Feb 20, 2012 Update: No huge changes yet, but what’s with Amazon hiring a bunch of game developers? Hmm. Power play coming? Why He’s Powerful Jeff Bezos’ Amazon is a triple threat: powerhouse retailer with a wonderful games loyalty program and release-day shipping; the proprietors of the only other credible tablet in the Kindle Fire;…
July 3, 2012 Update: Social-network video games are still very popular, but Facebook is a wounded company now, still stumbling after a debacle of an IPO and, in general, seeming more vulnerable, more prone to be challenged by a rival, than ever before. May 30, 2012 Update: Since Facebook opened up to the public and…
Feb 20, 2012 Update: Given how much money GameStop likes to rake in from the sales of used games, Raines better hope that the next Xbox’s possible blocking of used games doesn’t become a reality. If it does, he drops. For now, it’s unconfirmed. Why He’s Powerful Nobody’s saying video game retail is fun. But…
July 3, 2012 Update: No offense, Mr. Miyamoto, you had a solid E3. But Ubisoft had a great one, and so their boss’ surge is pushing you and a lot of the people near you on the list down. Feb 20, 2012 Update: We admit it. We put him too low last month. Miyamoto’s genius…
July 3, 2012 Update: Unreal Engine 4 looked fine last month. It’ll likely be a big deal next-gen, keeping Epic very relevant. An investment in Epic by Chinese gaming giant Tencent is useful, too, but Rein goes down a notch to make room for the surging chief of Ubisoft, which had an incredible E3. May…
July 3, 2012 Update: Square Enix bumps up quite a bit for the month of June, with an impressive E3 line-up including Tomb Raider and Hitman, two games that have been the subjects of recent heated conversations. Square Enix’s CEO also gets the increased placement for the unveiling of an impressive new engine Why He’s…
May 30, 2012 Update: The release of Minecraft on the 360 was met with strong sales, and even bumped Call of Duty from the Xbox charts. Call of Duty! Feb 20, 2012 Update: He had a big month, but with all the movement around him he stays put. The power he wields continues to be…
July 3, 2012 Update: X-Com: Enemy Unkown was a stand-out at E3 and Borderlands 2 and NBA 2K13 looked good, but, overall, not a brilliant E3 for Take Two. No reason to bump him up the way we did the bosses at Square-Enix and Ubisoft. May 30, 2012 Update: Strauss moves down 3 positions, mainly…
May 30, 2012 Update: Even after getting hit with a delay, the release of Max Payne 3 was received highly, including by us Feb 20, 2012 Update: Max Payne 3 slipped from March to May. Delays of Rockstar games usually lead to very good games, but they also tend to lengthen the wait for the…
July 3, 2012 Update: Suddenly, this guy is in desperate need of a hit. Zynga revealed FarmVille 2 and a new game called The Ville. But are the days when Zynga games ruled Facebook over? The company seems to be slipping as more competitors, big and small, fill the Facebook gaming charts. April 27, 2012…
July 3, 2012 Update: Dishonored is looking fantastic. But this is feeling like a quiet year for for company that brought us Skyrim and Fallout 3 May 30, 2012 Update: Earlier this month Zenimax revealed a big announcement: They will be releasing an Elder Scrolls MMO by the name of The Elder Scrolls Online Why…
May 30, 2012 Update: BioShock Infinite is delayed until 2013 Feb 20, 2012 Update: Down to notches, because, well, we think we over-rated his level of power last time. Our mistake. Sorry, Ken! Why He’s Powerful With Will Wright lowering his profile in the game development scene lately, Ken Levine has emerged as probably the…
Feb 20, 2012 Update: He got the city of Boston to sign on for the PAX East convention through 2023, and Penny Arcade‘s new games journalism wing, the PA Report has already come out swinging as a potential player in the gaming press. Why He’s Powerful Jerry “Tycho” Holkins and Mike “Gabe” Krahulik have created…
Feb 20, 2012 Update: It’s not entirely clear how recent dips in sale expectations will impact Nvidia’s future market, but the company cites an issue of a lack of disc drives due to a flood in Thailand. Sales of the Tegra chips have fallen an uncomfortable 42% while the company struggles with slow growth, but…
Why He’s Powerful Nexon hasn’t made a huge splash in America compared to some—although 21 million players in North America is nothing to sneeze at—but the Korean company’s free-to-play titles were years ahead from a revenue standpoint. Thirty-nine-year-old CEO Daniel Kim came from a design background (he worked with the original team that helped design…
July 3, 2012 Update: Strategy game Diamond Trust of London is finally coming out this year, thanks to none other than Kickstarter. Why He’s Powerful When people want to hang video game art in a museum, they hang Jason Rohrer’s games. His simple, short game Passage evokes more discussion and emotional reaction than most other…
July 3, 2012 Update: Tencent’s CEO goes up two placements for two reasons: 1) acquiring a stake in Epic Games, and 2) that new Call of Duty game they teamed up with Activision to make for China Feb 20, 2012 Update: Tencent will soon bring EA’s The Sims Social to China. Have fun, China! But…
Why He’s Powerful There was Ophir Lupu at the blackjack table a few years ago, a wad of bills in his hand. There was Patrice Desilets, then the creative director of the multi-million-selling Assassin’s Creed series, sitting next to him. Ophir wanted to play. It was time to make money. A few months later, Desilets…
Feb 20, 2012 Update: They did just post record Q4 sales. And they did sign a deal to bring their games to the platform of Power 40 powerhouse Gree. We’ll see how that goes. Not enough going on here for a move on the list. Not yet. Why He’s Powerful Michel Guillemot used to run…
July 3, 2012 Update: Adding UFC to EA Sports’ roster can’t hurt. Why He’s Powerful He’s only been on the job a year, so this listing may be more about the influence of the office than the man who holds it. For now. In years to come, Andrew Wilson’s priorities and the decisions he will…
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