Top 10 games? Bah! Who're the top 10 gamers?
by Christopher Grant 
{ Jun 21st 2006 at 7:25PM }
MTV News' Stephen Totilo took the tired top-10 list and turned it on its ear. The new question: who are "the 10 most influential gamers of all time"? The metric: "gamers whose time playing actually affected the culture, creation or business of video games ...." The results: SHOCKING. Actually they're rather interesting. While our good friend (and aspiring pugilist) Uwe Boll didn't make the cut, there are plenty of names you will recognize. How about the Penny Arcade guys? Or Life magazine profilee, and heavily mulleted arcade champ, Billy Mitchell? Or the two guys who blurred the boundaries between gamers and developers when they created Counterstrike? Or how about either of the picks who populate the user-modifiable online world of Second Life.
With only 200,000 "players," Second Life represents an interesting facet to this list. While the world is nowhere near as popular as its MMO-cousin World of Warcraft, the unique marketplace system of Second Life encourages entrepreneurship and creativity. Like the list's virtual real estate mogul Ailin Graef, whose 2005 profits were estimated at over $100,000 (mental note: ditch blogging, become a virtual real estate mogul).
Who's missing? And you can't say yourself.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ritz @ Jun 21st 2006 7:32PM
Hmm, what about Christopher Grant?
Gabriel P. @ Jun 21st 2006 7:44PM
Obviously Gabriel. He's SO awesome.
frodo @ Jun 21st 2006 7:54PM
A well-thought out article published by MTV? SHOCKING!
jchensor @ Jun 21st 2006 7:57PM
I would have to really argue the case for one Jeff Veasey. This man created and still single-handedly runs GameFAQs, probably one of the most (if not THE most) useful gaming tools to have ever been conceived. This online resource of gaming knowledge and information is pretty much where all gamers go whenever they need to find out as much as they can about a game. To most hardcore gamers, it's invaluable.
Reeve @ Jun 21st 2006 8:02PM
I would've volunteered Old Grandma Hardcore for the list... but then again, she *works* for MTV (as a game reviewer for MTV Overdrive). I guess they wanted to avoid favoritism ;)
AoE @ Jun 21st 2006 8:06PM
Thresh. I remember how mind-blowing it was hearing about him, and all the scrilla he was making playing Quake... The man still gets props in my book.
The New Revelation @ Jun 21st 2006 8:08PM
I have to be in the top 10 in Marvel v. Capcom 2, Joust, and Winning Eleven Soccer. Just to let you know. :)
C. Grant @ Jun 21st 2006 8:13PM
plus 1mln stars for Ritz!
Todd Rabanus @ Jun 21st 2006 8:18PM
where is Fatal1ty?
Dejital @ Jun 21st 2006 8:44PM
^ Rofl @ Fatal1ty!
Justin Grote @ Jun 21st 2006 8:53PM
myse....damn.
eatsoap @ Jun 21st 2006 10:50PM
I once got a hand job while playing tetris. thats pretty cool... isn't it?
Merus @ Jun 22nd 2006 3:54AM
Fatal1ty is like number 12. But great list, I think MTV nailed it.
Amos @ Jun 22nd 2006 4:26AM
It was interesting, yet ultimately slightly boring. There's a reason this hasn't been attempted before, heh. Kudos for originality.
Matt @ Jun 22nd 2006 10:47AM
Leeroy Jenkins! The guy made it onto jeopardy for a stupid set up WoW video. That's pretty impressive in my book.
FSK405K @ Jun 22nd 2006 2:11PM
No Thresh? That list is BS.
Rafi @ Jun 23rd 2006 7:24AM
Luckily Fatal1ty is on that list, or else I would've eaten Uwe Boll (even though he isn't relevant to the situation)