"You already have similar works??"
Lin Lixin was also taken aback by Will's words.
Wasn't the original SimCity released in 1989 on the DOS system?
It's only 1986, and MAXIS hasn't even been founded yet, so how come they already have a demo?
Thinking of Mais, Lin Lixin suddenly realized something.
Yes, when Mais was first founded, it sold SimCity to home computers.
If it weren't for Mais' co-founders Jeff Braun and Will Smith's decision to collaborate, this work would likely have truly died in the annals of history.
It wasn't until 1989, when Mais partnered with PC game publishing giant Broder Bund, that SimCity truly took off.
It was finally released.
Based on this timeline, it seems that SimCity already has a basic prototype at this point in time.
Will looked at Lin Lixin with teary eyes, his nose tingling with emotion.
Finally!
Finally, someone who knows their stuff has arrived!
No wonder they've become a top player in the gaming industry.
"Yes! Mr. Lin! Yes!"
He led Lin Lixin to his workstation, where a large pile of strange and unusual blueprints and various handicrafts were stacked up.
From small-scale aircraft carrier models to wooden city sand tables, it's like a child's toy paradise.
In a sense, Will is a die-hard vinyl enthusiast.
"My father was an entrepreneur who owned a plastic products factory."
Speaking of his father, Will spoke with undisguised pride mixed with obvious longing, "Although he passed away when I was nine, he taught me so much, and he taught me how to see the world."
Unlike other producers who have a strong computer science background, Will's career path is more similar to that of Caneghem, a doctor who switched careers.
He studied mechanical engineering and architecture, and was interested in everything.
However, his educational background differed somewhat from that of Carmack, an unreasonable super genius.
To this day, Will has not obtained a degree from any university.
He's like an artist immersed in his own world, leaving only self-indulgence that nobody cares about.
"Mr. Lin, this is my design, which I call ' SimCity '."
It was simple and primitive, but it had everything it needed.
"It's hard to imagine that a work like this could run on a DOS system."
Lin Lixin stared at the screen, lost in thought for a moment.
Will Wright is an undeniable genius.
He perfectly combined his ideas with video games.
Whether it's SimCity, the Sims, or Spore, they all bear his unique style.
It's fair to say that if it weren't for EA, MAXIS would never have ended up disbanding.
It's worth noting that the future king of city simulation games, Cities: Skylines, wasn't released until 2015.
Even if SimCity may not be able to compete with Skylines, it is still a masterpiece with many differentiated systems, and it won't be swept directly into the dustbin of history.
Its death was a tragedy orchestrated by EA.
Thinking of this, Lin Lixin's eyes narrowed slightly.
EA's decision-making process, which prioritizes economic benefits and completely ignores MAXIS' unique style, is a complete waste of this intellectual property.
In 2013, EA mandated a constant internet connection for the new SimCity game in order to prevent piracy and promote its social features.
But even this one point they failed to do well.
On launch day, the servers crashed, making it impossible to play!
This isn't Diablo or World of Warcraft; if you can't even log into the game, that's a truly terrifying and massive disaster.
Overnight, MAXIS's reputation completely collapsed, plummeting to rock bottom.
If that's all there is to it, then we just need to wait for the server to recover, and perhaps everything will return to normal.
But that's where the stupidity lies.
In order to promote social interaction, EA required MAXIS to make the game as compatible as possible with low-end computers and implement the "regional" concept.
This resulted in individual city plots being pitifully small, even less abundant than in the first generation.
In order to attract a Volkswagen range of players, EA even ordered MAXIS to change its previous hardcore design and simplify the various systems as much as possible.
This is undoubtedly a fatal problem for a SimCity game.
It's as foolish as forgetting to put rice in fried rice.
Then, a young player entered the gaming world – Cities: Skylines.
Lin Lixin's thoughts returned as he looked at the image on the screen.
Will has just built a police station in the new town and installed electric grids and road networks for it.
"Marvelous!"
Lin Lixin suddenly let out a howl, startling Will so much that he swayed.
"Report to GAMENOVA tomorrow -- never mind, I'm leaving now!"
Damn it, such a brilliant talent can't be allowed to fall into EA's hands.
Lin Lixin immediately took out his mobile phone and dialed the office landline.
" Sam, prepare the contract. I've poached a top-tier player."
Will was taken aback by Lin Lixin's decisive and efficient attitude.
"So fast??"
There were just too many things that happened today, and his mind couldn't process them all.
Lin Lixin chuckled and planned to take him back to the company.
Just as he was about to leave, his gaze suddenly fell on the C64 that hadn't been turned off yet.
Strictly speaking, it landed on the device that was plugged into it.
A square, flat box with a cable extending from the front end to connect to a computer.
The device has three gray plastic buttons arranged side by side.
Logitech C7 ----
Logitech manufactures a retail mouse that costs only $99.
While $99 isn't a small amount, it's definitely a very affordable mouse compared to other mice of this era.
It is also an important device for promoting the widespread adoption of mice.
The SimCity IP has always been geared towards the PC market.
This is understandable, as its operating mode is naturally well-suited to keyboard and mouse operation.
It's impossible to achieve the same fast and precise positioning as a mouse using a gamepad or joystick.
Not just city-building games, but also RTS (Real-Time Strategy) games like Red Alert, and first-person shooter (FPS) games----
Not all games are suitable for playing with a gamepad or arcade stick.
The mouse is definitely an important input device.
"NovaBo—it seems they could also make their own mouse peripherals?"
Lin Lixin rubbed his chin.
Once Carmack resolves the graphics library issue, they will inevitably begin to enter the 3D market.
Wolfenstein 3D is not a true 3D game; it lacks the concepts of height and depth, allowing it to be easily controlled with just a joystick.
But what if things continue like this, until we get to Quake?
Not to mention SimCity, a project that's almost ready to launch.
Logitech seems to be based in the Bay Area as well?
Rather than building a new hardware division from scratch, directly finding Logitech, with its mature technology, to do OEM manufacturing seems like a good option.