Oh c'mon, you know he deserves it. The very mention of that name inspires loyalty. You don't know who it is? Shame on you. Anyway, we're talking, naturally, about Valve co-founder and president Gabe Newell who, rightfully so, is about to join the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences' Hall of Fame - in 2013, to be exact.

As we understand it, he'll getting the most credit for his founding and managing of development studio Valve, in addition to his contribution and work he poured into the company's Source engine, the digital service Steam and for working on a number of titles from Valve such as Half-Life, Counter Strike, Left 4 Dead and Portal.

"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," said AIAS president Martin Rae, in the announcement. "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. It is a great honor to have Gabe inducted into the Academy's Hall of Fame."

On other Valve-related topics, there have been some whispers going around that Half-life 3 might make an appearance next year (still very much in the rumor category, that one) and that the game is somewhat inspired by Skyrim. Apart from that, Gabe revealed that his company is working on Source 2 - a completely new game engine.