Sunday, August 3, 2008

Developer Murdered By Husband

"Very sad news from Redmond, Wash. Melissa Batten, 36, a software development engineer in Microsoft's Xbox division, was murdered by her estranged husband, who then shot himself to death, earlier this week."

Normally I wouldn't post about this stuff, but the loss of somebody who worked everyday to help give life to the gaming industry is something that should be known by anyone who even generally considers themselves a gamer. Melissa is listed as a development partner on Halo 3, and a Software Development Engineer in Test on Gears of War. So I'm sure most of you can agree with me when I say that while I don't know exactly what she contributed, she was a part of two of the most loved games of this generation, and her work will live on through them.

My condolences go out to her family and friends, losing a loved one is never easy, but they should know that the a large portion of the gaming community was effected by this. The loss of Melissa Batten will be mourned by many, as a person, a developer, and a friend.

R.I.P.

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