Galaki on 21 June 2007
Shigeru Miyamoto
Senior managing director, Nintendo
Rank: 20
Why he matters: If you recognize the name Donkey Kong, Mario, or Zelda, you're familiar with Miyamoto's work -- and if you've come within shouting distance of a 14-year-old lately, you've probably heard about his latest creation: the Nintendo Wii.
The Wii's motion-sensitive controller has injected a physical dimension into the videogame business, but the real genius of the Wii may be that it appeals to people outside Nintendo's traditional middle-school demographic. By marketing the Wii aggressively to 25-to 49-year-olds, Miyamoto is breathing new life into a $30 billion industry that was starting to stagnate.
