This year, longtime industry contributor Bing Gordon will get the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' Lifetime Achievement Award. The former Electronic Arts exec, now a partner at investment firm Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, will be the award's fifth annual recipient.
Gordon, who entered the game industry when he joined EA's marketing department in 1982, is widely credited with helping shape the gaming landscape from a business standpoint. He worked his way up to chief creative officer at EA, where he's said to have created and defined business and marketing processes that are still in use industry-wide.
He helped lead the creation of the EA Sports label, and in his new position leads investments in social pioneers like Zynga and Ngmoco, among others. He's also a director at Amazon and holds an endowed chair in game design at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Gordon will receive the award from Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business president Don Mattrick at the 2011 D.I.C.E. Summit on February 10, in a ceremony hosted by comedian Jay Mohr. Gordon will also speak at the awards event.
"Whether it is developing a new groundbreaking marketing campaign, running one of the largest video game industry publishers or taking a risk and starting over with social gaming, Bing has left a lasting mark on the video game industry," says AIAS president Martin Rae. "He really believed in the video game industry and dedicated his life to nurturing and growing the industry into what it is today."
Commented Gordon: "From a small group of outliers and contrarians, we have grown to an industry that changed media usage, and proved that interactive really is better."
