1st Primetime Gammy Awards

[AndreaDraco83]

I beg your pardon for the lousy title. Inspired by this thread (http://www.adventuregamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23341), and given that September is traditionally Emmy's time, I thought that choosing only one title is unfair: how can one compare a dark-themed, adult adventure game with a light-hearted, comedic one? Hardly. So, I changed the Emmy's categories to fit our genre, and now I pose you the following recipients for our award.

Outstanding Comedy Game or Series
Outstanding Drama Game or Series
Outstanding Design for a Comedy Game or Series
Outstanding Design for a Drama Game or Series
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Game or Series
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Game or Series
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Drama Game or Series
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Drama Game or Series
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Drama Game or Series
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Drama Game or Series
Outstanding Art Design for a Comedy Game or Series
Outstanding Art Design for a Drama Game or Series
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Comedy Game or Series
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Drama Game or Series

I think that they're enough for now. As soon as I stop working, I'll post my vote :)
PS: If this kind of awards will turn out to be popular, we can even host several polls, one for each category! Oh, and by the way: I'm hugely disappointed that Lost didn't won anything.

[Kurufinwe]

Ooh, fun!

(and terribly hard to answer too ;))

Outstanding Comedy Game or Series: Sam & Max series
Outstanding Drama Game or Series: Phoenix Wright, Trials and Tribulations
Outstanding Design for a Comedy Game or Series Ron Gilbert, The Secret of Monkey Island
Outstanding Design for a Drama Game or Series: Chris Jones, Aaron Conners, The Pandora Directive
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Game or Series: Brendan Q. Ferguson, Chuck Jordan et al., Sam & Max: Season 2
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Game or Series: Jordan Mechner, Tomi Pierce, The Last Express
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series: Guybrush Threepwood, Monkey Island series
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Drama Game or Series: Gabriel Knight, Gabriel Knight series
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series: Passionate Patti, Leisure Suit Larry series
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Drama Game or Series: April Ryan, The Longest Journey
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series: Max, Sam & Max series
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Drama Game or Series: Miles Edgeworth, Phoenix Wright series
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series: Franziska von Karma, Phoenix Wright series (I know I classified the PW games as drama earlier, but they're really both, and Franzie has a comedic role)
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Drama Game or Series: Regan Madsen, The Pandora Directive
Outstanding Art Design for a Comedy Game or Series: Brian Belfield, Mark Lorenzen, Edward Schofield, The Neverhood
Outstanding Art Design for a Drama Game or Series: Andy Hoyos, King's Quest V
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Comedy Game or Series: Michael Z. Land, Peter McConnell, Clint Bajakian, Monkey Island series
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Drama Game or Series: Stéphane Picq, Dune

Argh! So many games, so few awards...

Oh, and by the way: I'm hugely disappointed that Lost didn't won anything.
Me too. :frown:

[AndreaDraco83]

I'll go with my awards, which - as you may imagine - are very Sierra-oriented ;)
I should mention that given their light-hearted nature, I'm gonna put King's Quest games in the "Comedy" category, since even in the Emmys they put "Desperate Housewives" in Comedy :)

Outstanding Comedy Game or Series: King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone tomorrow
Outstanding Drama Game or Series: Gabriel Knight series
Outstanding Design for a Comedy Game or Series: Jane Jensen & Roberta Williams, King's Quest VI: Heir today, Gone tomorrow
Outstanding Design for a Drama Game or Series: Jane Jensen, Gabriel Knight series
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Game or Series:Al Lowe & Josh Mandel Freddy Pharkas Frontier Pharmacist
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Game or Series: Jane Jensen, Gabriel Knight: The Beast Within
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series: King Graham of Daventry, King's Quest series
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Drama Game or Series: Gabriel Knight Gabriel Knight series
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series: Passionate Patti, Leisure Suit Larry 3
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Drama Game or Series: Grace Nakimura, Gabriel Knight
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series: Srini, Freddy Pharkas Frontier Pharmacist
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Drama Game or Series: Baron Von Glower, Gabriel Knight: The Beast Within
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series: Princess Cassima, King's Quest VI: Heir today, Gone tomorrow
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Drama Game or Series: Chelsee Bando, Tex Murphy series tied with The White Dragon, Dreamfall
Outstanding Art Design for a Comedy Game or Series: Peter Chan & Peter Tsaykel, Grim Fandango (I really have to mention a Lucas game, eheh)
Outstanding Art Design for a Drama Game or Series: Nicole Tostevin, The Last Express
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Comedy Game or Series: Al Lowe, The Ballad of Freddy Pharkas
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Drama Game or Series: Robert Holmes, Gabriel Knight: The Beast Within

