Who is the most influential person in gaming, now or in the past?

My vote would have to go to Shigeru Miyamoto. I just think his vision and imaginitive design work is remarkable. A true 'legend' of gaming.

Who do you think?

I fail to see whats influential about Miyamoto in the gaming industry.

John Carmack is significantly more important as a influential person in the gaming industry because his work gets applied to most games in the future and has a direct improvement to the games. Miyamoto just does his own thing thats rarely applicable to other games.

I fail to see whats influential about Miyamoto in the gaming industry.

John Carmack is significantly more important as a influential person in the gaming industry because his work gets applied to most games in the future and has a direct improvement to the games. Miyamoto just does his own thing thats rarely applicable to other games.

XaosII

Are you familiar with the 2D platformer and the 3D platformer?

I fail to see whats influential about Miyamoto in the gaming industry.

John Carmack is significantly more important as a influential person in the gaming industry because his work gets applied to most games in the future and has a direct improvement to the games. Miyamoto just does his own thing thats rarely applicable to other games.

XaosII

I'm afraid I disagree. Miyamoto essentially defined 2D and 3D platforming with Mario, as well as top-down adventures and RPGs with Legend fo Zelda. These basic formats have been used over and over to the point that nearly every game for the past 20 years owes atleast something to him.

As far as I know (which, granted, isn't much) Carmack's work has more to do with graphics innovation than actual gameplay templates, bar FPS's to which his influence is positively essential.

[QUOTE="XaosII"]

I fail to see whats influential about Miyamoto in the gaming industry.

John Carmack is significantly more important as a influential person in the gaming industry because his work gets applied to most games in the future and has a direct improvement to the games. Miyamoto just does his own thing thats rarely applicable to other games.

Robio_basic

Are you familiar with the 2D platformer and the 3D platformer?

Are you familiar with almost every 3D game ever made?

[QUOTE="XaosII"]

I fail to see whats influential about Miyamoto in the gaming industry.

John Carmack is significantly more important as a influential person in the gaming industry because his work gets applied to most games in the future and has a direct improvement to the games. Miyamoto just does his own thing thats rarely applicable to other games.

creepy_mike

I'm afraid I disagree. Miyamoto essentially defined 2D and 3D platforming with Mario, as well as top-down adventures and RPGs with Legend fo Zelda. These basic formats have been used over and over to the point that nearly every game for the past 20 years owes atleast something to him.

As far as I know (which, granted, isn't much) Carmack's work has more to do with graphics innovation than actual gameplay templates, bar FPS's to which his influence is positively essential.

So Miyamoto defined the standards for platforming. Carmack pretty much defined the rendering of 3D for games in real time - something that would not have been possible to make, say, Super Mario 64, without. His work is hardly limited to FPS games - carmack is a programmer, not a game designer.

Miyamoto games has required the work of Carmack's ideas. Carmack hasnt needed the influence of Miyamoto to make his works.

I fail to see whats influential about Miyamoto in the gaming industry.

John Carmack is significantly more important as a influential person in the gaming industry because his work gets applied to most games in the future and has a direct improvement to the games. Miyamoto just does his own thing thats rarely applicable to other games.

XaosII

Well, he almost single handedly revived a dead industry while at the same time creating the most enduring and successful characters and franchises in the industry's history, while influenencing almost every game designer since with designs that have since become basically the modern framework for just about every genre Miyamoto has worked in.

[QUOTE="Robio_basic"][QUOTE="XaosII"]

I fail to see whats influential about Miyamoto in the gaming industry.

John Carmack is significantly more important as a influential person in the gaming industry because his work gets applied to most games in the future and has a direct improvement to the games. Miyamoto just does his own thing thats rarely applicable to other games.

XaosII

Are you familiar with the 2D platformer and the 3D platformer?

Are you familiar with almost every 3D game ever made?

I think most of us are familiar with both. Both men are extremely influential figures in gaming but whether or not one is more important does not competely discount the influence of the other. Your total dismissal of Miyamoto is still rather unfounded.

