Michael Morhaime
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mike" Morhaime is the president and a co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment
(originally founded in 1991 as Silicon & Synapse), a video game developer
located in Irvine, California
, currently owned by Activision Blizzard
. He is also an alumnus of Triangle Fraternity
and received his bachelor's degree
in 1990 from UCLA.
In 2008 Morhaime was honored at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Award
s for Blizzard’s creation of World of Warcraft. Along with Don Daglow
of Stormfront Studios
and John Carmack of id Software
, Morhaime is one of only three designers or producers to accept awards at both the Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards and at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
Interactive Achievement Awards.
Morhaime plays poker and reached 2nd place in edition 2006 of DICE's Celebrity Poker Tournament. In the last round, Mike faced Scott Fischman
and Perry Friedman
(World Series of Poker professionals), as well as Ray Muzyka
, co-founder and CEO of video game developer
Bioware
. After a dramatic 45-minute game, Ray emerged victorious, with Morhaime placing 2nd overall in the tournament.
Morhaime graduated from Granada Hills High School in 1985.
Morhaime is also a member of L80ETC, a Metal Band formed of and by Blizzard Employees, where he plays bass. His avatar is a male Troll, Mai'Kyl. He also appears in animated form in the South Park
episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft
," which deals with World of Warcraft
And the devolution of World Of Warcraft with patch 4.3
In 2008, Morhaime was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame.
Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded on February 8, 1991 under the name Silicon & Synapse by three graduates of UCLA, Michael Morhaime, Allen Adham and Frank Pearce and currently owned by French company Activision Blizzard...
(originally founded in 1991 as Silicon & Synapse), a video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
located in Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, currently owned by Activision Blizzard
Activision Blizzard
Activision Blizzard, Inc., formerly Activision, Inc. is the American holding company for Activision and Blizzard Entertainment. The company is majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA and was created through the merger of Activision and Vivendi Games, announced on December 2, 2007, in a...
. He is also an alumnus of Triangle Fraternity
Triangle Fraternity
Triangle Fraternity is a social fraternity, limiting its recruitment of members to male students majoring in engineering, architecture, and the physical, mathematical, biological, and computer sciences...
and received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1990 from UCLA.
In 2008 Morhaime was honored at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Award
Technology & Engineering Emmy Award
A Technology and Engineering Emmy Award is given by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievement in technical or engineering development...
s for Blizzard’s creation of World of Warcraft. Along with Don Daglow
Don Daglow
Don Daglow is an American computer game and video game designer, programmer and producer. He is best known for designing a series of pioneering simulation games and role-playing games, as well as the first computer baseball game and the first graphical MMORPG, all between 1971 and 1995...
of Stormfront Studios
Stormfront Studios
Stormfront Studios was a video game developer based in San Rafael, California which had one of the longest creative histories in the industry. In 2007, the company had over 50 developers working on two teams, and owned all its proprietary engines, tools and technology. As of the end of 2007 over...
and John Carmack of id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
, Morhaime is one of only three designers or producers to accept awards at both the Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards and at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences , founded in 1996, is a non-profit organization that promotes computer and video game entertainment with the annual D.I.C.E. Summit event, where its Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony has been held annually since 1998...
Interactive Achievement Awards.
Morhaime plays poker and reached 2nd place in edition 2006 of DICE's Celebrity Poker Tournament. In the last round, Mike faced Scott Fischman
Scott Fischman
Scott Fischman is an American professional poker player based in Las Vegas, Nevada.Fischman grew up in South Jersey and moved to Las Vegas at the age of 12. He was introduced to poker by a schoolfriend and went on to become a poker dealer at the Sahara and the Mirage...
and Perry Friedman
Perry Friedman
Perry Friedman is an American professional poker player who won the 2002 World Series of Poker $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better event, a founding member of the Tiltboys and is a Full Tilt Professional.- World Series of Poker :...
(World Series of Poker professionals), as well as Ray Muzyka
Ray Muzyka
Dr. Ray Muzyka is a Canadian entrepreneur. He is the CEO at BioWare Corp as well as a Senior Vice President and Group General Manager of the BioWare RPG/MMO Group of Electronic Arts at BioWare's parent company Electronic Arts.-Career:Muzyka co-founded BioWare in...
, co-founder and CEO of video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
Bioware
BioWare
BioWare is a Canadian video game developer founded in February 1995 by newly graduated medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip. BioWare is currently owned by American company Electronic Arts...
. After a dramatic 45-minute game, Ray emerged victorious, with Morhaime placing 2nd overall in the tournament.
Morhaime graduated from Granada Hills High School in 1985.
Morhaime is also a member of L80ETC, a Metal Band formed of and by Blizzard Employees, where he plays bass. His avatar is a male Troll, Mai'Kyl. He also appears in animated form in the South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft
Make Love, Not Warcraft
"Make Love, Not Warcraft" is the eighth episode of the tenth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 147th episode overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on October 4, 2006. In the episode, Cartman, Kyle, Stan and Kenny enjoy playing the popular...
," which deals with World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
And the devolution of World Of Warcraft with patch 4.3
In 2008, Morhaime was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame.