Author: Dean Takahashi / Source: VentureBeat
Bonnie Ross, corporate vice president at Microsoft and head of 343 Industries, received the Hall of Fame award at the DICE Awards.
Ross didn’t create Halo. That was Bungie. But she believed in the universe of Halo. When Bungie left Microsoft and went off to make Destiny, Ross stayed with Halo at Microsoft, and she formed 343 Industries.
“A leader who is incredibly creative,” said her boss Phil Spencer. “One of the defining world builders in gaming.”
She thought Halo could be Microsoft’s Star Wars. Ross gave an acceptance speech in front of a crowd of 700 at the DICE Awards, the elite gaming event run by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
Ross is the 23rd recipient of the prestigious award from the peer-run body, the AIAS. She is one of the rare women honored by the industry for her achievements in the creation of the Halo video games as well as her promotion of diversity and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education for women, under-represented minorities, and children.
As Spencer said, Ross has been integral in the vision and expansion of the Halo franchise that has continued to excite generations of fans, generating nearly $6 billion in worldwide sales to date and has transcended video games to grow into a global entertainment phenomenon.
Ross’ interest in technology and gaming began at an early age, where her pursuit of advanced math and science classes led to a degree in Technical Communication and a concentration in Physics and Computer Science. Following college, she landed an internship at IBM before beginning…
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