GAME DESIGNER
Toru Iwatani
1955 - Today

Toru Iwatani
Tōru Iwatani (岩谷 徹, Iwatani Tōru; born January 25, 1955) is a Japanese video game designer who spent much of his career working for Namco. He is best known as the creator of the arcade game Pac-Man (1980). In 2009, he was chosen by IGN as one of the top 100 game creators of all time. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Toru Iwatani is the 12th most popular game designer (up from 18th in 2019), the 703rd most popular biography from Japan (up from 1,143rd in 2019) and the 5th most popular Japanese Game Designer.
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Among GAME DESIGNERS
Among game designers, Toru Iwatani ranks 12 out of 77. Before him are Ralph H. Baer, Jeff Kinney, Alexey Pajitnov, Satoru Iwata, Gunpei Yokoi, and Gabe Newell. After him are John Carmack, Satoshi Tajiri, Sid Meier, Todd Howard, Steve Jackson, and Shigesato Itoi.
Most Popular Game Designers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsRalph H. Baer
1922 - 2014
HPI: 64.67
Rank: 6
Jeff Kinney
1971 - Present
HPI: 64.46
Rank: 7
Alexey Pajitnov
1956 - Present
HPI: 64.38
Rank: 8
Satoru Iwata
1959 - 2015
HPI: 64.03
Rank: 9
Gunpei Yokoi
1941 - 1997
HPI: 63.64
Rank: 10
Gabe Newell
1962 - Present
HPI: 63.16
Rank: 11
Toru Iwatani
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.91
Rank: 12
John Carmack
1970 - Present
HPI: 62.89
Rank: 13
Satoshi Tajiri
1965 - Present
HPI: 62.51
Rank: 14
Sid Meier
1954 - Present
HPI: 61.62
Rank: 15
Todd Howard
1971 - Present
HPI: 60.30
Rank: 16
Steve Jackson
1953 - Present
HPI: 59.69
Rank: 17
Shigesato Itoi
1948 - Present
HPI: 58.97
Rank: 18
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1955, Toru Iwatani ranks 126. Before him are Brian Kobilka, Miguel Ferrer, Avram Grant, Xander Berkeley, Olivier Assayas, and David Julius. After him are John Roberts, Brigitte Lahaie, Wang Huning, Anne Sofie von Otter, John de Mol Jr., and Mulatu Teshome.
Others Born in 1955
Go to all RankingsBrian Kobilka
BIOLOGIST
1955 - Present
HPI: 63.10
Rank: 120
Miguel Ferrer
ACTOR
1955 - 2017
HPI: 63.09
Rank: 121
Avram Grant
COACH
1955 - Present
HPI: 63.01
Rank: 122
Xander Berkeley
ACTOR
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.96
Rank: 123
Olivier Assayas
FILM DIRECTOR
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.94
Rank: 124
David Julius
BIOLOGIST
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.91
Rank: 125
Toru Iwatani
GAME DESIGNER
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.91
Rank: 126
John Roberts
JUDGE
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.80
Rank: 127
Brigitte Lahaie
ACTOR
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.79
Rank: 128
Wang Huning
POLITICIAN
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.64
Rank: 129
Anne Sofie von Otter
SINGER
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.58
Rank: 130
John de Mol Jr.
PRODUCER
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.53
Rank: 131
Mulatu Teshome
POLITICIAN
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.52
Rank: 132
In Japan
Among people born in Japan, Toru Iwatani ranks 703 out of 6,245. Before him are Shigeko Higashikuni (1925), Emperor Sanjō (976), Yoshida Kenkō (1283), Ōtani Yoshitsugu (1559), Gunichi Mikawa (1888), and Hōjō Sōun (1432). After him are Kōzō Okamoto (1947), Nitobe Inazō (1862), Toyohiro Akiyama (1942), Osami Nagano (1880), Hōnen (1133), and Taro Kagawa (1922).
Others born in Japan
Go to all RankingsShigeko Higashikuni
COMPANION
1925 - 1961
HPI: 62.97
Rank: 697
Emperor Sanjō
POLITICIAN
976 - 1017
HPI: 62.96
Rank: 698
Yoshida Kenkō
WRITER
1283 - 1350
HPI: 62.93
Rank: 699
Ōtani Yoshitsugu
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1559 - 1600
HPI: 62.92
Rank: 700
Gunichi Mikawa
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1888 - 1981
HPI: 62.92
Rank: 701
Hōjō Sōun
POLITICIAN
1432 - 1519
HPI: 62.91
Rank: 702
Toru Iwatani
GAME DESIGNER
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.91
Rank: 703
Kōzō Okamoto
EXTREMIST
1947 - Present
HPI: 62.89
Rank: 704
Nitobe Inazō
POLITICIAN
1862 - 1933
HPI: 62.88
Rank: 705
Toyohiro Akiyama
ASTRONAUT
1942 - Present
HPI: 62.85
Rank: 706
Osami Nagano
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1880 - 1947
HPI: 62.84
Rank: 707
Hōnen
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1133 - 1212
HPI: 62.84
Rank: 708
Taro Kagawa
SOCCER PLAYER
1922 - 1990
HPI: 62.83
Rank: 709
Among GAME DESIGNERS In Japan
Among game designers born in Japan, Toru Iwatani ranks 5. Before him are Shigeru Miyamoto (1952), Hideo Kojima (1963), Satoru Iwata (1959), and Gunpei Yokoi (1941). After him are Satoshi Tajiri (1965), Shigesato Itoi (1948), Masayuki Uemura (1943), Hironobu Sakaguchi (1962), Shinji Mikami (1965), Naoto Ohshima (1964), and Hidetaka Miyazaki (1974).
Shigeru Miyamoto
1952 - Present
HPI: 69.47
Rank: 1
Hideo Kojima
1963 - Present
HPI: 66.39
Rank: 2
Satoru Iwata
1959 - 2015
HPI: 64.03
Rank: 3
Gunpei Yokoi
1941 - 1997
HPI: 63.64
Rank: 4
Toru Iwatani
1955 - Present
HPI: 62.91
Rank: 5
Satoshi Tajiri
1965 - Present
HPI: 62.51
Rank: 6
Shigesato Itoi
1948 - Present
HPI: 58.97
Rank: 7
Masayuki Uemura
1943 - 2021
HPI: 58.94
Rank: 8
Hironobu Sakaguchi
1962 - Present
HPI: 57.60
Rank: 9
Shinji Mikami
1965 - Present
HPI: 57.52
Rank: 10
Naoto Ohshima
1964 - Present
HPI: 56.88
Rank: 11
Hidetaka Miyazaki
1974 - Present
HPI: 56.40
Rank: 12