Nolan Bushnell, the man behind Pong who is often credited as the original pioneer of arcade and home video gaming, will receive the Fellowship at this year’s Game British Academy Video Games Awards.

The original Atari founder said: “I am humbled to be selected for this honour from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.  The British people are not only great game players but have historically been some of the best game creators. The pub culture and country house drawing room environments have been instrumental in spawning games and game players through the centuries.”

David Parfitt, chairman of the Academy added: “The Fellowship is the highest accolade the Academy can bestow on an individual for their creative work and we are very excited that Nolan is flying over to accept it at the Awards. His contribution is nothing short of remarkable; he ushered in an era, the legacy of which is the vibrant, evolving industry we see before us today.”

This year’s Game British Academy Video Games Awards take place on March 10th at the London Hilton on Park Lane. For more information visit the event’s website.