Maxis
History
-Origin and early acclaim
Maxis was founded in 1987 by Will Wrightand “idea guy” Jeff Braun to help publishSimCity on home computers. Before then, the game was only available on a limited basis on the Commodore 64 due to few publishers showing any interest inporting it. The reason for this is because SimCity wasn’t a traditional game that had definite “win” and “lose” conditions. The title went on to become, statistically, one of the most popular and successful video games of all time.
The SimCity series has since been updated to include SimCity 2000 (1993),SimCity 3000 (1999), SimCity 3000: Unlimited (2000), SimCity 4 (2003). It also released some non-sim titles, such as 1991′s RoboSport and the well-known1995 3D Pinball for Windows, which has been included as one of the standard system games in many Windows releases.
After such success with the SimCity series, Maxis tried various other Sim- titles. Some of these attempts includeSimAnt, SimFarm, SimEarth, SimLife,SimTower, and SimIsle. Maxis was also approached by companies to design business aids; SimRefinery is one example. The success of these franchises varies, but none matched that of the original SimCity. Maxis’ hit The Sims is the only notable exception.
-Origin of the name
Contrary to popular belief, the company’s name was not based on the words “six AM” spelled backwards. Rather, it was derived from a formula suggested by Jeff Braun’s father: computer game companies should have two-syllable names and should include an ‘x’. This is confirmed in an interview with a Maxis employee on a bonus disc released withThe Sims: Makin’ Magic. It was only later realized that the name is “six AM” backwards.
-Decline
After the immense success of SimCity, Maxis experimented with different genres. However, their new games, including The Crystal Skull and SimCopter, were commercial failures. They also acquired Cinematronics to create a game called Crucible. Heavy losses and lack of direction led Maxis to
-Origin and early acclaim
Maxis was founded in 1987 by Will Wrightand “idea guy” Jeff Braun to help publishSimCity on home computers. Before then, the game was only available on a limited basis on the Commodore 64 due to few publishers showing any interest inporting it. The reason for this is because SimCity wasn’t a traditional game that had definite “win” and “lose” conditions. The title went on to become, statistically, one of the most popular and successful video games of all time.
The SimCity series has since been updated to include SimCity 2000 (1993),SimCity 3000 (1999), SimCity 3000: Unlimited (2000), SimCity 4 (2003). It also released some non-sim titles, such as 1991′s RoboSport and the well-known1995 3D Pinball for Windows, which has been included as one of the standard system games in many Windows releases.
After such success with the SimCity series, Maxis tried various other Sim- titles. Some of these attempts includeSimAnt, SimFarm, SimEarth, SimLife,SimTower, and SimIsle. Maxis was also approached by companies to design business aids; SimRefinery is one example. The success of these franchises varies, but none matched that of the original SimCity. Maxis’ hit The Sims is the only notable exception.
-Origin of the name
Contrary to popular belief, the company’s name was not based on the words “six AM” spelled backwards. Rather, it was derived from a formula suggested by Jeff Braun’s father: computer game companies should have two-syllable names and should include an ‘x’. This is confirmed in an interview with a Maxis employee on a bonus disc released withThe Sims: Makin’ Magic. It was only later realized that the name is “six AM” backwards.
-Decline
After the immense success of SimCity, Maxis experimented with different genres. However, their new games, including The Crystal Skull and SimCopter, were commercial failures. They also acquired Cinematronics to create a game called Crucible. Heavy losses and lack of direction led Maxis to