by Harold Goldberg

 The New York Videogame Critics Circle is pleased to announce that Rockstar Games will be the recipients of the 2016 Andrew Yoon Legend Award. The Legend Award will be presented to Rockstar Games at the 5th Annual New York Game Awards on February 9th.

Rockstar Games is headquartered right here in Manhattan. Beyond the popular art they carefully create, they’re responsible for a great amount of jobs within the videogame industry here in New York. Rockstar Games also quietly gives back to the community as well through charity work and sponsorship of the popular Red Hook Criterium bike race series, which originated in Brooklyn.

Of course, their top notch team around the world has made some of the greatest games in history, games that always go the extra mile to please the fan.

On a personal note, I’ve had the chance to spend many hours with Rockstar’s co-founder Sam Houser for my “All Your Base Are Belong to Us” book and then for a detailed profile for Playboy magazine.

Through those conversations, it became clear that Rockstar Games cares not only about nose-to-the-grindstone hard work, but that they are always trying to raise the bar to create the best games possible. That’s harder in this day and age because fan expectations are so high. But they’re always astute, agile, and on top of things. Grand Theft Auto Online, for instance, changes by the hour.

It’s going to be a great night indeed!

Harold Goldberg, the Circle’s founder, has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Playboy, and other publications.