 : Baby, It's Special |first=N.F. |last=Mendoza |date=September 11, 1994 |website=] |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824114728/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-11-tv-37032-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Los Angeles Times 1996">{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-cyberspace/130560708/ |title=Cyberspace |newspaper=] |date=April 15, 1996 |page=D1 |via=] |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824114020/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-cyberspace/130560708/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Los Angeles Times 2017">{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-game-awards-20171205-story.html |title=Geoff Keighley's lifelong obsession to create a video game Oscars |first=Todd |last=Martens |date=December 5, 2017 |website=] |access-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823221604/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-game-awards-20171205-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Pasadena Star-News 1994">{{cite web |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pasadena-star-news-interactive-awards-sh/130560051/ |title=Interactive awards show set |newspaper=] |date=March 11, 1994 |page=''Cheers!''-13 |via=] |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824105503/https://www.newspapers.com/article/pasadena-star-news-interactive-awards-sh/130560051/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Playback 1994">{{cite web |url=https://playbackonline.ca/1994/11/07/3900-19941107/ |title=Interactivities |first=Pamela |last=Davis |date=November 7, 1994 |website=] |access-date=December 23, 2024 |archive-date=December 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241223133925/https://playbackonline.ca/1994/11/07/3900-19941107/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="The Atlanta Journal 1994">{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal-best-interactive-wor/130559392/ |title=Best interactive works to take a bow on TV |first=Kris |last=Jensen |newspaper=] |date=October 30, 1994 |page=P2 |via=] |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824095740/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal-best-interactive-wor/130559392/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="The Desert Sun 1994">{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-desert-sun-cybermania-94-to-honor/130559833/ |title='Cybermania '94' to honor top computer entertainment |first=Lesslie |last=Miller |agency=] |newspaper=] |date=October 31, 1994 |page=B6 |via=] |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824103345/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-desert-sun-cybermania-94-to-honor/130559833/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="The Ringer 2022">{{cite web |url=https://www.theringer.com/2022/12/08/video-games/geoff-keighley-the-game-awards-video-games-oscars |title=How Geoff Keighley Became Gaming's Master of Ceremonies |first=Lewis |last=Gordon |date=December 8, 2022 |website=] |access-date=December 23, 2024 |archive-date=December 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241223134546/https://www.theringer.com/2022/12/08/video-games/geoff-keighley-the-game-awards-video-games-oscars |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="The Star Press 1994">{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-star-press-rr/130559625/ |title=R&R |first=Rodney |last=Richey |newspaper=] |date=September 25, 1994 |page=13B |via=] |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824101143/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-star-press-rr/130559625/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Time Extension 2022">{{cite web |url=https://www.timeextension.com/features/flashback-before-the-game-awards-there-was-cybermania-94 |title=Before The Game Awards, There Was Cybermania '94 |first=Jack |last=Yarwood |date=December 8, 2022 |website=] |access-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823221609/https://www.timeextension.com/features/flashback-before-the-game-awards-there-was-cybermania-94 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="VentureBeat 2017">{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/a-look-back-at-20-years-of-the-video-game-academy-and-its-dice-awards/ |title=DICE Awards turn 20: How gaming's Academy Awards have grown |first=Dean |last=Takahashi |date=February 21, 2017 |website=] |access-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824102451/https://venturebeat.com/games/a-look-back-at-20-years-of-the-video-game-academy-and-its-dice-awards/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

}}


== External links == == External links ==
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961107023637/http://www.interactive.org/archive/awards94.htm|date=November 7, 1996|title=Full list of winners}}
*


] ]
]
] ]
]

Latest revision as of 01:56, 24 December 2024

1994 video game awards show

Award
Cybermania '94
Poster by Peter Max
DateNovember 5, 1994 (1994-11-05)
VenueUniversal Amphitheatre
CountryUnited States
Presented by
Highlights
Most awardsVoyeur (2)
Most nominationsMegaRace and Myst (3)
Best Overall GameMortal Kombat
Television coverage
NetworkTBS
Runtime2 hours
Viewership1.1% (Nielsen ratings)
Produced byPeter Hayman
Directed bySue Brophey

Cybermania '94: The Ultimate Gamer Awards was the first televised video game awards show. Created by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), the two-hour event was broadcast live on TBS on November 5, 1994, with Leslie Nielsen and Jonathan Taylor Thomas as the hosts. Out of twelve award categories, Mortal Kombat won "Best Overall Game". Although the show was received negatively, it was seen by 1.1% of US households and the AIAS produced a less successful follow-up in 1996. Geoff Keighley, who had been part of the production for Cybermania '94, went on to work on video game awards for other networks and created The Game Awards in 2014.

