Gamecock sorry about crashing Ken Levine's VGA speech

by Justin McElroy { Dec 11th 2007 at 9:45AM }

If you made it to the end of the Spike VGAs (and you weren't being paid to live blog it), we're not sure if we should be proud of you or pity you. You did, however, get to see one of the more interesting parts of the evening when Gamecock staffers (complete with red capes and combs) stormed the game of year award acceptance speech. It would have been funny, except the award was being accepted by the well-respected and liked Ken Levine for BioShock.

A day later, the company perhaps realized that it wasn't the smartest attention grab, with boss Mike Wilson telling us "the award acceptance they interrupted was the LAST one we would have wanted to interrupt, ("most addictive game fueled by mountain dew" would have been a wonderful choice) as we have the utmost respect and love for BioShock and all who were involved in it, and it totally sucks that Ken Levine didn't get to speak after making such a fantastic game." You can watch the video above to determine for yourself if Gamecock stepped over the line, just be aware: The video features near nudity, because the winners of all the awards were painted on actual naked women.

...No, seriously.

Tags: 2k-boston, bioshock, gamecock, ken-levine, kenlevine, spike, vgas, vgas-2007

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Dan Greenlees @ Dec 11th 2007 9:54AM

1st?>

Antonio @ Dec 11th 2007 9:54AM

FUCK!

ViagraFiend @ Dec 11th 2007 10:36AM

-1 for your fucking stupidity. Damn you 1st saying idiots!

Antonio @ Dec 11th 2007 9:54AM

OK, that just looked stupid and awkward. Leave the stage-storming to rappers with inflated egos.

Imadogg @ Dec 11th 2007 9:57AM

lolz all teh gurlz go 2 da 1st coment

Too bad for me :-/

Neil @ Dec 11th 2007 9:58AM

The guys in the capes were actually funny because they were making a mockery of a horrifically overrated game. The look on the guy on the right's face at the end is absolutely priceless.

As for the naked ladies thing, no wonder people don't take this seriously. This is disgraceful.

Vidikron (FU) @ Dec 11th 2007 11:02AM

So you don't like BioShock or naked women? -1 for you.

copa @ Dec 11th 2007 9:59AM

"The winners of all the awards were painted on actual naked women."

I really like naked women, and I find this ridiculously offensive.

Chris @ Dec 11th 2007 10:06AM

This is why videogames will never be taken seriously as an art form.

Idiots like Spike TV making us look like Neanderthals.

A Pissed-off English Gamer @ Dec 11th 2007 10:26AM

Not only is bioshock over-rated, but i whole-heartedly agree with the nagtivity on the presentation of these awards. Because painting the winner of these awards on half-naked women just screams "respect us as a community". And yes "They weren't naked. They were wearing bikini bottoms and had their breasts covered with tape. Chill." No, because whether they were naked or not it just shows that the audience these awards are aimed at wouldn't have even accepted a game winning unless it had guns in it, anyway.

Vidikron (FU) @ Dec 11th 2007 11:03AM

Oh no! Nudity! The end is near!

A Pissed-off English Gamer @ Dec 11th 2007 11:39AM

Vidikron, please. We like naked women as much as the next guy does, but it kind of undermines the idea of an award actually, you know, being prestigious or having any meaning.

Vidikron (FU) @ Dec 11th 2007 11:51AM

Meh... I just don't care either way. Some actresses walk around half-naked in their own award shows. This is surely a different level, but still. I just can't take this as a serious issue.

DP @ Dec 11th 2007 12:01PM

@ copa:

So do I.

Zsavior @ Dec 11th 2007 1:25PM

But these awards are meaningless, that is the point. LOL are gamers really trying to get behind spike video game awards? If Mario ran for President would you vote for him to give him the oh so important "gamer" vote, the voice that needs to be heard.

Just don't jump behind any band wagon, spike doesn't see a respected audience they see a demographic which watches their brand of programming. They are not picking these games on quality they are picking them on popularity with their demographic.

Takonis @ Dec 11th 2007 10:01AM

"The video features near nudity, because the winners of all the awards were painted on actual naked women."

Ok, I was expecting a naked lady with a picture of Ken Levine painted on...not of Bioshock.

Still, Classy all the way!

JontheNinja @ Dec 11th 2007 10:01AM

Gamecock? More like Gameprick

Chris @ Dec 13th 2007 6:05PM

I work for a theatrical company that actually sells this paint. The calendars the vendor sends us every year... well. Let's just say that we don't hang them up in view of the customers and that some of the employees fight over who gets to take it home at the end of the year.

Chris @ Dec 11th 2007 10:03AM

maybe i'm just ignorant, but isn't it against standard cable regulations to post nudity as blatant as this on basic cable?

There was a comic there who said the f word uncensored too over on a clip i saw at kotaku.. i'm a bit confused.

copa @ Dec 11th 2007 10:07AM

"Isn't it against standard cable regulations to post nudity as blatant as this on basic cable?"

