Will Wright, creator of video game sensation "The Sims," has signed a first-look development deal with Fox Broadcasting Co. "It could be a sitcom or something completely different," said Mike Darnell, Fox executive VP for alternative programming and specials. "This deal's not about taking a game and turning it into a TV show; it's about creating new entertainment franchises."
Wright has been toying with traditional linear entertainment during the past year, creating several five-minute episodes of "M.Y. Robot" that were written by Lew Morton of "The Simpsons" and "Futurama." The original show concept blended puppetry with animation and was set in feudal Japan but dealt with modern-day suburban situations.
Wright also experimented with a life-sized remote-controlled robot as a concept for a reality TV show. Wright and partners Michael Winter and Marc Thorpe built the robot and then brought it into public situations to study how people interact with machines. The show concept blended comedy with human psychology.
Those projects and others came out of Wright's Berkeley, Calif.-based Stupid Fun Club. He said he spends what little free time he has working with robots in that studio.
Currently keeping him away from robots, however, are several new video game projects, including "The Sims 2" for PC; "The Sims Bustin' Loose" for Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube; "Sim City: Rush Hour" for PC; and some new unannounced game franchises.
News source: MSNBC - Sims' creator inks TV deal with Fox
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