Top 20 influential MMO people 2009
Beckett Massive Online Gamer has once again put together a list of the 20 most influential people in the MMO industry. The list seems to be half new faces, and half returning. I’m flattered to be among the returnees this year, landing in the #11 slot (down 2 from last year, eep!) Grats to all the many folks I know on the list. 🙂
The full list:
1. Rob Pardo
2. Hilmar Pétursson
3. John Smedley
4. Jack Emmert
5. Mark Jacobs
6. Todd Coleman
7. Jim Crowley
8. Andrew Gower
9. Chris Cheung
10. Michael Capps
11. Raph Koster
12. Rob Seaver
13. Jeffrey Steefel
14. Russell Williams
15. Gaute Godager
16. Richard Garriott
17. Min Kim
18. Gordon Walton
19. David Perry
20. Jeff Hickman & Paul Barnett
There’s also some honorable mentions, but I guess we need to get the magazine for that! As well as the justification for these names, of course. The print issue hits retailers this week…
For reference last year’s list is here.
14 Responses to “Top 20 influential MMO people 2009”
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Oof. I only know 5 of them. Like last year.
Way to go! I wonder though, are they influential because they’re doing things, or because they’re the celebrity ‘face’ of their various popular organizations? Like, how is Richard Garriot still being influential in MMOs these days?
Of course, you’re actually doing things! I’m kinda curious what you actually actually do though. I mean, besides getting coffee and doughnuts for the rest of the Metaplace crew like a good boss. Do you handle the marketing and advertisement? Do you do upper-level design? Or do you get right down in the dirt with engine coding? I hope you don’t mind me prying! *pry pry*
11th spot is nothing to shake your head at!
Sorry I’m a noob but I just read your bio and realised you were Creative Director on SW:G! Never knew that (I just read your blog cause I like it). Oddly enough though, I just ran a couple of articles on my blog about how I feel so nostalgic about SW:G and how 2003 was a glorious time for MMOs as they were more exotic and adventurous. Small world eh 🙂
Grats. Weird though that at least a couple of those people aren’t currently working on an MMO or for an MMO company, so they appear to have not done all their homework.
At first glance: Michael Capps, Gaute Godager, Richard Garriot
For Mike, the list probably cites Unreal Engine as a contributing factor given the engine’s use in Stargate Worlds, DC Universe Online, The Agency, Mortal Online, Global Agenda, The Chronicles of Spellborn, and a few others.
Looking at the list and thinking about why people might be there is a good reminder of how far things have progressed in the last decade.
“In the year 2525, if man is still alive, if woman can survive…” what will they find? Hopefully not a grind.
Relee, I do some business stuff (talking about partners, company strategy, whatever), some marketing stuff & lots of PR stuff (interviews, etc). But a lot of my day is spent using Metaplace. I make content. I script, I make a little bit of art, I worldbuild. I answer questions on the forums, I write tutorials, etc.
Sounds like you wear more hats than that fellow from Wonderland.
Keep up the good work! ^.^
Strange. I looked through the list twice already, and I just saw ONE eastern Asian name. Given how big MMOs are in places like South Korea and China, whoever put this list seems to be horribly biased.
@Akjosch I’m not really surprised considering how little the West knows about the Eastern MMO market. It’s actually very hard to find decent info on the net about the people behind Korean MMORPGs.
I find it hard to find info on Korean MMORPGs at all, even the ones you can play in English.
A good place to start for Korean games is PlayForum (www.playforum.net). It’s basically the Korean version of Stratics and the like. They have industry news, among other things, and bigger games (Lineage, Lineage 2, Rappelz, Mapple Story, WoW, Seal, Archlord, Cabal, Gersang, Grando Espada and so on) have their own sub-sites.
Anyone know if Bruce Woodcock put the list together again this year?
It wasn’t Bruce this year… I believe it was Dana Massey instead, with of course, plenty of input.