The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) introduced Don James, a longtime chief and cornerstone of Nintendo of America’s legacy, shall be honored with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.
This recognition shall be celebrated on the twenty eighth annual D.I.C.E Awards, going down on February 13, 2025, on the Aria Resort in Las Vegas.
James joined Nintendo of America in 1981 as one in all its first workers. As government vp of operations, he oversaw quite a few departments together with client providers, design, experiential advertising, actual property & services, manufacturing engineering, high quality management, provide chain operations, buying, product testing, technical providers and technical translation.
Throughout his tenure, James was instrumental within the creation of the online game business’s present Leisure Software program Rankings Board (ESRB) score system and the creation of the Interactive Digital Software program Affiliation (IDSA), at present referred to as the Leisure Software program Affiliation (ESA), the place he served on the board.
Within the early Nineties, James was key to the creation of the world-renowned Digital Leisure Expo (E3). He was additionally an integral a part of the AIAS, serving as a board member since 1991.
James was additionally the important thing steward of Nintendo of America’s relationship with Starlight Kids’s Basis. He co-designed the Nintendo GameCube Starlight Enjoyable Middle in 2002 and led Nintendo of America’s assist of Starlight to convey video games and films to noticeably ailing youngsters in hospitals.
James can also be an lively supporter of philanthropic organizations, together with the Fred Hutchinson Most cancers Analysis Middle and the Pratt Superb Arts Middle.
“I’m actually honored to obtain this award from the Academy,” mentioned James, in an announcement. “This business is stuffed with so many proficient and inventive folks, and it’s been an absolute privilege attending to know and work with so lots of them over the a long time. My profession has actually been a wild and enjoyable journey, and I’m happy with all of the alternatives I used to be lucky sufficient to obtain.”
“Don James has been each a humble and integral a part of the video games business, from his foundational work at Nintendo of America to his passions on the Starlight Kids’s Basis,” mentioned Meggan Scavio, President of the AIAS, in an announcement. “He has pushed numerous impactful initiatives which have created lasting change all through his profession, together with right here on the Academy. We’re thrilled to rejoice his extraordinary legacy and immense contributions to online game historical past.”
The AIAS Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for people whose accompaniments span a broad vary of disciplines over a prolonged profession within the business. Recipients are usually people distinguished for his or her enterprise management and will not be essentially concerned within the improvement or inventive course of. By way of their management and beliefs, these people have pushed important and constructive change throughout the business.
Earlier recipients of the Lifetime Achievement award embody: Minoru Arakawa and Howard Lincoln (2006), Ken Kutaragi (2007), Doug Lowenstein (2009), Bing Gordon(2010), Satoru Iwata (2015), Genyo Takeda (2017) and Phil Spencer (2022). Extra details about all particular award honorees might be discovered right here
Tickets to the 2025 D.I.C.E. Summit and twenty eighth Annual D.I.C.E. Awards might be discovered at . Keep updated on all AIAS information by following the AIAS on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter.
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