This sweet little press release from Nintendo smugly announced that the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has awarded Nintendo an Emmy Award for its D-pad. The D-pad invented in 1982 ( yes, 25 years ago ) and since thrown on the trash heap of controller history, has been honored by a bunch of television industry know nothings.

Don't get me wrong the D-pad was far superior to the terrible single digital joystick before it. However time has marched on and dual analog controls has made the cuddly D-pad next to useless ( OK, OK, sometimes I use it to switch weapons or view a map ).

Is this a pathetic attempt by the TV people to jump on the video game juggernaut? Or are they really that dumb and we should expect an Emmy for William Oughtred inventor of the equally dead slide rule?

Sounds like they're trying to open the door to gaming awards. With all of the reality TV and YouTube stupidity that most kids are growing up with, it's probably the only way that they think they can remain viable.

Awards for games and the gaming industry is pretty cool, as is them for movies and such, but will this eventually lead the world to going insane? For instance, I bet a small sum that maybe 10 years from now, people will think that fictional characters are real celebrities. Imagine a future where old ladies gossip about virtual celebrities. "I heard that Tidus has divorced Yuna again" (Final Fantasy X) or "Did you hear? That CJ has finally be caught by the police!" (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas). Well, okay, i'm only joking. But back to the point, I think awards for games are well overdue. If anything, they should award the first Mario games, as that franchise was a major help in bringing the gaming industry back mainstream after the 'video game crash'.

If they did start awarding games they'd be more likely to induct new releases that have some modern-day marketing potential (like the GTA series) rather then classics that actually contributed something to gaming. Just the way I see it...

This just in: Hollywood has never been in touch with reality. Hence the People's Choice Awards!

That is the dumbest thing I've heard this year. Their iteration of the dpad was not the first, nor was it the best. Sheesh.