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Industry Personalities

There are hundreds of people who make the video game industry tick, but a few rise above the anonymity. Here is a list of just a few of the people who are pushing boundaries and making game history.

Yoshitaka Amano at his exhibit in NYC

Amano, Yoshitaka
Artist Yoshitaka Amano is known by RPG fans as the character designer for Square's Final Fantasy series, though he hasn't worked on each game. He's worked on Final Fantasy I through VI yet has been absent from the series for parts VII and VIII (except for a few pieces of art he created for VII). Now, his work can also be seen in the new Sandman graphic novel, in artwork for Vampire Hunter D, and in the Atlus PlayStation game Rebus. His latest creation, Hero, was recently shown in an exhibition at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in New York City.

Kojima, Hideo

Hideo Kojima

Hideo Kojima might be better suited to a director's chair than a game-design position. His latest game, Konami's Metal Gear Solid, is a finely crafted game that manages to blend stealthy action with amazing in-game story sequences the cinematic likes of which are almost unmatched in gaming. Metal Gear Solid, along with Kojima's past games like Snatcher and Policenauts, indicate his desire to convey an involving storyline and a deeper message while providing an enjoyable gaming experience.

Kutaragi, Ken

Kutaragi, president of SCEI

One of the chief hardware architects of Sony Computer Entertainment's first console, the PlayStation, Ken Kutaragi has since become head of that company. The man is responsible for one of the least likely game-industry upheavals in history, and that immediately seats him at the table of really big industry figures. But will the poor handling of the PlayStation 2 launch put his future in jeopardy?

Matsuura, Masaya

Masaya Matsuura looks funky as usual.

Rhythm and music games are a big new thing in video games in the last few years, and their success is traceable to Masaya Matsuura and his game PaRappa the Rapper. At the time wildly innovative and original, PaRappa brought video game music out of the background and right into gamers' faces. Music games are a mainstay of video game culture these days, but few approach the musical quality and quirky appeal of PaRappa and its sequel, UmJammer Lammy. Rarely can the creation of a new gaming genre be attributed to one individual, but if there's a father of music gaming, Masaya Matsuura is that man.

Miyamoto, Shigeru

Shigeru Miyamoto

The uberdesigner. The father of modern video gaming. The Man. Shigeru Miyamoto is all of these and more. In the pantheon of game designers, he reigns supreme. He has created the most memorable titles in video game history and is responsible for some of the most recognizable characters in the world. His credits include such vanguards as Donkey Kong and the Super Mario and Zelda franchises. He has been designing hits for Nintendo for 20 years, and the company relies on him explicitly to carry its platforms with the vast worlds that, somehow, only he is capable of fostering into the future. Miyamoto will always be central to Nintendo's strategy and important to every gamer.

Naka, Yuji

Yuji Naka

Yuji Naka leads Sega's Sonic Team, a development group whose typical development process is anything but typical. By creating Sonic the Hedgehog, Naka proved that Nintendo wasn't the only company capable of producing a mass-marketable mascot, not to mention a surprisingly original platform game. Naka took the Saturn into a dreamworld with his ethereal NiGHTS, again challenging conventional ideas about platform-centric game design. Naka's latest effort is the ultrafast Sonic Adventure on Sega's new Dreamcast.

Suzuki, Yu

Yu Suzuki

Head of AM2, Sega's most lucrative arcade division, Yu Suzuki is best known for the sometimes fanatically followed Virtua Fighter series, a series that strives for and realizes the goal of being a real fighting simulation. As AM2 chieftain, Suzuki oversees many of Sega's technologically advanced arcade games and is notably behind the anticipated Dreamcast title Shen Mue. Other hits include Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Fighting Vipers.

The Xbox Team
Microsoft's crack team of specialists consists of Seamus Blackley, tech director; J. Allard, development manager; and Robbie Bach and Ed Fries, VPs. On these men rests Microsoft's hope for the interactive entertainment future, the Xbox. Not since Atari and 3DO has an American company had the wherewithal to bring a successful game console to market, but if anybody has the budget, talent, and marketing muscle, it's Microsoft. Look for these names to become even more prominent as Xbox gains steam.

Yamauchi, Hiroshi

Hiroshi Yamauchi

Hiroshi Yamauchi has been at the helm of Nintendo Co. Ltd. (NCL) since the company made simple playing cards. He's made the Nintendo empire what it is today, and he rules that empire with a steely gaze and an iron fist. Yamauchi's legendary will has gotten Nintendo into and out of a number of scrapes--for example, when rumors recently surfaced that Final Fantasy creator Square would resume development for Nintendo platforms, Yamauchi quickly put those rumors to rest by stating that Square would most certainly not. No one messes with Yamauchi when business and his company are concerned.

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