Shinji Mikami

Profession: Video Game Designer

Biography: Shinji Mikami is best known for creating the Resident Evil series, as well as his influence more broadly in the survival horror genre and third-person shooter gameplay.

Mikami joined Capcom in 1990 as a junior game designer where first project was a quiz game for the Game Boy. He later worked on Disney-licensed games, including "Aladdin" (1993), which sold over 1.75 million units.

In 1996, Mikami directed "Resident Evil" (1996), a seminal game which defined the survival horror genre. This also gave rise to the Resident Evil series of films, starting with "Resident Evil" (2002) starring Milla Jovovich.

He followed this with "Dino Crisis" (1999), another survival horror game. Mikami then directed "Resident Evil 4" (2005), an innovative development that changed the series' gameplay and influenced future action games.

Mikami became general manager of Capcom Production Studio 4, overseeing several of the Resident Evil sequels. He later co-founded Clover Studio and joined PlatinumGames, where he directed "Vanquish" (2010), a third-person shooter with innovative mechanics.

In 2010, Mikami founded Tango Gameworks. The studio was later acquired by ZeniMax Media. At Tango, he directed "The Evil Within" (2014), returning to his survival horror roots. Mikami left Tango Gameworks in 2023 with the intent to create opportunities for young developers and explore new game genres.

Throughout his career, Mikami has been recognized for his contributions to the video game industry. In 2009, for instance, IGN named him one of the top 100 game creators of all time.

Born: August 11, 1965
Birthplace: Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan
Age: 58 years old

Generation: Generation X
Chinese Zodiac: Snake
Star Sign: Leo