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Will Wright Talks New Sim City, 'Uncollecting'

Posted by simoniker on from the uncollecting-is-the-new-black dept.

Thanks to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer for its interview with Sim City and The Sims creator Will Wright, ostensibly about forthcoming title The Sims 2 - however, Wright also notes that "a new version of 'SimCity' is in early planning stages", lamenting that "'SimCity' kind of worked itself into a corner... We were still appealing to this core 'SimCity' group. It had gotten a little complicated for people who had never played 'SimCity.'" He also espouses his new hobby, 'uncollecting', as he explains, after handing out "lapel pins commemorating the Soviet space program" to the interviewer: "I buy collections on eBay, and I disperse them out to people again. I have to be like an entropic force to collectors, otherwise all of this stuff will get sorted." Update: 05/24 20:10 GMT by S : Commenters note there's a transcript of the same interview with added detail, over at GameSpy.

9 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. Plagarism? by nkodengar · · Score: 5, Informative
    A more or less exactly the same conversation took place on GameSpy last week (14th May).
    Wright sits down at the café table and holds out a small baggy filled with old Soviet commemorative lapel pins. Wright: Take one. GameSpy: Russian pins? Wright: I'm uncollecting. I buy collections on eBay, and I disperse them out to people again. I have to be like an entropic force to collectors, otherwise all of this stuff will get sorted. It's like the opposing force, uncollectors.
    Source: http://www.gamespy.com/articles/515/515914p1.html
    1. Re:Plagarism? by simoniker · · Score: 5, Informative

      Interesting, and well-spotted - seems that the writer (Steve L. Kent) sold his raw interview to GameSpy, and an edited one to the Seattle P-I - getting paid twice for doing the same thing is neat!

  2. uncollecting by CrazyClimber · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'd be happy to let you "uncollect" my old comic books. My wife would be even happier.

  3. Simcity 3000 is already too difficult for me by cloudless.net · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I think there should be difficulty modes in Simcity, so beginners can start with "easy mode" with less stuff to care about. By the way, will the next Simcity be truly 3D?

  4. 1: Off topic by Oncogene · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I find his 'uncollecting' activity to be far more fascinating than any information concerning another Sim City or any developments thereof.

    Brings to mind ObeyGiant's take on phenomenology. This scould certainly prove to be a fun project along the lines of GeoHunting.

    --

    - - - - - - -
    "All hail the glory of the Hypnotoad."
  5. uncollecting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's already a successful business model. So successful that most people are familiar with the term 'chop shop'. Take a collection and break it up because the parts are worth more than the whole.

  6. I'll help uncollect! by Torgo's+Pizza · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is a personal message to Wil Wright. I hear you have a rather large collection of small regtangular green colored pieces of paper. This collection was a result of having so many big selling games. As a friend, I'd be more than willing to help you uncollect these pieces of paper. Please email and we'll set something up!

  7. 3D? Nah... by igrp · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I am not so sure 3D would really work that great for a "Sim City"-style game. All ressource issues aside, isn't the point of "Sim City" to be actually running a city by keeping an eye on the big picture? I always found the decision making process to be most challenging and, frankly, most fun -- just like in the real world, as you're city grows you find yourself unable to please everyone and have to prioritize.

    And I am just not sure the more "The Sims"-like approach will work all that well in a "Sim City" game (remember, "Sim Tower" which was about managing just one single building complex but in reality was little more than an elevator management simulation?).

    Or, maybe I am just old-fashioned and like my 2D games way too much... ;)

  8. Obligatory Game Screen by pragma_x · · Score: 4, Funny


    Information - MyCity4
    Founded: 1900AD
    Population: 103,245

    Your Rating is: Poor
    Your current treasury: $3
    Your current debt: $-30,000
    Citizens claim taxes are too high.
    Citizens are demanding more roads.
    Citizens are wondering why its suddenly impossible to collect things.
    Will Wright is demanding more stuff to uncollect.