New Books in Science, Technology, and Society Chaim Gingold, "Building SimCity: How to Put the World in a Machine" (MIT Press, 2024)
Dec 15, 2025
Chaim Gingold, a game designer and author, dives into the fascinating history of SimCity and its impact on computer simulation. He reveals how Will Wright's unique vision transformed urban planning into a game that resonates across diverse communities. Gingold discusses the intricate ties of SimCity to educational settings and influential institutions like the Santa Fe Institute. He also shares insights about Maxis's challenges, including investor pressures post-IPO, and highlights archival discoveries that illuminate the game's innovative legacy.
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Internship That Unearthed Maxis Prototypes
- Chaim Gingold describes interning with Will Wright at Maxis and discovering dusty old Macintoshes full of prototypes and source code.
- That archival serendipity sparked Gingold's long curiosity about forgotten experiments and led him toward writing the book.
Hybrid Simulation Is SimCity’s Secret
- SimCity combines cellular automata and system dynamics into a creative hybrid that made esoteric simulation methods accessible.
- That coupling is central to why diverse audiences found SimCity compelling and thought-provoking.
Cultural Moment Amplified SimCity
- SimCity’s success hinged on timing: multiple communities saw in it what they already valued, from Nintendo to the Santa Fe Institute.
- That cultural receptivity shaped Maxis’s trajectory and Will Wright’s career as much as the game’s design did.
