Will Wright
Latest
Marble Madness creator Mark Cerny to be inducted into AIAS Hall of Fame
It may have been a quarter century since Mark Cerny's groundbreaking arcade game Marble Madness was first developed, but this year the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences will give the influential developer an induction into its Hall of Fame. On February 18 in Las Vegas, Cerny will become the 13th member of the AIAS' small club -- a club that includes development bigwigs like Will Wright and Shigeru Miyamoto, among others. For those of you who don't know, Cerny's been hard at work behind the scenes of some of our favorite games throughout the years. The developer's had a hand in everything from Sonic 2 through God of War 3, with his influential "Cerny Method" of tenacious development being passed down to modern day big boys like Insomniac's Ted Price and Naughty Dog's Evan Wells. "Mark has left an indelible mark on all of the games he's been a part of, the developers that he's collaborated with, and most importantly the individuals that he's worked along-side of," Wells said in the press release (warning: PDF link). For Cerny's part, he said he's "thrilled to accept this award" and humbly offloaded some respect to past colleagues that he's "had the pleasure to work with over the years." We're looking forward to witnessing the "Cerny Method" in action during his acceptance speech, wherein he only allows himself 30 seconds to catch our interest before reevaluating the entire thing.
Will Wright's Stupid Fun Club has three projects that you can't see
Former EA Maxis head Will Wright and his Stupid Fun Club are hard at work on a handful of ideas "that cross a lot of different boundaries." During a recent conversation with VentureBeat, the creator of SimCity and its reticulating splines said his new venture is currently working on three projects, even saying one could see the light of day as soon as "six months to a year" from now. He says the projects span from the world of toys to the information superhighway we all know and love. His gushing on the subject of the Internet continues when he says, "Every product that we are working on has a web component ... the web is like the connective tissue in entertainment today." With any luck, we'll hear more about his startup's upcoming work when he delivers the opening keynote at next February's Engage! Expo and Toy Fair.
Survey: Developers still worship Miyamoto, Blow too
Luminary Shigeru Miyamoto hasn't lost his shimmer in the eyes of game developers, with a recent industry poll finding the Nintendo icon to be without equal. The survey, commissioned by organizers of next month's Develop Conference, asked 9,000 devs to name their game development hero, with nearly a third of respondents pointing to Miyamoto as the man with the plan. The popularity contest also named id Software's John Carmack as the next most idealized developer, followed by Maxis and now Stupid Fun Club brainpan Will Wright. The top ten list of industry highlights was rounded out by Braid dev Jonathan Blow, who's likely too busy rewinding time (to see if he can somehow land higher on the ballot) to care.
Over 100 million creatures made in Spore
Since the release of Spore -- in fact, before the release of Spore, thanks to the Creature Creator -- players have brought new life into the fake world over 100 million times. According to Spore Illustrated, the Spore community crossed the 100-million threshold on April 29. "There was a massive flood of entries right at the 100 million mark," SI said. "An estimated 90,000 creatures were uploaded just after 2pm in an attempt to make a mark in Spore game history. EA will reveal the history-making 100 millionth monster soon. [Update: And it has!]Of course, that number doesn't include banned products of the massive worldwide Spore penis monster team (otherwise known as every teenager with a copy of Spore), but presumably does include the millions of monsters who look just different enough from wangs to avoid notice.[Via Kotaku]
Mr. T and Will Wright team up against Nazis in ZootFly game
Seriously, guys and gals: Brace your asses for this one. ZootFly (which made its name with a now-halted Ghostbusters project) is making a game based on tough-talking, chain-wearing icon Mr.T.But that's not even the good part. Here are some actual words from the actual press release we got, with liberal underlining and bolding: "The first game will see Mr. T take on Nazis and their gigantic machines in the varied universe of South American rain forests, lost ancient cities, industrial complexes and contemporary military installations. Along with Mr. T and other characters from the graphic novel, the game will feature none other than Will Wright. In this universe, Will Wright is not a top-notch game designer but a top-notch American geneticist who was kidnapped and coerced to work on a diabolic plan. Mr. T and Will Wright will join forces to annihilate the Nazis and their hardware."We think we speak for the entire internet when we say nothing, and urinate on ourselves.
Will Wright involved in the future of Spore, consoles a possibility
Ex-EA employee and enormously popular developer Will Wright is apparently only halfway out of EA's doors. Talking with GameDaily, Wright confirmed his intention to stay on as a consultant for EA Maxis (the development team behind Spore). Saying, "I'm spending a certain amount of time every month actually working with the Spore team on future versions of Spore and expansions," Wright (seemingly for the first time) announced his plans beyond his work with upcoming venture, the Stupid Fun Club. Additionally, Wright commented on the possibility of console iterations of Spore, frankly stating, "For us it's really an opportunity/cost issue ... we either do that [consoles] or we continue creating new applications on the PC or we kind of go into the handheld arena." Guess he forgot about that upcoming Wii title, Spore Hero! While we're looking forward to what Wright's next move is with SFC, it's good to hear the man behind Spore is still helping to develop the game moving forward. The money problem doesn't hurt either, eh?
Maxis talks about Wright's departure; Will talks Stupid Fun Club
Will Wright's announcement that he was kind of leaving EA this week took the gaming community by surprise. Unsurprisingly though, Wright says the move was planned over the course of the last year with EA. "It's something that we've been in talks with EA for almost a year ... it's kind of a long-term plan and I was just in no hurry to do it," he told GameSpot. Lucy Bradshaw, VP and general manager at EA Maxis, echoed Wright's statements, telling GameDaily it's been a "life-long dream [for Wright to have a] small nucleus think tank."Funded by EA and venture capitalists, Stupid Fun Club is setting out not to develop just new games but to develop new IP across multiple mediums. Wright calls his vision of the club the "evolution of the entertainment industry," using Marvel and LucasArts as reference points and saying, "If I'm into Star Wars or Lost, I might go to the website or buy the toys .... It's the IP that really matters, that strand of consistency and quality through it." We've certainly heard this tune before, though never from such an acclaimed developer. It remains to be seen just how "stupid fun" Mr. Wright's club actually is, but we'll remain hopeful for now.Source 1 - GameDailySource 2 - GameSpot
Will Wright leaves EA, mostly
Legendary game designer Will Wright is leaving his position as the head of EA-owned Maxis, to do what most people at his level of success do: whatever he wants. Wright will be focusing on his Stupid Fun Club think tank, working to develop new IPs across multiple media -- IPs which EA will then have the option to pay him for."The entertainment industry is moving rapidly into an era of revolutionary change," Wright said. "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."EA has a share in Stupid Fun Club equal to Wright's, while a third, unnamed investor has a smaller stake in the company. EA has the first rights to anything Stupid Fun Club comes up with. The new organization has yet to announce any projects.Source - GameDailySource - MTV Multiplayer
Pardo at GDC lunch: It's all about nailing the execution
Blizzard isn't making too much of an appearance at any of the gaming conventions this year (save for, of course, BlizzCon), but they are floating around the Game Developers Conference going on on San Francisco this week -- Rob Pardo showed up at a luncheon panel yesterday to talk with luminaries like Will Wright and Warren Spector about the latest trends in social gaming. He was actually introduced by Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari, who said that "social is buying someone a drink," not "sitting around in your underpants," but said that Pardo manages "maybe the largest group of people in their underpants in the world." Funny.Pardo defended the game, saying that what was once a hobby for outcasts has now become quite cool and that no matter what you're sitting around in, the people who play WoW are people with real relationships, responsibilities, and lives. And he says later in the chat that Blizzard doesn't necessarily aim for innovation, but for "nailing the execution." That's something Nintendo does as well, he said, and many times, that's the key in game development. You don't necessarily have to get it first, but you do have to get it right.The rest of the conversation wanders away from MMOs (and Pardo), but it is a fun look into what these gaming development greats are thinking about what's next. Stay tuned to both us and Massively for more coverage from GDC -- Jeff Kaplan is scheduled to be on a panel there today, and we'll bring you news of that soon.
