Chapter 22 Interview: Will Wright .................
Chapter 22 Interview: Will Wright ...................
It is hard to measure the impact Will Wright’s gameSimCityhas had on the
industry. At the time of its release in 1989, the game was so radically different
from any other piece of interactive computer entertainment that for many
years the project had trouble finding a publisher. Now the game’s influence
can be seen in the countless “builder” games released every year. Sid Meier
readily admits thatSimCitywas one of his primary inspirations in makingCivi-
lization. Astonishingly, Wright managed to surpassSimCitywith his grand tri-
umph,The Sims. Again Wright came totally out of left field with a game that he
had to fight to get made. While the majority of games released in the last ten
years take only evolutionary baby steps of improvement, withThe SimsWright
created something truly revolutionary that was the most original game design
seen in years. Talking with Wright is an experience in itself, as one is instantly
made keenly aware of why he has developed such brilliant and innovative
games.How did you first become interested in game development?
I got totally into computers shortly after I bought an Apple II around 1980. I just got
infatuated with games. As a kid I spent a lot of time building models, and I bought some
408