Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association

The development team of the extremely popular game “Monster Hunter” was presented with the “Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award” today, September 24, from 4PM at the “Japan Game Awards 2009” hosted by the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA, Chairman: Yoichi Wada, Location: Nishi Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo) as part of the “Tokyo Game Show 2009” (Event stage, Hall 1, Makuhari Messe). The “Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award” was newly created last year.

The “Monster Hunter” development team has created a new way of playing games that leverages the communication function of portable game terminals.

The ability of players to slay monsters by teaming up with other players of “Monster Hunter” using the communications function has made the game so popular it has become a social phenomena. In addition Monster Hunter has sold over 10 million games since its launch in 2004, and was chosen as winner of the award because of its contribution to the expansion of the game market.

The “Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award” was created to recognize persons and organizations that have produced products, which have contributed to the development of the home computer game industry in recent years. Supported by the backing of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the winner of this award was selected by the Japan Game Awards Selection Committee (Selection committee chairman: Takashi Yourou, Tokyo Universtity Honorary Professor and Kitazato University Professor) after careful selection of “persons” who have contributed to the development and growth of the Japanese game industry. The winner of last year’s first “Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award” was Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo Co., Ltd.

Since 1996, CESA has been sponsoring the Japan Game Awards, an event that selects and gives awards to outstanding game software. CESA’s aim is to have games perceived as a culture, to raise the social status of game software, and to make a contribution to the development of the game industry. By adding the “Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Prize” for “persons involved in games” to the existing awards for “game software”, the Japan Game Awards aims at further developing the award system into a more open system that recognizes both “game software” and “people” and that has more meaning.

General Information

Japan Game Awards Office c/o CESA
Nishi-Shimbashi Annex 3F, 1-22-10 Nishi-Shimbashi,Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003 Japan
Tel: +81-3- 3591 9151
Fax: +81-3- 3591 9152
E-mail：awards@cesa.or.jp