Game heroes honoured by Queen

"Codemasters" given CBEs

16 June 2008 9:56 GMT / By Katie Scott

The Queen's Birthday Honours List included two pioneers of the UK gaming industry.

Brothers David and Richard Darling, co-founders of game developers Codemasters, were both made Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

They built up Codemasters from a bedroom enterprise into becoming a games developer recognised worldwide, with titles including the Colin McRae Rally series and the Lord of the Rings online game.

The company gained notoriety when it developed a series of unlicensed games for Nintendo's Entertainment System, which bypassed the console's lock-out chip.

The brothers sold their stake in Codemasters in 2007, but the present head of the company was amongst those to praise their achievements.

"For over 20 years David and Richard led Codemasters as it became one of the video game industry's great British success stories", said Rod Cousens, present head of Codemasters.

"Their drive and passion for creating the best in interactive entertainment will always be part of the industry's heritage and this recognition is well deserved."