Spike TV kicks butt, pure and simple. The latest event they’re putting on just goes to drive this point home for me. Now besides having all of my old Star Trek episodes that I have carefully integrated into my TiVo’s ‘to do list’, they’re going to be putting on the gaming event of the year. Too cool!

Spike TV along with a handful of actors and musicians are going to be showing us the best and brightest in the world of video games from all consoles. Some of the ones to watch will be GTA- San Andreas and of course Halo 2. Who could as for more?

The stars of the video game industry came out in force on Tuesday night to honor their peers for creative excellence — taking a page from the Hollywood playbook with red carpets, glittering gems and a live nationwide broadcast.

The blockbuster criminal adventure game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” took Game of the Year honors at the Spike TV Video Game Awards, the cable network’s second annual show honoring the $10 billion games industry.

The awards were the latest mark of legitimacy for the gaming business, increasingly the fourth pillar of the entertainment industry along with movies, music and TV. Games sales regularly rival box-office receipts, and the largest game publishers take in more than $1 billion a year in revenue.