Cybermania '94

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Cybermania '94
Cybermania '94.png
Poster by Peter Max
DateNovember 5, 1994 (1994-11-05)
Venue Universal Amphitheatre
CountryUnited States
Presented by
Highlights
Most awards Voyeur (2)
Most nominations MegaRace and Myst (3)
Best Overall Game Mortal Kombat
Television coverage
Network TBS
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 show was broadcast live on TBS on November 5, 1994. 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 show 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, eventually creating The Game Awards in 2014.

Contents

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. Zucker believed that the video game industry would experience similar growth in the future and subsequently established the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) later in 1991. [1] 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. [2] [3] 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. [4]

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 nominations were voted on by the academy's 300-member body. [5] 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. [1] The AIAS pitched the idea of a televised awards show to several television networks and eventually reached an agreement with TBS. [6] 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. [7] [8]

Format

Cybermania '94 was produced by the AIAS and TBS, with Peter Hayman of ICE Integrated Communications & Entertainment as executive producer. [6] [9] It was staged in the Universal Amphitheatre and broadcast live on TBS on Saturday, November 5, 1994, at 5:05 p.m. PST. [10] [11] The show ran for two hours with the actors Leslie Nielsen and Jonathan Taylor Thomas as hosts. [12] William Shatner narrated the nominee announcements. [9] 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. [5] [12] [13]

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. [6] [12] The eventual winner was Mortal Kombat . [12] Four out of twelve awards, making for almost half of all entertainment categories, were won by Philips Interactive Media. [5] [14] 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. [5]

Awards

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

Best Overall GameBest Action/Adventure
Best CD Computer GameBest Portable
Best ComedyBest Art and Graphics in an Interactive Product
  • Myst ‡
    • Tuneland
    • OceanLife II, III
    • Space: A Visual History
    • Macworld Interactive Vol. I, II
Best MusicBest Simulation/Strategy
Best SportsBest Actor – Female
Best Actor – MaleSpecial 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. [12] Journalistic reception was largely negative. [10] Bill Kunkel, writing for Electronic Games , criticized the show's production value, including missing details for games (such as platforms, 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". [13] 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". [12] In 2022, Time Extension contacted several of the show's winners, of whom several reported that they had not known the show was televised. [10]

Legacy

Cybermania '94 was the first televised video game awards show. [5] [9] The AIAS produced a follow-up event to Cybermania '94, 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. [15] The show was ultimately held online via Bravo on April 17, 1996, with host Ariana Richards. [16] [17] According to Joseph Olin, the 2004–2010 president of the AIAS, "maybe five people watched it". Reestablished in 1996, the academy went on to create the Interactive Achievement Awards in 1998. [18]

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. In 2014, he created The Game Awards, which he hosts. [9]

Related Research Articles

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The D.I.C.E. Award for Sports Game of the Year is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. This award recognizes games that "offer the user the opportunity to virtually reproduce a sporting experience: either a realistic portrayal of an actual sport or games that reproduce for the user experience of participating in an existing competitive sport". All active creative/technical, business, and affiliate members of the Academy are qualified to vote for this category. The award initially had separate awards for console games and computer games at the 1st Annual Interactive Achievement Awards in 1998, with the first winners being International Superstar Soccer 64 for console and FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 for computer. There have been numerous mergers and additions of sports-related games during the early years of the annual awards ceremony. The current version was established in 2006, with its winner being SSX on Tour.

The D.I.C.E. Award for Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. This award recognizes games "in which user directs or manipulates resources to create a set of conditions that result in success as determined within the confines of the game. These games can offer the user the chance to simulate or to virtually reproduce an experience, real or imaginary, which would require some form of equipment. Strategy games emphasize the planning of tactics rather than the execution". All active creative/technical, business, and affiliate members of the Academy are qualified to vote for this category. Originally, there were separate awards for strategy games and simulation games, which simulate aspects of the real world.

The D.I.C.E. Award for Family Game of the Year is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. This award recognizes "the best title of any genre towards a shared, family gaming experience. The title's play dynamics must be suitable for a younger audience but can appeal to adults as well. These games often offer a mini-game component and encourage group play". All active creative/technical, business, and affiliate members of the Academy are qualified to vote for this category. Originally only offered as a computer game category, the first winner was Lego Island, developed and published by Mindscape. The first console winner was Pokémon Snap in 2000. Since condensing the computer and console awards into a single category, the first winner of the current version was Guitar Hero in 2006.

