Legendary Game Developer to be Honored at Ceremony During
Game Developers Conference
SAN FRANCISCO, March 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Game Developers
Association (IGDA) will proudly recognize Yuji Naka, President and CEO of
SEGA(R)'s SONICTEAM, LTD. for the innovative and award-winning work he has
produced during his career. Naka will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award
during the Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony on March 21 at the Game
Developers Conference in San Jose, Calif.
In a career spanning nearly two decades, Naka is best known as the creator
of video game industry icon and long-time SEGA mascot, Sonic The Hedgehog(R).
During his tenure at SEGA, Naka has headed the development of the wildly
popular "Sonic The Hedgehog(TM)" franchise, which has sold over 20 million
copies worldwide. Under his management, SONICTEAM has since created many
other hit titles, including "Nights(TM)" for SEGA Saturn(TM), "Samba de
Amigo(TM)" for the arcade and SEGA Dreamcast(TM), "Phantasy Star Online(TM),"
the first global online console RPG, for SEGA Dreamcast(TM) and most recently
"Sonic Adventure(TM) 2 Battle" for Nintendo GameCube(TM), marking the first
time Sonic The Hedgehog has appeared on a new next-generation video game
console.
Prior to his work on the SONICTEAM, Naka led development on gaming
classics "F16 Fighting Falcon(TM)," "Phantasy Star(TM)," "Ghouls Ghost(TM)"
and many others. His contributions to interactive entertainment have been in
the simulator, RPG and action/adventure genres and across multiple gaming
platforms.
"I am honored to be recognized by the IGDA for my life's works," said Yuji
Naka. "My passion is games and I look forward to many more years of creating
new and innovative gaming experiences for a variety of platforms."
The Game Developers Choice Awards advisory board selects the recipient of
the Lifetime Achievement Award.
"Yuji Naka is an inspiration in our industry for his originality and
vision," said Jason Della Rocca, program director, IGDA. "Our community and
craft are better for his contribution. It is our honor to recognize Naka and
his work with the Lifetime Achievement Award."
The 2nd annual Game Developers Choice Awards, the premier accolades for
peer-recognition in game development, are scheduled to take place at 7:30 p.m.
on March 21, 2002, 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.
About the International Game Developers Association (IGDA)
The International Game Developers Association is a non-profit association
established by game developers to foster the creation of a worldwide game
development community. The IGDA's mission is to build a community of game
developers which leverages the expertise of its members for the betterment of
the industry and the development of the art form. For more information on the
IGDA, please visit http://www.igda.org or e-mail info@igda.org.
About the Gama Network
Providing resources for game development for more than 10 years, the Gama
Network is where professional creators of interactive entertainment come for
information, interaction and inspiration. The Gama Network includes the Game
Developers Conference, the Independent Games Festival, Game Developer magazine
and Gamasutra.com . For more information, please visit http://www.gamanetwork.com .
About CMP Media LLC
CMP Media LLC ( http://www.cmp.com ) is a leading high-tech media company
providing essential information and marketing services to the entire
technology spectrum, including the builders, sellers and users of technology
worldwide. Capitalizing on its editorial strength, CMP is uniquely positioned
to offer marketers comprehensive, integrated media solutions tailored to meet
their individual needs. Its diverse products and services include newspapers,
magazines, Internet products, research, direct marketing services, education
and training, trade shows and conferences, custom publishing, testing and
consulting.
About SEGA
SEGA(R) of America is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA
Corporation, a $3.5 billion corporation by market capitalization, recognized
as a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the
home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive
entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including
PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony
Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA of America's Web site is located at
http://www.sega.com .
SOURCE Gama Network
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