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The 25 Games Industry Influentials of 2006

Posted by Zonk on from the yay-red-octane-and-bethesda dept.

Next Generation has up a list of the people it considers the game industry's top 25 people of 2006. Headlining the list are the veterans of this round of the console wars, with the rest of the folks notables from individual game companies. Plus two guys who make a comic. From the article: "6. Todd Howard, Bethesda - On Xbox 360, Oblivion has sold over 800,000 copies in the U.S., generating $50 million in revenues. Todd Howard, the game's executive producer, has spent four years on an RPG that captured many gamers who did not see themselves as the types to lope around grassy fields, collecting mushrooms and perhaps doing the odd bit of combat. The game's goal was to allow players to 'live another life' and it certainly succeeded. This is what makes Oblivion one of the most important games of the decade, as well as one of the best games."

38 comments

  1. I swear ... by Vaibhav_Locke · · Score: 1

    I think I saw Peter Moore's face move Mike&Jerry definately deserve to be up there! They're all that influences me to buy or not buy a video game(or console) as my new Wii will tell you

    1. Re:I swear ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unnerf the period. Please! Punctuation 4 teh Win!1!

    2. Re:I swear ... by Vaibhav_Locke · · Score: 1

      Haha Mr Period time

      I forgot to add paragraphs I never use Mr Period

  2. Patricia Vance should've been a higher rank... by madhatter256 · · Score: 1

    For if it wasn't for the ESRB we would have rampant, meaningless, politically-driven censorship that is constantly attacking the industry.

    Of course, the developers/publishers need to change and start creating games with less sex and less on degrading violence.

    --
    Previewing comments are for sissies!
    1. Re:Patricia Vance should've been a higher rank... by TherilAlPenn · · Score: 1

      We do make games with less sex and violence. Perhaps if our customers bought more of them, we wouldn't have to make so many of the other kind.

    2. Re:Patricia Vance should've been a higher rank... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Less sex? Most games don't have any sex at all. We don't need more or less sex, we need the sex to be better integrated with the game & story. Making the sex the actual goal of the [mini]game is far to obvious to leave an realistic impression. More realistic impressions could be delivered by treating sex as a byproduct. For example, imagine the player is furtively crawling through an office building checking for enemies [lets say around 19:00] and looks through a window, he sees a couple having sex on an active photo copier. Later on, after killing the enemies, the player would gain access to the photo copier room and find blurry photo copy printings scattered on the floor. At the same time, the body count could be slightly reduced to make a more balanced game.

  3. Peter Moore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    How is Peter Moore at the top of the list?

    He is not involved with the largest videogame publisher in the world (Nintendo)
    He is not involved with the largest videogame publisher in North America (EA)
    His company has not produced the best selling videogame system in the world (Nintendo DS)
    His company has not produced the best selling videogame system in North America (Nintendo DS)
    His company was not involved with the highest ranked videogame of the year (The Legend Of Zelda)
    His company was not involved with the best selling videogame of the year in the World ( New Super Mario Bros )
    His company was not involved with the best selling videogame of the year in North America (Madden)

    Why was he even near the top of this list? The XBox 360 has been outsold by the Nintendo DS, Playstation 2, PSP and will soon be outsold by the Nintendo Wii and possibly the PS3 ...

    I wish I was as successful as this guy ...

    1. Re:Peter Moore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Did you even read the blurb next to his picture??

      "Peter Moore has delivered. That's why he's number one. Xbox 360 has sold as close as needs be to five million consoles in North America in the past 12 months. The best next generation games, currently, are Xbox 360 games. Xbox Live is the most advanced and user-friendly online service."

      He's the man primarily responsible for bringing Microsoft successfully into the console industry.

    2. Re:Peter Moore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      He's the man primarily responsible for bringing Microsoft successfully into the console industry.

      I suppose the question is whether Microsoft can actually be considered to be successfully in the console industry. The XBox 360 (for the most part) has performed worse than the original XBox and is only now catching up to where they were last generation:

      http://www.vgcharts.org/usaconscomps.php?name1=X36 0&name2=XB&type=2

      And the XBox 360 is not selling near the pace of the PS2

      http://www.vgcharts.org/usaconscomps.php?name1=X36 0&name2=PS2&type=2

      The point is that Peter Moore has not made the XBox successful by any real measure, whereas Nintendo (over the past 18 months) has completely turned around and is amazingly successful by practically every measure. The article seemed to be poorly though out, written, with arbitrary placement for most of the people on the list.

    3. Re:Peter Moore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're shitting me, right? Microsoft went from not-in-the-industry-at-all, hated by everyone, and doomed to failure by all, to number 2 in their first console release with the original XBox. Now with a solid customer base, they released first in this generation, and are number 1 now. You don't call that successful?

      Nintendo, on the other hand, was number 1 in the NES and SNES days. After that, it's been all downhill. They got trounced by the PSX two generations ago. And last generation they got beaten out by newcomer Microsoft! This generation they've taken a huge risk with the Wii and the jury's still out on how they'll do over the next few years.

      And then there's Sony. Huge entrance into the market with the PSX. Dominated the market with the PS2. Shot themselves in the foot with their Blu-ray tech and root-kit fiasco, and doesn't look to be in the best of positions with their grotesquely expensive and difficult to obtain PS3.

      The market is a fickle and volatile entity. One minute you're hot, the next you're not. But for MS to make the entrance they did is unquestionably a success.

    4. Re:Peter Moore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Microsoft went from not-in-the-industry-at-all, hated by everyone, and doomed to failure by all, to number 2 in their first console release with the original XBox

      By losing $4 billion (or approximately $200 per system sold) ...

      Now with a solid customer base, they released first in this generation, and are number 1 now. You don't call that successful?

      They've been out for 12 months whereas their competition has been out for less than one month; in the month the Wii has been available Nintendo as sold 1/4 as many units as the XBox 360 sold in its year. No I don't consider a marathon runner who got 20 minute head start and is running out of breath while their competition rapidly closes the gap particularly successful because they are ahead.

      Nintendo, on the other hand, was number 1 in the NES and SNES days. After that, it's been all downhill. They got trounced by the PSX two generations ago. And last generation they got beaten out by newcomer Microsoft! This generation they've taken a huge risk with the Wii and the jury's still out on how they'll do over the next few years.

      They also have the best selling, most criticaly acclaimed product in the industry currently (the Nintendo DS) and the best selling home console worldwide since it's release (Wii); you're right that the jury's still out but the Wii is now the best selling videogame system in Both Europe and Australia (at launch) and is selling remarkably well in both North America and Japan.

    5. Re:Peter Moore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      By losing $4 billion (or approximately $200 per system sold) ...

      A cost of entry to the market that they anticipated. They're now making money on each 360 sold. I don't care much for MS and their heavy-handed tactics, but they do have a knack for planning farther into the future than most companies.

      They've been out for 12 months whereas their competition has been out for less than one month; in the month the Wii has been available Nintendo as sold 1/4 as many units as the XBox 360 sold in its year.

      Most systems sell large numbers as soon as they're released. Even the 360 sold out at launch and it was tough to get one for a few months. The same thing happens with the Wii and PS3. They'll sell out the first few shipments, and then sales will slow down.

      No I don't consider a marathon runner who got 20 minute head start and is running out of breath while their competition rapidly closes the gap particularly successful because they are ahead.

      Irrelevant. Although you may think they are "running out of breath", sales show otherwise and the lead time IS a big advantage as they can gain an install base quicker, get greater developer support, and the devs have more time to learn the system.

      They also have the best selling, most criticaly acclaimed product in the industry currently (the Nintendo DS) and the best selling home console worldwide since it's release (Wii)

      I'd argue that the DS isn't really in the same market. It's definitely dominating the hand-held scene. Nintendo has had the portable market locked up tight since the release of the GameBoy, and I don't see that changing any time soon, but I was referring to the console market.

      Nintendo's doing really well right now with the Wii, but I think they may run into some problems with 3rd party support down the line. Out of three consoles in the market, theirs is quite different from the other two. If they can get a majority chunk of the pie, then it should be ok. But if not, you probably won't see many cross-platform titles make their way to the Wii, which in turn will hurt sales, which in turn discourages developers from making games for it... Vicious circle.

    6. Re:Peter Moore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because, compared to where the original Xbox started, the Xbox360 has made incredible progress into the game market?

    7. Re:Peter Moore? by grumbel · · Score: 1

      ### Nintendo (over the past 18 months) has completely turned around and is amazingly successful by practically every measure.

      Hm, comparing charts that way makes the NintendoDS actually look more like a failure, then a success, Wii is still a little to young to judge:

      http://www.vgcharts.org/usaconscomps.php?name1=DS& name2=GBA&type=2

    8. Re:Peter Moore? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How is Peter Moore at the top of the list?

      Because the article is about influence, not necessarily success. That's why everyone's favorite cult leaders from Penny-Arcade made the list.

      Peter and his Xbox crew did something pretty remarkable things this past year with the X-Box 360. The company has been using innovative marketing tie-ins, taking the systems on tour to special events, hosting a number of large-scale contests, and doing the impossible with getting their gaijin box noticed in Japan. Not to mention the X-Box 360 was constructed with care, boasting an on-line service that is robust and satisfying. Hell, they managed to make Micropayment a viable business term again.

      Sony screwed up their launch so badly it's laughable. Nintendo, much as we love them, is sitting on their laurels in a big way. Neither of them have done anything remarkable publicaly except announce and re-announce their products. Neither has shown any real on-line promise. In fact, it can be VERY safely argued that these two kids wouldn't even by trying the online market if X-Box didn't break that top-soil the way they did.

