The New York Videogame Critics Circle has announced the recipient of its annual Andrew Yoon Legend Award ahead of the New York Game Awards in January. In a departure from tradition, the honor is not going to an individual industry figure, but to the Pokémon franchise itself.
This marks the first time in the award's ten-year history that a franchise has won. Previous recipients include industry leaders like Sam Lake, Neil Druckmann, Phil Spencer, Tim Schafer, and Reggie Fils-Aimé. The award has shown flexibility before; in its inaugural year of 2016, it was presented to a studio, Rockstar Games. In 2021, it was jointly awarded to four individuals: Jerry Lawson, Hideo Kojima, Brenda Romero, and John Romero.
Nevertheless, it remains uncommon for the Legend Award to be given to a franchise. The NYVGCC has historically described the award as honoring "a game changer in the video games industry" and "those who have propelled the gaming world forward, celebrating their profound impact on an industry that continues to captivate and connect people worldwide." This year's press release defines its purpose as recognizing "industry icons and organizations that exhibited a significant, sustained body of work demonstrating exceptional artistic achievement and innovation."
According to the NYVGCC, Pokémon was selected as "an iconic staple of global popular culture, which broke through to both video game and mainstream audiences in the mid-to-late 90s with a unique mix of collectibility, accessible and engaging RPG gameplay, and unmatched character design." The release highlights its remarkable $12 billion in global retail sales in 2024, over 489 million game copies sold since 1996, and its status as one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time. IGN awarded the latest Pokémon game, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, an 8/10, praising it as a title where "Game Freak finally hits its stride in Pokémon's 3D era, offering a fun setting to explore, a well-written story, and a completely revamped battle system that works exceptionally well."
“How do you articulate the impact of a cultural phenomenon like Pokémon? ‘Legend’ is the only word that comes to mind,” stated Harold Goldberg, president and founder of the NYVGCC. “For three decades, the franchise has grown into the world's most recognizable game series, beloved for its unique monster designs that have inspired players of all ages to catch 'em all. It is a tremendous honor to present The Pokémon Company with the Andrew Yoon Legend Award at our 15th annual New York Game Awards celebration.”
The award will be accepted by The Pokémon Company at the ceremony on January 18th. The company will also be in attendance with "two fan-favorite Pokémon" characters available for photo opportunities with fans.
IGN contacted the NYVGCC for comment on the decision to honor a franchise this year and received the following official statement:
"The Pokémon Company’s Legend Award marks the second time the New York Game Awards has chosen to honor an entire team rather than a single individual creator, the first being Rockstar Games in 2016. Given their 30-year influence across entertainment, console, and tabletop gaming, we believe the many people behind The Pokémon Company collectively deserve to share the prestigious Andrew Yoon Legend Award for our 15th anniversary."
Latest Downloads
Downlaod
Top News
