Gamers have been stereotyped as weak, nerdy, and antisocial. Perhaps some of the stereotypes have a little truth to them. The folks who make games however, are anything but the above adjectives. The following are some of the industry’s biggest baddasses.

Goichi Suda (Suda 51) is to video games, as Quentin Tarantino is to movies. Both specialize in ultra-violence, but unlike your run of the mill snuff film, their works have plenty of heart. And whether either of these men makes a new game or movie, they don’t run together with their past works. They manage to keep things like decapitation and gallons of blood fresh, and innovative. His games range from Killer 7; a political conspiracy that I’m not sure anyone understood, and No More Heroes; a game that reminded us how cool it is to play as a chaotic neurotic, and more importantly, that punk is not dead. Also, it should be noted that the man has a number in his name. Even Prince can’t compete with that kind of badass-ness.

Suda 51, pondering his copious amounts of badassery

Jeremiah Slaczka, (a.k.a Miah by his friends and probably countless groupies) is the guy who came up with the concept for, and director of Scribblenauts. Yes, he’s one of the main brains behind what is arguably the most ambitious game on the DS, but he has so many more notches on his “Innovative Games Belt” (Now available at Target, 15.99). Drawn to Life, Lock’s Quest, Drawn to Life 2, all made under his helm, not to mention he’ll probably be directing Scribblenauts 2, the recently revealed sequel. Also, the guy can rock a rooster hat like nobody’s business.

Rooster Hat: Most Badass accessory since the handlebar mustache.

When you hear the name Reggie Fils-Aime, what emotions stir up into your mind? As for me, my love for the President of Nintendo of America is a Machiavellian one. I love him, as much as I fear him. Who wouldn’t? You can debate all you want what company is better, but you put this guy in a cage with Howard Stringer and Steve Ballmer; and what the heck, a live man eating crocodile, and Reggie will emerge ten minutes later, names taken, and asses kicked. And the crocodile would have been stitched into a classy four-piece suit and hat for casual Fridays.

Robert Kotick (affectionately called “Bobby” or “Mussolini Jr.” by some) is the CEO of Activision. Robert Kotick isn’t a badass, so much as he’s bad and an ass. I suppose he’s a badass on the same level as Darth Vader, or Lex Luthor. Just a short list of Mr. Kotick’s villainous achievements: charging 100$ for something that costs 15$ to make, taking the fun out of making games, not wanting to publish anything but established franchises, or more recently, dumbing down the PC version of Modern Warefare 2 beyond belief. Kotick is just a testament to the idea that people who don’t like video games, shouldn’t head companies that specialize in them.

Kotick, gleeful after clubbing a small family of seals.

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