Nintendo’s Don James will receive an AIAS lifetime achievement award

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) announced Don James, former leader and cornerstone of the Nintendo of America‘s legacy, will be honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

This recognition will be celebrated on the 28th year DICE Awardtaking place on February 13, 2025, at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas.

James joined Nintendo of America in 1981 as one of its first employees. As vice president of operations, he oversaw multiple departments including customer service, design, technical marketing, real estate, production engineering, quality control, operations, purchasing, product testing, technical services and technical translation.

During his tenure, James was instrumental in the creation of the video game rating system of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and the creation of the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA), now known as the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), where he served on the board.

In the early 1990s, James was a key figure in the creation of the popular Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). He was also an integral part of AIAS, serving as a board member since 1991.

James was also the senior director of Nintendo of America’s relationship with the Starlight Children’s Foundation. He also created the Nintendo GameCube Starlight Fun Center in 2002 and led Nintendo of America’s support of Starlight to bring games and movies to critically ill children in hospitals.

James is also an active supporter of charitable organizations, including the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Pratt Fine Arts Center.

“I am honored to receive this award from the Academy,” James said in a statement. “This business has many talented and creative people, and it has been a great privilege to know and work with many of them over the years. My career has been interesting and exciting, and I am proud of the opportunities I have been fortunate enough to receive. “

“Don James has been a humble and influential figure in the gaming industry, from his early work at Nintendo of America to his passion for the Starlight Children’s Foundation,” said Meggan Scavio, AIAS president, in a statement. “He’s done so many great things that have made a lasting difference throughout his career, including here at the Academy. We’re excited to celebrate his incredible legacy and contribution to the history of video games.”

The AIAS Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for individuals who accompany them and take a variety of courses over the years in the industry. Recipients are often individuals known for their business leadership and are not directly involved in development or production. Through their leadership and ideas, these people have driven significant and positive change throughout the industry.

Previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement award include: 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). More information about all the special honorees can be found here

Tickets to the 2025 DICE Summit and 28th Annual DICE Awards are available at . Stay up to date on all AIAS news by following AIAS on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter.