Video Game Visionaries Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gabe Newell

After he left Microsoft, Gabe Newell co-founded Valve in 1996 with Mike Harrington. He built the company into one of the most important forces in gaming, creating major franchises like 'Half-Life', 'Portal' and 'Counter-Strike'. In 2003, he launched Steam, which changed how people buy and download PC games.

Newell is known for Valve's unusual company structure with no formal management hierarchy. This allows developers freedom to work on projects they choose. His approach to game development prioritised quality over rushing sequels, which became part of Valve's identity.

Answer: Notch (Markus Persson)

While working full-time at another company, Markus Persson, known as Notch, created 'Minecraft' in 2009 as an independent project. The game started as a simple building sandbox then grew into one of the best-selling video games of all time. In 2014, Microsoft bought 'Minecraft' and Mojang, the company Notch had founded, for $2.5 billion.

Notch became famous for his active engagement with the 'Minecraft' community during the game's early development. He frequently added features based on players' feedback. After selling Mojang, he stepped away from 'Minecraft' development and the company. His creation became one of the most successful independent games ever made.

Answer: Peter Molyneux

Peter Molyneux is a British game designer. He founded Bullfrog Productions in 1987 and later Lionhead Studios in 1997. He created influential games including 'Populous', 'Black & White' and the 'Fable' series. His work focused on giving players choices that affected the game world and their characters' development, which was unusual for the time.

Molyneux was known for making ambitious promises about his games that often didn't match the final product. In spite of this reputation, he won numerous awards and helped shape how role-playing games work. After Microsoft closed Lionhead Studios in 2016, he continued working on experimental games.

Answer: Sid Meier

Sid Meier co-founded MicroProse in 1982 and became one of the most respected strategy game designers in the industry. He created the 'Civilization' series starting in 1991. It lets players guide a society from ancient times to the modern era. The game's 'one more turn' appeal made it very popular and spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs.

Meier's name appears in many of his game titles as a marketing strategy that began in 1987 with 'Sid Meier's Pirates!' He won multiple lifetime achievement awards and is known for his approach to game design that prioritises player enjoyment over realism. In 1996, he co-founded Firaxis Games and continued working on strategy games.

Answer: Will Wright

In 1987, Will Wright co-founded Maxis. He created 'SimCity' in 1989, a game that let players design and manage entire cities. The game was unusual because it had no way to win or lose, just ongoing management and experimentation. 'SimCity' became hugely successful and spawned many simulation games with the 'Sim' prefix.

His biggest success came with 'The Sims' in 2000, which let players control virtual people's daily lives. It became the best-selling PC game series for years and appealed to audiences who didn't usually play video games. Wright left EA and Maxis in 2009 after the company was acquired.

Answer: Shigeru Miyamoto

Shigeru Miyamoto joined Nintendo in 1977 as an artist and became one of the most important figures in video game history. He created famous series including 'Super Mario Bros', 'The Legend of Zelda', and 'Donkey Kong'. His design philosophy focused on gameplay mechanics first, then building stories and characters around them. This approach influenced how many games are made.

Miyamoto's work helped save the video game industry during the 1980s crash and established Nintendo as a major gaming company. He continued to work at Nintendo as a producer and mentor to younger developers. His characters are recognised worldwide, and his games have sold hundreds of millions of copies. Many consider him the most influential game designer ever.

Answer: Hideo Kojima

Hideo Kojima joined Konami in 1986 and created the 'Metal Gear' series. It popularised stealth gameplay where players avoid combat rather than fight directly. 'Metal Gear Solid' was released in 1998 and became famous for its cinematic storytelling with long cutscenes and complex political themes. Kojima's games often broke the fourth wall and played with player expectations in unusual ways.

Kojima became known for his distinctive approach to game design. He maintained creative control over his projects and treated games as an art form. After disputes with Konami, he left in 2015 and founded Kojima Productions. His first independent game, 'Death Stranding', was released in 2019. He remains one of the most well-known game directors.

Answer: John Carmack

John Carmack co-founded id Software in 1991. He became known for his programming skills, particularly in 3D graphics technology. He created the game engines for 'Doom' and 'Quake'. They changed how first-person shooters worked and looked. His code was so efficient and innovative that other developers licensed his engines to make their own games.

Carmack's work on 3D graphics programming influenced the entire gaming industry and helped establish technical standards still used today. He left id Software in 2013 to become chief technology officer at Oculus VR, focusing on virtual reality development. He's known for his intense work ethic and technical expertise.

Answer: Neil Druckmann

Neil Druckmann joined Naughty Dog in 2004 as a programmer and became creative director for 'The Last of Us'. It was released in 2013. The game focused on emotional storytelling and character relationships in a post-apocalyptic setting. It won numerous awards and was praised for treating video game narratives as seriously as film or television.

Druckmann co-directed 'The Last of Us Part II' in 2020. It became one of the most discussed games of that year due to its controversial story choices. He became co-president of Naughty Dog in 2020. 'The Last of Us' was adapted into a successful HBO television series, with Druckmann serving as writer and executive producer.

Answer: Todd Howard

In 1994, Todd Howard joined Bethesda Game Studios and became the director of the 'Elder Scrolls' and 'Fallout' series. He directed 'Morrowind', 'Oblivion', and 'Skyrim', with 'Skyrim' becoming one of the best-selling games of all time. His games are known for massive open worlds where players can explore and create their own stories.

Howard became known for his enthusiastic presentations at gaming conferences. His phrase 'it just works' became a running joke among fans when his games launched with technical problems. Despite the bugs, his games remain extremely popular and are often re-released on multiple platforms. His influence on open-world role-playing games is significant.