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Wil Wright leaves EA

galenbladegalenblade Registered User regular
edited April 2009 in Games and Technology
Interesting.
Will Wright, famous designer of “Sim City,” “The Sims,” and “Spore” is leaving Electronic Arts, his publisher announced today. Wright will be running the Stupid Fun Club, an organization he started in 2001 with EA and had used for robot experiments, TV pilots and other offbeat ideas for years.

Wright had been part of EA since the publisher bought Maxis, the studio where Wright made “Sim City” in 1997.

Wright’s effectively done at EA today, Lucy Bradshaw, vice president and general manager at Maxis told MTV Multiplayer in an interview about the news earlier today. No one’s taken Wright’s office yet, but she imagines someone will occupy it. For aspiring Maxis employees with eyes on that space, note that it has windows and –fittingly for Wright — a “smoker’s patio.”

Wright explained his departure in a press release: “The entertainment industry is moving rapidly into an era of revolutionary change,” he said in the release announcing his career change. “Stupid Fun Club will explore new possibilities that are emerging from this sublime chaos and create new forms of entertainment on a variety of platforms. In my twelve years at EA, I’ve had the pleasure to work alongside some of the brightest and most talented game developers in the industry and I look forward to working with them again in the near future.”

It doesn't look so much like a break as it does a shifting. Somewhat reminds me of the Bungie buyout. He'll still likely publish through EA. But I'm glad he's got some more autonomy.

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galenblade on

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    korodullinkorodullin What. SCRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I thought Wright pretty much had nearly full autonomy at EA to begin with.

    korodullin on
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    LucascraftLucascraft Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I hate EA, so seeing them lose one of their top creative minds makes me happy.

    Lucascraft on
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    CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    He really isn't leaving EA in any meaningful way.

    Couscous on
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    korodullinkorodullin What. SCRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Couscous wrote: »
    He really isn't leaving EA in any meaningful way.

    I liked your original post better.

    korodullin on
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    CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    But the two parties will still have close ties. EA and Wright will own equal percentages of Stupid Fun Club, and EA will also have the "right to develop game concepts that spring from Stupid Fun Club projects."

    Couscous on
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    jothkijothki Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I wonder how he feels about how Spore turned out, and if that has anything to do with this. I've heard that he was pushing for something more simulationist while other people on the project were pushing for something more gamist, and the gamist side mostly won.

    It's interesting to compare it to The Sims, which is surprisingly simulationist, with most goals beyond keeping your Sims alive up to the player.

    jothki on
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    BloodySlothBloodySloth Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    jothki wrote: »
    I've heard that he was pushing for something more simulationist while other people on the project were pushing for something more gamist, and the gamist side mostly won.

    I'd say both sides lost, considering Spore is both a shitty simulation and a shitty game.

    BloodySloth on
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    DashuiDashui Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Did Wright have any influence on The Sims 3, by any chance? I've been curious about that. I'm assuming no, because I've never heard his name mentioned in regards to the project.

    Dashui on
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    override367override367 ALL minions Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    The only part of spore that felt remotely like a will wright game was space. Given what we'd previously seen of the game I think it's a fair bet that it was dumbed the hell down.

    I don't know if he did that or EA did that, but it sucked.

    override367 on
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    CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    override367 wrote: »
    The only part of spore that felt remotely like a will wright game was space. Given what we'd previously seen of the game I think it's a fair bet that it was dumbed the hell down.

    I don't know if he did that or EA did that, but it sucked.

    There was a nice article on the science guys versus the fun guys on the Spore development team somewhere on the internet.

    Couscous on
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    galenbladegalenblade Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Couscous wrote: »
    But the two parties will still have close ties. EA and Wright will own equal percentages of Stupid Fun Club, and EA will also have the "right to develop game concepts that spring from Stupid Fun Club projects."

    But given that, then why the change? I can only assume that it's for creative/autonomy purposes. It really sounds a lot like what happened when Bungie left MGS, despite still having an exclusive publishing deal with Microsoft. That was done ostensibly for creative purposes.

    galenblade on
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    Dr SnofeldDr Snofeld Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Couscous wrote: »
    override367 wrote: »
    The only part of spore that felt remotely like a will wright game was space. Given what we'd previously seen of the game I think it's a fair bet that it was dumbed the hell down.

    I don't know if he did that or EA did that, but it sucked.

    There was a nice article on the science guys versus the fun guys on the Spore development team somewhere on the internet.

    Some people wanted to give the creatures little sneakers, I believe.

