Two Gaming Icons Make Times’ Top 100 Most Influential People List

Times Magazine has published their Top 100 Most Influential People of 2016 list and among those 100 people were Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Oculus, and PewDiePie, one of the biggest YouTubers of all time.

Both of these gaming icons were recognized by massive celebrities such as Ridley Scott (Director of Prometheus, Blade Runner, and The Martian) and Trey Parker (Creator of South Park).

Here's an excerpt from Ridley Scott's piece about Palmer Luckey.

Virtual reality is no longer the future. It is here now, and we saw first-hand, while working with Palmer Luckey and his team at Oculus on The Martian VR, how VR has opened up a new world of storytelling. The technology Palmer has shepherded has made it possible to experience storytelling in ways we previously could only imagine.

It's clear Oculus Rift is going to be a major part of how creative talents present their projects, as a number of major gaming companies have adopted VR. It's awesome to see someone as massive as Ridley Scott taking advantage of the technology and acknowledging Palmer Luckey's work.

Here's an excerpt from Trey Paker's piece about Felix Kjellberg/PewDiePie.

The first time my stepson showed me a PewDiePie video, it made me feel old. Most of the screen was a video game—except a small box in the corner, which showed the 20-something guy playing it. Every few seconds, he’d make a joke or react to events with an exaggerated facial expression. I remember thinking, What the hell is this?

But the more we saw, the more I understood why Felix Kjellberg, with some 43 million subscribers, is the most-watched person on YouTube. He’s charming and funny, and he knows how to edit himself. And he has turned passive gaming into active, enjoyable entertainment.

You can go here to view the whole list of personalities on the top 100 list.