    9. Re:Peter Moore? by 91degrees · · Score: 1

      A cost of entry to the market that they anticipated. They're now making money on each 360 sold. I don't care much for MS and their heavy-handed tactics, but they do have a knack for planning farther into the future than most companies.

      Yes. People keep always overlook this. $4 billion is money well spent. They could have paid a comparable amount and bought Sega's console division but they'd still have had similar problems getting the market to trust them.

      But if not, you probably won't see many cross-platform titles make their way to the Wii, which in turn will hurt sales, which in turn discourages developers from making games for it... Vicious circle.

      I think Nintendo is really targetting a slightly different market, a chunk of which will already have a PS3 or Xbox360. The specs of the Wii really aren't close to the others but neither is the price. I don't thin people are going to choose one or the other. They'll see a purchase of a Wii to be a totally independent decision.

  4. Let us see... by SharpFang · · Score: 4, Interesting

    25 Rating board head - lawyer
    24 CEO
    23 Comic makers
    22 President
    21 gfx engine developer
    20 Shop network division president
    19 hardware manufacturer's PR guy
    18 CEO
    17 Marketing
    16 shop network COO
    15 CEO
    14 developer
    13 Sales&Marketing
    12 director
    11 distribution
    10 sales, marketing and management
    9 PR
    8 CEO and creative director
    7 marketing
    6 executive producer
    5 engineered the takeover of the Eidos
    4 sales and marketing
    3 attending interviews and doing the whole PR thing,
    2 boss of Nintendo
    1 business leader

    Rather few people who are involved in making actual games. Sales, management, shops, money making, corporate relationships and so on. Somehow actual games get lost in this all.

    --
    45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
    1. Re:Let us see... by ajenteks · · Score: 1

      Sales, management, shops, money making, corporate relationships and so on. Somehow actual games get lost in this all. That's a good reflection of the state of the industry as a whole. I sure hope things get better this next generation, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

    2. Re:Let us see... by Coffee+Warlord · · Score: 1, Redundant

      I knew it was pretty much a ridiculous list when Wil Wright was not even *listed*. Especially with Spore in development, which could theoretically be huge for the future of game development.

    3. Re:Let us see... by StillAnonymous · · Score: 1

      So they should list people for achievements they MIGHT make? What if spore is released and it's a total turd? I doubt that'll be the case, but you can't make lists that way.

    4. Re:Let us see... by aafiske · · Score: 1

      'I knew it was pretty much a ridiculous list when Wil Wright was not even *listed*. Especially with Spore in development, which could theoretically be huge for the future of game development.'

      (emphasis added)

      Soo... how would that affect 2006 again?

    5. Re:Let us see... by cliffski · · Score: 3, Informative

      agreed 100%. This is the sad state of big retail game development. Great to see Chris Delay (introversion) there, but he is the exception.
      Too many people at the 'top' of the games biz talk about 'products' and 'skus'. Most of them don't even play games, or know how they work. The finance director at the last big company I worked for wouldnt recognise one of the companies games if it smacked him in the face.
      We have big budget games now, but sadly none of the enthusiasm or passion makes it through to the end product in lots of those games. Worse still, the developers are kept at arms length from the actual gamers, not even allowed to chat freely about the games with those who buy them.
      Sad times.

      --
      DRM-free indie games for the PC and Mac: Positech Games
    6. Re:Let us see... by 91degrees · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Well, this is something of a puff piece. When you get comments like, "Her efforts in 2006 have sought to leverage the synergy between the new generation of consoles", I think a lot of these people wrote their own blurb. The marketing people talk about these terms like synergy and partnership, the execs tak about upswings, figures, markets, and agressive targets (rather jargonny again, but I think these terms mean something to the suits).

      But I think you underestimate how much influence the execs can have. Maybe less so in the big PLCs, but a few of these developers are fairly small shops, where the CEO knows exactly what's going on and is directly involved in the individual projects.

    7. Re:Let us see... by JFMulder · · Score: 2, Insightful

      To be fair, Will Wright hasn't released anything this year, and those are THIS YEAR's most influential game personalities, and he hasn't released anything this year, tough we heard a lot about Spore. But Spore is only hype and vapor right now, it hasn't shipped. He will definitely make the list next year tough. if the game is any good.

      That being said, I'm not going to read the article because I simply don't care.

    8. Re:Let us see... by ESOB · · Score: 1

      It's obviously not for gamers but more for investors who like games. The best line in there is: "Her efforts in 2006 have sought to leverage the synergy between the new generation of consoles and Best Buy's other great interest..." If that is not corporate shit I don't know what is.