[colpet]

This is fun!
Outstanding Comedy Game or Series - Tex Murphy series
Outstanding Drama Game or Series - Myst and sequels
Outstanding Design for a Comedy Game or Series - Runaway
Outstanding Design for a Drama Game or Series - Myst and sequels
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Game or Series - Tex Murphy
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Game or Series - Gabriel knight 2 Beast Within
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series - Tex Murphy
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Drama Game or Series - Gabriel Knight (Beast Within)
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series - Nico (Broken sword series)
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Drama Game or Series - Me (as AFGNAAP)
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series - Arthur (Journeyman Project 2 and 3)
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Drama Game or Series - Baron Von Glower
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series - Chelsea (Pandora Directive)
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Drama Game or Series - Yeesha (Myst and Uru games)
Outstanding Art Design for a Comedy Game or Series - Neverhood
Outstanding Art Design for a Drama Game or Series - Riven
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Comedy Game or Series - Runaway
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Drama Game or Series - Gabriel Knight 3 Blood of the Sacred

[AndreaDraco83]

This thread was surely unsuccessful :D

[Squinky]

Sorry. I tried, but most of my favourite games are dark comedies that are also sort of dramatic, so I had a hard time figuring out where to put them.

[AndreaDraco83]

The Emmy Jury put everything with a - subtle or not-so-subtle - comedic, dark or otherwise, tone in the Comedy category. I know that this is a huge generalization, but it's also quite effective :)

I think that this thread would have been more successful with a poll, maybe something like: Vote your favorite comedy adventure between those ten, but then I'd surely been questioned about the choices of the categories :)

[Squinky]

In that case, I haven't really played any games devoid of even the subtlest hint of comedy -- anything that's overly "serious" usually undermines its purpose and becomes cheesily melodramatic, and what comedy does is add a bit of humanity and help me care about the characters and situation a bit better. But that's really just me. The point is, I won't make a very good member of the jury. :)

[AndreaDraco83]

Let's try it this way: :D

Award for Outstanding Comedy Series or Standalone Game

1) Monkey Island series or specific game
2) Sam & Max series
3) Grim Fandango
4) Day of the Tentacle
5) Leisure Suit Larry series or specific game
6) King's Quest series or specific game
7) Space Quest series or specific game
8) Phoenix Wright series or specific game
9) Indiana Jones series or specific game
10) Other (specify)

[Squinky]

I'm confused again... are we evaluating these as overall games, or are we evaluating them based on how funny we find them?

Taking both criteria into account, I'm torn between Grim Fandango and Full Throttle.

[AndreaDraco83]

I'm confused again... are we evaluating these as overall games, or are we evaluating them based on their comedy?

As overall games. The Comedy is just a label, to indicate - as in the Emmys or the Golden Globes - a light-hearted game. Maybe, for clearness sake, you can divide between Light-Hearted (Comedy) and Heavy-Hearted (Drama), given that even in a "comedy" (i. e. Sex and the City) there is place to drama and even in the most serious drama (i. e. Twin Peaks or Six Feet Under) there can be laugh!

My vote, by the way, goes to King's Quest Vi: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow

[DEMON]

Outstanding Comedy Game or Series - Monkey Island series
Outstanding Drama Game or Series - Gabriel Knight series
Outstanding Design for a Comedy Game or Series - Ron Gilbert: Monkey Island
Outstanding Design for a Drama Game or Series - Jane Jensen: Gabriel knight series
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Game or Series - Sam & Max: Season 1
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Game or Series - Jane Jensen: Gabriel Knight Series
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series - Guybrush Threepwood, Monkey Island
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Drama Game or Series - Gabriel Knight
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series - Kate Walker, Syberia (as I consider that game a joke on me), otherwise Passionate Patty, Leisure Suit Larry 3
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Drama Game or Series - April Ryan, The Longest Journey
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series - Murray, Monkey Island series
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Drama Game or Series - Crow, The Longest Journey
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series - no idea
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Drama Game or Series - Grace Nakimura, Gabriel Knight 1
Outstanding Art Design for a Comedy Game or Series - The Neverhood
Outstanding Art Design for a Drama Game or Series - no idea
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Comedy Game or Series - Monkey Island: A pirate I was meant to be...
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Drama Game or Series - Robert Holmes: Gabriel Knight series

[colpet]

In that case, I haven't really played any games devoid of even the subtlest hint of comedy
I'm the opposite. I've only played drama games, and even though Tex Murphy is technically that, I laughed quite a bit at his comments. That's why I categorized the games as comedy.
The only truly 'funny' games I've played are:
Runaway
Neverhood
Stupid Invaders
Zork Grand Inquisitor
Chaos a Fantasy Adventure.

