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Genyo Takeda isn’t necessarily a household name and may not be the first person that comes to mind when someone thinks of Nintendo. But his contributions to the company over the years have been extremely important and groundbreaking, which is why the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences made him the recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award at the DICE Awards held on February 22.
Takeda created Nintendo’s very first arcade game, the horse-racing SIM EVR Race, and the now-classic Punch Out!! from 1983. His work as a hardware engineer is especially important — he was integral in the development of the Nintendo 64 and its industry-changing analog controller, and threw the industry another curveball with his design of the Wii.
In his acceptance speech, Takeda said he wanted to accept the award on behalf of all of his colleagues and competitors, noting that engineers often play “second violin” when it comes to public acclaim. He also thanked his former boss, the late Hiroshi Yamauchi, for the opportunity he provided Takeda to lead the technology effort at Nintendo, and he also praised Shigeru Miyamoto and the late Satoru Iwata for the influence they’ve had on him over the years.
Congratulations, Mr. Takeda! You very much deserved the standing ovation you received.
Source: Polygon
