Will Wright makes "Digital 50" Top 5, beats out Google & YouTube founders

19 Comments by James Ransom-Wiley Oct 23rd 2006 4:55PM
Filed under: Culture

The Producers' Guild of America has recognized the achievements of Will Wright (The Sims), Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid), and Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Rez & Lumines), naming the three luminaries to the Guild's current list of 50 most innovative producers in the field of Digital Entertainment. Wright even landed in the number 5 position, besting big-name contributors like Google's Larry Page and Sergei Brin (#9), and YouTube's Chad Hurley and Chris Chen (#23). Kojima and Mizuguchi made the list at numbers 38 and 50 respectively.

Brain Age's Dr. Ryuta Kawashima also made the list, popping up -- surprisingly -- at number 16. Anyways, a round of applause for the 'three gaming gods' and the talking head. Congrats, gentlemen.

Who should the PGA elect next year?

Tags: Google, Hideo Kojima, HideoKojima, Larry Page, LarryPage, Professor Ryuta Kawashima, ProfessorRyutaKawashima, Sergei Brin, SergeiBrin, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, TetsuyaMizuguchi, Will Wright, WillWright

Source

(Page 1) Reader Comments

Sub: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:02PM

Will Wright is a God. He's on a completely different level than almost all other designers / developers out there.

crono141: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:11PM

Or human beings for that matter.

the term "Super Genius" applies.

spork: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:12PM

will wright is cool and all, but damn, he's nerdy. tomonobu itagaki on the other hand is a badass.

bkirst90: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:16PM

Where's miyamoto?

ONOZ: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:18PM

WHERE IS SHIGERU MIYAMOTO!!! How is the designer of Donkey Kong, Mario, Star Fox, and Legend of Zelda not on the flippin' list. You can't be serious. Come on, even Barbie is on the list. List, you die now.

FSK405K: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:18PM

How do "Rez & Lumines" get put into the same sentence with "SimCity," "The Sims," and "Spore?"

FSK405K: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:21PM

From reading the names and projects awarded, it seems the criteria are more about making games popular with people who wouldn't normally play games (Brain Age), rather than with making monumental achievements to gaming (Zelda).

Erik Novak: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:27PM

FSK405K has a good point. Miyamoto might be a god in the field of video games, but not so much in expanding the market.

Designerbradr: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:29PM

@ FSK405K:

Well, wasn't Miyamoto involved with Nintendogs? And didn't he help produce Brain Age?

Ah well. He'll be on the list come next year or so.

Evan: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:29PM

So, how long until games are advertised based on who wrote and directed it, like movies?

bm: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:36PM

@FSK405K:

That wouldn't explain Hideo Kojima. Who, while being a great game designer, should not be above Miyamoto on the list, to be very honest.

Neither should any of the others btw, but that's just me.

SaxyGator: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:36PM

@ FSK405K:

But what about Kojima? He doesn't really make "anyone can play 'em" games.

Sub: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:36PM

Evan, it's already happening for some games. For example, The Sims had directly in the middle of the box "FROM THE CREATOR OF SIM CITY!!!!!!"

Not a great pic of it, but it's the only one I could find: http://www.smartkidssoftware.com/cdeat50.jpg

As for Miyamoto not being on there, it is pretty odd. He deserves it.

Mike: Oct 23rd 2006; 5:41PM

I thought the same thing. And how do you figure that he didnt expand the market?

Brian: Oct 23rd 2006; 6:43PM

6,

Rez especially (and Lumines to a lesser extent) are achievements in simulated synaethesia(sp?). They are one of the few gaming experiences trully unavailable on any other medium. It like if Oskar Fischinger had made a video game.

T-Man: Oct 23rd 2006; 10:28PM

Miyamoto is number 0. He is assumed.

Falk0n: Oct 23rd 2006; 10:42PM

Will Wright r0xx h4rdc0r3-styl3, but I agree that Miyamoto must be assumed at number 0. He made mario and zelda....mario and zelda!!!! And no real gamer wants to admit it, but pokemon was a really well-made series, and sold like crazy.

Limey: Oct 24th 2006; 7:28AM

Not sure if Will Wright is so innovative and great now... But the original sims was pretty huge.

I'm glad Kojima made it, he is fucking awesome.

And I

nintendo fan: Oct 24th 2006; 3:53PM

@ Erik Novak
Shigeru Miyamoto saved the market and expanded it several times.

Home beta client updated to version 0.98 Life with PlayStation delayed ... again Disgaea 3: online gaming mode and new characters in Asia via DLC	Cooking recipes in Beta build 8885 Warriors and Beta build 8885 Paladin glyphs in Beta build 8885
PAX 08: Microsoft Xbox campus tour PAX 08: Halo 3's Assembly officially revealed PAX 08: Witness a Bungie and The Behemoth booth construction	Put a bit of yourself in Sonic and the Black Knight Taking control of The Conduit Nyko unveils a strange concept: a wireless Classic Controller
Age Of Mythical Creatures All Up In This Piece New tilt-controlled Tony Hawk game revealed Taito producers talk Exit DS, The Legend of Kage 2	Hitman Reborn! downloadable demo New Disgaea platformer coming to PSP PSP Brite battery life will decrease by 20-30 minutes
Shipping screw up causes slight S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky US delay Penny Arcade: E For All organizers "don't know what they're doing" Portal 50 percent off this weekend on Steam	Hardwood Pundits: NBA Players Weigh In On Obama vs. McCain John McCain's VP Used to Erin Andrews It Up Julie Coin Beats Ana Ivanovic at U.S. Open, Biggest Upset in History

Breaking News »