25 Video Game Personalities You Should Know Who Aren't Developers

It takes a lot more than just developers to make video games the most successful form of modern entertainment. From game journalists to YouTubers, cosplayers to corporate big wigs, these folks couldn't code their way out of a paper bag, but they're noteworthy in their own regard.

This list doesn't capture absolutely everyone that helps make the games business go 'round, but it does put a spotlight on the few awesome folks who help keep the wheels turning in some capacity. Leave comments below letting us know who we forgot and who doesn't deserve to be up here; there's just too many people to highlight and we'd love to hear your opinion.

As CEO of Divide by Zero Games and later Rainmaker Games, James built up a wealth of experience in independent game development despite never shipping a title that hit massive public success. He is most notable for his work writing the web series, Extra Credits which provide a thoughtful dissection of several common issues in the world of game design, game culture, and more. Tackling issues like gender discrimination, the popularization of gamification, and diversity in narrative protagonists, the show has earned its following by providing a balanced look into some of the toughest problems facing the industry today.

Arguably the world's most recognizable name in professional gaming, Fatal1ty earned his spot on this list through his performance in a myriad of first-person shooters including the Quake series, Counter-Strike, and Call of Duty. However, unlike most other professional gamers, Jonathan's profile extends slightly into the mainstream as he has appeared in news media like The New York Times, Forbes, and 60 Minutes. His branded line of gaming equipment including precision mice, snacks, souncards, and more have secured his name will forever be recognized in the annals of gaming history.

There are a lot of folks who upload videos of themselves or their friends playing video games, but it's Robbaz' Swedish accent and obsession with Viking culture that keep folks coming back every week. Where most channels are content to post clips of Minecraft or the latest shooter, Robbaz takes delight in messing with more unconventional game captures like Bus Cable Car Simulator or Virtual Attraction: The Ultimate Attraction and Dating Training System. It's the personality in commentary videos that makes them special, and Robbaz' fans will agree he's got plenty of that.

Between her work on web series The Guild and her various television appearances, Felicia Day has become synonymous with gamer culture for better or worse. Her internet fame has even earned her a stint acting in an official Dragon Age mini-series as well as a role in an expansion DLC. Her new YouTube channel, Geek & Sundry acts as a hub for several other nerd micro-celebrities and their fans.

As chairman of the Indie Games Festival, Brandon's work has been responsible for some of the most forward-thinking indie games getting recognized and funded thanks to the festival's monetary prizes. Increasingly, indie games play a great role in defining the culture of the games industry and it's thanks to folks like Brandon that this is possible.

Formerly vice-president of Microsoft's Xbox division and president of SEGA of America before that, Peter Moore is no stranger to the video game world. Although he currently heads up the sports division of Electronic Arts, he is mostly remembered for his E3 appearances where he unveiled release announcements through tattoos of Halo 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV. To-date, EA has not made him adopt any permanent body art.

Formerly known as Dan Elecktro during his days at GamePro, Amrich has been a consistantly popular writer across all of the magazines he worked at before landing himself the role of Senior Editor at Official Xbox Magazine in 2006. However, like all good games journalists he eventually fell to the allure of a corporate gig with Activision as Social Media Manager, but he's yet to become a (total) corporate tool; to date he remains one of the most personable guys in the business. He hasn't stopped writing either his book, Critical Path, is one of the only tomes dedicated to explaining the art of writing game reviews.

Making a name for yourself in the oft-overcrowded world of professional fighting game players is no easy task, but after a match against Justin Wong during the 2004 EVO semifinals that proved his masterful skill, impeccable timing, and genius strategy he provided one of the most memorable moments in fighting game history. His dramatic comeback in the first round didn't win him the trournament, but from that moment forward nobody would forget his name... The Beast was unleashed.

Whether you were introduced to Egoraptor through Game Grumps, his new co-authored channel with JonTron, through his brief stint on the third season of The Tester, or way back when he was a cult favourite on Newgrounds, once you find him it's hard to forget him. Although most famous for his game parodies, the Sequelitis series he's developed which dissect classic games and compare various vintage games to their predecessors should be mandatory viewing material for new game developers. The kid may not be able to program a line of code himself, but he's skill dissecting mechanics.

When people think of Penny Arcade, they usually think of Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik. Although the pair started the web comic back in 1998, it was Robert's enterprising vision for the company that propelled them into what they are today. His managerial efforts organizing industry institutions like PAX and Child's Play are a big part of gaming reaching the mainstream without abandoning its fundaments. Khoo may not be the most celebrated individual at the company, but his efforts are paramount to their success. He's also wicked awesome at ping pong.

When it comes to cosplay, few are better versed than Jessica Nigri. With her wardrobe of custom-made outfits, charming personality, and flawless physique, Jessica has earned a following of like-minded cosplay enthusiasts and drooling fanboys alike. That following helped her win a competition to become the official spokesmodel for Suda 51's Lollipop Chainsaw where she portrayed lead character, Juliette Starling at several conventions and press events. Many are quick to write her off as mere eye-candy, but in every interview we've done with her she's proven to be far more than a glorified booth babe.

