Time magazine has released its annual list of the 100 most influential people of the year, and by 2023, video games are represented for the second time in their history. And it’s only after Shigeru Miyamoto entered the list in 2007, Hidetaka MiyazakiFromSoftware’s made the cut.
The creator and director of acclaimed titles such as Elden Ring and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has teamed up with Michael B. Jordan, Ke Huy Quan, Pedro Pascal, Doja Cat, Angela Bassett, Lionel Messi, Patrick Mahomes II, Elon Musk and Natasha Lyonne, among others.
As part of his appearance on the list, Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann wrote a short article about Miyazaki going full steam ahead, which ends as follows:
“That’s why Elden Ring (its great success of 2022) is a great ambassador for video games and the unique sensations they can provoke in the player, sensations that a passive medium like television will never be able to recreate. Games Miyazaki’s make the player feel fulfilled and intelligent, and it’s all thanks to his and his team’s uncompromising approach.He refuses to explain mechanics or plot too much, and trusts the player to figure it out for himself- even.”
Do you think any other developers should be on Time’s annual list?