Building SimCity: How to put the World in a Machine

Dive into the fascinating story of SimCity, the trailblazing simulation game that changed the landscape of gaming, technology, and urban planning. In Building SimCity, author Chaim Gingold explores how visionary designer Will Wright harnessed computer simulation to create a tool for understanding cities as dynamic, complex systems. This groundbreaking game draws from traditions of modelling and thinking that stretch back to the earliest days of computing.

Gingold connects SimCity to a broader history of technology and simulation, weaving together stories from the dawn of programmable computers to hands-on city-building exercises with paper models. Along the way, he reveals the history of Maxis—the studio behind SimCity—and its turbulent relationships with venture capitalists, Nintendo, and Electronic Arts. The book also examines Maxis’s role in shaping Will Wright’s career and its initial reluctance to support The Sims, another genre-defining creation.

Featuring a stunning collection of visuals, Building SimCity brings this story to life with diagrams explaining the game’s inner workings, rare photographs of early design inspirations, and iconic artwork like Nintendo's manga-style Dr. Wright. This is a must-read for fans of gaming history, simulation enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the intersection of technology and creativity.