    Dr Snofeld on
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    CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Dr Snofeld wrote: »
    Couscous wrote: »
    override367 wrote: »
    The only part of spore that felt remotely like a will wright game was space. Given what we'd previously seen of the game I think it's a fair bet that it was dumbed the hell down.

    I don't know if he did that or EA did that, but it sucked.

    There was a nice article on the science guys versus the fun guys on the Spore development team somewhere on the internet.

    Some people wanted to give the creatures little sneakers, I believe.

    yes.

    Couscous on
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    BedlamBedlam Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    So he wont be working on games at all anymore?

    That is kind of a weird thing to do but hopefully it works out for him.

    (Also Spore still dosent work for me so thanks for the $50 paperweight EA!)

    Bedlam on
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    McAllenMcAllen Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3173651
    "And it's worth keeping in mind that this doesn't mean Wright is done making videogames."
    "Just don't count on Wright to be involved in any future Spore or Sims games. "

    I don't see what could be changing, except maybe Will Wright won't get bothered by developer scrubs rooning his gamez

    McAllen on
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    cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Hang on, doesn't EA already have one "wacky game incubator" program, or is that the wrong company?

    Also, has Stupid Fun Games resulted in, well, anything I've ever heard of?

    Also also, this thread needs more

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51SdzzGn7Pw

    cloudeagle on
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    KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    It seems to me this change is so that EA can continue to work on franchises Wright makes without Wright's name necessarily being connected to them all.

    So Wright can work one super-awesome-ambitious the project and if it flops then it's not EA, it's crazy Will Wright being his wacky self, and if it's great EA can run it into the ground.

    Or something.

    I don't know, I don't see much change.

    Khavall on
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    LordOfMeepLordOfMeep Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    snip

    Wait, is this from the Simpsons Game? Will Wright is a boss or something?

    I actually want to play this now!

    LordOfMeep on
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    HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I was gonna say, "Oh wow, sucks for EA doesn't it?" but then Couscous had to go and bring about the sobering reality to the thread.

    Henroid on
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    RaynagaRaynaga Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    My god, the Simpsons is horrible now. If that is in fact an episode.

    Raynaga on
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    cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    LordOfMeep wrote: »
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    snip

    Wait, is this from the Simpsons Game? Will Wright is a boss or something?

    I actually want to play this now!

    Yep and yep. He says plenty of other things during the fight not in that clip. "Every game without the word 'Sim' in it is terrible! ...uh, except Spore."

    I've been saying over and over that The Simpsons Game is actually funny, not painful to play and full of absolutely hilarious parodies of numerous games us forumers would appreciate, but no one listens to me.

    Also, it's dirt cheap now.

    Edit: though the animation in the cutscenes is a few notches below the series.

    cloudeagle on
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    HenroidHenroid Mexican kicked from Immigration Thread Centrism is Racism :3Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    cloudeagle wrote: »
    Also also, this thread needs more

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51SdzzGn7Pw

    I was wondering what the CAD animated series was like.

    Henroid on
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    MonstyMonsty Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Wright had been part of EA since the publisher bought Maxis, the studio where Wright made “Sim City” in 1997.
    Hmm.

    Monsty on
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    kaliyamakaliyama Left to find less-moderated fora Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Monsty wrote: »
    Wright had been part of EA since the publisher bought Maxis, the studio where Wright made “Sim City” in 1997.
    Hmm.

    You're reading it wrong - EA bought maxis in 1997.

    kaliyama on
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    MonstyMonsty Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Thank God. I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be another comma before the "in" to make that correct... but as long as I'm not living a time paradox, I'm happy! :)

    Monsty on
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    Dr SnofeldDr Snofeld Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Monsty wrote: »
    Thank God. I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be another comma before the "in" to make that correct... but as long as I'm not living a time paradox, I'm happy! :)

    Oh. Well, umm...this is awkward...

    Dr Snofeld on
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    EndomaticEndomatic Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    He pretty much had carte blanche at EA right? Why would he leave? Just got tired of it? Wanted to truly be his own boss?

    Endomatic on
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    jothkijothki Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    If he could do everything that he wanted, then Spore wouldn't have sucked so hard. Or at least, it would have sucked in an entirely different way.

    jothki on
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    LucascraftLucascraft Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I don't think he ever had true creative liberty. Will Wright is more of an innovator. He has ideas, and he doesn't like being tied to any particular project for an extended length of time.

    I always got the feeling that EA being the whores that they are and cranking out 59 sequels for the Sims and Sims 2 was probably not exactly his idea of a good time.

    Lucascraft on
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