As far as I’m concerned, Andy Serkis is the best thing in every movie he’s been in ever. The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Tintin, Rise of the Planet of the Apes — everything. He’s also been a pretty big champion of video games, putting in memorable turns in Heavenly Sword and Enslaved. Now he’s saying that video games should be represented at the Oscars.
He also seems to think that motion capture technology, which was partly responsible for his own incredible performances, may be integrated into games in the future.
“Absolutely,” he replied, after being asked by if motion capture could eventually let players ‘become’ a video game character, “and that’s happening really with Wii and Nintendo Connect. That’s how it should be.”
We suspect that either Hollywood Reporter misheard and mistranscribed Kinect as ‘Nintendo Connect’, or Serkis himself was mistaken (most likely the former).
Serkis also claimed that games should follow the BAFTAs in the UK which has recently integrated video games into its awards.
“Games aren’t going to go away,” claimed Serkis. “BAFTA’s got a category for games as an art form. The Academy should think about that, too.”
Braaains
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 3:03 PMWho needs the Oscars when you’ve got the Spike VGAs?
UberRoxor
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 3:06 PMloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool
oggob
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 3:08 PMIndeed, not sure why the Academy is still fighting it and just concede the fact they need to join the Spike VGAs to survive
Allan
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 3:08 PMI saw some behind the scenes work of his on Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes and I was blown away, had no idea how much effort goes into a motion capture performance.
warcroft
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 3:09 PMOnly if its hosted by The Muppets.
Az
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 3:29 PMI like the idea he has (and is one of my favorite actors due to Rise of the Plant of the Apes not LOTR) though, Oscars are a lie and is just manipulated to get the most sales of news. Proof you ask? The slump in support for troops in Iraq by the American public saw a rise is support after the movie Hurt Locker won Oscar for best movie along with others, if you have seen the movie you know yourself its badly written, filmed and acting is rubbish. So it was propaganda at its finest and was so blatant the average Joe realised it.
I know a good game when I see one dont really have to be told by a critique or an award ceremony
Jordaan Mylonas
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 3:35 PMSecond last paragraph should read “Serkis also claimed that the Oscars” not “Serkis also claimed that games”.
And I disagree. Films are films, games are games. Should the Oscars include Novels as well?
The BAFTAS are different to the Oscars, in that the Oscars are just about film, whereas the BAFTAS, while focusing on film, also include other mediums.
jesse
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 3:53 PMi think the difference is that there is acting in games, but not novels
Jordaan Mylonas
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 4:00 PMThere’s acting in Commercials, should there be an Oscar for best commercial?
Toasty Fresh
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 4:42 PMCommercials are commercials though dude. You just don’t compare a commercial to a movie, nor to a videogame. Movies and videogames are a form of entertainment that is constantly getting more similar every day.
cayal
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 4:52 PMTheatre isn’t represented either despite being entertainment and acting.
Toasty Fresh
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 5:19 PMAnd is there any reason it shouldn’t be?
Benny
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 3:46 PMMy preciousss.
Lazlow
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 3:50 PMNo thanks.
The Oscars are film industry awards, they are awarded to various aspects of film production.
Games are not films.
At least they’re not supposed to be, but you can’t half tell from the dreck being made these days.
mchaza
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 4:02 PMWell they can start with best interactive entertainment then proceed from there with best motion capture performance in Interactive entertainment, followed up by best Sound in interactive entertainment. I wouldn’t care if they picked the “Artiest of games” like Heavy Rain, Limbo, LA Niore etc.
LF1MTank
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 4:04 PMI think his real point is that video games deserve their own prestigious awards ceremony, which is clearly saying the VGAs isn’t serving that purpose, which I’m inclined to agree. If the medium is to move forward and be accepted as cultural artefacts of society akin to film and literature, it needs a higher standard per se. That isn’t to say you take out the humour and qualities that have historically been attributed to video games, that’s important to its culture too, it’s just stuff like the tea bagging was absolutely unnecessary, and imo is an obstacle for the genre progressing forward in terms of mentality and cultural progression.
LF1MTank
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 4:06 PMLast sentence was meant to read “medium progressing forward” not “genre” -_-
Lebowski
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 4:07 PMThis isn’t a very good idea. Considering how shitty most of the Academies picks for movies are, imagine how bad the games selected by those cadaverous old fucks would be. “And the Academy Award for Best Game goes to… IPAD MAHJONG!!!!!”
Zac
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 4:11 PMAm I missing something? haven’t video games used motion capture since Mortal Kombat?
Plus to say games should be included in the Oscars would drain the Oscars in about 5 years since film entuhusiasts would be devestated to find their prestigious awards were won by video games
cayal
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 4:53 PMGames would have their own separate catergories…
Akra
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 4:16 PMProblem with video games and awards is simple. Movies has stars who people see all the time, video games have teams of guys and usually face less producers.
Video games are more like the people who win best editing and music at the oscars rather than something like best actor.
Lillee
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 4:21 PMFilms? what are those?
AkIRA
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 4:53 PMIt will never be at the Oscars, they are too douchey, and take themselves too seriously. Maybe,. just maybe there could be a best performance, or music, but that is such a stretch.
The best thing would be to have the Spike awards be the disgusting television thing that rewards sales and marketing aka the MTV VMAs and have a new REAL industry driven awards show,to be like the Grammy’s (though the Grammy’s are still fucked).
quicktooth
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 5:22 PMAndy could EASILY get an oscar for his role in Heavenly Sword. He ACTED WELL there. I’m glad he would like games to qualify for Oscars- he’s right. The performances are all there; the highest quality ones (like his) deserve awards. I didn’t like heavenly sword, but his character and performance were memorable and worth watching. Go Andy!
Kreedz86
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 5:39 PMAs much as I love Andy Serkis and his work in games such as Oddysey to the West… Please, PLEASE, PLEEEASE! Keep Hollywood out of Games. The last thing we want is for the Games Industry to become like Hollywood and all its snob celeb’s.
The Games Industry needs to create its own awards ceremony which is on Par with the Oscars but with all the fun kept in it. And for those of you who say “But theres the Spike VGA’s…” – No, just… No. /slap.
Kreedz86
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 5:42 PMAlso, It’s PERFORMANCE CAPTURE, not Motion capture… If you really loved Andy Serkis, you’d know this.
Chazz
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 11:03 PMMotion capture is still correct. Performance capture is just a finicky term that adds nothing for no reason whatsoever.
thyco1
Friday, December 16, 2011 at 6:22 PMTHe Oscars themselves needs to have a huge shake up as ive read that Stuntmen are unable to be nomiated for any of the awards even though that Stuntmen play just as big a part of making a movie/tv show as editing and music. Andy Serkis himself is not even allowed to nominated for best actor or supporting actor etc because the academy dont believe that motion capture is considered acting which is just pure and utter bullshit.
Plus we all know that the Oscars is just as badly rigged as WWE matches
Robbo
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 4:06 PMThey just need to start broadcasting the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Video Games Awards. Done.
Aaron
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 4:05 PMThis article should probably link back to John Scalzi’s initial post at his Whatever blog where I first read the idea for a campaign for a new academy category or a special award for Serkis a month ago.