    9. Re:Let us see... by LordKronos · · Score: 2, Funny
      2 boss of Nintendo

      I'd give Satoru Iwata a bit more credit than that. He's not really your typical executive. He's a bit more of a geek than that. He got his start making games in high school, moved on to be a full time developer, and even these days he is still heavily involved in the creative process.

      Overall, though, I can't say I disagree with your summary.

      20. Jill Hamburger
      Best Buy

      Jill Hamburger is vice president of gaming for Best Buy.....Her efforts in 2006 have sought to leverage the synergy between the new generation of consoles and Best Buy's other great interest right now - home theater and HDTV.


      Oh yeah....people leveraging the synergy are always going to be influential. You've got to leverage the synergy these days.
    10. Re:Let us see... by SharpFang · · Score: 1

      Additionally, #3 was a heavily involved developer too, but it's not what he was credited for (but for the PR stuff). Just as well as boss of Nintendo, credit for corporate achievements, not for any of the things you mention.

      --
      45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
    11. Re:Let us see... by LordKronos · · Score: 1
      I, of course, know who Cliffy B is, but I haven't heard a whole lot from/about him lately. Maybe he still contributes a lot, but I really can't say, so I refrained from mentioning anything about him.

      Iwata, on the other hand, has (in my opinion) contributed quite a lot today. As I said, he is heavily involved in the creative process. The article didn't just credit him for corporate achievements.

      And he has given us Wii, something new and original and exciting. He has helped to give us The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess....DS must also be recognized and his work in personally bringing the marvellous Brain Age to market is testament to his drive to expand gaming as a market and as an idea


      I'm not sure the extent of his involvement on the latter 2, my understanding is that he had considerable input and influence on the first 2. That's why I didn't think he deserved to be lumped in with the crud part of that list.

  5. Influential? by RocketScientist · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Oh, console influential. I get it.

    Not industry influential. How can I tell? Well, if you ship a half million consoles, your company (SCEA) gets 2 spots in the top 25. If your company has an MMORPG on the PC with 7 MILLION paying subscribers, you get squat. Zero, zilch, not even an "honorable mention". So, you effect a a half million, 2 spots, you effect 14 times as many, you get 0 spots. Even the XBox 360, which Microsoft wants to ship, what, a couple million of? gets very high billing.

    The console industry is not the games industry. It is a part of the industry, but not the entire industry. I'd argue it may not even be the most popular or influential part of the industry.

    1. Re:Influential? by HappySqurriel · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well, if you ship a half million consoles, your company (SCEA) gets 2 spots in the top 25.

      Well, technically speaking SECA sold well over 15 Million pieces of hardware (PS2+PSP+PS3) and over 10 Million pieces of sofware this year; Nintendo has sold well over 20 Million pieces of hardware (DS, GBA, GC, Wii) and over 40 Million pieces of software this year. (Both approximate values because of no good european numbers) ...

      World of Warcraft is an important piece of software, but it hasn't sold that many units in 2006 (being that it was released in 2004) and Blizzard is not even in the same weight class as Nintendo or Sony. Yes WoW probably should have been added (probably in place of Best Buy) but saying that Nintendo or Sony should give up one of their spots for Blizzard is laughable.

    2. Re:Influential? by StillAnonymous · · Score: 1

      Wouldn't World of Warcraft be on a 2004/2005 list since the release date was Nov, 2004? They haven't really done anything this year. Even the Burning Crusade expansion isn't scheduled for release until 2007.

    3. Re:Influential? by Wampus+Aurelius · · Score: 2, Funny
      The console industry is not the games industry. It is a part of the industry, but not the entire industry. I'd argue it may not even be the most popular or influential part of the industry.

      You must be new here.

    4. Re:Influential? by king-manic · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The article is titled "Next Gens most.." not "video games most"... Also Pc video games are fairly small portion of the market. There are more NHL 200k fans then there are PC gamign fans.

      --
      "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
  6. Iwata wuz robbed! by rjung2k · · Score: 1

    Satoru Iwata should've been #1. 'nuff said.

    --

    --R.J.
    Electric-Escape.net

    1. Re:Iwata wuz robbed! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I agree. Iwata got shafted. I'm at a loss to figure out what precisely Moore did that places him higher than basically heading up the Wii and pushing the DS(not mention Iwata's career at HAL includes things like Earthbound, Smash Bros and Kirby, whereas Moore's history is a series of failures).

      Guy didn't join the XBox project until the console had been out for 2 years, bungie and rare had been acquired, and the work to make live what it is today was already well underway.

  7. aww by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No J.E. Sawyer? ;__;

  8. Iwata by SetupWeasel · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm trying to think what criteria Next Gen might have used to judge Iwata that might make him second on this list.

    English accent?
    Penis size?

    I really am at a loss. This should have been a lock for him.

  9. Where's Uwe Boll? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How can you leave out the man who showed us Kristanna Loken's tits?