The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has officially announced who will be named the 11th annual Hall of Fame inductee at next year’s D.I.C.E. summit. That person will be Blizzard co-founder and CEO Mike Morhaime.
Mr. Morhaime receives the honor based primarily on his involvement with a handful of Blizzard mega-hits. The Academy said of their selection:
"…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, 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."
Morhaime also commented on his upcoming induction:
“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.”
The ceremony will be held during the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards on February 7th, 2008, as a part of the 2008 D.I.C.E. summit in Las Vegas, Nevada.
