Explore Will Wright’s Life and Top Video Game Designs

Will Wright is an award-winning video game designer and programmer best known for creating SimCity, The Sims, and Spore. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, he studied various subjects—including architecture and mechanical engineering—at Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech University, and The New School in New York City.

Will’s approach to prototyping and game creation is to design “software toys,” or games in which you cannot win or lose that instead serve as a limitless source of play. Along with video game producer and cofounder Jeff Braun, he launched Maxis, a California-based video game development team that Electronic Arts (EA) acquired in 1997.

The original designer of The Sims has received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards, and a PC Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as recognition from GameSpy and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (the first time the organization granted the away to a video game designer). In 2002, he got inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame. He also set up the Stupid Fun Club, a think tank for video game developers, toys, and television.

Designer Will Wright is a seasoned member of the gaming industry with more than 30 video game development credits, including mobile games and computer games. Here are a few of his biggest titles:

1. 1. Raid on Bungeling Bay (1984): Will’s first game, Raid on Bungeling Bay, is a 2D helicopter adventure game for the Commodore 64 system. The player flies over various tropical islands and drops bombs. During the design process of Raid on Bungeling Bay, the Sims creator discovered that he enjoyed designing the islands more than he enjoyed flying the helicopter, which inspired him to begin ideating SimCity.
2. 2. SimCity (1989): This classic 2D bird’s-eye game empowers players to design and develop their own city. The game design stood out in a game industry landscape replete with platformers and shooters, and it eventually became a bestseller, released on major systems like Nintendo. SimCity inspired many future installations and simulation games, including SimCity 2000 (codesigned with Fred Haslam), SimCopter, SimEarth, SimAnt, SimLife, and Streets of SimCity.
3. 3. The Sims (2000): Will is well-known for creating this blockbuster game that has left an indelible mark on gaming. The Sims is a dollhouse simulation in which a player controls the daily activities of humanoid characters called Sims, increasing or decreasing their life progress based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maxis released several sequels and expansion packs, from The Sims 2 to The Sims 4 to The Sims Online.
4. 4. Spore (2008): Spore is a simulation game in which gamers create and develop a species, incorporating several gameplay techniques, from role-playing to real-time strategy. A spinoff computer game software, Spore Creature Creator, allows players to use Spore’s creation engine to produce a species independent of the full game.

Get the MasterClass Annual Membership for exclusive access to video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Will Wright, Paul Krugman, Stephen Curry, Annie Leibovitz, and more.