Ed Boon gets inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame in February
As an inductee, Boon joins the likes of Shigeru Miyamoto, Yu Suzuki, Mark Cerny, and Hideo Kojima.
Mortal Kombat ko-kreator Ed Boon will be inducted to the AIAS Hall of Fame this February. The creative director of NetherRealm Studios, Boon has been working on Mortal Kombat for 30 years. Now, AIAS is recognizing the venerated game creator for his decades of service.
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame honors those who have brought the gaming industry forward in a major way. Whether through creativity, innovation, and/or determination, their efforts have changed the way the industry operates.
Boon is the 25th inductee into the Hall of Fame, which has honored developers since 1998. Previous inductees include SEGA AM2 head Yu Suzuki, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima, SEGA Technical Institute founder and PlayStation hardware designer Mark Cerny, and Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto.
Ed Boon’s legacy and the AIAS Hall of Fame
Ed Boon began his career at Williams Entertainment’s pinball division, working on classic tables FunHouse and Black Knight 2000. Joining Midway, he was a designer on the ultraviolent fighter Mortal Kombat which, as you know, took players by storm. Generating tons of sales, critical acclaim, and controversy, the Mortal Kombat series has sold over 73 million by 2021. Now, Boon leads NetherRealm which has produced a number of titles in the Mortal Kombat and Injustice series.
Matt Booty, current head of Xbox Game Studios and Boon’s former co-worker at Midway, said of the announcement:
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.
Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios
Ed Boon will be inducted to the AIAS Hall of Fame during the 25th annual D.I.C.E. Awards on Feb. 24. What do you think is Boon’s greatest contribution to video gaming? Let us know!
Via IGN.
