Miyamoto cracks Time's top 100

Just over a month after he was given a lifetime achievement award at the 2007 Game Developers' Conference, Shigeru Miyamoto was honored again. The venerable game designer was among the 200 nominees for Time's 100 Most Influential People of the Year, an annual list that compiles the movers and shakers in politics, science, media, sports, entertainment, and technology.

Following reports of his nomination, Miyamoto surged ahead in Time's online poll. So it was not entirely surprising, then, that when the results were announced today, the artist affectionately known as "Shiggy" was among the top 100. His tribute, written by professional PC gamer Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendell, is listed among the "Builders & Titans" section of the top 100. Other luminaries in the category include Apple and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs, Virgin group CEO Richard Branson, Toyota CEO Katsuaki Watanabe, and Philip Rosedale, founder and CEO of Second Life-maker Linden Lab.

[UPDATE] Given the fact that Miyamoto's tribute page is listed as being "92 out of 100" on the Time.com Web site, many have presumed the designer was near the rear of the influencer pack. However, the number is merely an organizational list, not a numerical rank. If it were, the most influential person on the planet would be 30 Rock star and former SNL-er Tina Fey.