http://casualtygamer.com/2008/07/the-top-10-men-behind-the-games/
#5: Satoshi Tajiri (Pokémon)
Being the second biggest selling franchise in the world (following behind Mario by 38 million units), Pokémon has become legendary in every sense of the word. Though vastly more popular in Japan, where it was first conceived, in the States, Pokémon still remains at large among the video game industry.
The father of this monstrous franchise is Satoshi Tajiri, who has been a video game junkie since his early youth, when he, along with two of his friends, formed a games magazine under the name of Game Freak. In the early 1980’s, he won a contest sponsored by Sega involving making a video game. He later had his first video game, Quinty, published by Namco for the Nintendo Famicom.
When Tajiri moved over to Nintendo, he spent 6 years working on Pokemon, during which time he became friends with Shigeru Miyamoto (of Mario, Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda fame), who also became Tajiri’s mentor. As a tribute to Tajiri and Miyamoto, Ash Ketchum (the anime counterpart of “Red” in the games) is named Satoshi and Gary Oak (the anime counterpart of “Blue” in the English games, and “Green” in the original Japanese version) is named Shigeru in the Japanese version of Pokémon. Hats off to you, good sir, for creating a simple yet extraordinary franchise.
#4: Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy)
Now we’re starting to get down into the meat of the list. The final four names are upon us, and one of them was bound to be behind Final Fantasy. Well, here he is - Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series. Widely regarded as the savior of then-Squaresoft due mainly to the overnight success of Final Fantasy, Sakaguchi co-founded the company with Masafumi Miyamoto in September of 1983.
The game was originally released in Japan for the Famicom on December 18, 1987. Final Fantasy developed into a successful franchise under Sakaguchi, which spans from stand alone stories to spin-offs to direct sequels. In 1991, following Final Fantasy IV, he was honored with the position of Executive Vice President. Later, Sakaguchi voluntarily stepped down from his post as an executive vice president at Square. This event also reduced Square’s financial capital. Square then merged with Square’s rival, Enix Co., Ltd., which led straight into the present day Square Enix in 2003. Sakaguchi then resigned his position at Square, and founded Mistwalker with the financial backing of Microsoft Game Studios. According to the die-hard Final Fantasy fans, the merger of Squaresoft and Enix is considered to be the beginning of the decline of the Final Fantasy reign over the RPG genre. Sakaguchi, you will be missed.
#3: Shigeru Miyamoto (Mario, DK, Legend of Zelda)
Number 3…here we have possibly the one man responsible for the success of the video game industry in general. Shigeru Miyamoto, the brains behind the legends. He is the creator of the Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, Wave Race, and Pikmin video game series for Nintendo game systems.
Most notably of those was his first huge success in the original Donkey Kong game, which featured an irate gorilla holding a princess captive and tossing down large barrels at a pudgy, Italian man clad in a red shirt and blue overalls. Originally, this character was named Jump Man. The name was later changed to the iconic “Mario” (which has become Nintendo’s official mascot, and has spawned countless games of his own).
Following in the success of Mario was the Action/RPG adventure featuring a young boy on an epic quest to save a princess. This tried-and-true story, which rehashes itself in a new shape and form ever so often, has become so popular for its simplicity, its action, and its protagonist - the skilled, though naive youth, Link. The gaming industry owes their success to the mind of Shigeru Miyamoto, who still lends his endless talent to Nintendo after so many years.
#2: Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear)
It is in my opinion that there is no greater story-teller through the medium of video games than the legendary Hideo Kojima, the source behind the Metal Gear series. No other video game director, producer or writer can create as epic or as thought-provoking a tale as the masterful Kojma.
His protagonist, a name that has become synonymous with “awesome,” is what every young video game junkie wishes they were like. He’s cool, he’s calm, he’s collected - and he’s just about the best in the business. He is Solid Snake, and he is by far the coolest character to grace a video game ever. Spawning sequels and spin-offs on various platforms, it was not until the release of Metal Gear Solid in 1998 for the Play Station that the franchise really took off. And since then, we’ve seen Snake age, we’ve seen him endure trial after tribulation, and we’ve heard the infamous cries of “Snake?!” during every game over sequence.
Those that followed Snake’s first journey on Outer Heaven until now appreciate the work that director Hideo Kojima puts into this game as a whole. Snake’s story is one of the most memorable of any video game character, and his legacy is one that will never be forgotten. The release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots saw the fitting conclusion to the Solid Snake saga, and the epic cinematic game sold over 400,000 units in its first four days on sale in Japan; as of June 26, this landmark game has shipped over 3 million units worldwide.
#1: Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy)
Finally…number 1. But wait a second…something’s wrong. Maybe some of you have picked up on it, but…Nobuo Uematsu isn’t a director, producer OR a writer! He’s a music composer. So why does he get the number 1 spot? It is simple, and I will treat it with a simple answer: Nobuo Uematsu…is God.
No mere mortal can conceive the music that has blared through the speakers during the Sephiroth battles of Final Fantasy VII; no mere mortal could have conducted the orchestral theme song to Final Fantasy VIII; no mere mortal could have done so much musically for one of the largest franchises in the world, while creating his own prog-rock band which plays several of his songs in concert (The Black Mages). Nobuo Uematsu is no mere mortal. He is above and beyond that. He is what other video game music composers strive to be like. He is the epitome of greatness and all that is blissful to the ears. He is Nobuo Uematsu. He is number 1.
I think miyamoto should of been number 1
tag:"reviews only matter for the real hardcore gamer"
