The 25 Games Industry Influentials of 2006

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."

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[SharpFang]

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.