Background

Andrew Zucker, an entertainment lawyer, envisioned an awards show for video games while watching the 43rd Primetime Emmy Awards in 1991. The show briefly introduced Syd Cassyd, who had founded the administering Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1946, when televisions were scarce in American households. As Zucker believed that the video game industry would experience a similar growth in the future, he established the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) later in 1991. The academy announced its first foray into awards ceremonies, the Ajax, in June 1993, aiming to distribute them at a self-funded event in April 1994. In March 1994, it planned to announce the nominees in thirty-four categories in May and hand out the awards at the Pantages Theatre on June 16.

In creating the awards for Cybermania '94, the group solicited nominations from 2,500 multimedia companies across the United States. Because of an application fee, only 200 competing entries were received. Some companies, such as LucasArts, decided to stay out of the event due to the unclear credibility of the AIAS. The academy's 300-member body compiled and voted nominations based on their quality and sales numbers. A total of fifty categories were prepared, of which twelve were to be televised and the rest mentioned in a crawl. Subscribers of the Prodigy service were asked to reduce the number of nominees for "Best Overall Game" by voting on nine candidates.

Zucker planned the television strategy with ICE Integrated Communications & Entertainment, the only company he knew that produced award shows in addition to making video games. The AIAS pitched the idea of a televised awards show to several television networks and eventually reached an agreement with TBS. ICE subsequently presented its work to TBS and was hired to produce the event. According to early reports, the show was to be titled Cybermania: The 1994 Interactive Games Awards and later Cybermania '94: The Ultimate Gamers' Event, to be broadcast from Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills.

Format

Cybermania '94 was produced by the AIAS, ICE and TBS, with ICE's Peter Hayman as the executive producer. It was staged in the Universal Amphitheatre at Universal Studios Hollywood and broadcast live on TBS on Saturday, November 5, 1994, at 5:05 p.m. PST. The show ran for two hours with the actors Leslie Nielsen and Jonathan Taylor Thomas as hosts. William Shatner narrated the nominee announcements. Awards in twelve categories were handed out by a range of lesser-known celebrities, interlaced with acts like jugglers, wrestling, and dancers performing to music by Herbie Hancock, as well as comedic clips about the gaming scene.

Televoting over an 800 number was used to determine the "Best Overall Game", with votes tabulated on a backstage computer in a process audited by Price Waterhouse. The eventual winner was Mortal Kombat. Four out of twelve awards, making for almost half of all entertainment categories, were won by Philips Interactive Media. According to a representative, the company considered its products winning awards on national television "worthwhile" as a marketing strategy and morale boost for its employees. A rerun of Cybermania '94 was broadcast on November 12, 1994, at 1:05 p.m. PST.

Awards

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡).

Best Overall Game Best Action/Adventure
Best CD Computer Game Best Portable
Best Comedy Best Art and Graphics in an Interactive Product
  • Myst ‡
    • Tuneland
    • OceanLife II, III
    • Space: A Visual History
    • Macworld Interactive Vol. I, II
Best Music Best Simulation/Strategy
Best Sports Best Actor – Female
Best Actor – Male Special awards
  • Governor's Award for Best Achievement in Virtual Reality: Iwerks Entertainment (Virtual Adventures)
  • Special Achievement in Education: Ruff's Bone
  • Individual Growth In Development: American Institute for Learning (Addiction and Its Processes)

Reception

The broadcast was seen by 1.1% of US households, according to Nielsen ratings. The journalistic reception was largely negative. Bill Kunkel, writing for Electronic Games, criticized the show's production value, including missing details for games (such as platforms, developers, and publishers), no names for people who collected awards, missed cues, poor writing, and bad performances. He noted that, as a video game journalist, he never had to "endure anything like TBS' horrendous Cybermania '94, the first televised attempt to integrate electronic games and the tired TV award show format". Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly described the ceremony as "a low-rent whack at the MTV Video Music Awards without the faintest whiff of Oscar's legitimacy". In 2022, Time Extension contacted several of the show's winners, of whom several reported that they had not known the show was televised.

Legacy

Cybermania '94 was the first televised video game awards show. The AIAS produced a follow-up event, The Second Annual AIAS Awards, originally scheduled for December 1995. To broaden its audience, the academy sought a prime time slot on a major network and a well-known host. Considerations for the latter included Dennis Miller, Howie Mandel, and Sinbad. The show was ultimately held online via Bravo on April 17, 1996, and hosted by Ariana Richards. According to Joseph Olin, the 2004–2010 AIAS president, "maybe five people watched it". Reestablished in 1996, the academy went on to create the Interactive Achievement Awards in 1998.

Geoff Keighley, at the time a teenager writing for a video game magazine, was part of the Cybermania '94 production team through a connection between his father and Hayman. As the "interactive products specialist", he wrote Shatner's narrations and informed other team members on video games. He said that being at an event with the creators behind popular games like Doom and Myst left a big impression on him. Keighley went on to work on the annually hosted award shows of G4 (G-Phoria) and Spike TV (Spike Video Game Awards) until 2013. In 2014, he created The Game Awards, which he hosts.

References

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