His neighbors had left their two-year old child with grandparents and Wright knew they didn’t have a car. “It was happening so fast and it was out of control,” he says. “I called 911 and they said everything was under control.” Wright went to shave and shower but the smoke was increasing at such a rate he was prompted to phone 911 again. “The wind was coming from the east which was unusual, and there was a lot of smoke,” he says. Wright remembers waking up that morning and smelling smoke. Wright’s home was on a ridge on Norfolk Road, very close to the site of the incompletely extinguished grass fire that is believed to have sparked the catastrophic fire that swept through the hills on October 20. Having always been passionate about architecture, he began to develop an idea for a game where players would simulate daily activities in a suburban household, including building a home from scratch: The Sims was born.
The process of assessing his losses and material needs after his home burned down set Wright to thinking about the value of possessions and the promise they hold of fulfillment. Wright’s new company, Stupid Fun Club, was formed two years ago and is based in West Berkeley. Maxis was sold to Electronic Arts in 1997. Wright, one of the world’s leading video game designers, sprang to prominence when his company, Maxis, launched Sim City in 1989. The experience also had another consequence: It inspired him to create what became the best-selling personal computer game in history. His quick thinking in fleeing without delay probably saved his life, and that of his first wife and immediate neighbors whom he took with him. Will Wright’s home was one of the first to burn in the Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm. 20, 2021, the 30th anniversary of the Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm. Photo: Anya ZavarzinaĮditor’s note: This story was first published in 2011. Will Wright: After losing his home in the Oakland-Berkeley firestorm, he created a video game centered on homes.
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