they probably hate the vitality sensor.

I suppose I wasn't clear enough when I made the thread, so I'm editing it into the OP.

This isn't JUST about developers this time around. This is ALL men/women who have been important to the gaming industry - engineers, developers, concept artists, musical composers, whatever! If they were important, I want them included.

Thus, Kutaragi qualifies.

Also, I'm also surprised how long it took for Ken Kutaragi, Will Wright, and Satoru Iwata to be mentioned, as well. But I am very pleased Gunpei Yokoi made it in early.

Also, I edited in a full list of the nominees (so far), so you guys can quit mentioning Miyamoto. We know, already. =p

I See

Shigeru Miyamato.

I add some more important western video game personalities to get the balance right:

Will Wright
Ken Levine
Trip Hawkins
Bill Stealy
Gabe Newell
Bruce Shelley
Doug Church
Brett Sperry
Peter Molyneux
Richard Garriott
Ken & Roberta Williams
Jane Jensen
Tim Schafer
Ron Gilbert

The most important western developer imo - Sid Meier - has already been mentioned by Rath.

A top 10, correct? I'll go with:

Shigeru Miyamoto (duh)
Nolan Bushnell (pioneered the concept of a console)
Gunpei Yokoi (modern handheld gaming)
Ken Kutaragi (the various innovations PlayStation brought to the table)
Yu Suzuki (SEGA's more important contributions)
Gabe Newell (Face of Valve and their great models)
Yuji Naka (a great innovator in his own right)
The Houser Bros. (pushing the limits of gaming storytelling)
Koji Kondo (non-licensed gaming music is still defined by his tunes)
Peter Moore (mostly because he's held incredibly influential positions in three incredibly influential companies)

You two's contributions have been added. Thanks!

If David Cage manages it to the list, two more influential French developers should also be up there:

Michel Ancel (Rayman, Beyond Good & Evil)
Frédérick Raynal (Alone in the Dark, Little Big Adventure aka Relentless: Twinsen's Adventure)

This thread's just about listing all the nominations for the vote/elimination game, which will decide the final list. I'm just not discounting any nominations yet, no matter how ridiculous.

Nobody is necessarily on the actual list. Yet.