News
Shigeru Miyamoto: Most influential person of the year
Tim Ingham May 2 2008, 3:14pm
Comments (5)
Time Magazine readers’ poll puts Nintendo man ahead of business, politics and sports luminaries
Another indication of gaming’s mass-market appeal has been secured – as Time Magazine’s readers have named Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto the most influential person in the world this year.
Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto has taken first place in a Time's reader's poll of the 100 most influential people of the year.
The development legend receieved almost two million votes, beating the likes of David Beckham and Al Gore.
Harmonix designers Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, were also both included in the list as a duo at number 70.
The pair created both the original Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles.
Comments
“Travesty.”
Posted by: Zed Zee - May 3, 12:49pm
It's a sad, sad day when this 'man' is awarded anything or placed at the top of any ranking.
I don't see anything inspirational about Nintendo, their games, what they're doing with the Revolution and most importantly, where it's heading in the future.
Now that Nintendo has saved itself from certain bankruptcy, by finding a niche for itself with 'casual gamers', where next for this blind oriental midget of a corporation?
What is the next console they produce be like? More for casual gamers? Back to hardcore? How will they keep casual gamers if they choose the latter and what further so-called "innovations" will a follow-up (please, God, no!) to the Revolution be about?
I think Nintendo should stop counting its cash and look seriously hard at how it's hurt the games industry and more importantly, it's bleak future.
“Shame.”
Posted by: Zed Zee - May 3, 12:54pm
Just spotted that this oriental midget beat Al Gore in this ranking!
So, let me get this straight: A guy who promotes you buying crap and using up more electricity with the display, console and controllers is better than a guy who's saying "Hey, have you considered whether your kid's generation will even have electricity?"
Dear oh dear...
“Re: Shame.”
Posted: May 3, 2:50pm
Err....please don't flame me on this, but....are you serious here or being sarcastic?
Nintendo hurting the games industry?
If you're serious I really don't know what to say. Granted, Mr Miyamoto as the most influential person of the year I'm a little skeptical about, no matter how much I like what he's done, but you can't dispute how Ninty have evolved and brought gaming to a whole new audience.
Of course, if you are being sarcastic....bravo, very funny!
“Re: Shame.”
Posted: May 3, 5:14pm
Most influential, smug, idea-robbing, typical example of the old-guard, enclosed japanese developers/publishers who used to spoon feed us all this anime/manga inspired crap 15-10 years ago. Thank god for the economic decline of japan for giving the rest of the world a chance a few years back.Only reason he is in the limelight again is because he is basically re-hashing the same old tired ideas he introduced on a SNES/N64, but now has a rather novel "oh babe, aint that clever! You like, wave it about a bit, and it moves the character on the screen (impression of a working-class female member of my family)" controller. The only reason this has happened is because of the rise of casual gaming. And the main reason casual gaming has suddnely become popular, is because most people have to hold down such time consuming jobs so that they can pay their mortgages, pay their ever increasing taxes and food and fuel bills. They simply dont have the time nor the money anymore to play increasingly immersive and intricate games like "Mass effect" that involve you totally commiting a socially damaging chunk of your time to get anywhere near seeing all of it.
Yep, an irrational, full of holes rant with barely a tenous grasp of the facts or views that it vents. Oh, and he just looks evil. I mean, look at him. I cant remember exactly when, but remember when the Wii was soon to be released? And those pics of him cradling the Wii-mote near his face with that smug grin he often has plastered on his mush were doing the rounds on the net? It sends a shiver down my spine every time i see it. Looks like the sort of bloke who has an aversion to sunlight, and if a passing priest were to liberally sprinkle holy-water ontop of his head, the effect would be akin to what happens to Nicolas Cage in "Ghost Rider" whenever he gets angry.
I don't like him. Him and Hideo Kojima. Oh god, dont get me started on Hideo Kojima . . . . . . . .
“Re: Shame.”
Posted by: ADE_1977 - May 9, 12:02pm
Don't any of you realise that without Miyamoto the video games industry would be a bleaker place. This is the man that gave us Donkey Kong, the game that helped establish the industry in America. The man that gave us Mario, a character that for a while was recognised by more people than Mickey Mouse. The man that innovated in gameplay terms to such an extent that its hard to find a modern game that doesn't contain at leats one of his ideas. What would games look like if Mario 64 had never been created, the template for pretty much every 3D game since. An innovator and indeed genius that warrants recognition for a lifetime dedicated to the ethos that games should be fun.
That said its his work on the games themselves that has been most important, so an award for the last year, a year spent in an executive role, doesn't seem quite warranted.