Kotaku: Honors

Codemasters Co-Founders Get Queenly Honors

Mike Fahey — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:20:00 MDT

Codemasters co-founders David and Richard Darling were recognized by the Queen of England, Elizabeth II during her annual birthday honors. Both brothers were named Commanders of the Order of the British Empire, a British order of chivalry established back in 1917 by King George V, recognized for their contribution to the video game industry.

"For over 20 years David and Richard led Codemasters as it became one of the video game industry's great British success stories," said Rod Cousens, present head of Codemasters.

"Their drive and passion for creating the best in interactive entertainment will always be part of the industry's heritage and this recognition is well deserved."

Good show, Darlings. The British video game industry wouldn't have been the same without you two. Enjoy those badges!

'Darlings' of UK games honoured [BBC via CVG]

Why Achievements are Awesome

Owen Good — Sun, 11 May 2008 16:00:00 MDT

OK, I think I get the gist of this piece. TeamTeaBag takes a look at gaming achievements on the 360, and it's hard for me to assess the tone: Either SmellyGeekyBoy (the writer)

• resents the hell out of all achievements and is parodying achievement whores OR

• knows that cynical motives on behalf of Microsoft and the developers are the reason for game achievements. But he can't help himself from collecting all of them or

• agrees completely with and loves the concept of achievements.

I think it's between 1 and 2. And for myself, I'm between 2 and 3. I look on it this way, when you get a game that you really, really enjoy, the achievements show that you got your money's worth. Hokey, I know, but for those titles that don't have a 100 percent-completion model (and for some that do) the achievements can add another reason to keep on enjoying it.

Why Achievements are Awesome {TeamTeaBag]

Also, you can get that bumper sticker via CafePress

Morhaime Enters AIAS Hall Of Fame

Mike Fahey — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:20:21 MST

Morhaime FTW! The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences adds another name to its list of game industry luminaries today as it announces the induction of Blizzard co-founder, president, and CEO Mike Morhaime into its Hall of Fame. Morhaime is being honored for his contributions to the MMO space with World of Warcraft, as well as the success of the Diablo, Warcraft, and Starcraft franchises. Where's the Lost Vikings love, AIAS?

"This is a great honor, and I'm proud to receive it," said Morhaime. "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."

Morhaime is in excellent company, as previous inductees include Will Wright, John Carmack, Sega's Yu Suzuki, Shigeru Miyamoto, and Danielle Bunten Berry. BioWare CEO Dr. Ray Muzka will present the honor at the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards on February 7th.

MMOG PIONEER MIKE MORHAIME INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME OF THE ACADEMY OF INTERACTIVE ARTS & SCIENCES
Blizzard Entertainment(R) Cofounder and CEO Honored for Expanding the Scope and Success of the Interactive Entertainment Industry

CALABASAS, Calif. - December 12, 2008 - The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) proudly announced today that Mike Morhaime, the president, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment(R), will be the eleventh visionary member inducted into its prestigious Hall of Fame. As one of the organization's highest honors, candidates are annually voted on by the Academy's illustrious Board of Directors. Induction into the Hall of Fame is bestowed upon individuals who've contributed to a significant advancement within the industry, while demonstrating proven success and leadership.

As the eleventh inductee, Morhaime will be honored for his efforts and contributions to the massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) space through Blizzard Entertainment's spectacularly popular World of Warcraft(R), as well as the tremendous success of the company's Warcraft(R), StarCraft(R) and Diablo(R) 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.

"This is a great honor, and I'm proud to receive it," said Morhaime. "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."

Morhaime will join an elite group of 10 other interactive entertainment industry luminaries in the AIAS Hall of Fame: Trip Hawkins (Electronic Arts), Peter Molyneux (Lionhead Studios), Yu Suzuki (Sega of America), Will Wright (Maxis), John Carmack (id Software), Hironobu Sakaguchi (Square Enix), Sid Meier (Firaxis Games), Shigeru Miyamoto (Nintendo), Richard Garriott (Origin Systems), and Dan Bunten - known later in life as Danielle Bunten Berry (Ozark Softscape).

AIAS Hall of Fame Announcement Page 2

At this year's 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards(R), taking place on February 7, 2008 at Red Rock Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Morhaime will be presented the honor by Dr. Ray Muzyka, CEO of BioWare Corp. In addition, Morhaime is also part of the dynamic speaker line-up during the upcoming D.I.C.E Summit(R) taking place in conjunction with the Awards.