Let’s face it, video games are a cultural phenomena the likes of which haven’t been fully realized yet. It is still somehow taboo to play video games, though that stigma is starting to soften as video games mature and take on more adult subject matter. However, video games would not have been in this position without the help of several great men and women who created the games themselves. Today, let’s take a look at the Top 5 Video Game Creators of All Time.
5. Hironobu Sakaguchi - His name may not be a household name like some of the others on this list, but his impact on gaming has surely been felt by all. Sakaguchi is the creator of the Final Fantasy series which has been a staple of the RPG genre for decades. What was supposed to be his final game, Final Fantasy was immensely popular and he has been coming back ever since. If you think that his success is limited to just Final Fantasy, you’d be mistaken. He also had a hand in fan favorites such as Xenogears and Chrono Trigger too. It is safe to say that if you are a fan of RPG’s, Sakaguchi has something to do with that.
4. Hideo Kojima - Everyone has heard of the Metal Gear Solid franchise, especially since it is still going strong today. The reason for that is all due to Kojima’s creative genius. Kojima created the stealth based action game while working on the original games on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Back in the original entry to the series, Metal Gear on the NES, Kojima was trying to create a game that was slightly different than the rest by tweaking mechanics. What he ended up creating was a modern day masterpiece. From this game, grew an entire franchise based around that new mechanic and since has sold millions of games worldwide.
3. John Carmack - Carmack is the father of first person shooters and some of today’s greatest franchises owe everything to him. With his work on the Wolfenstein 3D, Doom and Quake franchises, the genre was not only created, but perfected. At the time, this new style of game was controversial and so radically different than the traditional games available at the time. Carmack is a brilliant programmer and with his vast programming knowledge and strong presentation skills, he changed the way we game and redefined what was possible with video games.
2. Sid Meier - Back in 1982, Meier helped create MicroProse which was one of the leading developers of PC Games at the time. With his ideas, he helped MicroProse make the leap from small developer to major power house with titles such as Spitfire Ace, F-15 Strike Eagle, F-19 Stealth Fighter, Silent Service, and Sid Meier’s Pirates. However, things get even more interesting once Meier is bought out of MicroProse. Meier starts his own company called Firaxis and from this company comes the Civilization series which we all know and love today. Meier has transformed the strategy genre time after time and is completely deserving of being on this list.
1. Shigeru Miyamoto - Back in the late 70s early 80s, video games were dying due to company’s blatantly ripping each other off and flooding the market with inferior products. However, in steps Miyamoto and Nintendo and together they come up with several franchises that change video games forever. Games like Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda are released and almost single-handedly bring the video game industry back from the brink of extinction. We all owe something to Miyamoto for saving video games and that is why he definitely deserves the top spot on our list.
We hope you enjoyed our list but please keep in mind that this list is purely subjective and a matter of opinion. If you feel someone deserves to be included in this list, or if you feel someone is not deserving of a top 5 spot, let us know below!
