I think Peter Molyneux is good, but overrated. Black & White was fun, but I''ve not played it since the first week I bought it. Dungeon Keeper was great though. It would be nice to see Lionhead move away from God-games.

id have done a great job technically and have made a lot of the major leaps in game engine technology, but I wouldn''t say they''ve made great games, just nice looking ones. They''re very much "find the key, find the door, and blast what you see on the way". Hopefully Doom 3 will change that.

I think the folks behind the Zelda and Metal Gear Solid games are my favourites.

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quote: Original post by siaspete
id have done a great job technically and have made a lot of the major leaps in game engine technology, but I wouldn''t say they''ve made great games, just nice looking ones. They''re very much "find the key, find the door, and blast what you see on the way". Hopefully Doom 3 will change that.

I have to defend ID by saying that most of their games, despite their simple design, play quite nicely (with the exception of Quake II, IMHO). The mechanics generally feel right, dodging is responsive, the weapons all have their uses (with just a couple of exceptions), and that''s why they''re fun.

Having said that, Carmack probably hasn''t earned a position on my top 10.

John Carmack is a programmer, not a designer.

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[edited by - tacit on August 27, 2002 11:50:09 AM]

I can''t say Black & White lasted that long. Peter Molyneux doesn''t seem to focus very much on replayability, his other games I''ve played are not replayable too. I got tired of BW after 5 days and roughly 40$ was wasted to no use... At least Dungeon Keeper kept for 3 weeks.

Romero did a good job on Quake. I think its sad that so many people only remember him for Daikatana. I have seen people bash him saying he was a terrible designer, but I bet other designers like Peter Molyneux will trip up eventually. I also think it is unfair that people praise Carmack as the mastermind behind the quake games, (although no doubt he was an essential part of it).

B&W was great technologically, that was some serious AI. Me if I had a favorite it''d be me, though I''m not professional or even a independent, it''s gotta be me.

Bleu Shift - www.bleushift.tk

Hideo Kojima. He has a certain knack for screwing with the player''s mind. If you look at the reality level in Metal Gear Solid 2, and then look at the things he does with this. The realtime shadows are a good one. On the Tanker, he takes advantage of this by casting the shadow of a doll on the wall, making you think you have a rough fight waiting for you. Guards appearing in odd places. The scene with the marines was funny, having them stop to stretch and you scurrying to find a better hiding spot. Some of this extends into his other games, but its probably best used here.

-> Will Bubel
-> Machine wash cold, tumble dry.

John Romero- Diakatana was just such a leap.

Wait, no it wasn''t. Nevermind!

Bill Roper
Sid Meier

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Will Wright - I played The Sims for 2 straight weeks then I got completely sick and tired of it. Yet, it manage to sell millions of copies world wide somehow. He obviously knows a heck lot more than me because I would have never dreamed of making a game like that.

Peter Molyneux - Populas and Syndicate. I''m not going to count Dungeon Keeper and B&W because those two games have quite a few flaws that I personally don''t like. Nevertheless, Molyneux is the founder of the "god" simulation genre games and in a way connected to the early real time strategy developemnt.

Chris Crawford - http://www.erasmatazz.com/Library.html Read all his journals articles and be awed.

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Blade Mistress Online

Yu Suzuki and Hideo Kojima are 2 more GODS of gaming right up there with mr. Molyneux in my book. Kojima''s viral effects in Zone of the Enders were great and only got better with MGS2 thereby getting that effect known as the Hideo Kojima effect.

Also, the team behind eternal darkness are amazing. That was GREAT in every department. Still say Peter Molyneux is the best of them all... Be honest, none of you have EVER had a great idea THAT fully realized. I mean look at Dungeon Keeper, it was made just as he wanted it and as a result although short it was fun and hillarious!