5 Legendary Video Game Designers

Playing a truly great video game is an experience that will linger in your mind and heart forever. Whether it’s a hard-hitting storyline, riveting gameplay, or a blend of elements, we owe our thanks to the video game designers and teams behind our favorites. These games didn’t just emerge out of the woodwork but were rather carefully thought out and crafted over many years.

Despite the abundance of video games on the market, a select few are considered out-of-this-world. Behind them are famous video game designers who have made a mark on the industry—and the world—with their novel concepts and incredible mastery of gameplay, technology, and storytelling tactics.

Shigeru Miyamoto

Many of Nintendo’s most striking franchises and characters are the work of Shigeru Miyamoto, a game designer, producer, and director who has served as executive director since the early 2000s. He is incredibly accomplished and acclaimed as the brains behind The Legend of Zelda, Pikmin, and Mario franchises. Just like the accessibility of gambling was such good news for fans of US slots, Miyamoto’s approach to game design transformed the way players engaged with video games.

When he was 25, he impressed the former president of Nintendo with his whimsical DIY toys. Since then, his natural ingenuity has helped Nintendo become an international powerhouse and one of the most recognizable names in the video game industry. 

Perhaps it was his ability to draw from personal experiences, such as exploring natural areas and caves near his home or discovering the Kyoto countryside. Or maybe the combination of his love for manga and Western television shows helped shape his unique approach to game design. Whatever it is, Miyamoto is an imaginative pioneer without whom the industry would look entirely different.

Hideo Kojima

Miyamoto proved that individual quirks and life experiences significantly influence a creative vision, and Hideo Kojima is another prime example. While there have been many auteurs in film, Kojima is recognized as the first in video game history. His deep zeal for literature and film in childhood had a clear impact on his games, such as his graphic adventure titles and the iconic Metal Gear franchise. 

Thrust into the joys of movies and filmmaking at an early age, his work naturally showed film-like qualities. Kojima approached his projects as if he were making a movie and incorporated many cinematic elements into his games. This undying passion and approach allowed him to stand out in an industry late to the party with narrative-driven experiences. In an era where storytelling is now beloved in video games, Hideo Kojima certainly played a hand in turning games into an art form.

John Carmack

John Carmack, co-founder of id Software, spearheaded the programming of iconic ‘90s games like Doom and Quake. He is a true innovator in 3D computer graphics, especially given the limited computing power of the early 1990s. After developing a love for computers and being introduced to classic arcade games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders as a child, he developed various computer software for the gaming industry.

He popularized a variety of computer graphics techniques, such as ray casting to simulate how light rays interact with 3D objects and binary space partitioning to render 3D environments. These tools are integral to modern video game creation, providing those all-too-realistic visuals we’ve been blessed with. As of 2019, he spends most of his time working on artificial general intelligence, which could very well transform gaming in the future.

Cliff Bleszinski

Cliff Bleszinski created his first video game at the age of 15 called The Palace of Deceit—and that’s where his design journey began. Despite these humble beginnings, his talents quickly landed him a job at Epic Games at the hands of the CEO. 

Just two years after he joined, his project Jazz Jackrabbit became the best-selling PC game at the time. He was also renowned as the lead designer on the first three Gears of War games and a key player in developing the Unreal series. Considering that the Gears of War franchise has sold over 41 million units as of 2019, it’s safe to say that Bleszinski knows what he’s doing. 

His early achievements made his entry into the video industry seem inevitable early on. From the moment he received a NES for Christmas at the age of 12, his life revolved around Nintendo so much that his friends began calling him “Nintendo Boy.” By 13, he had achieved a record-breaking score in Super Mario Bros and was featured in the first issue of Nintendo Power. At 15, he competed in the Nintendo World Championships. And as an adult, he quickly became an irreplaceable figure in the gaming world.

Satoshi Tajiri

As we’re talking about legends here, this list would be incomplete without Satoshi Tajiri, the president of Game Freak and the designer and creator of the Pokémon franchise. For decades, this media franchise, centered around lovable creatures with special powers, has had the world in its iron grip. Tajiri was brought up in rural Japan and was passionate about insect collection. But once Japan became more urbanized, bug-hunting locations began to disappear. With his fascination with arcade games and his desire for children to revel in catching and collecting bugs like he once did, these aspects laid the foundation for the Pokémon franchise. 

Pokémon was finally launched in 1990, inspired by the Game Boy’s communication ability. While it makes sense to expect that it took off immediately, the reality was much more volatile. Although Nintendo staff were initially wary of the concept, Pokémon Red and Green nearly bankrupted Game Freak, and media outlets were overlooking the game, the franchise eventually found its wings and took flight. And the rest is history.