"Or, in a diffirent formulation of the legendary author of Sim games Will Wright, "Playing the game is a continuous loop between the user (viewing the outcomes and inputting decisions) and the computer (calculating outcomes and displaying them back to the user). The user is trying to build a mental model of the computer model.""

"There was a point a few years ago whenever somebody called a meeting that I had to attend, then whoever called the meeting had to pay me a dollar. And I got a lot of dollars that way. It did make them think twice about calling the meeting, even though it was only a dollar." Will Wright has a good point.

"I came up to Will Wright after the panel and I asked him this question. Is this urge to dominate these fictional systems just human nature, or is it something we've learned? Have years of 8-bit humiliation at the hands of games designers turned us into this kind of gamer, or is this just how the third chimpanzee is wired to behave?" Lots of good stuff here about domination vs understanding, mastery, learning, and the sterile utopias we so often turn systems into.

"Scientists brought in to evaluate the game for potential education projects recoiled as it became increasingly evident that the game broke many more scientific laws than it obeyed. Those unwilling to comment publicly speak privately of grave concerns about a game which seems to further the idea of intelligent design under the badge of science, and they bristle at its willingness to use words like "evolution" and "mutation" in entirely misleading ways." Rather fine SEED cover article from Margaret, on Spore and just how scientific it is (and if it really matters). Some lovely stuff in here (and a cracking conclusion).

""When people tell me about playing a game and tell me what happened to them, then I hear how different their stories are," he says. "To me, that's an indicator of how good the game is."" Will Wright hits the nail on the head.

Notes from a talk by Will Wright in 1996. So much good stuff in here; it's almost certainly going to get a dedicated blogpost soon.

Alice provides a near-transcription of Will's SXSW keynote; requires a more careful readthrough... but at first glance, it's bloody marvellous. Totally should have gone to SXSW.

Jason Kottke brings all manner of Will-Wright-related goodness together in one post. Hence: linky linky.

"Time Playing x Social Relevance = World Impact". Awesome, awesome stuff from Will Wright. Reading these notes alone makes me feel a possibility space expanding.