Last night on February 15, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences partnered with IGN to livestream the 27th Annual D.I.C.E Awards in Las Vegas, NV. The hard work and creativity of hundreds of people in the game industry were celebrated while the Awards show announced 2023’s winning game titles for various categories. This year was particularly special because Koji Kondo, Nintendo’s legendary game music composer and sound director, attended the event to join the Academy’s prized Hall of Fame.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for selecting me to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I am very happy to be here. I’m very honored to have been chosen for this prestigious award. This year marks my 40th anniversary in the gaming industry,” said Kondo. He is the first video game composer in history to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. “I’m incredibly grateful to the staff at Nintendo with whom I’ve worked on so many games, and also to the game fans who spend so much time playing these games.” Kondo’s acknowledgements were received by a thunderous applause from participants at the show.
During the D.I.C.E. Awards, Tears of the Kingdom won Adventure Game of the Year and Super Mario Bros. Wonder received Family Game of the Year, which were both fitting bookends alongside Koji Kondo’s immense honor. Nate Bihldorff, Senior Vice President of Product Development and Publishing at Nintendo (and the voice of Shy Guy), received the award for Tears of the Kingdom on behalf of Nintendo staff. Though the D.I.C.E. Game of the Year Award ultimately went to Baldur’s Gate 3, the camaraderie shared between the various game industry workers was strong that night. It was a welcome sight after the grueling wave of layoff news for the industry in recent months.
If you missed out on the D.I.C.E Awards livestream, you can watch the playback and see Koji Kondo’s full statement on YouTube here.
