Who is the greatest video game designer of all time?

[Abe Sargent]

What do you guys think? Poll to follow!



If you think it's someone not on this list, post below who and why!

[Danny]

Reiner Knizia? Martin Wallace? Corey Konieczka?

[SackAttack]

I want to say Will Wright just for SimCity, but The Sims makes me wanna disqualify him.

I think I gotta go with Miyamoto, from the choices presented.

[Abe Sargent]

I went with nominees who made multiple franchises, but if you wanted to make a claim for Satoshi Tajiri or Richard Garriott or someone, that's fine! Do it here!

[Coffee Warlord]

Sid just has too diverse of absolutely awesome games to not vote for him. As much as I love Sim City, Sid's got just way too much going for him.

[Radii]

Sid just has too diverse of absolutely awesome games to not vote for him. As much as I love Sim City, Sid's got just way too much going for him.

+1. Civ and the original Railroad Tycoon were two single player games that held my attention longer than any other so I feel a rather strong affinity to both of them.

[DanGarion]

Joe Stallings...

[Dutch]

Gary Grigsby - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Grigsby)

This guy was pretty good and if strategic wargames were still the rage, you would remember him. :)

[CrimsonFox]

You've left out a LOT of possibilites. ALthough I'm glad PEter Moleneaux is not listed.

[lungs]

No David Winter option?

[cougarfreak]

Whoever did Earl Weaver Baseball gets my vote.

[Abe Sargent]

You've left out a LOT of possibilites. ALthough I'm glad PEter Moleneaux is not listed.

(PS, I included the top three from IGN's list, in order, 1, 2, 3.)

IGN - Top 100 Game Creators of All Time (http://games.ign.com/top-100-game-creators/index.html)

[jeff061]

Warren Spector - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Spector)

[gstelmack]

Kickstart an entire genre that directly led to some of the biggest shooters released right now and rarely does that team ever get any credit...

[SackAttack]

You've left out a LOT of possibilites. ALthough I'm glad PEter Moleneaux is not listed.

Peter Molyneux = good people, but incapable of determining when he's bitten off more than he can chew.

[Abe Sargent]

I personally think it's Shigeru.

Several Reasons -

Sid's products have been fairly standard, paint by numbers, the last 10-12 years or so. Nothing new or exciting. Not true with Shigeru.

Shigeru's other works are still major, and show much greater diversity of game design than "strategy pc games", take Star Fox, to show a flight combat sim or Mario Kart shows racing game ability, and more. He was either the producer, designer, or director (or all three) for all of the best entries in his series (Legend of Zelda, 3, Ocarina, Super Mario Bros, Mario Bros, Super 3, etc). Sid Meier would often allow others to largely design and make later games in his series, but Shigeru still designed, produced and directed Ocarina of Time (as an example) or produced and designed Super Mario Galaxy (as another)



Anyway, I figured Sid would win here. We are PC Gamers, and mostly Americans. We are largely males, of a certain age, with a certain background, including an affection for PC Games, so I figure Sid rates higher than Shigeru, but I think Shigeru is the best game designer of all time (with Sid not even close at #2)

[fantom1979]

If I went by the games I have played the most, I would have to go with:

Sid Meier (Civ 2, 4, Railroad Tycoon)
Will Wright (Simcity 2k, 4)
Chris Sawyer (Transport Tycoon, Rollercoaster Tycoon)

But if I go by resume, Miyamoto has to get my vote. He is Nintendo.

[Chubby]

I personally think it's Shigeru.

Several Reasons -

Sid's products have been fairly standard, paint by numbers, the last 10-12 years or so. Nothing new or exciting. Not true with Shigeru.

Shigeru's other works are still major, and show much greater diversity of game design than "strategy pc games", take Star Fox, to show a flight combat sim or Mario Kart shows racing game ability, and more. He was either the producer, designer, or director (or all three) for all of the best entries in his series (Legend of Zelda, 3, Ocarina, Super Mario Bros, Mario Bros, Super 3, etc). Sid Meier would often allow others to largely design and make later games in his series, but Shigeru still designed, produced and directed Ocarina of Time (as an example) or produced and designed Super Mario Galaxy (as another)



Anyway, I figured Sid would win here. We are PC Gamers, and mostly Americans. We are largely males, of a certain age, with a certain background, including an affection for PC Games, so I figure Sid rates higher than Shigeru, but I think Shigeru is the best game designer of all time (with Sid not even close at #2)

+1

[MIJB#19]

No Daivd Winter option?Fixed.

[Abe Sargent]

There are some video game designers I don;t think get enough credit (especially Satoshi Tajiri). There are some I think get too much (Peter Molyneux).