GDC09: Joystiq lunches with gaming luminaries
From L to R: Rob Pardo, Dave Perry, Neil Young, Gary Whitta, Brian Fargo, Will Wright, and Warren Spector Story contributed by N. Evan Van Zelfden Imagine sitting at lunch with Will Wright, Neil Young, and Warren Spector. They're each eating, laughing, and talking about game design with animation and enthusiasm. On the other side of the table are David Perry, Rob Pardo, and Brian Fargo.Collectively, you have the founder of Interplay, Blizzard's top designer, the father of Earthworm Jim, the man credited with Deus Ex, an iPhone pioneer, and the mind behind Spore – guided in discussion by screenwriter and former game journalist Garry Whitta.Also at the table, a dozen of the top game industry journalists sit quietly, taking notes and typing into small laptops. And excellent food is entirely secondary: it's the conversation that matters at this luncheon.
Will Wright to keynote SIGGRAPH 2009
There's just something about Will Wright that makes us melt. His choice in games. His geeky good looks. His ability to play god. Whatever it is, maybe the esteemed game designer will shed some light on our infatuation when he takes the stage as the keynote speaker at SIGGRAPH 2009. His presence marks an "expanded" gaming focus for the CGI tech fest, which normally centers on what's new and bleeding edge with all things graphics. The topic of Wright's discussion has not yet been released, though we'll be listening with bated breath when the show opens its doors in New Orleans in early August.
Spore Galactic Adventures vids show new game editing features
If you're a Spore fan then you're probably already aware that the best thing about the game was the creation tools, which allowed you to make your own aliens, buildings and vehicles. Spore Galactic Adventures, the upcoming expansion pack, looks to add more of these to the game, not only allowing you to create your own customized planets but also to build an entire game, LittleBigPlanet style. Check out the videos after the break to see these new editor features in action. Perhaps some playable user generated content will make up for the disappointing gameplay in the original title.
Wii Warm Up: Spore (Heroes)
What? Spore on Wii? We thought it had disappeared completely, and after Spore failed to take the world by storm when it was released, we ... well, we kind of forgot all about it. Will Wright didn't forget, though, and Spore for Wii has resurfaced, only now it's going to be Spore Heroes and not a port of Spore itself, like the DS version. And speaking of the DS, another game is apparently slated for the handheld, as a companion: Spore Heroes Arena. Details are slim at the moment, but that doesn't matter; what does matter is how you feel about this development. Interested?
Spore, Shiggy honored with Jim Henson awards
Shigeru Miyamoto and Spore have been recognized by The Jim Henson Company as part of their annual "Jim Henson Honors" awards. The legendary game designer was bestowed the Celebration Honor, which goes to an "individual, organization or product that makes the world a better place by inspiring people to celebrate life." Mario, Donkey, Wii ... yeah, you know the drill.As for Spore, it took home the Technology Honor, probably because it allowed everyone to create their favorite Star Wars characters or giant penis monsters. The other not so game-related awards went to artist Shepard Falrey (Creativity Honor) and the Center for Puppetry Arts Distance Learning Center (Community Honor). Congratulations to everyone. We can't think of a better way to celebrate than with the video after the break. %Gallery-25321%
VGA 2008: Will Wright's got a new project, he's not talking
This won't come as a surprise, but we're betting it'll do your spirits well. Will Wright just told us, "I'm working on a big new project that I'm very excited about, but I don't want to talk about it yet because if it takes three years to come out I don't want people saying 'Wow, he's been talking about that for a loooong time.'"Jeez Will, you sound like a guy who's had a little (read: a decade) of experience with that.
