The awards show then took off, and our first disappointment of the night was Assassin’s Creed II winning best Action/Adventure game over Uncharted 2. The entire room of 100+ people was very vocal, which made the show seem more intense. Food was served a little bit after the program started, buffet style, and choices included chicken, potatoes, broccoli and other vegetables, various pizzas, and salads. Drinks were also free and included numerous sodas and teas. Alcoholic drinks were available but were, as usual, extra.
During each commercial break, Jeff Rubenstein and Chris Morell held raffles. Occasionally the Naughty Dog team members drew the tickets, which was cool. Most of the prizes were games that any self-respecting PlayStation 3 owner ought to have in their collection by now – Uncharted 2, Killzone 2, Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack In Time, and LittleBigPlanet (Though that was the GOTY edition). There were also unique items such as a God of War III 2010 calendar of which only two exist, and a custom-made Resistance: Retribution leather jacket that matched what lead character James Grayson wears during his adventures. My ticket number was 851946 – one jacket was given away to 851964. Just switch those last two numbers!
Finally, after numerous awards being handed out, the time came for the Game of the Year award. The people at my table had come to the conclusion that Uncharted 2 would likely not win, since Assassin’s Creed II had bested it in the Action/Adventure category. The Naughty Dog team was noticeably on-edge, and the entire room went quiet. The moment the speaker’s lips said “Unch…” the room filled with shouts of over 100 people and fists flew up into the air. A few acceptance speeches were said both on the television and in the room, and there was one last giveaway – a signed Uncharted 2 Fortune Hunter Edition. Sadly I did not win that, since it was based off the best score on the ballots handed out at the beginning of the event. But I came home with some nice signed swag and the memory of the best surprise win of the night. If any of you live anywhere near the places where these meetups are held, I would highly recommend attending because they are a blast and so worth the effort needed to secure a spot.
