Top Game Developers Worth Mentioning in Game History

There’s no doubt that video games are among the most played one's today. Every day, hundreds of video gamers share their love in a discussion of video games. But rarely do we look back to reflect on the great minds behind them.

It is important that we recognize and appreciate the best game developers. And that’s exactly what this post is going to do. Here are the Top 10 video game developers that have impressed audiences with their incredible contributions to the gaming world.

Brief History of Video Game Development

Before we get to the developers, let’s first briefly look at how video games came to be. The first ones were developed in the 1960s and were non-commercial. They were supported by mainframe computers and were not for the general public. It was until home computers were invented in the 1970s that commercial game developers began to rise. And as the demand became high, it made it difficult for one person to produce mainstream console games and so more workforce was needed. That is why even today, it requires between 20-100 individuals performing different tasks to develop a single one.

Top Game Developers

1. Kojima Hideo

Kojima is one of the most important figures in the history of video gaming. He is not only a designer but is also a writer, director, and producer. He was born on August 24, 1963. He developed an interest in action and adventure cinema when he was a child. Hideo kicked off his career by writing and designing the Metal Gear Series, which is his most famous works.

The title that made him appear among the top game developers is Metal Gear Solid for PlayStation. Among other things he has produced Zone of the Enders series, wrote and designed Snatcher and Policenauts in 1988 and 1994 respectively.

2. Gabe Newell

Gaben, as he’s commonly known is an American businessman and one of the top game developers. He is the genius mind behind the Xbox, PlayStation and any of Nintendo Consoles. Gabe built a name for himself in the PC gamer’s world by delivering the exact things that the players want.

After dropping out from Harvard University, he worked for Microsoft for 13years. In 1996, he collaborated with a friend and built up the Valve Software. Their first game was built off the quake engine, and it was named Half-Life, which is widely known today one of the most excellent first shooters.

There are also other famous and beloved games that the studio has developed including Digital distribution, Counterstrike, Portal and Left 4 Dead.

3. Shigeru Miyamoto

Shigeru Miyamoto is an icon in the world of top game developers. He is one of the people who pioneered the video gaming industry. In fact, he is regarded as the father of modern video gaming. He started his career in 1977 when he joined Nintendo as an artist.

Miyamoto employs a unique style when designing video characters. Unlike most top game developers, who tend to focus more on the technical and programming aspects, Shigeru prefers to develop a storyline for the characters and hence giving a creative and exciting perspective.

It was by developing Donkey Kong that he achieved his big breakthrough and since then, he has actively participated in designing, producing and developing other impressive games.

4. John Romero

When reviewing the top game developers, Alfonso John Romero never misses on any list. He is an American designer and producer that started his career in 1980 by programming games on Apple II. He gained his fame after Scout Search, his first published game appeared on inCider Magazine.

Romero has worked with so many gaming companies but in 1991 is when he formed the id Software. He has been involved in the creation of many PC games such as Commander Keen, Wolfenstein, and Doom among others. And he has also served as the executive producer on Heretic and Hexen.

5. Yu Suzuki

He is a highly regarded visionary in the gaming industry. When he first joined Sega in 1983, he was just a simple programmer. But later on, he would develop Hang-On, which was the first simulation arcade game.

This AM2’s start has been at the top front trying to push the limits of arcade hardware. In the 1980s, Suzuki developed Super Scaler technology that has been used to produce 3D graphics and gameplay for games such as OutRun, After Burner and Power Drift.

6. Toshihiro Nagoshi

After graduating from Tokyo University, Toshiro joined AM2 where he worked under YU Suzuki as a CG designed. He is one of those top game developers that have ascended to higher ranks very quickly. In 1998, he was appointed the manager of Sega AM11.

He is the great mind behind the most popular racing game called Dayton USA and others including Super Monkey Ball and Yuzuka as well. Currently, he is the Chief Creative Officer of Sega and heads Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.

7. Leslie Benzies

Scotland brags of having Benzies among the top game developers. This former president of Rockstar North, a subsidiary of Rockstar has wowed gaming audience with his incredible contributions.

He has achieved so much in his career. And he is loved for producing, designing and directing the famous Grand Theft Auto (GTA) game. He began his journey in 1995 at DMA design where he was among the team developing the Nintendo 64 platform game Space Station Silicon Valley. Benzies has played so many roles including the producer, development director, lead and designer as well as director of different games.

8. Hideki Kamiya

Kamiya is a well-known video developer with a Japanese origin. He has worked for several gaming companies. He first kicked off his career by working with Clover studios, and he later moved to Capcom where he planned the famous Resident Evil.

He is also proud to have designed other games such as Bayonetta, Devil May Cry and Wonderful 101.

9. Shinji Mikami

Many people regard him as the godfather of horror games. He achieved his career breakthrough when he designed the Resident Evil. He first began by designing a spooky adventure game for the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn studios.

Shinji has also contributed to other Capcom franchises such as Viewtiful Joe, Ace Attorney among others. He runs his studio called Tango Gameworks which has been acquired by Bethesda.

10. Hironobu Sakaguchi

He is recognized for creating Final Fantasy, although he has written, directed other famous games. He joined Square Co. Ltd as a part-time worker after dropping out of the university in 1983. He would later leave the company in 2003 after planning and developing different games.

Apart from directing the Final Fantasy, Sakaguchi also is said to love photography, legos, and surfing.

The job done behind the scenes to ensure that the games are enjoyable is undoubtedly not an easy one. But it’s unfortunate that it might not get noticed by everyone. There is so much involved in video development, from the production to the design, not to mention, the game development costs are so high. It’s of importance that we appreciate the great minds behind them.

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