As is often the case with technology, gaming has come a very long way in a relatively short amount of time. There are many contributing factors behind this rapid growth, but one of the most significant is the wealth of inventive and influential creators that can be found working throughout the industry.
Were it not for these talented individuals, the gaming landscape would look very different than it does today. It's their ideas and hard work that has driven decades of innovation while simultaneously inspiring others to develop more engaging and advanced games. As they continue to mature and grow as creators, so too do the titles that they deliver and, in turn, the very industry itself.
10 Shigeru Miyamoto
Following in the footsteps of great men like Gunpei Yokoi and Satoru Iwata would be an incredibly daunting prospect for most, but it's something that Shigeru Miyamoto has taken in his stride. Under his stewardship, Nintendo continues to go from strength to strength; with the Switch well on its way to surpassing the Wii as the company's best selling console of all time. There's much more to Miyamoto than just his leadership skills though, as evidenced by his strong back catalog of games.
The veteran creator has played a pivotal role in the creation of some of Nintendo's biggest IPs; including Mario, Zelda and Star Fox to name but a few. As well as selling more than a billion copies between them, these series have consistently pioneered new ideas and gameplay mechanics that have helped to shape the gaming landscape and inspired countless other creators in the process.
9 Tim Schafer
Together with Ron Gilbert, Tim Schafer played a hugely important role in the development and popularization of the point and click genre. They might not be anywhere near as prevalent today as they were during their heyday, but these games provided the foundations upon which many of the best modern day adventure games have been built. Unlike his former LucasArts colleague, however, Schafer's influence on the industry has continued well into the 21st century.
When Schafer turned to Kickstarter to crowdfund what would eventually become Broken Age, the platform was still very much in its infancy. The project's overwhelming success therefor served to highlight the viability of crowdfunding video games; thus paving the way for other developers to secure funding without having to bend to the wills and whims of greedy publishers.
8 Yu Suzuki
One developer who definitely benefited from Tim Schafer's popularization of crowdfunding was Yu Suzuki; whose Shenmue 3 campaign broke numerous Kickstarter records on the way to being funded. The resulting game was perhaps not what he'd originally had in mind, but those which preceded it were revolutionary for their era and laid much of the groundwork for what would ultimately become the open world genre. Even before Shenmue though, Suzuki was a hugely important figure in the industry.
He may not be as well known or revered as his Nintendo counterpart, but Suzuki is often referred to as "Sega's Miyamoto"; and it's easy to see why. Not only was he responsible for some of the company's most popular arcade titles of all time, but he also revolutionized the fighting genre with his groundbreaking Virtua Fighter series.
7 Gabe Newell
In much the same way that Virtua Fighter redefined the fighting genre, Valve's Half-Life series ushered in a new era for FPS games. Were it not for the company's co-founder and managing directer Gabe Newell, however, it may never have come to be. Valve didn't just change the way that people play their games either, but also how they purchase them.
With more and more people gaining access to the internet and the ever increasing popularity of PC gaming, Valve launched its digital marketplace Steam in 2003. Almost two decades later and the service has more than 100 million active monthly users and continues to grow in size with every passing year.
6 Hideo Kojima
When it comes to Japanese video game designers, few are as revered or as well known as Hideo Kojima. The Metal Gear franchise that he created led the way when it came to infusing cinematic techniques into video games and heavily influenced many of the narrative-driven titles of today. It also popularized the use of stealth mechanics as well as using shoulder buttons to cycle through weapons and items rather than having to open up a menu.
Although nowhere near as influential as Metal Gear, Kojima has worked on plenty of other innovative titles over the years; the latest of which is Death Stranding. It may have been incredibly divisive among players and critics, but it's a title that further bridges the gap between video games and movies while also implementing some interesting social mechanics.
5 Dan Houser
Rockstar Games has been responsible for some incredible IPs since being established by Sam and Dan Houser back in 1998. The biggest of these is undoubtedly Grand Theft Auto though; a series which the brothers themselves have played an integral role in developing. Since Grand Theft Auto III, the series has led the way when it comes to open world gaming and continues to push the boundaries with each new entry.
As well as its flagship franchise, the company is also responsible for games and series like L.A. Noire, Bully and Red Dead Redemption; which goes to show that it's more than just a one-trick pony. These games are perhaps equally innovative and, together with the many GTA games, have sold more than a quarter of a billion copies.
4 Hironobu Sakaguchi
When Hironobu Sakaguchi came up with the idea for Final Fantasy, he could not have known just how big or revolutionary the series would go on to become. It singlehandedly redefined the RPG with its engrossing narratives and intuitive turn-based combat system and ultimately ushered in a golden era for the genre itself.
Sakaguchi played an integral role in the series' first six games before taking a step back and eventually leaving Square Enix to open his own studio in 2004. Although Mistwalker did find some early success with games like Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon, it is Sakaguchi's legacy and the continued influence of Final Fantasy that makes him so important to the gaming industry.
3 Sid Meier
Sid Meier might just be the Tom Clancy of video games; not just because of his tendency to insert his name into the titles of his work, but also due to the huge influence that he's had on his chosen genre. To many, the Civilization series serves as the gold standard for turn-based strategy games and each new entry seems to further cement this status.
Although not quite as impressive as Firaxis' flagship series, Meier has worked on a number of simulation and action adventure games during his time in the industry as well; including the likes of Pirates! and Railroad Tycoon. Many have tried to emulate his signature development style over the years, but none have come close to delivering anything anywhere near as impressive.
2 Shinji Mikami
Shinji Mikami started working at Capcom in 1990, but it would not be until six years later that he'd be given the chance to make his mark. The young designer was chosen to direct the company's upcoming horror game, Biohazard; or, as it is known internationally, Resident Evil. The rest, as they say, is history.
Mikami worked on the first four Resident Evil games as well as some of the series' many spin-offs. These games not only helped to massively boost the popularity of the survival horror genre, but also introduced ideas that would go on to shape it for years to come. Since leaving Capcom in 2004, he's worked on plenty of other successful IPs like The Evil Within and God Hand.
1 John Carmack
John Romero may have coined the term 'deathmatch', but were it not for the blood, sweat and tears of his creative partner John Carmack, there may well have been nothing to name. His finely-tuned programming skills helped to make Doom a terrifying reality and also played a key role in the development of several other genre defining FPS franchises like Wolfenstein and Quake.
In 2013, Carmack left id Software to become the chief technical officer for Oculus VR. Over the course of six years, he contributed towards the successful launch of the company's VR headset before stepping down in late 2019 in order to devote more time to his ongoing work on artificial intelligence. Whether or not this could one day have an impact on gaming remains to be seen, although given Carmack's outstanding track record, it wouldn't be at all surprising if it did.