You funny. Go check out NYC public access sometime.

Amsterdaam @ Dec 11th 2007 11:23AM

It's cable, they can do whatever they want. And the girls are wearing bottoms and pasties, so no issue there. I don't see the big deal with that, games are over the top, so should be the award show. What I didn't like was that it was one big advertisement.

And gamecock crossed the line, not cool at all.

mafafu @ Dec 11th 2007 1:21PM

You apparently have never watched any hour long drama on FX.

rv @ Dec 11th 2007 2:18PM

Only on basic channels is it illegal. On cable channels you can do whatever you want, really.

Antonio @ Dec 11th 2007 10:13AM

Oh yeah the naked ladies thing is just sad. Contrasts nicely with that Morgan Webb interview a few posts down the page.

Chris @ Dec 11th 2007 10:16AM

Gamecock is for the children.

KBeat @ Dec 11th 2007 10:15AM

They weren't naked. They were wearing bikini bottoms and had their breasts covered with tape. Chill.

BioShock was hands down the game of the year, weather or not PS3 and Nintendo fanboys are willing to give it any credit. That was a totally classless move by a group of attention whores. Ken and his team deserved better.

ExcaliburUnited007 @ Dec 11th 2007 10:40AM

I'm a Wii60 owner and I agree with you wholeheartedly...

The only two games that could have come close were Super Mario Galaxy and Mass Effect.

Assassin's Creed was GOTY material except for the few faults that some people found with it that they decided were major problems...

Sihylm @ Dec 11th 2007 11:34AM

Bioshock was over rated.

Orange Box was game of the year.

psyborg @ Dec 11th 2007 10:23AM

Lost a little respect for interupting Ken Levine, but fully won it back for basically bashing Halo 3 in their apology. Rock on Gamecock, you crazy assholes.

vectorelement @ Dec 11th 2007 10:30AM

I'm offended that some of you find nude women offensive.

arleigh.sandoc @ Dec 11th 2007 10:30AM

Wait, what was Gamecock released worth noting again?

dsub @ Dec 11th 2007 10:44AM

This just reminded me why I don't watch the VGA's.

Seriously? Announcing the winners by body painting their names on women? Wow. Could have fooled me that this was on spike.

Ian @ Dec 11th 2007 10:52AM

Uhm... they said 2 lines and walked off stage? How is that preventing Ken from speaking? If anything Ken looked like 'WTF?' But seriously... blown out of proportion. Its not like Ken was giving a speech and they busted in and he was not able to finish.

Ian @ Dec 11th 2007 10:54AM

Also, if anyone doesn't get it, its mocking ODB when WuTang didn't win album of the year at some award show. He busted on stage and said 'WuTang is fo' da childen.' or some such nonsense.

doobiwan @ Dec 11th 2007 11:01AM

Total idiots.

I support the idea of Gamecock but that was just in really poor taste.

PhoenixSS @ Dec 11th 2007 11:01AM

Man that was pretty much an ass of a thing to do by Gamecock.

PeterBeck @ Dec 11th 2007 11:25AM

This pretty much solidifies my view on Gamecock.

Independent publisher? Good.

Needless focus on retarded chicken costumes and Troma Films' marketing strategies? Baaaad.

ScottG13 @ Dec 11th 2007 11:39AM

Bad taste Gamecock. If I could find a way to contact you via your craptackular Flash website, I would and let you know how bad of taste that was. Wait till you have the respected body of work like Ken before you have the cred to pull something like that off. Jerks.

ScottG13 @ Dec 11th 2007 11:39AM

Loki_d20 @ Dec 11th 2007 2:50PM

So... where's the near-naked guy with the game painted on him? I mean, if they're going to do one, they should do both at the same time.

Stuka @ Dec 11th 2007 11:47AM

It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't such a half-assed attempt at an attention grab. If you're gonna do kind of crap, at least do it right like MCA did back in the day.

how_much_I_carrot @ Dec 11th 2007 11:47AM

I guess that with a name like "gamecock" it's pointless to hope they will ever give up the juvenile publicity stunts.

how_much_I_carrot @ Dec 11th 2007 11:58AM

then again this IS the spiketv VGAs so there is no point complaining about bad taste. How come gaming blogs still cover this show? Were they all paid off or put on the judging panel by now?

zuluhammer @ Dec 11th 2007 11:53AM

I SUPPORT THE COCKS!

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Dec 11th 2007 12:24PM

The Cocks will Rise Again!!!

BananaBoat @ Dec 11th 2007 12:06PM

SpikeTV, the same network that brought you stripperella and....uhh...screw it, noone watched Spike TV. Why the game industry gives them the time of day by sending people like Ken Levine, I have no idea. Probably for the money, but come on, grow a little dignity guys.

On another note...Rachel Bilson... Mama Mia, that's a spicy meataball