Reflecting the changes in the video game industry, one of the big winners at the Canadian Videogame Awards (CVAs) on Saturday was Toronto indie studio Capybara Games, which nabbed five awards for its iOS game Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution, developed at Eidos Montreal for Square Enix, also picked up five of the maple leaf trophies.
Game of the year, which was determined by online voting by the general public, went to EA Canada’s FIFA 12. The full list of winners is below.
Held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, the third annual event was an entertaining evening more akin to a variety show than a boring awards program. It made for a pleasant live show, and is bound to be fast paced in a one-hour broadcast on Citytv and G4 Canada on April 28.
Writer and actor David Hayter, the voice of Solid Snake in Konami’s Metal Gear franchise, hosted the event with panache. He was affable and thankfully free of the attitude that might be expected of a celebrity host. It helped that he’s been part of the video game industry for such a long time, having first voiced characters in video games in Japan some 25 years ago.
The event started off with a video of Hayter doing a Billy Crystal-like round-up of the various video game genres. That skit set the stage for the night, a mostly funny collection of comedy sketches, including a great video of Canadian actor Jay Baruchel in which he claims that the game of the year, for 19 years running, is NHL ’93.
Hayter also filmed a couple of clever “talking to Americans” bits filmed at a Best Buy in Van Nuys, California and on the Hollywood Boulevard strip, asking people to name their favourite made-in-Canada video game. At one point he referred to himself the “Bob Denver of video game voice actors”.
There was also a showdown of the voice actors, with Hayter, Elias Toufexis (the voice of Adam Jensen in Deus Ex: Human Revolution), and Eric Ladin (the voice of Cole MacGrath in Infamous 2) throwing around their favourite movie lines and ending with Ladin doing a pitch-perfect Nicholson from A Few Good Men.
The musical entertainment was provided by 54-40’s Dave Genn playing with the Odds. They performed songs from the nominees for original music with some amazing arrangements.
This was the third year for the awards, which are coproduced by Victor Lucas’s Greedy Productions and Reboot Communications, and it was by far the biggest, flashiest affair so far.
As the event’s title sponsor, Future Shop had a noticeable presence, including a red carpet walk for VIPs. And genuine celebrities—from the Real Housewives of Vancouver to Lou Ferigno and a host of actors living and working in Vancouver—were on hand at the third CVAs.
Future Shop’s sponsorship also resulted in a noticeable bump in production values for the CVAs. Slick, entertaining, and professional, it was an ideal celebration of Canadian video game talent.
Winners of the 2012 Canadian Videogame Awards
Game of the year
FIFA Soccer 12 (EA Canada for EA Sports)
Console game
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal for Square Enix)
Game on the go
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (Capybara Games)
Downloadable game
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (Capybara Games)
Social/casual game
Margaritaville Online (Exploding Barrel Games for THQ)
Indie game
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (Capybara Games)
Audio
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal for Square Enix)
Original music
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (Capybara Games)
Game design
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal for Square Enix)
Technology
Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012 (Ubisoft Montreal)
Visual arts
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (Ubisoft Montreal)
Writing
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal for Square Enix)
New character
Adam Jensen from Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal for Square Enix)
Innovation
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (Capybara Games)
Future Shop Gamer’s Choice Award
NHL 12 (EA Canada for EA Sports)
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