Top 10 Most Revered Personalities In Gaming

One of the industry’s most respected presenters, this Canadian journalist was previously a constant feature of GameTrailers programming and will now be seen popping up at E3 or hosting his own awards show. For a while however, it seemed that he would mainlybe remembered for a notorious interview where he was surrounded by Mountain Dew and Doritos. Despite that unfortunate incident, he’s revered for his professionalism in defending games from unwarranted controversy by Fox News, or how when the cringeworthy Spike VGA’s were cancelled Geoff went above an beyond to host & produce The Game Awards to give gaming the respectable awards ceremony it deserves.

#9: Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw

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With his fingers in many gaming pots, there are few reviewers better equipped than this writer and developer to scathingly reflect what gamers actually feel about games and the industry as a whole. His Zero Punctuation reviews for the Escapist are packed with expletives and abstract metaphors, a medium that resonates with players in a way a review from the mainstream gaming media never could. His minimalist animations birthed prominent memes in games culture like the Glorious PC Gaming Master Race, yet his commentary never skimps on well-reasoned critique about the title in question. With no obligations to game publishers, this trilby-wearing Brit with the biggest lungs on The Internet can remain independently vitriolic, and we love him for it.

#8: Sid Meier

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Since 1982 this renowned developer has been innovating in the strategy and simulation genre, not only popularizing 4X titles but also elevating the industry as a whole into the mainstream. First working at a time when there were no ready-made engines, he earned the right to have his name slapped on the front of the Civilization series and be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Science’s Hall of Fame. His name is synonymous with quality in video game development – Civilization titles have collectively sold over 33 million copies – showing us that the man largely responsible for every God game on the market has a creative vision far exceeding us mere mortals.

#7: Jennifer Hale

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Nolan North and Troy Baker may be the cover boys for video game voice work today, but Hale was performing years before those upstarts got into the business. Following her breakout role as Metal Gear Solid’s Naomi Hunter in 1998, she has landed hundreds of roles, many of whom are strong depictions of female characters. These range from the relatively limited – Samus’ grunts and exhalations in Metroid Prime for example – to the comprehensive and iconic when voicing FemShep in the Mass Effect trilogy. Chances are you wouldn’t recognize the most prolific female voice actor in gaming if she passed you on the street, but hear her voice, and memories from scores of games past would come flooding back.

A gaming journalist who began working during the magazine era, Gerstmann has experienced massive changes in industry technology and the way games are reported, emerging as one of the few with their professional reputation intact. However, he nearly fell victim to the worst side of the field when controversially losing his job at Gamespot over average reviews of titles whose publishers had paid handsomely to advertise on the site. Out of that hot mess – aptly named “Gertsmanngate”, much to his annoyance - came Giant Bomb, a platform that has stayed relevant as other outlets have fallen victim to changing trends of consumption, Gerstmann himself even having the foresight to predict the move towards more humorous, personality-driven content.

Although this Swede’s success story is one that will inspire indie developers everywhere, it’s not one that sits entirely comfortably with the creator of Minecraft. What started as a pet project resulted in a $2.5 billion sale to Microsoft, a $70 million home and plenty of celebrity attention. Despite that success, he has stated he has since been unable to find the same sense of fulfillment he achieves when at a computer programming an original idea. He revealed this disquiet via a series of frank Twitter posts and it is that sort of grounded honesty that fans find so relatable, making them feel as though he’s just like anybody else grafting, crafting and surviving in the game he created.

If you require evidence for how this legendary developer’s mind works, just have a look at his Death Stranding trailer and you’ll get a good impression. He’s not just unusual for the sake of it however: his biggest series, Metal Gear, has the same production value and complex story as the movies he is inspired by. His lavish ideas don’t come cheap – The Phantom Pain cost upwards of $80 million – yet he has largely managed to avoid the tropes of AAA gaming that often come with such big budgets. Gamers love him for that and were outraged when Konami unceremoniously let him go, furiously defending a man who sticks to his creative vision no matter what his corporate overlords say.

The success of this microphone-splitting Swedish Let’s Player may be bemusing to some but his part in turning YouTube into the prime platform for gaming content is one even his detractors can’t argue with. Under all that profanity is an astute businessman who recognized the possibilities that YouTube presents his type of self-deprecating content;videos that make you feel like you’re playing a game with a buddy.As of writing, nearly 48 million Bros follow his increasingly diverse range of videos, and when he’s not getting kicked out of his apartment for … stuff like this, (Show bizarre VR Video) he has well-respected opinions on gaming and YouTube. He’s even had the South Park treatment and if that’s not “making it” god knows what is.

As you’re switching off your PC and getting into bed after hours in a game you bought for pennies, say a little prayer to our lord and savior Gaben for making it all possible. Not only did he have a hand in creating beloved series like Half-Life and Portal, he pioneered the Steam digital distribution service, reviving PC gaming in the process. Newell and his company, Valve, share an ethos that is perceived by gamers as being “for the people”, and moves like making the Source 2 engine free to developers is endlessly endearing. Yet still the most meme worthy gaming figure on earth leaves Half-Life 3 out in the cold: maybe they are in it for the money after all… Before we reveal our top pick, let’s take a look at some honorable mentions. Warren Spector Reggie Fils-Aimé Tim Schafer Todd Howard Jim Sterling

It’s hard to imagine that any one individual has had more impact on video games than this 63-year-old Nintendo stalwart. You could reasonably argue that he first saved the industry from disaster and then set the standard for what it was truly capable of, dragging it out the doldrums with Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda in the mid 80s. Since then he has maintained his position as Nintendo’s conductor-in-chief, churning out some of the best games ever as other developers fall in and out of the public eye. Of course not every game he’s worked on has been a success – Wii Music anyone? –but throughout it all, he’s never failed to have a smile on his face. Do you agree with our list? Which figures from the world of gaming do you admire? For more top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.