Gunpei Yokoi gets IGDA lifetime achimevement award

[thray-walsh]

Gameboy Creator Gunpei Yokoi To Receive IGDA's Lifetime Achievement Award
At The 3rd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards


SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Feb. 20, 2003 - The International Game Developers Association
(IGDA) will recognize legendary game developer Gunpei Yokoi for the innovative
work he produced during his career. Yokoi will be honored with the Lifetime
Achievement Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony on March
6 during CMP Media's Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Jose, Calif.
Last year's recipient, Yuji Naka, will be presenting the award, which Yokoi's
family will be accepting on his behalf.

"I am as deeply honored to be presenting this award as I was to receive
it," said Yuji Naka, president and CEO, SONICTEAM, LTD., a SEGA development
studio. "To have a life's work recognized by other game creators is the
most meaningful honor one could receive."

In a career spanning nearly three decades, Yokoi is best known as the creator
of the Nintendo Game Boy. Overwhelmingly popular since its launch, the
Game Boy and its successors have sold more than 142 million units worldwide.

During his early years at Nintendo, Yokoi led the company's entry into
the video game space, creating the Game & Watch - a credit card-sized video
game that introduced the cross-shaped directional pad. He went on to collaborate
with Shigeru Miyamoto to design arcade classics such as "Donkey Kong,"
"Mario Brothers" and "Metroid."

In 1996, Yokoi founded Koto Laboratory, while continuing to consult for
Nintendo. Tragically, Yokoi was killed in a traffic accident the following
year.

"Gunpei Yokoi is the forefather of the portable video game industry," said
Jason Della Rocca, program director, IGDA. "His innovation and creativity
are sorely missed in our community. We're proud to recognize Yokoi-san
and his work with the Lifetime Achievement Award."

The Game Developers Choice Awards Advisory Board selects the recipient
of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The ceremony for the 3rd annual Game Developers Choice Awards, the premier
accolades for peer-recognition in game development, is scheduled to take
place at 6:30 p.m. on March 6, 2003, at the GDC. Produced by the Gama
Network, the GDC is the world's largest conference and exposition dedicated
to video game development and related industries.

[Kinopio]

Well deserved. Didn't he design the NES controller as well?

They made no mention of the virtual boy. im not suprised.

[Rumpy]

The acccident happened in 1997? Didn't realize it was that long ago.

[xS]

Has anyone played the wonderswan game called Gunpei Yokoi?

[sleeve]

Yokoi is more than just the "father of the Game Boy." He's the father of modern game console design, period.

This is great news. About time he got the recognition he deserved (and that Nintendo denied him).

[Jeremy]

Good to see him finally get the recognition he deserves after Nintendo slapped him in the face time and time again.

[MVS]

Yeah, they sure slapped his shit down by making that Virtual Boy.

I'm sure Yamauchi was dying to make that thing, and did so only out of spite for Yokoi.

[xS]

:jest:

[Yamcha]

A long overdue award. I remember reading about when he died, back then I didn't have the appreciation for the guy that I do now. If you think about it, with just G&W and Game Boy he was as important to Nintendo as Miyamoto, if not more so.

[skelly]

Kid Icarus and Metroid are my favorite Yokoi creations.
And Balloon Fight was the best blatant rip-off ever.