Legendary Game Designers that shaped the Industry forever

Vol. 27 issue 14

We’ve all experienced moments in a game that were shocking, moments where we laughed, got angry or maybe even cried. Video games have the ability to affect our minds in unique ways that no other medium ever could. But do most of us even realize who we have to thank for these experiences? Who are the creators behind these memories that have shaped us and ultimately this industry?

Eiji Aonuma (Zelda)

Shigeru Miyamoto had been shaping and molding “The Legend of Zelda” franchise for years, and as he was working on Mario 64, he wanted to pass the torch to none other than Eiji Aonuma for a very special project: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Everyone working on this new masterpiece wrote down their ideas for a 3D game on a small piece of paper. These pieces of paper were then all pinned to a wall and the directors rummaged through them. The ideas that seemed impossible were adopted. Aonuma and his team used them to develop the Z-targeting system, which allowed players to target and fight enemies. This system was so revolutionary that it became a new standard in the control of 3D games. Anyone who played Ocarina of Time back then remembers what it felt like to leave Kokiri Village and walk through this huge Hyrule in 3D for the first time. Aside from the incredible world, time travel, dungeons, real towns and an exciting story… this game also had some of the best soundtracks of all time.

Songs like “Gerudo Valley” or “Song of Storms” are still in my playlist today and will be listened to by my grandchildren’s grandchildren later on. I’ll make sure of that.

Eiji Aonuma made Zelda what it is today and still plays a big role in the production of modern Zelda titles (Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom).

Hidetaka Miyazaki (Demon’s Souls)

Hidetaka Miyazaki is a visionary game director best known for his work on Demon’s Souls, a game that redefined action RPGs and laid the foundation for the “Soulslike” genre.

After joining FromSoftware in 2004, Miyazaki took over the struggling Demon’s Souls project and shaped it into a challenging, atmospheric masterpiece. His design philosophy, emphasizing player agency, intricate world-building, and tough, rewarding gameplay, made Demon’s Souls a cult classic and eventually led to the highly influential Dark Souls series.

Notch (Minecraft)

On May 17, 2009, a revolution began that nobody expected. An early version of a new game by Markus Persson, also known as “Notch”, was published on a small internet platform. He called it… Minecraft Classic. The first version of Minecraft was very simple: a world of blocks that you could mine and rebuild – without sophisticated graphics or complex mechanics, but with one crucial feature: limitless creativity.

Players could create their own worlds, build what they wanted and, above all, how big they wanted it. The game spread like wildfire and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. Notch listened to the community, constantly added new features and turned his small hobby project into a platform for millions of players.

When the full version was released in 2011, Minecraft conquered the world. It was played by people of all ages and was even used in schools. Minecraft proved that a game doesn’t have to look spectacular – it just needs to give players the freedom to live out their imagination.

Minecraft gave birth to practically all subsequent sandbox titles, Grounded, Terraria, Rust, and so on.

Kim Swift (Portal)

Kimberly Swift already wanted to develop video games in high school. Her father took her to the DigiPen Institute of Technology, where she developed the game Narbacular Drop. This game led to her being hired by Valve to lead the Portal team and work as a level designer. She has received several awards for her innovative work.

While Portal is primarily an entertaining and innovative game, it uses these socio-critical elements to integrate a deeper level into the gaming experience. It makes you think about the impact of science, technology and control in our modern world – it remains quite relevant to this day and is simply a masterpiece. And GLaDOS might be one of the sassiest, funniest and innovative antagonists of all time.

Hideo Kojima

Of course, we can’t forget the GOAT of game designers here. The mad genius and creator of the Metal Gear series. Hideo Kojima is probably the most famous game designer, and not without reason. He is a master at evoking emotions, challenging preconceptions and even making gamers question their own existence. With Metal Gear, he has proven that game design is not just about gameplay, but also about encouraging thought and reflection.

In Metal Gear Solid 2, Kojima deals with topics such as surveillance, control and the manipulation of information – topics that are more relevant today than ever. The game breaks the fourth wall several times and forces the player to make moral decisions in extreme situations. And don’t even get me started on the masterpiece that is Snake Eater, the biggest tearjerker in the series.

Kojima uses video games to ask profound questions about the world, human existence and the impact of technology on society. Another example is Metal Gear Solid V, where Kojima addresses the shadows of war, the consequences of revenge and the loss of humanity. His games remain relevant today and make us question our own behavior, morality and humanity.

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Malena Rose

Malena is a gaming jounalist and game design Student at XAMK University in Finland. She is in close contact with game studios aswell as students and players themselfes. In her work she is focused on telling compelling stories that connect people from all directions.

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