Blizzard CEO named to AIAS Hall of Fame

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has announced that Blizzard co-founder and CEO Mike Morhaime will be inducted into its Hall of Fame during the D.I.C.E. Summit.

Morhaime will be honoured for his efforts and contributions to the MMO game space through World of Warcraft as well as his work on Blizzard's Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo games.

"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," the Academy said in a statement.

"This is a great honour, 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."

Other AIAS Hall of Fame inductees include Trip Hawkins, Peter Molyneux, Yu Suzuki, Will Wright, John Carmack, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Sid Meier, Shigeru Miyamoto, Richard Garriott, and Danielle Bunten Berry.