Top 20 most influential people in MMOs

[Kiro]

Feature found in July-August #13 Issue of Beckett Massive Online Gamer Magazine on sale beginning May 28, 2008.

DALLAS, TX (May 28, 2008) --- Beckett Massive Online Gamer magazine has announced the top influential people in massively multiplayer video games for 2007 in the July-August #13 Issue.

World of Warcraft's Rob Pardo, GuildCafe.com's community mastermind, Sanya Weathers, and Richard Garriott himself are listed as three of the twenty names in the feature, The Top 20 Most Influential People in the MMO Industry.

Beckett's Massive Online Gamer highlights the most talented people in massively multiplayer video games and gives details on how they've influenced the future of the industry in this latest issue that hits newsstands May 28, 2008. Jess Lebow, now working at Carbine Studios, shares, "I've played the games these people have made for years, so to be listed alongside such industry luminaries is a tremendous honor."

http://www.beckett.com/estore/news/?esk ... =9562&s=1'

# 10. James Phinney, Lead Designer, ArenaNet


# 11. Richard Garriott, Creative Director, NCSoft


# 12. Starr Long, Producer, NCSoft


# 13. Cory Ondrejka, Formerly CTO, Linden Labs


# 14. Mark Jacobs, GM and VP, EA Mythic


# 15. Sulka Haro, Lead Concept Designer, Sulake


# 16. Sage Sundi, Global Online Producer, Square-Enix


# 17. Jess Lebow, Lead Quest Designer, Carbine Studios


# 18. David Perry, CCO, Acclaim


# 19. Sanya Weathers, Director of Community, Guildcafe.com


# 20. Daniel James, CEO, Three Rings Design

I'll let you guys see who the top 10 are.

[Correction]

A list of names without any rationalization regarding the order of names. Super!

[tyven]

wtf @ ruke not being on there

[Stolin]

Why isn't sundi #1?

[Thevaultdweller]

Why isn't sundi #1?

He doesn't know

Don't hurt me ._.

[Quicklet]

Already saw this from FOH's site. The list is pretty lol though. In my personal opinion, the market doesn't develop fast enough to have a yearly list, not to mention some of the glaring omissions such as Brad McQuaid. Whether or not you think the guy is a total sellout, he's obviously been one of the most influential in the business. The fact that there is no explanation of what these people have done to make it on the list is rather lacking as well (and I wouldn't bother buying an issue just to see why they're on the list, if that's the gimmick).

[BRP]

What exactly has Sage Sundi done that you can't credit Takana or whatever serious-face asian man name is with?

[alt]

Where is whoever runs IGE?

[fantasticdan]

Looks like they only allowed one name from each company, in which case #16 for SE isn't very good. If they didn't break it up by company like that, all 20 would probably be blizzard employees.

[Mizango]

Why isn't sundi #1?

He doesn't know

Don't hurt me ._.

Well played sir.

[MisterBob]

Looks like they only allowed one name from each company, in which case #16 for SE isn't very good. If they didn't break it up by company like that, all 20 would probably be blizzard employees.

# 11. Richard Garriott, Creative Director, NCSoft


# 12. Starr Long, Producer, NCSoft

You're brilliant

[BRP]

How can the list be full of blizzard entires when they only had one entry into the MMO field. So you put the producer, and maybe the designer or whatever of WoW, but then what else is there?

[fantasticdan]

Looks like they only allowed one name from each company, in which case #16 for SE isn't very good. If they didn't break it up by company like that, all 20 would probably be blizzard employees.

# 11. Richard Garriott, Creative Director, NCSoft


# 12. Starr Long, Producer, NCSoft

You're brilliant

I missed that, but than the rest of the list makes no sense.

How can the list be full of blizzard entires when they only had one entry into the MMO field. So you put the producer, and maybe the designer or whatever of WoW, but then what else is there?

When you consider how many people play wow compared to say ffxi, even the dudes in charge of wow pvp balance probably have more influence on the industry than anyone at SE does.

[Eanae]

Most senior designers of WoW have worked on more then just WoW. One of the guys was the one responsible for killing Ultima Online and currently killing WoW!

[Fhqwghads]

I can tell you why Sundi is on the list. He's an inspiration on how to NOT run an MMO. He's probably a text book study in any game designing class on what not to do when directing the development and ongoing maintenance of a game. It certainly isn't because of any revolutionary ideas he's had, that's for damned sure.

[The Blackrose]

Garriott at 11th? No Brad McQuaid? David Bowman should have also placed with a comment on "Learn about him to learn what NOT to do when designing an MMO."

I'm also surprised Alex Afrasiabi (Furor) and Jeffery Kaplan (Tigole) both did not make the list. Especially Furor. Many people went to FoH before he went to Blizzard just to hear him rant. Who could never forget the "Fix Plane of Time in 14 days or else we quit" speech?

This list looks like someone just crapped on a piece of paper and is describing the results.

And we all know why Sundi made the list.

EDIT: Shit, I even forgot the Sellers and Yantis.
EDIT 2: Author of the piece is having a new asshole torn for him on FoH. Oh how I miss those days.

[Xavier]

Long live Lord British.

[Exoduso]

Why is Sundi on the list?

Only thing FFXI is good at is driving away its customers with their crappy customer service.

[SamanosukeShiva]

maybe japanese players like him?

[Plow]

How can the list be full of blizzard entires when they only had one entry into the MMO field. So you put the producer, and maybe the designer or whatever of WoW, but then what else is there?

Lead designers

1. Jeff Kaplan

2. Tom Chilton

3. Rob Pardo

TBC Executive producer

4. Frank Pearce

TBC Lead Producer

5. Shane Dabiri

TBC Lead Level Designer

6. Cory Stockton

Lead Quest Designer

7. Alex Afrasabi

TBC Designers

8. Luis Barriga

9. Alexander Brazie

10. Shawn Carnes

11. Paul Cazarez

12. Travis Day

13. Kristen DeMeza

14. Eric Dodds

15. Geoff Goodman

16. Kevin Jordan

17. Jonathan LeCraft

18. Eric Maloof

19. Scott Mercer

20. Pat Nagle

21. Steven Pierce

22. Brianna Schneider

23. Joe Shely

24. Kris Zierhut


There's 24 people that are probably as or more influential than anyone else on the list based purely on their work on 1 expansion in WoW right there. Of course there's the question of who influenced them, but the future of mmo gaming is pretty much in their hands (and has been for a couple years), or the hands of whoever (if anyone ever) makes the game that gives WoW a run for its money.


edited to bold titles cuz my formatting sucks