Maxis founder Will Wright.

APRIL 8, 2009 • Developer Will Wright left the Maxis brand he founded in 1987 to launch a new think tank, Stupid Fun Club. Maxis parent Electronic Arts said it would make an investment stake in the venture. Wright hopes Stupid Fun Club can incubate new innovative IPs.

Impact: As a founder of Maxis, Will Wright is a pioneer game designer, first with SimCity and later with The Sims. His latest big name project, Spore, was the victim of over expectations, brought on both by his previous track record and Electronic Arts’ desire for another monster franchise. At this point in his career, it would make sense for Wright to leave the large corporate environment and be on his own to focus on innovative design.