D.I.C.E. Awards
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The D.I.C.E. Awards (formerly the Interactive Achievement Awards) is an annual awards show in the video game industry, and commonly referred to as the video game equivalent of the Academy Awards. The awards are arranged by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) and held during the AIAS' annual D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas. "D.I.C.E." is a backronym for "Design Innovate Communicate Entertain". The D.I.C.E. Awards recognizes games, individuals, and development teams that have contributed to the advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide entertainment software industry.
Format
The Academy encourages submissions from any individual or company providing that submission eligibility requirements are met. Each application enters the submitted game or title for consideration in at least one Craft category and only one Genre category. For most categories, the title must be publicly released in North America within the past calendar year. The exceptions to this rule are submissions for "Online Game of the Year" and "Fighting Game of the Year".
The finalists in each category are selected by a peer panel, assembled by AIAS, of over 100 video game professionals across several facets of the industry, including developers, programmers, artists, and publishers, which is published on the AIAS website each year. The nominees are then voted on by the full membership of AIAS (over 33,000 members) via a confidential and secured voting system, and winners are subsequently announced during the D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas, typically in February of that year.
Academy active Creative/Technical, Business, and Affiliate members are qualified to vote in all genre categories along with "Game of the Year", "Mobile Game of the Year", "Online Game of the Year", and "Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game". Creative/Technical members of the Academy may also vote on craft categories related to their expertise:
- Game designers and producers vote for the categories of "Story", "Character", "Audio Design", "Game Direction", and "Game Design".
- Artists, animators, and programmers vote for the categories of "Animation", "Art Direction", "Character", and "Technical".
- Audio designers and musicians vote for the categories of "Audio Design", "Original Music Composition", and "Character".
Due to this approach, the D.I.C.E. Awards are considered the main peer-based recognition within the video games industry compared to other major awards.
Award ceremonies
| # | Date | Game of the Year | Host(s) | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | May 28, 1998 | GoldenEye 007 | —N/a | Georgia World Congress Center | |
| 2nd | May 13, 1999 | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | —N/a | Variety Arts Theater | |
| 3rd | May 11, 2000 | The Sims | Martin Short | Millennium Biltmore Hotel | |
| 4th | March 22, 2001 | Diablo II | Martin Lewis | Polly Esther's | |
| 5th | February 28, 2002 | Halo: Combat Evolved | Patton Oswalt | Hard Rock Hotel and Casino | |
| 6th | February 27, 2003 | Battlefield 1942 | Dave Foley | ||
| 7th | March 4, 2004 | Call of Duty | Diane Mizota | Palms Casino Resort | |
| 8th | February 1, 2005 | Half-Life 2 | Kurt Scholler, Cory Rouse | Green Valley Ranch | |
| 9th | February 9, 2006 | God of War | Jay Mohr | Hard Rock Hotel and Casino | |
| 10th | February 7, 2007 | Gears of War | |||
| 11th | February 8, 2008 | Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa | ||
| 12th | February 19, 2009 | LittleBigPlanet | |||
| 13th | February 18, 2010 | Uncharted 2: Among Thieves | |||
| 14th | February 11, 2011 | Mass Effect 2 | |||
| 15th | February 9, 2012 | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | |||
| 16th | February 7, 2013 | Journey | Chris Hardwick | ||
| 17th | February 6, 2014 | The Last of Us | Felicia Day, Freddie Wong | Hard Rock Hotel and Casino | |
| 18th | February 5, 2015 | Dragon Age: Inquisition | Pete Holmes | ||
| 19th | February 18, 2016 | Fallout 4 | Mandalay Bay Convention Center | ||
| 20th | February 23, 2017 | Overwatch | Greg Miller, Jessica Chobot | ||
| 21st | February 22, 2018 | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | |||
| 22nd | February 13, 2019 | God of War | Aria Resort and Casino | ||
| 23rd | February 13, 2020 | Untitled Goose Game | |||
| 24th | April 22, 2021 | Hades | Greg Miller, Jessica Chobot, Kahlief Adams | none | |
| 25th | February 24, 2022 | It Takes Two | Greg Miller, Jessica Chobot | Mandalay Bay Convention Center | |
| 26th | February 23, 2023 | Elden Ring | Stella Chung, Greg Miller | Resorts World Las Vegas | |
| 27th | February 15, 2024 | Baldur's Gate 3 | Aria Resort and Casino | ||
