Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences first presented this award in 1998 under a different name called Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design.
Voting members must be Creative or technical Academy participants who possess specific expertise as game designers or producers.
Nintendo stands as the only developer to have won the award more than once and holds the record for the highest number of wins compared to any other entity involved.
More than half of the finalists for the Game Design category were also finalists for Game of the Year during various ceremonies but only ten winners for Game Design ended up winning the top Game of the Year honor.
The Legend of Zelda franchise holds the record for the most nominations within this specific category and remains the only franchise to have secured wins more than once across different years.