Who Are The Brightest Young Stars In Gaming?

Forbes' inaugural 30 Under 30 issue

In December of 2011, Forbes launched the inaugural edition of a project we call 30 Under 30. It’s a series of lists of up-and-coming stars in different industries; people who aren’t waiting to reinvent the world, but are disrupting entire businesses while they’re still in their twenties.

Last year, I collaborated on the “Entertainment” list, where young stars in the video game business commingled with actors, musicians and Hollywood producers. This year I want to give games all the attention they deserve, so I’m putting together a full list of 30 stars under the age of 30 in gaming –and I’m going to need your help to do it.

So I’m inviting you to submit your own nominations. Tell me about the young people that you think are doing amazing work in the game business, who are changing the face of the industry, and who will be its next generation of leaders.

Here are the rules:

• Nominees must be under 30 years old.
• They can work on any kind of game. I’m not limiting this to just the video game industry. If you know an up-and-coming star who makes board games, role-playing games, or card games, I want to hear about them.
• They can do any job in the game business. I’m not just looking for game designers –tell me about the stars in design, in marketing, in sales, in the game media, and everywhere else.
• They can work at a giant video game publisher like Electronic Arts or Activision Blizzard; a toy titan like Hasbro or Mattel; at a non-profit or a university; at a tiny start-up or for themselves. As long as they do professional work in the game business, they’re eligible.
• Members of last year’s 30 under 30 are eligible to re-appear on the list, as long as they’re still under 30.
• You may nominate yourself, someone you know, or someone you’ve never met.

Last year’s list featured people like Akira Thompson, an imagineer at the Walt Disney Company, who also helps run IndieCade, the video game industry’s Sundance; Brandon Beck, CEO and founder of Riot Games, which publishes the hugely popular game League of Legends; and Sean “Day [9]” Plott, a professional gamer turned broadcaster, now one of the biggest names in the world of e-sports.

To nominate someone, leave a comment on this story explaining who they are and why their work is important. You can also tweet me your nominations at @dewalt, using the hashtag #Forbes30.

All the nominees will be vetted by me and a panel of celebrity judges; the final list of 30 Under 30 in Games will appear here at Forbes.com. Some of the brightest stars on the list will also appear in Forbes Magazine and elsewhere at Forbes.com.

So tell me: Who should make this year’s list of 30 under 30 in gaming?

 

Want to know how a pen-and-paper game helped create the modern video game industry? Pre-order my book, Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It. You can also follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Google +.

Sonya Kraus Angelu DeLeon