There is no such gamer who would not have heard of a series of games called Sims. Millions of fans around the world love this simulator. Crazy popularity and huge profits from sales have made the creator of the "dollhouse" one of the most prominent figures in the gaming industry. Will Wright, and it is about him that we are talking about, independently invented and developed the concept of this simulator. We will talk about the life of this person in our article.
Wright Will. Biography
The future creator of The Sims was born in the city of Atlanta, back in 1960, and lived there until 1969. At the age of 9, after the death of his father, who died of leukemia, he moved with his family to Baton Rouge, which In Los Angeles. In 1976, Will entered the University of Louisiana and, after two years of study, transferred to the Technical University. During these years, the developer studies architecture, robotics, engineering and computers. And in each of these disciplines, heachieves great success, although he does not receive a scientific degree. Already in 1980, Will transferred to the University of Manhattan, but studied there for only a year. And there was a special reason for that.
Love changes everything
Until this time, Jill Jones was just the sister of his best friend. But when he met this girl again, Will fell in love with unconsciousness. Dropping out of school, Will and his girlfriend went to conquer sunny California. They settled in Oakland, where Wright took up game development and Jill took up painting. Will's first game was no different from most others. The run-of-the-mill shooter was not well received in America, but sold well in Japan. At this time, he begins work on a project called SimCity, but the lack of a publisher does not allow the programmer to turn to his full potential.
Will Wright - Game Developer
In 1986, Will founded Maxis Studios. The co-founder of the company becomes Jeff Brown, who convinces Wright to continue working on SimCity, and already in 1989 the project is published. The game has become mega popular. The company's value rose to $38 million, and its shares began selling at $50 each.
In the first part of the series, you had to become the mayor of a small town and take care of the prosperity of its inhabitants. The construction of hospitals and roads, the development of industry and the collection of taxes, the elimination of the consequences of floods and other troubles - the player was busy every minute with all this. Proper management made it possible to develop the town to the size of a metropolis. "Sandbox" captivated gamers around the worldthe world.
Next projects
While SimCity's success was hard to replicate, the developer didn't stop there and continued to create amazing simulations that only Will Wright could come up with. The games did not become masterpieces, but they did not go unnoticed. SimEarth: The Living Planet, which came out the following year, had the same charm and was the same building sim, but now the player took control of the planets.
SimAnt: The Electronic Ant Colony, launched in 1991, was a simulation of life in an anthill, where you had to develop a colony, defending yourself from enemies and capturing new territories.
In 1992, SimLife was released, where it was necessary to manage the life, growth and development of all creatures on the planet. At the same time, it was possible to change the genetic structure of any creature, and in this simulator, any player could feel almost like a god.
In 1993, the studio released a new game in the SimCity series. The essence of the simulator remains the same - you, in the role of the mayor, are engaged in the development of the city. But the game received many innovations: the ability to change the scale, the construction of the subway, interaction with neighboring cities, and much more. Also, the game had improved graphics and acquired isometry.
Merge with Electronic Arts
Despite all the tricks, Maxis Studios could not compete with the big game companies, and things went from bad to worse for the studio. In 1996, after the company's shares fell to $ 10 apiece, Will Wright decides to sell his offspring. Many wanted to buy the company, but Electronic Arts won,who offered $125 million for Maxis Studios. The terms of the deal were pretty good, but under the contract, Will had to fire almost 100 people. The developer recalls this with sadness, because during the existence of the company, the entire staff of employees has become a big family. Then Will Wright continued to work on his projects already as part of Electronic Arts.
Major success of "Dollhouse"
February 2000 literally changed the world, because it was then that the new brainchild of the developer, the legendary The Sims, was released. The success of this game was just phenomenal, and the simulator lasted a very long time in the top sellers, losing it to The Sims 2, although Will Wright no longer worked on this project. The game is simple and ingenious at the same time: you had to create a person and live his life, achieving success in all areas. Many gamers have enjoyed playing Dollhouse, making it one of the highest rated games of all time.
In 2001, Will Wright receives the top prize at the Game Developers Conference for his great contribution to the industry. In 2002, the creator of The Sims takes a place of honor in the Hall of Fame of the no less famous Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. In 2005, the developer announced a new project - Spore. The game was released in 2008. Although the project did not become a breakthrough, it still found its audience. In 2009, due to disagreements with the management, Will Wright leaves Electronic Arts, but does not leave the gaming industry, and in 2013founded Syntertainment with his sons. The legendary developer currently resides in Oakland, California.
