Maxis
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We're finally talking about AI, ft. David 'Rez' Graham and Luke Dicken
Former Maxis engineer David Graham and former Take-Two AI head Luke Dicken discuss their experiences with artificial intelligence in game development. They share insights on the current AI boom, what remains valuable about AI in the industry, and how to discern genuine utility from hype.
"I would fight it tooth and nail": The Sims artist would challenge any mandate to reduce diversity after EA Saudi buyout
The Sims senior character artist Jess Hyland stated she would strongly oppose any mandate to reduce diversity in the game following Electronic Arts' acquisition by a consortium including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. While Hyland has not heard of any such mandate, she expressed concerns shared by players and former developers about potential cultural shifts impacting the game's inclusive design.
Paralives Team Might Have Shed Some Light On Why The Sims Ditched Its Open World
Paralives' communication manager Gab Boyer-Antoni discussed the challenges of creating an open world, suggesting it's a primary reason why The Sims 4 moved away from the open-world design seen in The Sims 3. Boyer-Antoni highlighted the complexity of managing intertwined systems in a living world. The article also touches on Paralives' early access progress and upcoming content updates.
The Sims’ Biggest Competitor Is Ignoring All Of The AAA Rules Of Game Dev, And That’s Why It’s Already A Huge Success
Paralives, a crowdfunded life simulation game developed by a small team, is emerging as a significant competitor to The Sims. Despite its indie status, Paralives has achieved over one million copies sold in early access and boasts a thriving modding community. The developers are committed to offering free future content and DLC, focusing on player feedback and sustainable growth rather than traditional AAA monetization strategies.
Are these the 100 most influential games of all time?
Kitfox Games CEO Tanya Short discusses a list of the 100 most influential video games of all time, compiled by professional game designers. The list, assembled through the Polaris game design retreat, aims to serve as a tool for designers to improve their craft and create influential games.
You will never guess who turns up in this video about why you can't build British towns in SimCity 4
A video by YouTuber Chris Spargo explores why building British towns in SimCity 4 is problematic due to differences in governance and zoning compared to the US version. The video features an unexpected appearance by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who discusses devolution and local decision-making.
Sunday Postmortems/Retrospectives
Developers from Maxis have stated that the previews for their game Spore were more ambitious than the final product, creating an unachievable fantasy for players. This retrospective discussion highlights the challenges of managing expectations in game development and marketing.
Spore devs say the evolution game's previews were more ambitious than what they were actually making, and they 'built a fantasy in people's minds that was unachievable'
Former developers of Spore admit that the game's ambitious previews, particularly Will Wright's GDC 2005 presentation, created an unrealistic expectation for the final product. They acknowledge that the marketing built a fantasy of a deep simulation that the game, which was always intended as a collection of minigames, could not achieve.
Evening Postmortems/Retrospectives
Will Wright and Maxis reflect on the nine years of development for the game Spore. Wright describes the creative freedom he was given to pursue ambitious and unconventional ideas during the game's creation.
"I was given that opportunity to go crazy and do something kind of insane" - Will Wright and Maxis look back on nine years making Spore
Key figures from Maxis, including founder Will Wright, reflect on the nine-year development of Spore, acknowledging it as a failed game design with disconnected elements. They attribute these issues to rapid team growth, a lack of structured decision-making under Wright's 'luminary' management style, and challenges in coordinating a large team, despite significant creative freedom granted by Electronic Arts.
From Mr. Potato Head to a cosmic '70s documentary, Spore's creators share how it came to be
An oral history reveals the development of Maxis's Spore, with creator Will Wright and other team members discussing inspirations like the 'Powers of 10' documentary and various game genres. The creature creation system, influenced by Mr. Potato Head, was a complex challenge to implement in real-time.
The Sims 4 Developer Maxis Discusses the Game's Latest Big Update
Maxis developers discuss the latest significant update for The Sims 4 in an interview with IGN. The conversation focuses on the new features and changes implemented in the recent patch.
A Deep Dive Into The Longing For Modern Nostalgia in Gaming – Why Retro-Inspired Works!
This article explores the phenomenon of modern nostalgia in gaming, arguing that retro-inspired games offer a unique form of escapism by harkening back to simpler times and human connections. The author discusses how these games, with their often crude graphics and straightforward gameplay, provide a refreshing alternative to the complexity and corporate control of the modern internet and gaming landscape. The piece also touches on community feedback from platforms like Reddit and Facebook, highlighting player preferences for pick-up-and-play experiences and creative innovation often found in indie titles.
Paralives charmed me on day one, but the roadmap outlines the real life sim of my dreams
Paralives is shaping up to be a promising life simulation game, offering a fresh direction compared to The Sims 4. The article details the game's roadmap, highlighting planned features like weather, seasons, pools, and pets, with the first major update anticipated in Q4 2026. The game is currently in early access on PC, with ongoing development focused on bug fixes and feature improvements.
Paralives’ Camera Is A Mess, But A Well-Known Sims Modder Is Here To Save The Day
The life simulation game Paralives, currently in Early Access, has received positive reviews on Steam despite a widely criticized camera system. A popular Sims modder known as TwistedMexi has released a "Sensible Camera Control" mod to address issues with jerky movements and automatic camera adjustments, significantly improving the player experience.
TOWER 48 - SimTower arrives on the ZX Spectrum via haabb001
Tower 48, a skyscraper management simulation heavily inspired by Maxis's SimTower, has been released for the ZX Spectrum by developer haabb001. The game tasks players with constructing and managing a massive architectural marvel, balancing various factors like cash flow, population, and tenant satisfaction.
Like fleshy, diaper-wearing cars, infants in The Sims 4 have been "tuned up", making them faster to feed and change, and it's easier to clean up their poop
The Sims 4 is receiving a "Infant tuning" update on May 12, which aims to make caring for infants faster and more efficient. Changes include reduced diaper changing times, quicker feeding, and infants becoming hungry more slowly. The update also addresses a bug where children were wrongly removed from parents due to neglect and fixes a permanent scandal label issue.
Are you a real Sims series scholar? Put those decades of playing The Sims to the test with a quick round of trivia made…
This article presents a trivia quiz designed to test players' knowledge of The Sims series, from its early installments to The Sims 4. It covers various aspects of the game, including sim language, character interactions, in-game currency, and expansion pack details.
Is Fortnite Toxic? An Honest Answer Backed by Data (2026) | TAG
Data suggests Fortnite's reputation for toxicity is more nuanced than commonly perceived, with lower rates of identity-based harassment compared to other competitive shooters. While age-driven trash talk and skill-gap frustration are prevalent, especially in modes like Ranked, Epic Games has implemented moderation tools and default communication settings to mitigate harm, particularly for younger players.
How many of these videogame horses can you name? (Or tell us what game they're from because they're just named…
This article presents a quiz challenging readers to identify horses from various video games, including titles like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Red Dead Redemption 2. It notes that many game horses lack canonical names and excludes iconic characters like Agro and Epona. The quiz aims to test players' knowledge of gaming trivia.
