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Blizzard Entertainment co-founder Mike Morhaime has received the Gamelab Barcelona 2019 Honor Award in recognition of his “successful career in gaming and his key role in the creation of some of the most groundbreaking and influential interactive universes of all-time”. The presentation of the award will be held on June 27th as part of the 15th Gamelab conference in Barcelona’s Hesperia Tower.
“As president, CEO, and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., Mike Morhaime cultivated a strong culture and commitment to a high standard of quality that helped propel Blizzard to the pinnacle of the gaming industry and positioned the company as an internationally recognized leader in interactive entertainment,” a press statement states.
Morhaime co-founded Blizzard Entertainment in 1991 with the company’s original and current SVP of product development, Allen Adham, and its current chief product advisor Frank Pearce. During his career with Blizzard, Morhaime saw the studio release 22 “#1 games” and secure numerous awards before stepping down from his role as CEO and president in 2018.
“Mike Morhaime is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in the history of videogames. Under his leadership, Blizzard Entertainment transformed the way we create and enjoy games, crafting experiences and interactive universes that will live forever,” said Gamelab’s founder and director, Ivan Fernandez.
“Blizzard Entertainment and the videogames world as a whole wouldn’t be what they are today without the dedication, vision, and passion of Morhaime. Beyond his impressive career, it’s Mike’s kindness and human quality that we admire most, he added. “Mike is an inspiration for everyone in the industry and especially for those who have been lucky enough to work with him.”
Previous recipients of the award include Ultima creator Richard Garriott, Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, PlayStation 4 lead architect Mark Cerny, Shenmue creator Yu Suzuki, Pac-man creator Toru Iwatani, Bethesda Games’ Todd Howard, and Metal Gear Solid’s Hideo Kojima.
