The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has officially announced its next Hall of Fame inductee will be Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon. The honor is bestowed in recognition of "game creators who have been instrumental in the development of highly influential games and moving a particular genre forward" through innovation and creative excellence.
Boon will be just the 25th inductee into the AIAS Hall of Fame when the award is formally presented during next month's ceremony at the 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, to be held in the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, and streamed live by IGN. He joins other such honored luminaries as Shigeru Miyamoto, Sid Meier, John Carmack, and Hideo Kojima.
It won't be the first time a Hall of Fame award has been accepted by the developer. The original Mortal Kombat arcade klassic was inducted into the World Video Games Hall of Fame in 2019.
The AIAS honor acknowledges an extensive career in video games and entertainment, while also coming perfectly timed as the Mortal Kombat franchise counts down to its thirtieth anniversary. As if that wasn't enough to celebrate -- the February 24th awards presentation will also come just two days after Ed Boon's birthday! The Academy included a very nice tribute with their announcement:
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) is pleased to announce its 25th Hall of Fame recipient, Ed Boon, Chief Creative Officer of NetherRealm Studios and Mortal Kombat. Boon, co-creator of the storied Mortal Kombat and the Injustice franchises, will be honored at the 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas and livestreamed by IGN. Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, will present the 2022 Hall of Fame award to Boon.
"We are thrilled to have Ed be inducted into our Hall of Fame," says Meggan Scavio, president of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. "From his early work on pinball machines to his monumental achievements co-creating the Mortal Kombat franchise, Ed's dedication and perseverance to the craft and art of games has left an incredible legacy for fans and game developers alike."
“I met Ed on my very first day in the game industry at Midway and had the good fortune to watch him lead the creation of Mortal Kombat and work with so many talented people to grow it into an iconic, worldwide franchise. Ed epitomizes the best of what a game designer can be: big ideas, a great sense of humor, clear focus, and the ability to bring people together as a team. He has created not only a string of hit games but has also supported countless people on their own paths in the game industry,” says Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios.
After graduating from the University of Illinois, Ed Boon started his career at Williams Electronics programming pinball machines. He eventually moved over to the video game division where he worked on his first title, High Impact Football, and its sequel Super High Impact. In 1991, he began work on Mortal Kombat, which became a smash hit in arcades and grew into a global phenomenon selling more than 75 million units to date, as well as spawning three theatrical films, animated movies, multiple television series, and comic books. Today, Mortal Kombat continues to grow in popularity with each new release. In addition, Boon and NetherRealm Studios created the best-selling and critically acclaimed Injustice video games, which have also branched out into chart-topping comics, an animated feature film and mobile games.
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. Past AIAS Hall of Fame recipients include Connie Booth (2020), Bonnie Ross (2019), Todd Howard (2017), Hideo Kojima (2016), Leslie Benzies (2014), Dan and Sam Houser (2014), and Tim Sweeney (2012).
Please join Mortal Kombat Online in extending our heartiest congratulations to the legendary developer, and sincerest thanks for all the incredible contributions made to the entertainment industry.
