Spike TV to Present First-Ever Televised Presentation of the 'Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2005"

    NEW YORK, May 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Spike TV will celebrate the best in the
 world of videogames with the first-ever televised presentation of "Game
 Critics Awards: The Best of E3" awards. This announcement event will take
 place on Spike TV Tuesday, June 7 at 11:25 PM, ET.  Leading up to and
 immediately following this special award announcement, Spike TV will feature
 an entire evening of videogame themed programming with special presentations
 of E3 CINEMA and THE ULTIMATE GAMER.
     The "Game Critics Awards: Best of E3" is presented annually by The Game
 Critics Awards, an independent group of videogame journalists from 35 leading
 media outlets.  Now in its ninth year, these awards recognize the games that
 will shape the future of interactive entertainment. Games eligible for
 nomination were shown during the May 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo,
 better known as E3, the world's largest videogame convention.
     This year's Game Critics Awards will be presented in 16 wide-ranging
 categories. At 11:25 PM ET, Spike TV will present a commercial-free telecast
 of the "Game Critics Awards: Best of E3" awards, announcing the winners in the
 five top categories -- Best of Show, Best Original Game, Best PC Game, Best
 Console and Best Peripheral/Hardware. Viewers will see footage of winning
 games, watch interviews with the game designers, and hear commentary from the
 Game Critics Awards judges. Winners in all categories will be simultaneously
 announced on the Internet at http://www.spiketv.com,
 http://www.gamecriticsawards.com and through many of the media outlets
 represented on the Game Critics Award panel.
     Leading up to Spike TV's telecast of "Game Critics Awards: The Best of E3"
 announcement, the network will present a videogame inspired CASINO CINEMA
 presentation of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (9:00 - 11:25 PM, ET/PT).  This
 1997 fantasy/action film is based on the popular video game where a group of
 martial arts warriors have only six days to save the Earth from an
 extra-dimensional invasion.   Game Critics Awards co-chairman Geoff Keighley
 and videogame journalist Zoe Flower will be on hand during CASINO CINEMA to
 talk about some of this year's "Game Critics Awards: Best of E3" nominees.
     Immediately following the awards announcement, Spike TV will premiere THE
 ULTIMATE GAMER: E3 (11:30 PM - Midnight, ET/PT).  This original special will
 take viewers for an inside look at the E3, the world's largest video game
 industry convention and will offer a sneak peek at some of the games that will
 start hitting stores later this year.  THE ULTIMATE GAMER specials present
 some of videogame's hottest and most anticipated game titles.  The series
 features never before seen game footage, highlights incredible play action of
 upcoming releases and surprises the "ultimate" fan of a particular video game
 franchise, sending him on a whirlwind tour to experience the game in real
 life.
 
     Spike TV, the first network for men, is available in 88 million homes and
 is a division of MTV Networks.  MTV Networks, a division of Viacom
 International Inc. (NYSE:   VIA, VIA.B).
 
 

SOURCE  Spike TV