Jim Sterling has a more polarized following than any other figure on this list. With half of his viewers loving his vitriolic defence of consumers and the other half loathing him for constantly bitching, he's garners quite a lot of attention when he chooses to speak on an issue. His opinions are mostly found on Destructoid.com where he acts as reviews editor, but his more hate-filled rants are often saved for the Escapist where he hosts The Jimquisition.

When it comes to the culture of video games, Jamin Brophy-Warren stands at the forefront as an individual dedicated to its mainstream adoption and recognition as an artistic medium. As co-founder of Kill Screen Magazine, his commitment to engaging and informative artistic critiques of games have allowed him to work on larger projects like getting video games into the Museum of Modern Art.

When most people think of Double Fine, most people think of Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer. This year they shook up the games industry by proving that Kickstarter could be used to fund large-scale projects, but the idea came from producer Greg Rice. Before working at Double Fine, Greg's resume included a tint at a talent agency where he worked to promote Schafer's profile. Although he does work at the studio on the projects, he's more of a suit-type rather than a developer, but he's still a pretty rad guy and clearly a forward-thinker.

In the far-off land of South Korea nerds are revered like superstars and the best Starcraft players are considered national treasures. Although his win record is only around 56.8%, his public appearances, endorsements, and tournament winnings net him nearly a half-million dollars per year. Although many South Korean celebrities are made exempt from the national draft which requires all males to serve 2 years in a branch of the military, Lim's skills earned him a stint with the Republic of Korea Air Force. With a nation full of fans, BoxeR may be the most loved professional gamer in the world.

While most professional gamers have a somewhat reserved quality to them, Michael Mendoza has no problem laying down the smack talk mid-game. Although he's considered one of the best fighting game players in the world, most probably recognize his voice from the classic "mahvel baybee!" YouTube video which demonstrated both YipeS' skill with Magneto and his wicked tongue.

As president, director, and CEO of the world's largest video game company, Kotick rules Activision Blizzard with an iron fist. Okay, maybe not a completely iron fist, he does take some time off to hang with his buddies Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, but he has been known for his ruthless efforts to keep profits flowing. Blamed for the increase in annual sequels, the inception of the two-studio franchise system, and the mainstream adoption of in-game monetization, the former director of Coca-Cola has brought a great deal of business savy to the games industry and has made it boom in the process. We love to hate him, but truth is, this industry would be massively different without him.

There aren't too many folks quite like Walter Day. Best known for his appearance in The King of Kong, he has been official scorekeeper at Twin Galaxies since 1982. When it comes to vintage video game records, there is no greater authority than the man in the referee outfit. Although he retired in 2010, Walter can still be found around various gaming events, sporting his outfit, just like always. Walter's contributions to the hobby of competitive gaming added a great deal of stability and structure for all those involved.

Back in 2007, Bachir was the #1 ranked Paladin on World of Warcraft. What started ostensibly as a means to brag about his skill, perpetually shirtless best friend, and his surprisingly gorgeous girlfriend turned into a 5-year long YouTube career with over a half-million subscribers. What separates AtheneWins apart from the rest as a personality though has to do with his perpetually energetic and entertaining screen presence.

A former Guitar Hero pro, Freddie Wong first caught the internet's attention when he posted Bike Hero in which he played Through the Fire and the Flames on expert while riding behind a truck on a bicycle. It was his love of action and constant delivery of high-octane CGI wizardry that propelled him to the top of YouTube's charts. He's even gone into film making with Video Game High School being his latest endeavour.

Best known for his work as co-host and managing editor of X-Play, his contributions to G4 TV helped it grow in popularity as the largest network centered around the culture of video games. However, after the networks' collapse and word of its impending re-branding as Esquire Channel, Sessler has since left the station and joined Revision 3 where his work - including a series similar to his much-adored Sessler's Soapbox shorts - continues.

In addition to being one of the most clever gaming series online, Hey Ash Whatcha Playing? is also one of the downright funniest. With a deep love for pretty much everything in the industry, Ashly Burch and her brother Anthony (who now works for Gearbox) tear it apart on a regular basis through a mix of clever analysis and brilliant slapstick humor. Of course, it's Ash herself that keeps it all held together by her sheer force of personality.

There are few villains in the real-world of gaming more simultaneously reviled and adored than Billy Mitchell. Co-star of The King of Kong, we got our first taste of Billy's extremely confident personality as he contested Steve Wiebe for the world record in Donkey Kong. Although both he and Steve have been bested since recording the documentary, Mitchell still holds records for several other games. He hasn't set any records in a while, but at least he's got his hot sauce company still!

One-quarter of Mega 64, Rocco Botte and his crew have lambasted nearly every aspect of the games industry from repetitive box art designs to independent game development through their intentionally low-budget videos. Rocco stands above the rest of his co-horts however for his insanely frequent personal vlog uploads on his secondary channel, roccobotte.

It's hard to find fault in a man who unrepentantly hates pretty much every game he comes across, and for that reason Yahtzee has earned himself quite the following through his web series Zero Punctuation. In addition to repeatedly trashing the biggest releases in a completely biased but transparent forum, Croshaw has also authored a few books that draw heavily upon the world of gaming.