Every year since 1999, the Times magazine has crowned the year’s most influential people based on the rather loose criteria of power, influence on major events or moral example, or someone whose ideas, talent or discoveries have been of particular importance. China’s President Xi Jinping has received the most occurrences (13 years), but Obama and Oprah Winfrey are not far behind at ten times each.
It’s a fairly motley group of people who have distinguished themselves in one way or another over the years, and year 2023 include Colin Farrell next to Pedro Pascal, Elon Musk and Rian Johnson, but also next to none other than Hidetaka Miyazaki, the producer at From Software and creator of, among other things, the Dark Souls games and most recently Elden Ring.
This is not the first time people in the gaming industry have been recognized for their actions. In the past, for example, Pewdipie has featured on the list, and we can only assume that more prominent gaming profiles will appear as the gaming world gains more and more ground and reputation. At the moment, each person also gets a short tribute text attributed to them, and below you can read what Neil Druckmann had to say about Miyazaki.
The first time I played one of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s games, I was miserable. I kept dying on the first enemy over and over again. But when I slowed down my approach, paying attention to the details, it all of a sudden clicked. I managed to defeat the enemy and advance further into the game. I earned my progress and felt a sort of rush! And as I moved forward in the game, I was much more deliberate, careful in how I explored this world. And in return the world rewarded me with tension, beauty, and surprises.
That’s why Elden Ring—his massively popular 2022 hit—is a great ambassador for video games and the unique feelings they can effect in the player, feelings that a passive medium like TV can never re-create. Miyazaki’s games make the player feel accomplished and smart—and it’s all thanks to his and his team’s uncompromising approach. He refuses to overexplain the mechanics or the lore, but rather puts his trust in the player to figure it out on their own.
