On Thursday, March 16, six new stars will be unveiled on the ?Walk of Game? in San Francisco honoring icons of the videogame industry. Being honored for lifetime achievement this year are Sid Meier, creator of [I]Civilization[/I], [I]Pirates![/I], and [I]Railroad Tycoon[/I], and John Carmack, technical director for [I]Doom[/I] and [I]Quake[/I]. Laura Croft will be given a star for favorite character and [I]Final Fantasy[/I], [I]StarCraft[/I] and [I]Everquest[/I] will be given stars for favorite games.
The 2006 inductees will be honored at a press and industry-only reception at Metreon where the stars will be unveiled. Nolan Bushnell (co-founder of Atari and creator of [I]Pong[/I]), 2005 inductee for Lifetime Achievement, will headline the event. The newest additions to the attraction will then be open to the public on Friday, March 17.
“Over the last two years, the public has made Walk of Game a cornerstone of gaming history, with over half a million gamers worldwide casting their vote this year,” said Stacy Piket, Manager, Brand Marketing & Promotions for Metreon. “The landmark continues to grow, allowing gamers to voice their opinions, and honor the legends and pioneers in the gaming and game development community.”
In 2005, Walk of Game’s inaugural inductees included [I]Halo[/I], Link, Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of [I]Mario Bros.[/I] and [I]Donkey Kong[/I]) and Nolan Bushnell were the first recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Walk of Game is a powerful validation of the contribution that games provide to world culture,” said Jamil Moledina, director of the Game Developers Conference. “One of the core goals of the GDC is to honor the developers who make games the art form that they have become, and we support Walk of Game as it provides a lasting tribute to the people who create the amazing games we play.”
Every October, gamers worldwide cast their votes through paper ballots and online submissions at www.WalkOfGame.com during a one-month voting period. The top four games and characters and the top two lifetime achievers are then honored with a permanent 24″x24″ customized steel star on the Walk of Game. Nominations for 2007 will be announced later this year.