ESA To Honor Ubisoft's Guillemot At 2009 Nite To Unite For Kids

Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot will be formally honored by the Entertainment Software Industry, when he is named the 2009 ESA Champion at the annual Nite to Unite for Kids charity event. Nite to Unite is a primary fundraiser for the ESA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the ESA that has raised some $10 million for various charitable causes over the last nine years. "Yves saw the potential of computer and video games long before most and worked diligently to translate that vision into reality," said ESA president Michael Gallagher in a statement. "His company, whose name is derived from 'ubiquity' in reference to their ambition to make games worldwide, has not only achieved that goal but surpassed it." Guillemot founded Ubisoft in France more than 20 years ago, along with his four brothers. The industry veteran joins a long list of luminaries who have previously been named ESA Champion, including well-known game industry figures George Lucas, Bing Gordon, Shigeru Miyamoto, Howard Lincoln, Isao Ogawa, and Ken Kutaragi. The gala event is being held October 13 at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, with individual tickets priced at $500.