[QUOTE="XaosII"]

I fail to see whats influential about Miyamoto in the gaming industry.

John Carmack is significantly more important as a influential person in the gaming industry because his work gets applied to most games in the future and has a direct improvement to the games. Miyamoto just does his own thing thats rarely applicable to other games.

Gamefan1986

Well, he almost single handedly revived a dead industry while at the same time creating the most enduring and successful characters and franchises in the industry's history, while influenencing almost every game designer since with designs that have since become basically the modern framework for just about every genre Miyamoto has worked in.

Ehmm... Maybe for console games, but his influence in the PC market is really very little. I'd say even without nintendo, not much would have ever changed in the PC gaming market of things, and its really the segment i care most about.

So, no, i disagree. Carmacks works has been applied to both the PC and consoel gaming markets.

[QUOTE="XaosII"][QUOTE="Robio_basic"][QUOTE="XaosII"]

I fail to see whats influential about Miyamoto in the gaming industry.

John Carmack is significantly more important as a influential person in the gaming industry because his work gets applied to most games in the future and has a direct improvement to the games. Miyamoto just does his own thing thats rarely applicable to other games.

creepy_mike

Are you familiar with the 2D platformer and the 3D platformer?

Are you familiar with almost every 3D game ever made?

I think most of us are familiar with both. Both men are extremely influential figures in gaming but whether or not one is more important does not competely discount the influence of the other. Your total dismissal of Miyamoto is still rather unfounded.

I think how most people overrate his influence is also unfounded. They only pick him largely because they like his games, not by actually looking at the bigger picture and realizing what he has and hasnt contributied to gaming.

If you are asked, "whos your favorite game developer" or "who's the most inspirational video gamedeveloper" or "Who do you think is the biggest name in gaming," I think Miyamoto is a perfectly acceptable answer. But who's the most influential? While thats definitely an answer based on opinion, it strikes me as odd how "clear" the answer of Miyamoto is. Are people picking him mostly because of his influence or mostly because they just like his games?

[QUOTE="Gamefan1986"][QUOTE="XaosII"]

I fail to see whats influential about Miyamoto in the gaming industry.

John Carmack is significantly more important as a influential person in the gaming industry because his work gets applied to most games in the future and has a direct improvement to the games. Miyamoto just does his own thing thats rarely applicable to other games.

XaosII

Well, he almost single handedly revived a dead industry while at the same time creating the most enduring and successful characters and franchises in the industry's history, while influenencing almost every game designer since with designs that have since become basically the modern framework for just about every genre Miyamoto has worked in.

Ehmm... Maybe for console games, but his influence in the PC market is really very little. I'd say even without nintendo, not much would have ever changed in the PC gaming market of things, and its really the segment i care most about.

So, no, i disagree. Carmacks works has been applied to both the PC and consoel gaming markets.

I never even mentioned the PC market. Either way, I still think the answer to the topic question is a 3-way tie between Ralph Baer, Nolan Bushnell, and Miyamoto.

I will have to go with John Carmack as well. As much as I respect Miyamoto, Carmack's innovation in Wolf3D and Doom was incredible both from technological point of view and a gameplay point of view. Without Carmack, games would never have been as they are today.

For now, I would have to say Jade Raymond. She shows that even women can be beautiful and still totally make video games.

For the past, I'm with Miyamoto.

i think that the PC market and home console market are seperate entities. Its unfair to compare the two. I think i should have specified the console market as i have never been into PC gaming.

Lets take Shigsy...Nes, Gameboy, Snes, N64, Gameboy Advance,Gamecube, Nintendo DS,Wii. Thats quite a timeline of development!

i think that the PC market and home console market are seperate entities. Its unfair to compare the two. I think i should have specified the console market as i have never been into PC gaming.