[AndreaDraco83]

I'm the opposite. I've only played drama games, and even though Tex Murphy is technically that, I laughed quite a bit at his comments.

In my opinion, even the darkest drama has its comedic moments: Sins of the Fathers had plenty of them, as does Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned. I agree with Squinky about the necessity of a little comedy, a subtle laugh sometimes, to dilute the heaviness. But, it's also true that, like you, I too am much more inclined toward drama games.

[Jelena]

This will pose a slight problem to me as I haven't played that many comedy games. Anyway, here goes...

Outstanding Comedy Game or Series- Grim Fandango
Outstanding Drama Game or Series - The Longest Journey
Outstanding Design for a Comedy Game or Series- Grim Fandango
Outstanding Design for a Drama Game or Series- Riven
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Game or Series- Discworld Noir
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Game or Series- Gabriel Knight The Beast Within
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series- Lewton
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Drama Game or Series- Gabriel Knight
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series- Nico
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Drama Game or Series- April Ryan
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series-Glottis
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Drama Game or Series- Von Glower
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series- ?
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Drama Game or Series- Grace Nakimura
Outstanding Art Design for a Comedy Game or Series-Grim Fandango
Outstanding Art Design for a Drama Game or Series- Black Dahlia
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Comedy Game or Series- ?
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Drama Game or Series- The music in the Gallery of URU.

[Squinky]

As overall games. The Comedy is just a label, to indicate - as in the Emmys or the Golden Globes - a light-hearted game. Maybe, for clearness sake, you can divide between Light-Hearted (Comedy) and Heavy-Hearted (Drama), given that even in a "comedy" (i. e. Sex and the City) there is place to drama and even in the most serious drama (i. e. Twin Peaks or Six Feet Under) there can be laugh!

In that case, I'd be inclined to put Grim Fandango and Full Throttle in the "drama" section, because they aren't really "light-hearted".

[AndreaDraco83]

I'm with you with Full Throttle, but I consider Grim Fandango still a comedy because, whilst dealing with serious themes (like death), it approaches them in a grotesque, Burton-esque way.

All in all, it's only a matter of point of view ;)

[Panthera]

Outstanding Comedy Game or Series: Apollo Justice (I feel the whole series is made to be comedic)
Outstanding Drama Game or Series: The longest Journey
Outstanding Design for a Comedy Game or Series: Phoenix Wright: Trials and tribulation
Outstanding Design for a Drama Game or Series: funny, I love drama games, and have played quite a few, but I find none to have "outstanding" design. They all have faults with either puzzles, movement or interaction
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Game or Series: Sam and Max season one
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Game or Series: The Longest Journey
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series: Sam
Outstanding Lead Male Character for a Drama Game or Series: George Stobbart (Broken Sword one and two only)
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series: Can't remember having played a humour game with a lead female
Outstanding Lead Female Character for a Drama Game or Series: April Ryan
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Comedy Game or Series: Max
Outstanding Supporting Male Character for a Drama Game or Series: Oscar (especially for Syberia II)
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Comedy Game or Series: Maya Fey/Trucy Wright
Outstanding Supporting Female Character for a Drama Game or Series: hmm.. rather the opposite problem here, most of the drama games I've played have female protagonists and therefore few female supporting characters
Outstanding Art Design for a Comedy Game or Series: Grim Fandango
Outstanding Art Design for a Drama Game or Series: Hotel Dusk
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Comedy Game or Series: Sam and Max - Jared Emerson Johnson
Outstanding Music Score/Song for a Drama Game or Series: The Longest Journey - Bjørn Arve Lagim and Tor Linløkken

I would also like to add the category:
Outstanding voicework (can possibly add female and male, but I have only one to nominate):
David Suchet as Hercule Poirot in MotOE

[AndreaDraco83]

About the voice acting:

Outstanding Male Voicework: Roger Raines, Crow, The Longest Journey

Outstanding Female Voicework: Leah Remini, Grace Nakimura, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers

PS: Other categories you guys want to add?