Wright, Will (1960-…), an American computer game designer, is an pioneering developer of simulation games. Such games try to simulate (re-create) some part of the real world. For example, in Wright’s SimCity (1989), players design and manage a simulated city. Wright’s games have become known for their thoughtful, largely nonviolent play.
William Ralph Wright was born in Atlanta on Jan. 20, 1960. As a child, he enjoyed learning, problem solving, and building models. After graduating high school at age 16, Wright studied at a number of colleges and universities. Though he did well in his favorite classes, he dropped out of college after five years.
In 1984, he made his first computer game, Raid on Bungeling Bay. In the game, the player flies a helicopter, bombing islands covered with bridges and buildings. Wright found designing the islands and laying out the buildings more enjoyable than playing the game, an experience he attempted to reproduce with SimCity. SimCity became one of the most popular computer games of all time. With its complex, nonviolent play, it appealed to a broader audience than did most games of its time, including many female players and older players.
Wright continued to design simulation games, including a planet simulation called SimEarth (1990), an ant colony simulation called SimAnt (1991), and several sequels to SimCity. Wright’s next major success came with The Sims (2000), a neighborhood simulation that enabled players to control the daily life of families of virtual people. After 2000, Wright continued to develop simulation games, including several sequels to The Sims. Wright designed another computer game called Spore (2008), which simulates the evolution of life and civilizations.
See also Electronic game (Social gaming) .