I suppose that's true for everyone!

[CrimsonFox]

Peter Molyneux = good people, but incapable of determining when he's bitten off more than he can chew.

I would agree with that assessment. And I love his goals. However every attempt he's made at said goal has not met his hype.

[CU Tiger]

Pirates!
IS not even mentioned.
Sid wins for the mental aspect.

[sterlingice]

Shigeru and I don't even think it's close. I give Sid Meier a ton of credit but Miyamoto has him beat in longevity of AAA-rated titles while it seems like Sid has been refining the same couple of games for the last decade.

Yu Suzuki- man, that tragedy that is Shenmue and Sega... he could still be up there if not for that.

There's a lot of "one franchise wonders" who deserve some mention but have very little design depth. A couple that come to mind are Hideo Kojima of Metal Gear Solid (and not much else) fame. Then there's John Carmack, who unfortunately, gets left in the dust since he hasn't put out anything worth playing since Quake? Quake 2? :( Will Wright, sure- Sim City is amazing but by the time you got to Sim Ant... well, you can only go to the well so many times. There's the guy whose name is attached to most Final Fantasy games but I never feel like there's a coherent whole from one to the next so I wonder if he's just kindof a light touch. I can't even think of his name.

But, in short, Shigeru has such a breath and depth of games that makes it not even close.

SI

[Blackadar]

It's Sid for me and it's not even close. Shigeru has some all-time great games, but frankly I don't typically enjoy those types of games. Many of those are simple variations on a theme and it's not my type of theme.

Whereas Sid has produced & designed some great and very diverse titles. Everyone knows of Pirates, RRT and the entire Civ series, of course. But I loved the F-15, F-19 and Silent Service games of his younger days. Gettysburg is probably one of the all-time best playable wargames. Of course there's SMAC and even SimGolf.

There's been a couple of stinkers (the last Colonization, Railroads!, Civ 3) in recent years, but all in all I've spent more time playing Sid Meier games over the last three decades than probably any 3 other producers/designers combined.

[jeff061]

It's Sid for me and it's not even close. Shigeru has some all-time great games, but frankly I don't typically enjoy those types of games. Many of those are simple variations on a theme and it's not my type of theme.

I've been to afraid to voice this opinion.

[mckerney]

Then there's John Carmack, who unfortunately, gets left in the dust since he hasn't put out anything worth playing since Quake? Quake 2?

I wouldn't put Carmack in the same category as the others being mentioned here, he's never been much of a designer. The only games he actually has design credits for are Dark Designs 2 (1990) and Shadow Nights (1991). Carmack's achievements have been in the technical/programming areas, a field that he definitely deserves to me mentioned at or near the top of.

[Abe Sargent]

It's Sid for me and it's not even close. Shigeru has some all-time great games, but frankly I don't typically enjoy those types of games. Many of those are simple variations on a theme and it's not my type of theme.


And this is the interesting this about these fun little debates. When I hear the word greatest, I think "Who's games are the best designed, and at the top the most, irregardless of what I prefer?" You hear, "Who's games have I personally enjoyed the most?" Each are valid interpretations of the question, so it's cool!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

How the hell does the Maximum Football developer not get listed as the trout option in this thread?????? FAIL!

[Glengoyne]

Whoever did Earl Weaver Baseball gets my vote.

Eddie Dombrauer(sp?) I believe. He is still tooling away improving EWB for the iPhone/iPad.

[lynchjm24]

Ed Ringler. That guy ruled.

[path12]

I don't know what happened to Steve Barcia, but Master of Orion and Master of Magic are two of my favorite games ever.

Also, the single biggest time sink of a game I've played was/is Football Manager.

[Abe Sargent]

I'm trying to decide which game franchise I've spent the most time playing. It's probably either Football Manager or Pokemon or Europa Universalis.

[Maple Leafs]

Eddie Dombrauer(sp?) I believe. He is still tooling away improving EWB for the iPhone/iPad.
Eddie Dombrower. Earl Weaver for iPhone is a lot of fun.

[Maple Leafs]

Ed Ringler. That guy ruled.
Wow, haven't heard that name in a while. Now I'll have the SportTime theme in my head all night.

[Sgran]

Sid is easily number 1. But honorable mention to whoever you want to credit for Dragon's Lair.

[JPhillips]

I'm trying to decide which game franchise I've spent the most time playing. It's probably either Football Manager or Pokemon or Europa Universalis.

Big miss by IGN not to have anyone from SI on the top 100 list. Championship/Football Manager is easily one of the top franchises in gaming history.