Japan Game Awards Explained
The Japan Game Awards is the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's awards ceremony, which was created in 1996 as the CESA Awards. While it represents the Japanese video game industry, it is not limited to Japanese video games, but also includes international video games.
METI Award Divisions
Games of the Year
The "Games of the Year Division" awards existing released works.
Future
The "Future Division" awards non-released works.
Amateur
The three-category "Amateur Division" awards original works that have not been commercially marketed regardless of whether the entrant is a juridical entity, group or individual.
History
The ceremony changed its name from launch's "CESA Awards" (CESA大賞, CESA taisho) and "CESA Game Awards" to the actual "Japan Game Awards" (日本ゲーム大賞).
The Japanese financial year runs from April 1 to March 31, it applies to all games that were released onto the Japanese market in this period.
The following are the winners of the Grand Award.
CESA Awards '96 (1996)
CESA Awards '97 (1997)
The 3rd CESA Awards (1998)
The 4th Japan Game Awards (1999)
The 5th Japan Game Awards (2000)
The 6th CESA Game Awards (2001~2002)
Period: January 1, 2001 to March 31, 2002
The 7th CESA Game Awards (2002~2003)
Period: April 1, 2002 to March 31, 2003
The 8th CESA Game Awards (2003~2004)
Period: April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004
The 9th CESA Game Awards (2004~2005)
[3]
- http://awards.cesa.or.jp/1999/jyushou.html
- https://web.archive.org/web/20030816144114/http://awards.cesa.or.jp/jesa/2000/index.html
- Web site: 9th CESA GAME AWARDS Awarded Games. 2021-08-08. awards.cesa.or.jp.
Period: April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2005
Japan Game Awards 2006 (2005~2006)
Period: April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006
Japan Game Awards 2007 (2006~2007)
Period: April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007
Japan Game Awards 2008 (2007~2008)
Period: April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008
Japan Game Awards 2009 (2008~2009)
Period: April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009
Japan Game Awards 2010 (2009~2010)
Period: April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010
Games of the Year Division:[4]
Japan Game Awards 2011 (2010~2011)
Period: April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011
Japan Game Awards 2012 (2011~2012)
Period: April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012
Games of the Year Division:[5]
Japan Game Awards 2013 (2012~2013)
Period: April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award: Puzzle & Dragons development team of GungHo Online Entertainment.[6]
Games of the Year Division:[7]
- Grand Award: (Nintendo) 3DS
- Game Designers Award: The Unfinished Swan
- Award for Excellence: Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Resident Evil 6, , Dragon Quest X Online, Fantasy Life, , New Super Mario Bros. U, Phantasy Star Online 2, Pokémon Black and White 2, Soul Sacrifice, Super Danganronpa 2
- Special Award: Puzzle & Dragons
- Best Sales Award: Animal Crossing: New Leaf
- Global Award:
Japan Game Awards 2014 (2013~2014)
Period: April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014
- Grand Prize Monster Hunter 4 (Capcom) 3DS and Yo-kai Watch (Level-5) 3DS (tie)
- Game Designer Prize
- Excellence Awards Dark Souls II, , Grand Theft Auto V, Kan Colle, , Monster Hunter 4, Pokémon X and Y, Puzzle & Dragons Z, Super Mario 3D World, The Last of Us, Yo-kai Watch
- Special Awards Solitiba
- Best Sales Award Pokémon X and Y
- Global Prize (Japanese works) Pokémon X and Y
- Global Prize (overseas works) Grand Theft Auto V
Japan Game Awards 2015 (2014~2015)
Period: April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015
Japan Game Awards 2016 (2015~2016)
Period: April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016
Japan Game Awards 2017 (2016~2017)
Period: April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017
- Grand Prize (Nintendo, Switch[8])
- Game Designer Prize Inside (video game)
- Excellence Awards , Final Fantasy XV, Horizon Zero Dawn, Monster Hunter XX, , Nioh, Overwatch, Persona 5, Pokémon Sun and Moon, The Last Guardian, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Special Award PlayStation VR
- Best Sales Award Pokémon Sun and Moon
- Global Prize (Japanese works) Pokémon Sun and Moon
- Global Prize (overseas works) FIFA 17
Japan Game Awards 2018 (2017~2018)
Period: April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018[9] [10]
- Grand Prize (Capcom, PS4/PC)
- Game Designer Prize Gorogoa
- Excellence Awards Undertale, , Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, Xenoblade 2, Dragon Quest XI, Fate/Grand Order, Fortnite, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Monster Hunter: World
- Best Sales Award Dragon Quest XI
- Global Prize (Japanese works)
- Global Prize (overseas works) Call of Duty: WWII
Japan Game Awards 2019 (2018~2019)
Period: April 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019[11]
- Grand Prize Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Nintendo, Nintendo Switch)
- Game Designer Prize Astro Bot Rescue Mission
- Excellence Awards, , Marvel's Spider-Man, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Judgment, Dragon Quest Builders 2, Resident Evil 2 (2019 video game), Apex Legends, Devil May Cry 5, , Kingdom Hearts III
- Special Award Nintendo Labo
- Best Sales Award Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Global Prize (Japanese works) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Global Prize (overseas works) Red Dead Redemption 2
Japan Game Awards 2020 (2019~2020)
Period: April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020[12]
- Grand Prize (Nintendo, Nintendo Switch)
- Game Designer Prize Baba is You
- Excellence Awards , , Death Stranding, , , Nioh 2, Persona 5 Royal, Pokémon Sword and Shield, Ring Fit Adventure,
- Special Award Dragon Quest Walk
- Best Sales Award Pokémon Sword and Shield
- Global Prize (Japanese works) Pokémon Sword and Shield
- Global Prize (overseas works) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Japan Game Awards 2021 (2020~2021)
Period: April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021[13] [14]
- Grand Prize Ghost of Tsushima (Sony Interactive Entertainment, PS4), Monster Hunter Rise (Capcom, Nintendo Switch)
- Game Designer Prize
- Excellence Awards Resident Evil 3 Remake, Final Fantasy VII Remake, The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, Genshin Impact, , Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban!, Buddy Mission: BOND, Uma Musume Pretty Derby, Monster Hunter Rise
- Game Designer Award runner-up It Takes Two, Ghost of Tsushima, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
- Best Sales Award Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban!
- Global Prize (Japanese works)
- Global Prize (overseas works)
- The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award Kou Shibusawa (Koei Tecmo)
Japan Game Awards 2022 (2021~2022)
Period: April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022[15]
- Grand Prize Elden Ring (Bandai Namco Entertainment; PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
- Game Designer Prize Inscryption
- Excellence Awards Resident Evil Village, , Tales of Arise, Lost Judgment, , , Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, , Kirby and the Forgotten Land
- Game Designer Award runner-up 7 Days to End With You, Needy Streamer Overload
- Best Sales Award Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
- Global Prize (Japanese works) Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
- Global Prize (overseas works)
- The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award Hidetaka Miyazaki (FromSoftware)
Japan Game Awards 2023 (2022~2023)
Period: April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023.[16]
- Grand Prize (Capcom; Nintendo Switch, Steam, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC)
- Game Designer Prize
- Excellence Awards Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, God of War Ragnarök, Splatoon 3, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Sonic Frontiers, Earth Defense Force 6, Resident Evil 4, , Hogwarts Legacy, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
- Best Sales Award Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
- The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award Family Computer
External links
