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The 2006 NWR Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award

by Steven Rodriguez - January 1, 2007, 9:10 pm EST

Nintendo World Report highlights the best of the year that was.

The NWR Lifetime Achievement Award is given to industry figureheads who have helped shape the landscape of video games for the better.

Lifetime Achievement Award

The NWR Award

Doug Lowenstein

Most people may not know about Doug Lowenstein. He doesn't make games. He doesn't work for Nintendo, or for any other game company for that matter. The only time you might have seen his name in the news was at E3. So then, why are we giving a Lifetime Achievement Award to him? He's the reason why the video game industry is where it is today.

As one of the founding members of the Entertainment Software Association (known as the Interactive Digital Software Association from 1994 until 2003), Lowenstein was basically the President of Video Games in America. During his term in office, he helped to create the Electronics Entertainment Expo and the ESRB ratings system, as well as programs for anti-piracy enforcement, government relations and media research to help advance the game industry. As a result of his efforts, the worth of the United States gaming industry grew from $3 billion to $10 billion. The ESA worked (and continues to work) to give gaming a legitimate place in American society, and Lowenstein was at the forefront of that effort.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Lowenstein announced he would be leaving the ESA to pursue ambitions outside of the video game industry he helped to shape into what it is now. We wish him all the best in the future, but want to give him a little going away present first: We're honored to present our 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award to Doug Lowenstein. Thanks for everything, Doug!

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