Lets take Shigsy...Nes, Gameboy, Snes, N64, Gameboy Advance,Gamecube, Nintendo DS,Wii. Thats quite a timeline of development!

killeryoda85

How does the market being different have anything to do with the fact that Carmack's work has been influential to both?

Seperating them due to semantic is really, really weak, when it has no bearing on the works done by either Miyamoto or Carmack. They are all gaming platforms.

Are you going to deny Miyamoto's work on handheld/sportables because they arent a console? That sounds a bit silly to me.

[QUOTE="killeryoda85"]

i think that the PC market and home console market are seperate entities. Its unfair to compare the two. I think i should have specified the console market as i have never been into PC gaming.

Lets take Shigsy...Nes, Gameboy, Snes, N64, Gameboy Advance,Gamecube, Nintendo DS,Wii. Thats quite a timeline of development!

XaosII

How does the market being different have anything to do with the fact that Carmack's work has been influential to both?

Seperating them due to semantic is really, really weak, when it has no bearing on the works done by either Miyamoto or Carmack. They are all gaming platforms.

Are you going to deny Miyamoto's work on handheld/sportables because they arent a console? That sounds a bit silly to me.

All im saying is that when making this topic, i was thinking about home consoles, not PC's. And to be honest, i dont think im in a good position to comment on PC dev's as i dont use a PC for gaming. (Digging myself a hole here, lol)

If you look at software only though (ie...which dev's creations most people have ripped off/how many games are using his designs) then it's Richard Garriot, as he not only created RPG genre, but shaped bassicaly every type of it. Every single game from RPG genre is ripping Ultima in one way or anotherAdrianWerner

I agree, and I would add Will Wright. His work has influenced a myriad of games such as Civilization and Animal Crossing.

[QUOTE="killeryoda85"]

i think that the PC market and home console market are seperate entities. Its unfair to compare the two. I think i should have specified the console market as i have never been into PC gaming.

Lets take Shigsy...Nes, Gameboy, Snes, N64, Gameboy Advance,Gamecube, Nintendo DS,Wii. Thats quite a timeline of development!

XaosII

How does the market being different have anything to do with the fact that Carmack's work has been influential to both?

Seperating them due to semantic is really, really weak, when it has no bearing on the works done by either Miyamoto or Carmack. They are all gaming platforms.

Are you going to deny Miyamoto's work on handheld/sportables because they arent a console? That sounds a bit silly to me.

To be honest, I wasn't even thinking of the PC market either, which is where our difference of opinion probably comes in, because you are mostly a PC gamer, while PC didn't even enter into my thought process when thinking about this topic. Either way, I am still really befuddled that I'm the only one that has even thrown Ralph Baer's name into the hat.Gamefan1986

PC gaming or not, i dont see how Carmack's work isnt apparant, even on the console gaming front.

As for Baer, while i agree hes important, i dont put much emphasis on being the first, if the persosn doesnt have a continued effort in expanding/innovating. GTA, is most definiately not the first action sandbox game. I know thta Urban Chaos did most of what GTA did before it, and Urban Chaos was probably not the first either. Yet, GTA gets most of the credit largely because its popular, but has continued to expand and improve on it. If GTA 3 stopped at GTA 3, i wouldn't have considered it important at all, especially since Urban Chaos was already first.

GTA, is most definiately not the first action sandbox game. I know thta Urban Chaos did most of what GTA did before it, and Urban Chaos was probably not the first either. Yet, GTA gets most of the credit largely because its popular, but has continued to expand and improve on it. If GTA 3 stopped at GTA 3, i wouldn't have considered it important at all, especially since Urban Chaos was already first.XaosII

Urban Chaos was still preceeded by Grand Theft Auto. Rockstar North simply brought that same concept into 3D with Grand Theft Auto III. Besides, Rockstar North (back then known as DMA Design) made two 3D sandbox action games in 1998 - Body Harvest and Space Station Silicon Valley.