| 28th | February 13, 2025 | Astro Bot | |||
| 29th | February 12, 2026 | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
Award categories
Game of the Year Awards
- Game of the Year
- Online Game of the Year
- Mobile Game of the Year
- Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
- Immersive Reality Game of the Year
- Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
Craft Awards
- Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Outstanding Achievement in Character
- Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
- Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Outstanding Technical Achievement
Genre Awards
- Action Game of the Year
- Adventure Game of the Year
- Family Game of the Year
- Fighting Game of the Year
- Racing Game of the Year
- Role-Playing Game of the Year
- Sports Game of the Year
- Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
Discontinued, renamed, or merged categories
Game of the Year
- Console Game of the Year: 1998-2009
- Computer Game of the Year 1998-2009
- Innovation in Console Gaming 2001-2005
- Innovation in Computer Gaming 2001-2005
- Outstanding Innovation in Gaming: 2006-2015
- Handheld Game of the Year: 2007-2009, 2012-2018
- Portable Game of the Year: 2010-2011, 2019-2020
- Downloadable Game of the Year: 2012-2014
- Web Based Game of the Year: 2013
Craft Awards
- Outstanding Achievement in Art/Graphics: 1998-1999
- Outstanding Achievement in Sound and Music: 1998-1999
- Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering: 1998-1999
- Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering: 2000–2014
- Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering: 2000–2014
- Outstanding (Achievement in) Character Performance - Female: 2004–2007
- Outstanding (Achievement in) Character Performance - Male: 2004–2007
- Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack: 2004–2011
- Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay: 2005–2013
- Outstanding Achievement in Original Story: 2009–2010
- Outstanding Achievement in Adapted Story: 2009–2010
- Outstanding Achievement in Portable Game Design: 2010
- Outstanding Achievement in Connectivity: 2012-2013
Genre Awards
- Action/Adventure Game of the Year: 2006–2007
- Casual Game of the Year: 2009–2014
- Cellular/Mobile Game of the Year: 2006-2009
- Children's Game of the Year: 2006–2007
- Downloadable Game of the Year: 2004–2008
- First-Person Action Game of the Year: 2006–2007
- Handheld Game of the Year: 2001-2006
- Massively Multiplayer/Persistent World Game of the Year: 2000–2009
- Social Networking Game of the Year: 2010–2012
- Strategy Game of the Year: 1998–2007
- Simulation Game of the Year: 1998–2007
- Wireless Game of the Year: 2005
Console
- Console Action Game of the Year: 1998–2000
- Console Action/Adventure Game of the Year: 2001–2005
- Console Adventure Game of the Year: 1998–1999
- Console Adventure/Role-Playing Game of the Year: 2000
- Console Children's/Family Title of the Year: 2000
- Console Children's Title of the Year: 2002, 2004-2005
- Console Family Title/Game of the Year: 2001, 2004-2005
- Console First-Person Action Game of the Year: 2003–2005
- Console Platform Action/Adventure Game of the Year: 2003-2005
- Console Role-Playing Game of the Year: 1998–1999, 2001–2005
- Console Sports Game of the Year: 1998–2003
- Console Action Sports Game of the Year: 2004-2005
- Console Sports Simulation Game of the Year: 2004–2005
Computer
- Computer Action Game of the Year: 1998–2000
- Computer Action/Adventure Game of the Year: 2001–2005
- Computer Adventure Game of the Year: 1998–1999
- Computer Adventure/Role-Playing Game of the Year: 2000
- Computer Children's (Entertainment) Title of the Year: 1999-2000, 2002, 2005
- Computer Family Game of the Year: 1998–2001, 2004-2005
- Computer First-Person Action Game of the Year: 2003–2005
- Computer Role-Playing Game of the Year: 1998–1999, 2001–2005
- Computer Sports Game of the Year: 1998–2005
- Computer Creativity Title of the Year: 1998–2000
- Computer Edutainment Title of the Year: 1998
- Computer Skills Building Title of the Year: 1998
- Computer Educational Title of the Year (0-8 years): 1999
- Computer Educational Title of the Year (9-16 years): 1999
- Computer Educational Title of the Year: 2000, 2002
Online
- Online Action/Strategy Game of the Year: 1999
- Online Family/Board Game of the Year: 1999
- Online Role-Playing Game of the Year: 1999
- Entertainment Site of the Year: 1998–2000
- News/Information Site of the Year: 1998–2000
- Online Gameplay of the Year: 2001-2003
Special categories
Hall of Fame
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has annually inducted into its "Hall of Fame" video game developers that have made revolutionary and innovative achievements in the video game industry.
