Blizzard CEO Morhaime Named 11th AIAS Hall Of Fame Inductee

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has announced that as part of its forthcoming DICE Summit, Blizzard co-founder and CEO Mike Morhaime will be inducted into its Hall of Fame, joining previous inductees like Shigeru Miyamoto and Will Wright. The AIAS says induction is "bestowed upon individuals who’ve contributed to a significant advancement within the industry, while demonstrating proven success and leadership." Morhaime will be the Hall's 11th inductee, for "his efforts and contributions to the massively multiplayer online game space through Blizzard Entertainment’s spectacularly popular World of Warcraft, as well as the tremendous success of the company’s Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo series." "In particular," the Academy continues, "World of Warcraft has cemented Morhaime’s influence and impact on the multi-billion dollar interactive entertainment industry; it is the world’s largest online game, with more than 9.3 million subscribers. Morhaime and Blizzard Entertainment are recognized for creating an MMOG that expanded the traditionally hardcore audience of the genre to also include the broader casual-gaming audience." Previous inductees include Trip Hawkins, Peter Molyneux, Yu Suzuki, Will Wright, John Carmack, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Sid Meier, Shigeru Miyamoto, Richard Garriott, and M.U.L.E. and The Seven Cities of Gold creator Danielle Bunten Berry. Morhaime will officially be inducted at the Feb. 7th 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards during the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, in a ceremony presented by BioWare CEO Dr. Ray Muzyka. Said Morhaime, “This is a great honor, and I’m proud to receive it. The success that Blizzard Entertainment has had over the years would not have been possible without the enthusiasm and support of players around the world, and the passion and dedication of our employees, so I thank all of them for contributing to this achievement.”