Said Arakawa, "I wish I could say that when we took the first Nintendo machines to sell in New York City in 1985 we knew we had a hit. But that was hardly the case. The fact that video games became popular so quickly with tens of millions of people around the world is both gratifying, and honestly, still a little amazing." Lincoln commented, "There may be no other business where fortunes can change so quickly, and that makes it great fun. This is a pure entertainment industry where you place big bets, rely on creativity and reshuffle the deck every time a new generation of machines arrives."

Electronic Arts CEO Larry Probst will deliver the award during the Interactive Achievement Awards cerimony at the D.I.C.E. Summit 2007 in Las Vegas next February. "I am honored to present the AIAS Lifetime Achievement Award to Minoru Arakawa and Howard Lincoln," said Probst. "Both are pioneers whose contribution to Nintendo and to the game industry has had a profound impact on interactive entertainment. These men personify the industry's highest ideals for integrity, creativity and innovation."