The D.I.C.E. Award for Fighting Game of the Year is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. This award recognizes "titles that offer the use the virtual experience of controlling a character engaging in individual combat with another character usually from a fixed camera perspective. The opponent can either be controlled by another player or by the game". All active creative/technical, business, and affiliate members of the Academy are qualified to vote for this category. It was originally titled Console Fighting Game of the Year, before it was simplified to just Fighting Game of the Year. It is one of two categories, the other being Online Game of the Year, that is not limited to release within the calendar year but must be supported by significant new content.

The D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. This award is "presented to the individual or team whose work represents the highest level of achievement in designing a unified graphic look for an interactive title". Creative/technical Academy members with expertise as an artist, animator or programmer are qualified to vote for this award.

The D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. This award is "presented to the individual or team whose work represents the highest level of achievement in creating a unified audio experience. The quality of the individual sound effects, voice over, music, technology, and other audio elements will be considered in addition to the overall audio mix of the title". Creative/technical Academy members with expertise as a game designer, producer, audio designer, or musician are qualified to vote for this award.

The D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Game Design is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. This award is "presented to the title that most effectively combines interactive and non-interactive elements to create a cohesive gameplay experience. Outstanding design is exemplified by balanced system design, cohesive mechanics that relate to overall aesthetic direction, level layout, challenge flow, progression elements, interface design, and social game mechanics. This award recognizes the Lead Designer or Design Director in architecting all elements into a unified design". Creative/technical Academy members with expertise as a game designer or producer are qualified to vote for this award.

The D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Animation is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. This award is "presented to the individual or team whose work represents the highest level of achievement in bringing a character or characters to life. This award will consider the fluidity of movement, and interaction with the environment in addition to contextual realism ". Creative/technical Academy members with expertise as an artist, animator or programmer are qualified to vote for this award.

The D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. This award is "presented to the individual or team whose work represents the highest level of achievement in original musical composition for an interactive title. Both the quality of the score and the integration of the score into the title will be considered when determining the recipient of the award". Creative/technical Academy members with expertise as an audio designer or musician are qualified to vote for this award.

The D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. The award "celebrates the highest level of technical achievement through the combined attention to gameplay engineering and visual engineering. Elements honored include but are not limited to artificial intelligence, physics, engine mechanics, and visual rendering". Creative/technical Academy members with expertise as an artist, animator or programmer are qualified to vote for this award.

References

  1. 1 2 Jensen, Kris (October 30, 1994). "Best interactive works to take a bow on TV". The Atlanta Journal . p. P2. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ Lippman, John (June 17, 1993). "Oscar, Emmy, Tony: Move Over for Ajax". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  3. ↑ Harmon, Amy (June 22, 1993). "Interactive Interplay". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Interactive awards show set". Pasadena Star-News . March 11, 1994. p. Cheers!-13. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 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.
  6. 1 2 3 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.
  7. ↑ Mendoza, N.F. (September 11, 1994). "Preview '94 : Baby, It's Special". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  8. ↑ Richey, Rodney (September 25, 1994). "R&R". The Star Press . p. 13B. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 3 4 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.
  10. 1 2 3 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.
  11. ↑ Miller, Lesslie (October 31, 1994). "'Cybermania '94' to honor top computer entertainment". The Desert Sun . Gannett News Service. p. B6. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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.
  13. 1 2 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.
  14. ↑ "'Cybermania' Cites Tops In Multimedia". Billboard . BPI Communications. November 19, 1994. p. 58. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023– via Google Books.
  15. ↑ "Interactive Media Awards". Internet Underground. Vol. 1, no. 1. Sendai Media. December 1995. p. 20. Retrieved August 24, 2023– via Internet Archive.
  16. ↑ "The Second Annual AIAS Awards". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. 1996. Archived from the original on November 7, 1996.
  17. ↑ "Cyberspace". Los Angeles Times . April 15, 1996. p. D1. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ Takahashi, Dean (February 21, 2017). "DICE Awards turn 20: How gaming's Academy Awards have grown". VentureBeat . Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
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