The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences announced the 19th Annual DICE Award nominees on Wednesday. Late Nintendo President Saturo Iwata was also listed to receive the rare Lifetime Achievement Award from the academy.
Iwata passed away in July 2015 at the age of 55 after a long battle with health issues related to a tumor in his bile duct. The legendary game creator helped launch titles such as Kirby, Earthbound, Balloon Fight, and Super Smash Bros. before moving on to become Nintendo’s president in 2002 and CEO in 2012. He oversaw an incredibly successful run with the launch of the Nintendo DS handhelds and Wii console.
He was perhaps best known in the past few years for the quirky Nintendo Directs he hosted and displayed his own unique humor.
The Lifetime Achievement Award has only been given by the Academy four times before. PlayStation’s Ken Kutaragi and previous Nintendo of America heads Minoru Arakawa and Howard Lincoln were honored along with ESA founder Doug Lowenstein.
The DICE 2016 award show will take place Thursday, Feb. 18, at The Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The award nominees for the major categories are as follows with the complete list found here.
Game of the Year
- Bloodborne (From Software/Sony)
- Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
- Ori and the Blind Forest (Moon Studios/Microsoft)
- Rise of the Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix)
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt RED)
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
- Life is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment/Square Enix)
- Rise of the Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix)
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt RED)
- Undertale (Toby Fox)
Adventure Game of the Year
- Batman: Arkham Knight (Rocksteady Studios/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
- Life is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment/Square Enix)
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Kojima Productions/Konami)
- Ori and the Blind Forest (Moon Studios/Microsoft)
- Rise of the Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix)
Action Game of the Year
- Destiny: The Taken King (Bungie/Activision)
- Helldivers (Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony)
- Just Cause 3 (Avalanche Studios/Square Enix)
- Star Wars Battlefront (DICE/Electronic Arts)
- Splatoon (Nintendo EAD Group No. 2/Nintendo of America)
Mobile Game of the Year
- DomiNations (Big Huge Games/Nexon M)
- Fallout Shelter (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
- Lara Croft GO (Square Enix Montreal/Square Enix)
- Pac-Man 256 (Hipster Whale/Bandai Namco)
- The Room Three (Fireproof Games/Fireproof Studios)
Mobile Game of the Year
- DomiNations (Big Huge Games/Nexon M)
- Fallout Shelter (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
- Lara Croft GO (Square Enix Montreal/Square Enix)
- Pac-Man 256 (Hipster Whale/Bandai Namco)
- The Room Three (Fireproof Games/Fireproof Studios)
DICE Sprite Award
- Her Story (Sam Barlow)
- Galak-Z (17-Bit)
- Kerbal Space Program (Squad)
- Rocket League (Psyonix)
- Undertale (Toby Fox)
[Image via Nintendo Direct]