Lifetime Achievement Awards
The Lifetime Achievement Award is given "for individuals whose accomplishments span a broad range of disciplines over a lengthy career in the industry".
| Year | Person | Company/role |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Minoru Arakawa and Howard Lincoln | Former presidents of Nintendo of America |
| 2008 | Ken Kutaragi | Former Chairman/CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment and considered the "Father of the PlayStation" |
| 2010 | Doug Lowenstein | Launched and served as president of the Interactive Digital Software Association, which became the Entertainment Software Association |
| 2011 | Bing Gordon | Former Chief Creative Officer of Electronic Arts |
| 2016 | Satoru Iwata (posthumous) | Former president of Nintendo |
| 2018 | Genyo Takeda | Former General Manager of Nintendo Integrated Research & Development |
| 2022 | Phil Spencer | CEO of Microsoft Gaming |
| 2025 | Don James | Former Executive Vice-President of Nintendo of America. Heavily contributed to the creation of the ESRB and Interactive Digital Software Association, now known as the Entertainment Software Association, and its signature trade show, E3 |
Pioneer Awards
The Pioneer Award is given "for individuals whose career spanning work has helped shape and define the interactive entertainment industry".
| Year | Person | Company/role |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | David Crane | Founder of Activision |
| 2011 | Bill Budge | Developer of Raster Blaster and Pinball Construction Set |
| 2012 | Ed Logg | Co-developer of many arcade games including Asteroids, Centipede and Gauntlet |
| 2013 | Dave Lebling & Marc Blank | Co-founders of Infocom |
| 2014 | Eugene Jarvis | Developer of arcade games Defender and Robotron: 2084 |
| 2015 | Allan Alcorn | Developer of Pong and co-developed several Atari home consoles |
| Ralph H. Baer | Creator of the first home console, the Magnavox Odyssey |
Technical Impact Award
The Technical Impact Award was added for the 2015 awards ceremony to recognize "unique innovations that contribute to the ongoing progress of interactive media".
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Apple App Store |
| 2016 | Visual Basic |
Notable highest wins and nominations
By game
By franchise
| Franchise | Wins | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Most award-winning franchises: Franchise Wins Games God of War 26 6 Mario 24 24 The Legend of Zelda 17 8 Uncharted 17 3 Half-Life 15 5 FIFA/FC 13 13 Final Fantasy 13 7 Call of Duty 12 6 Halo 12 4 The Last of Us 12 2 Marvel 11 5 Middle-earth/The Lord of the Rings 11 3 | Most nominated franchises: Franchise Nominations Games Call of Duty 79 21 Mario 74 50 The Legend of Zelda 52 16 Uncharted 50 6 God of War 48 8 Assassin's Creed 46 13 Star Wars 44 22 Marvel 42 15 Final Fantasy 41 16 Battlefield 36 11 Ratchet & Clank 36 8 Tom Clancy's 35 15 | |
| God of War | 26 | 6 |
| Mario | 24 | 24 |
| The Legend of Zelda | 17 | 8 |
| Uncharted | 17 | 3 |
| Half-Life | 15 | 5 |
| FIFA/FC | 13 | 13 |
| Final Fantasy | 13 | 7 |
| Call of Duty | 12 | 6 |
| Halo | 12 | 4 |
| The Last of Us | 12 | 2 |
| Marvel | 11 | 5 |
| Middle-earth/The Lord of the Rings | 11 | 3 |
| Franchise | Nominations | Games |
| Call of Duty | 79 | 21 |
| Mario | 74 | 50 |
| The Legend of Zelda | 52 | 16 |
| Uncharted | 50 | 6 |
| God of War | 48 | 8 |
| Assassin's Creed | 46 | 13 |
| Star Wars | 44 | 22 |
| Marvel | 42 | 15 |
| Final Fantasy | 41 | 16 |
| Battlefield | 36 | 11 |
| Ratchet & Clank | 36 | 8 |
| Tom Clancy's | 35 | 15 |