The video game industry is never static. You might expect names like Hidetaka Miyazaki to pop up when talking about a list of some of the most influential figures in this business, but they’re not the first to do so.
Still, there’s no doubt their contribution to the industry is just as important as those who came before, like Sid Meier and Shigeru Miyamoto. While the old creators laid the foundation, new ones have helped elevate the medium into what it is today.
From the creators of dark, challenging worlds to the visionaries who’ve pushed the boundaries of narrative and mechanics, here’s a list of five of the most impactful personalities in gaming in recent times.
5) Scott Cawthon
Scott Cawthon is the mastermind behind one of the most surprising and influential indie horror franchises of the decade: Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF).
It was Cawthon’s Hail Mary, as he planned to quit game development after releasing hundreds (no joke) of failed games. Its success was unimaginable, spawning a franchise with multiple sequels, spin-offs, and even a movie adaptation.
The game breathed life into a genre that didn’t get the attention it deserved—point-and-click horror. The indie horror scene saw a huge return of games within this genre, innovating the formula that Cawthon used.
4) Amy Hennig
Amy Hennig is best known for her work as a narrative designer and writer, particularly for her contributions to the beloved Uncharted series.
After joining Naughty Dog in the early 2000s, she played a crucial role in creating the memorable characters and adrenaline-rushing stories that define the franchise.
Her work on Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and its sequels set a new standard for action-adventure games through her storytelling and narrative.
Hennig helped shape the modern video game narrative, showing how storytelling is essential to engage players and get them emotionally invested in protagonists. Not to mention, the space she created as a woman for other women in a male-dominated industry.
3) Hidetaka Miyazaki
Hidetaka Miyazaki’s name is synonymous with the Soulslike genre. And it should be, considering he pretty much invented the genre through his work on Demon’s Souls, the beginning of it all.
Since then, he’s only gone further up and pushed the boundaries of what a Soulslike can be with the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring.
Not much needs to be said about exactly how innovative his approach to game design is, considering it spawned an entirely new genre. In these titles, exploration, strategic combat, and environmental storytelling take center stage.
The Soulslike formula has inspired numerous games and developers, who have adopted and adapted his design principles. His games also influenced the broader gaming community’s approach to difficulty and reward.
2) Todd Howard
Open-world RPGs wouldn’t be what they are right now if it wasn’t for Todd Howard’s work on The Elder Scrolls series and the Fallout series.
As a director and producer at Bethesda Game Studios, Howard has been instrumental in creating expansive, immersive worlds that offer players near-endless exploration.
While all of the Elder Scrolls releases were phenomenal in their own right, Skyrim is a landmark title in the franchise that set new standards for open-world design. People will play it for years without ever having finished the main quest, still making discoveries within its richly detailed world.
Despite some criticism for the technical issues and repetitive elements in recent releases, he has undeniably influenced countless other titles.
1) Hideo Kojima
Kojima needs no introduction. He is a legend in the gaming industry, known for his groundbreaking work on the Metal Gear series.
If there was a poster boy for cinema lovers, it would be Kojima. His love for the medium shines in his approach to game design, characterized by complex narratives, innovative mechanics, and cinematic presentation.
Metal Gear Solid, the timeless classic, is a trailblazer for the stealth-action genre. Kojima masterfully blends intricate plots and tactical gameplay while tastefully exploring themes of politics, war, and identity. He can do it all.
Do you agree or disagree with this list? We’d love to hear your opinions in the comments below!
