3. Cliff Bleszinski
Epic Games


We have been told, many times over the past few years, that graphical fidelity is an empty vessel. We have also been told that the days of innovation in shooting games have gone. It is true that gaming has delivered plenty of good-looking games that failed to offer much in the way of fun. It is also true that we have suffered some wretched shooting games in recent years, devoid of imagination. But Cliff Bleszinski’s Gears of War has helped to upend these prejudices. He has given us an amazing shooting game that, through the hide-and-seek nature of its play, has attempted something new. It’s a lovely game to look at, and it’s a marvel for online play. There can be no doubt that, like a true artist, Bleszinski and his team worked incredibly hard to get this game out and to have it sufficiently polished. But he also took the time to make sure the game was on everyone’s mind right through the summer, attending interviews and doing the whole PR thing, when he must have felt his time might be better spent elsewhere.