The Games Media Awards is a UK event, showcasing and recognizing specialist and mainstream games media. The event celebrates games media internationally, as well as in the UK. Our own Hollie Bennett was a finalist for the Rising Star award, this year. Amidst the celebrations and commiserations at the most recent event, on the 26th, the behavior of the evening’s sponsor, Grainger Games, ruined the experience for some.
The English retailer brought bikini clad women, midgets, a hideous orange hummer and the cherry on top — Grainger Games’ very own brand of condoms. Because all of those things simply scream videogame journalism. Those things on their own are random and tasteless, but it was the actions of the retail chain’s representatives that crossed the line. They heckled speakers, flicked condoms into people’s food, interrupted the host and according to Xbox LIVE editor, Daniel Maher, “two of them attempted to physically and verbally intimidate [him].” Classy stuff.
Stuart Dinsey, MD of Intent Media — the company who run the event — has issued a formal apology for the ludicrous behavior of Grainger Games and it certainly doesn’t look like they will have much of a future attending industry events.
I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize wholeheartedly for this — and to make it very clear that Grainger will not be welcome back in any capacity to the GMAs, or any Intent Media events.
One of the retailer’s area managers responsed to criticizm by asking if people don’t have better things to do. Perhaps he thinks videogame journalists should be covering politics or wars instead of things that happen in the industry. On the Grainger Games website a more thought out response was put up.
We wholeheartedly apologize if we offended anyone at last night’s GMAs. It was never our intention to upset anybody. We sponsored the awards to show our support for everyone invlived in games media and we continue to value and appreciate all their hard work and commitment.
A lovely sentiment, but I doubt it’s worth much to those who were heckled or had condoms thrown in their soup. Much like the recent controversy over Cannibal Corpse at BlizzCon, their actions were probably not malicious, but they were utterly stupid. Of course, unlike the BlizzCon fiasco, you’d expect an event sponsor and retail chain to be a bit more professional than a metal band.
I doubt the actions of the childish representatives of Grainger Games was enough to spoil the evening for the award winners, though. Eurogamer won best website, Edge walked away with best print magazine and Rock, Paper, Shotgun nabbed best blog.
Here’s the full list of the winners:
Games Magazine: Edge
Games Website: Eurogamer
Specialist Writer (Print): Christian Donlan – Freelance
Specialist Writer (Online): Keza Macdonald – Ign
Coverage In A National Newspaper: The Guardian
Coverage In A Mainstream Magazine: Shortlist
Regional Games Columnist: Dave Cook – The Scotsman
Games Broadcast/Podcast: Sentuamessage
Games Blog: Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Rising Star: Martin Gaston – Videogamer
Games Media Awards: Colin Campbell
Congratulations to all the winners.
Games Media Awards soured by sponsor… [gamesindustry.biz]
