Every now and then a person comes along who’s name becomes inexorably synonymous with video games. There is a special order for those that are considered a part of the very marrow of video games, the AIAS, or Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. Notable members of the AIAS Hall of Fame include Sid Meir, Gabe Newell, Peter Molyneux, Shigeru Miyamoto, and Hideo Kojima, among others. The Academy has announced that they will be adding another name to the short list of the titans of gaming: Todd Howard.

The Academy is thrilled to be honoring Todd Howard as our next Hall of Fame recipient during our 20th D.I.C.E. Awards celebration. I know that many of us in the industry have spent countless hours enthralled in the vast, open worlds that Todd has created. He’s made us all reconsider the player-game relationship and extended the storytelling possibilities of our medium. We look forward to honoring Todd and celebrating his achievements and contributions to the video games industry

Todd Howard is a director and executive producer for the famous Bethesda Game Studios. Howard has had a major hand in the Elder Scrolls series as early as Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, and he was the director for Fallout 3 and Fallout 4.

Thrilled to be inducting @bethesdastudios' Todd Howard into the AIAS Hall of Fame at the 20th #DICEAwards! #DICE2017 https://t.co/9GyWmnpUPg pic.twitter.com/plnoeQUMUP

— Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (@Official_AIAS) December 14, 2016

The AIAS Hall of Fame only consists of twenty-one members and is among the most prestigious titles in the video game industry. Since its conception in 1998, the Academy Board chooses one new inductee every year and the results are announced at the D.I.C.E. Awards.

Do you feel like Todd Howard was a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame? Do you think that the Academy could have chosen someone more worthy? Sound off with your thoughts in the comments below and keep kicking it here at DFTG for breaking coverage on the latest gaming news.