Valve founder Gabe Newell has been a gamer favorite for a long time; he has garnered respect by introducing the world to things like Steam, Left 4 Dead, and Portal. Today, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) cemented Newell's place in the industry by announcing he would be inducted into the acadamy's Hall of Fame in 2013.

"Gabe is one of the most cherished and respected figures in the industry not only for his technological innovations in advancing many of today's highly successful video games, but also for his unique stance towards leadership and management," AIAS president Martin Rae said in a statement. "Gabe's vision for the interactive industry has created lasting effects that have completely reshaped this generation's digital distribution model, paving the way for independent developers and creating an invaluable service for consumers."

Newell started Valve in 1996 after a number of years at Microsoft (don't ask him about Windows 8). Valve released its debut title, Half-Life, two years later. It earned over 50 Game of the Year Awards and was named "Best PC Game Ever" three separate times by PC Gamer (November 1999, October 2001, and April 2005). Not a bad start for the company's gaming portfolio, which has now sold more than 70 million retail units worldwide.

Newell is the 17th inductee to be honored in the AIAS Hall of Fame. He'll be joining other gaming giants such as Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto (Mario, Zelda) and Peter Molyneux (Fable) as recipients of this honor. The AIAS ceremony will take place at the Interactive Achievement Awards (February 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada) as part of the D.I.C.E. Summit. Newell is scheduled to also keynote that event.