Valve's Gabe Newell inducted into AIAS Hall of Fame
Gabe Newell, co-founder and president of Valve, is the 17th inductee into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame, earning the title for 2013. Newell joins Shigeru Miyamoto, Sid Meier, John Carmack, Michael Morhaime, Drs. Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuck, and Tim Sweeney, among others, in the AIAS Hall of Fame.
Newell will also be a keynote speaker for Thursday's conference at the 2013 DICE Summit. Epic Games President Mike Capps will present Newell with the Hall of Fame Award at the 2013 DICE Awards.
"Gabe is a living legend of the video games industry, and his relentless focus on customer experience has made our whole industry a better place," Capps says. "Valve's unconventional success is an inspiration for us all, and I couldn't be more pleased to present Gabe's Hall of Fame award."
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GABE NEWELL ANNOUNCED AS ACADEMY OF INTERACTIVE ARTS & SCIENCES' HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE AND KEYNOTE
Valve President Headlines Thursday D.I.C.E. Summit Conference
CALABASAS, Calif. – Nov. 15, 2012 – The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences is pleased to announce that Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve Corporation, will be the 17th inductee into the AIAS Hall of Fame, and will be taking the 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit stage as its Thursday conference keynote. Gabe's leadership in founding and managing Valve, creator of SourceTM game engine, Steam, and award-winning game franchises like Half-Life®, Counter StrikeTM, Left 4 DeadTM, PortalTM, and Team FortressTM have done much to push the interactive entertainment industry forward.
The AIAS Hall of Fame honor is bestowed on game creators who have been instrumental in the development of highly influential games and moving a particular genre forward. These individuals demonstrate the highest level of creativity and innovation, resulting in significant product influence on a scale that expands the scope of the industry. The 2013 Hall of Fame Award will be presented to Gabe by Epic Games President Dr. Michael Capps, who serves on the AIAS board of directors and the AIAS awards committee, at the 16th D.I.C.E. Awards on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas. Past AIAS Hall of Fame recipients include: Tim Sweeney (2012), Dr. Greg Zeschuk (2011), Dr. Ray Muzyka (2011), Mark Cerny (2010), and Bruce Shelley (2009).
"Gabe is one of the most cherished and respected figures in the industry not only for his technological innovations in advancing many of today's highly successful video games, but also for his unique stance towards leadership and management," said Martin Rae, president, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. "Gabe's vision for the interactive industry has created lasting effects that have completely reshaped this generation's digital distribution model, paving the way for independent developers and creating an invaluable service for consumers. It is a great honor to have Gabe inducted into the Academy's Hall of Fame."
"Gabe is a living legend of the video games industry, and his relentless focus on customer experience has made our whole industry a better place," said Capps. "Valve's unconventional success is an inspiration for us all, and I couldn't be more pleased to present Gabe's Hall of Fame award."
Before starting Valve in August 1996, Gabe held a number of positions in the Systems, Applications and Advanced Technology divisions at Microsoft, where he worked for 13 years. His responsibilities included running program management for the first two releases of Windows, starting the company's multimedia division, and leading the company's efforts on the "Information Highway PC."
Valve's debut title, Half-Life, released in 1998, earned over 50 Game of the Year Awards and was named "Best PC Game Ever" in the November 1999, October 2001, and April 2005 issues of PC Gamer. Valve's portfolio of games has since grown to include Counter-Strike, Day of DefeatTM, Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Team Fortress®. Since 1999 Valve has accumulated many accolades from the AIAS, with 20 Interactive Achievement Awards for Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Portal, Portal 2 and Left 4 Dead. Valve's portfolio of games accounts for over 70 million retail units sold worldwide.
In addition to producing best-selling entertainment titles, Valve is a developer of leading-edge technologies, such as the Source game engine and Steam, a broadband platform for the delivery and management of digital content with over 50 million accounts.
Submissions for the 16th D.I.C.E. Award nominations are now open. Winners will be announced at the D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony on February 7, 2013, at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas. For the complete list of categories and to download a submission packet, visit www.interactive.org.
Registration for the 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit and the 16th D.I.C.E. Awards is currently open. Register until November 16, 2012 to get the early registration pricing at www.dicesummit.org.
