Gabe Newell continues his ascension as someone who has brought a lot to the field he has chosen. The Academy of Interactive Arts and Science has announced that he will become the next Hall of Fame inductee. That makes him the 17th inductee into the AIAS Hall of Fame.
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. The award will be presented by Epic Games president Michael Capps who serves on the AIAS board of directors and the AIAS awards committee. Many game industry personalities have become Hall of Fame inductees like: Tim Sweeney, Dr. Greg Zeschuk , Dr. Ray Muzyka, Mark Cerny, and Bruce Shelley.
Gabe Newell founded Valve and created award winning franchises like Half-Life, Counter Strike, Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Team Fortress, and also created Steam–a revolutionary digital distribution platform for the PC.
“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 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.”
The the 16th D.I.C.E. Awards on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas. Gabe Newell also indirectly confirmed Source Engine 2 recently and the team at Valve is working on Ricochet 2.