A week ago, the Gizmo Blog was flooded with visitors interested in supporting Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto’s bid to crack Time magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People list.  The publication opened its voting to the public this year, a concept that had many fans pouring in online ballots.  As a result, “Shiggy”, 54, has officially cracked the list, taking up a well-deserved spot next to other notable minds, like the Queen, Tina Fey, and, of course, the Pontiac G6-generous Oprah.

Indeed, it seems Miyamoto achieved his lofty position – out of some 200 nominees – thanks to online voters.  His position rocketed from “borderline” status to #2 within a few days of reports like ours. 

Maybe that’s why Nintendo is so gung-ho when it comes to supporting the Wii’s Opera browser.

Despite his impressive ranking in the overall voting, Time decided to group its most influential, rather than rank them from 1 to 100.  Although the system is a bit “dry”, each VIP is categorized under “Artists & Entertainers”, “Leaders & Revolutionaries”, “Heroes & Pioneers”, “Scientists & Thinkers”, or Shigeru’s category, “Builders & Titans”.

A titan he is.  Many gamers might not be aware of Shigeru’s gaming past; Miyamoto tells Time, “Video games became my life when, at 18, I set out to become a full-time professional video gamer.  In the past seven years I have won 12 major championships playing five different games.”

As for his role with Nintendo, Miyamoto proclaims, “While I won championships on ultra-performance PCs, I still go to Nintendo for fun and relaxation”. 

And, that appears to be the key to the Wii’s success.  Although some comments on our post last week criticized whether Miyamoto played a significant role in the console’s development, Shigeru was indeed at the helm of the Wii design team.  It’s largely due to his “fun and relaxation” approach that Nintendo’s newest console appeals to generations not previously interested in video games.

I’d say that’s pretty influential.