EA reveals new Space expansion for Spore, confirms Creepy and Cute pack
EA confirmed that they're working on two different expansions for Will Wright's universe-in-a-hard-drive Spore this morning, both the previously revealed Spore: Creepy and Cute Parts pack and a new expansion for the game's "Space" phase, which is already exponentially larger than its co-levels.Expect Cute and Creepy to add around 100 new parts -- some cute and cartoonish, some monster-like. "Cute" and "creepy" is fine as a title, but at a price of $19.95 those parts had better be nauseatingly adorable and perversely horrifying. It's due on Nov. 18 and will also work for those who only own the Spore Creature Creator.The untitled Space expansion won't arrive until spring of 2009, but it sounds substantially meatier than the parts pack. According to EA, "players' space faring creatures will be able to beam down from their spaceships to explore new planets and earn rewards for completing challenging missions" and "a new Adventure Creator will allow players to build and share online their own custom missions."So, yeah, EA is flogging Will Wright's new creation. If this comes as a surprise, we'd kindly direct you to the Sims aisles of your local game store.
EA store reveal Spore Creepy & Cute Parts Pack
Well, that was fast. With just over a month since Will Wright's Spore was released to the masses, a listing has popped up on Electronic Arts' online store for Spore: Creepy & Cute Parts Pack, something we've known to be coming since our E3 2008 interview. You can currently pre-order the expansion, available as direct download for $19.95 on Tuesday, November 18, though that could change. Are you ready for an onslaught of creepier (and cuter) penis creatures?[Thanks, TechNick]
WAR battles Spore, The Force Unleashed for top of EU sales charts
Warhammer Online pulled off some impressive sales figures in the European market this past week. The Swedish sales chart shows WAR at the #1 and #4 (for the Collector's Edition) spots in that country, beating out the highly anticipated Will Wright project Spore. WAR also topped the charts in Spain. In Germany it came in second behind the heavily marketed console game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.Of course an MMO dominating sales charts is nothing new. World of Warcraft has done so on and off since its launch four years ago, and Age of Conan debuted at #1 in many regions, even defeating the critically acclaimed BioWare tactical RPG Mass Effect which launched in the same month. It's also worth noting that the Warhammer IP is very popular in Europe, perhaps more so than in North America.This news jives well with the report that half a million users have registered for the game. On the other hand, similar numbers were thrown out around AoC shortly after its launch. It's doing okay, but it didn't turn out to be a landscape-altering success that some folks projected, and that some are expecting from WAR as well
Spore sells a million copies, 25 million entries in Sporepedia
What do you know, people actually did pay for Spore. EA recently announced that its DRM-riffic title Spore has sold one million copies worldwide across PC, Mac and DS platforms. The publisher also stated that 25 million creatures, vehicles and buildings have evolved in the Sporepedia.Not that there was any doubt that Spore would ever reach the million sold mark, but whether its "mile wide, inch deep" gameplay brings it The Sims level of success remains to be revealed.
Spore census results: Editors, Creatures and Space loved, Tribal loathed
Last week we asked you, dear reader, to tell us what precisely you liked did not like about Will Wright's "SimEverything" Spore (now also known as a beacon of DRM debate). The results are in, and overwhelmingly Space and Creature phases were voted as favorites, while conversely, the Tribal phase was voted least favorite. We also took the average score, from 1 to 5, as voted on each individual phase and the editors, and the editors were by and large ranked highest (4.37 out of 5), with Creature phase and Cell phase following behind it (3.72 and 3.51, respectively). The Civilization phase had 3.08, while the Tribal phase earned low marks at 2.26 out of 5.As for the editors themselves, the Creature / Outfitter mode ranked much higher than the others, with 68.6% of respondents reporting it as their favorite. Conversely, the building editor was voted "least favorite" by almost identical margins (67.75%). Read on for the full semi-statistical breakdown.
