“The Sims” creator Will Wright raises $6 million for blockchain games

Gallium Studios, an independent game studio founded by industry veterans Will Wright and Lauren Elliott, has scored $6 million to fund its Web3 ambitions.

The firm will develop simulation games powered by blockchain systems, backed by gaming-focused venture capital outfit Griffin Gaming Partners, VentureBeat reported Monday.

The studio’s first projects using blockchain are VoxVerse, the NFT-powered metaverse for Gala Games’ VOX Collectibles that Wright is developing for Gala Games, and the memory simulation mobile game Proxi (the company’s flagship product), the report said.

Wright is a major figure in gaming, having developed groundbreaking video games Sim City and The Sims for Maxis. Wright left Maxis in 2009 after 20 years with the company.

Elliott created the video game “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego,” which has since been adapted into a Netflix show. Gallium, which they co-founded in 2015, aims to integrate blockchain and AI into creator-owned simulation games.

Elliott told VentureBeat in a statement that the two technologies can work together to fulfill Wright’s vision of keeping players centric throughout the development process.

Proxi was first announced in 2018, Wright’s first game in more than a decade, following Spore’s release in 2008. While artificial intelligence (AI) plays a key role in Proxi, the game will also leverage NFTs to enhance player experiences.

Gallium Studios ran a pre-sale for Proxi tokens last September alongside blockchain startup Forte, which raised a whopping $725 million last November. Forte also counts Griffin Gaming Partners as an investor.

Will Wright on guard against NFT whales

Gallium Studios’ recent addition will reportedly help expand the team, set up partnerships, and deliver more simulation experiences. Gallium already boasts gaming veterans from well-known brands such as Electronic Arts, Blizzard Entertainment and Pixar.

Wright told VentureBeat that he learned a lot about blockchain while working at VoxVerse. Most of his inspiration for Proxi comes from science fiction. He suggested that the game would represent users’ memories from childhood, college or work, “that you can go into and correct.”

Gallium Studious and Griffin Gaming Partners did not return Blockworks’ request for comment by press time.

While Wright is excited about working at the forefront of new technologies, he pointed out problems with the hype surrounding NFTs. He reportedly said that blockchain allows players to securely maintain control of their content, but noted that his studio struggled with NFT whales — who had no interest in the underlying games — buying up assets with the intention of selling at a higher price .

Wright reportedly believes that large teams are not necessary to be productive, and expects the studio to grow from 20 to 60. There is currently no release date for Proxi or VoxVerse.

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