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. 

got dammit, he's worth it :P

This guy has been every where now, what next? Noble Peace?

I love the man, he has made so many memories in peoples lives.

Shows how much they know.  Most nin people aren't that young, granted the younger ones will annoy you more when you hear them talk.

He was also Knighted in France in case you'd like to know.

Miyamoto rocks!.....(although I still don't see the point of Nintendogs...which is something him and Nintendo are extremely proud of!)

Nintendogs?! Have you played it? It's damn amazing, and everyone I know who is introduced to it is blown away.

I've read somewhere that the game industry is now larger than the movie industry. Seeing that for years movie producers and directors have gotten so much attention in the mass media, it's about time big names in the game industry receive respect from general public.

It's fun for ppl like me who don't like dogs and won't ever have dogs... but would like to play with one anyway :P

Oh and Miyamoto is the pwnage 

you know fazz, i'm allergic to dogs (and cats)...have been my whole life. I was totally pumped when I heard about Nintendogs...and then I played my friends copy and was totally bummed at just how much it utterly sucked.

but...as long as it's selling millions of copies and people are playing them...who cares what I think, eh?