[QUOTE="Gamefan1986"] To be honest, I wasn't even thinking of the PC market either, which is where our difference of opinion probably comes in, because you are mostly a PC gamer, while PC didn't even enter into my thought process when thinking about this topic. Either way, I am still really befuddled that I'm the only one that has even thrown Ralph Baer's name into the hat.XaosII

PC gaming or not, i dont see how Carmack's work isnt apparant, even on the console gaming front.

As for Baer, while i agree hes important, i dont put much emphasis on being the first, if the persosn doesnt have a continued effort in expanding/innovating. GTA, is most definiately not the first action sandbox game. I know thta Urban Chaos did most of what GTA did before it, and Urban Chaos was probably not the first either. Yet, GTA gets most of the credit largely because its popular, but has continued to expand and improve on it. If GTA 3 stopped at GTA 3, i wouldn't have considered it important at all, especially since Urban Chaos was already first.

so what you are saying is basically being the inventor of videogames isn't influential to videogames? Bushnell practically started the home console business when he was head of Atari, and Miyamoto did all those things I mentioned earlier in the thread, which is why I said that the answer to the topic should probably be a 3-way tie between Baer, Bushnell, and Miyamoto rather than one person because videogames probably wouldn't exist without any one of those guys. If, in your opinion, Carmack should be up there too, then...well, OK...thats cool too. Gamefan1986

I clearly acknowledged Baer's contribution. Im just saying, being the first, but then not continuing to expand/improve on it in other significant ways, doesnt count much in my book.

Xerox made the first graphical interface for computers. Today, most people dont see Xerox as anything special on the research and development of the GUI, because they havent contributed anything much to it since. How much credit does Xerox deserve when major breakthroughs in user interface have been done by everyone, except them? Being first and letting others expand on it without much or any contribution isnt something i think counts for much.

Oh you youngins, here is the greatest man in gaming- behold the father of the videogame rpg! Richard GarriotGodModeEnabled

You beat me to it, sir. You know good ole Rich would have been great on a box of Wheaties. Just look at that confident stance with the fire background erupting behind it. That's not the only time I have seen him make that pose. That just exudes powerful influence.

It's definitely fun to read your comments, I'll jump in and say I like the opinion of the three way tie. To the gentleman that keeps talking about how Carmack wasn't influenced by Miyamoto, you should pick up any of the books out there that describes what was one of the first things technical hurdles Carmack ever challenged himself with and then look at one ofhis first games, Commander Keen.

Later ya'll, Ryan

hmmmm, Tom Clancy is an author first and foremost, so im not sure he counts. Its like saying George Lucas because he created Star Wars!

Id give mention to Kojima, although i think Metal Gear has lost its edge with all the other games in the genre now available. Certianly influential in his own right though.

John Carmack, his work has influenced the pc gaming and console gaming markets, while miyamoto's works have only influenced console gaming and platformers. He might have revived the industry, but that doesn't mean he's influencing anybody with his work.

Clifford Bleszinski, He is most famous for his continuing hand in the development of the Unreal franchise. lead game designer on the game Gears of War for the Xbox 360. And hes only 32 years old!

I see Tom Clancy somewhere, does he even supervise the his game development nowadays? Or is he just happy his name get slapped onto a product and he gets his fair share of the monies?jus2nyce

[QUOTE="jus2nyce"]I see Tom Clancy somewhere, does he even supervise the his game development nowadays? Or is he just happy his name get slapped onto a product and he gets his fair share of the monies?rragnaar

I agree. I think people like Madden and Woods just go to a studio for the day, do some voice work and get the payout for the likeness. I cant see Tiger in an animation studio, perfomring the moves and having a hand in its development some how!

Sandbox games and RPGs, huh? Surprised no-one remembers Mike Singleton. Lords of Midnight and Midwinter. What about David Braben and his Elite? And where would the turn-based strategy/management genre be without Sid Meier? Totally agree about Garriott, Carmack, the deranged Bushnell and Miyamoto. On the other hand, there's no point arguing about their contribution, they jumped on board long after the videogame industry started taking shape.