| Revision as of 07:55, 24 August 2023 editIceWelder (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Page movers, File movers, New page reviewers, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers, Template editors125,145 editsm →Awards← Previous edit | Revision as of 09:17, 24 August 2023 edit undoIceWelder (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Page movers, File movers, New page reviewers, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers, Template editors125,145 editsNo edit summaryNext edit → | ||
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| == Format == | == Format == | ||
| ''Cybermania '94'' was produced by ] |
''Cybermania '94'' was produced by ], the ] (AIAS), and ICE Integrated Communications & Entertainment.<ref name="Los Angeles Times" /><ref name="Broadcasting & Cable" /> It was staged in the ] and broadcast live on TBS on Saturday, November 5, 1994.<ref name="Time Extension" /><ref name="Computer Player" /> The broadcast ran for two hours with ] and ] as hosts.<ref name="Entertainment Weekly" /> ] narrated the nominee announcements.<ref name="Los Angeles Times" /> 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 bits about the gaming scene.<ref name="Computer Player" /><ref name="Entertainment Weekly" /><ref name="Electronic Games" /> | ||
| According to AIAS founder Andrew Zucker, the group had 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. |
According to AIAS founder Andrew Zucker, the group had 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. The nominations were voted on by the AIAS' 300-member body.<ref name="Computer Player" /> ] 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" /><ref name="Entertainment Weekly" /> More than half of the awards were won by ], which considered its products winning awards on national television "worthwhile" as a marketing strategy and morale boost for its employees.<ref name="Computer Player" /> | ||
| == Awards == | == Awards == | ||
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| ** ] (''A Great Day at the Races''{{--)}} | ** ] (''A Great Day at the Races''{{--)}} | ||
| | valign="top" | | | valign="top" | | ||
| * Governor's Award for Best Achievement in Virtual Reality: ] | * Governor's Award for Best Achievement in Virtual Reality: ] (''Virtual Adventures''{{--)}} | ||
| * Special Achievement in Education: ''Ruff's Bone'' | * Special Achievement in Education: ''Ruff's Bone'' | ||
| * Individual Growth In Development: American Institute for Learning (''Addiction and Its Processes''{{--)}} | * Individual Growth In Development: American Institute for Learning (''Addiction and Its Processes''{{--)}} | ||
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| == References == | == References == | ||
| {{Reflist|refs= | {{Reflist|refs= | ||
| <ref name="Broadcasting & Cable">{{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">{{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="Computer Player">{{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> | ||
Revision as of 09:17, 24 August 2023
Award
| Cybermania '94 | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 5, 1994 (1994-11-05) |
| Venue | Universal Amphitheatre |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | |
| Highlights | |
| Most awards | Voyeur (2) |
| Most nominations | MegaRace and Myst (3) |
| Best Overall Game | Mortal Kombat |
| Television coverage | |
| Network | TBS |
| Runtime | 2 hours |
| Viewership | 1.1% (Nielsen ratings) |
| Produced by | Peter Hayman |
| Directed by | Sue Brophey |
Cybermania '94: The Ultimate Gamer Awards was the first televised video game awards show. The two-hour show was produced by TBS with the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences and broadcast live on TBS on November 5, 1994. Out of twelve award categories, Mortal Kombat won "Best Overall Game".
Format
Cybermania '94 was produced by TBS, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), and ICE Integrated Communications & Entertainment. It was staged in the Universal Amphitheatre and broadcast live on TBS on Saturday, November 5, 1994. The broadcast ran for two hours with 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 bits about the gaming scene.
According to AIAS founder Andrew Zucker, the group had 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 nominations were voted on by the AIAS' 300-member body. 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. More than half of the awards were won by Philips Interactive Media, which considered its products winning awards on national television "worthwhile" as a marketing strategy and morale boost for its employees.
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 |
|
|
| Best Music | Best Simulation/Strategy |
|
|
| Best Sports | Best Actor – Female |
|
|
| Best Actor – Male | Special awards |
|
|
Reception
The broadcast drew in 1.1% of US households. Journalistic reception was largely negative. Bill Kunkel, writing for Electronic Games, criticized the show for low production value, including missing details for games (such as platform, developer, and publisher), 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 for 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. A teenage Geoff Keighley was part of the production as the "interactive products specialist", writing Shatner's narrations. 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. He then created The Game Awards, which he hosts.
References
- ^ Martens, Todd (December 5, 2017). "Geoff Keighley's lifelong obsession to create a video game Oscars". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ Berniker, Mark (September 26, 1994). "WTBS to air first interactive games awards show". Broadcasting & Cable. Vol. 124, no. 39. Cahners Publishing. Retrieved August 24, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Yarwood, Jack (December 8, 2022). "Before The Game Awards, There Was Cybermania '94". Time Extension. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ Berg, Jeremy (February 1995). "Buying Your Award – Cybermania '94: Respected Awards Show or Joke of the Year". Computer Player. Vol. 1, no. 9. HG Publications. pp. 13–14. Retrieved August 24, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Nashawaty, Chris (November 25, 1994). "Cybermania '94: The Ultimate Gamer Awards". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ Kunkel, Bill (January 1995). "The Kunkel Report: TBS & The Sonic Hedgehog". Electronic Games. Vol. 2, no. 11. Decker Publications. p. 144. Retrieved August 24, 2023 – via Internet Archive.