We all know that Nintendo won an Emmy, but Nintendo hadn't put out a press release about it until just now.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has awarded Nintendo an Emmy(R) Award for its invention of the plus-shaped D-pad, one in a long string of Nintendo's controller innovations. The award was presented in recognition of the technological achievement of the D-pad, which radically changed how people interact with their video games and, by extension, their televisions. Nintendo received the award in Las Vegas during the Technological &
Engineering Emmy Awards, which kicked off this week's Consumer Electronics Show.

The D-pad first debuted in the United States in 1985 on the controllers for the Nintendo Entertainment System(R), and has been standard on all video games controllers ever since. The D-pad replaced joysticks and represented an early example of how Nintendo was willing to shake up the status quo in the search for a better gaming experience.

"Nintendo has long been a pioneer in the way that people interact with their games," said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "Our commitment to pushing the envelope continues today with our motion-sensitive Wii Remote controllers, which again rewrite the rules. We are grateful for this award and thank the academy for the honor."

Nintendo press release