How Will Wright plays the new SimCity

You may have thoughts about the new SimCity--the city size; a lack of terraforming; its always-online DRM requirement--but your opinions don't matter. No, Will Wright, that's who we want to hear from. Metaphorically sitting in a big red leather armchair to tell a story like a beloved uncle, the SimCity creator talks about the first game in the series he hasn't worked on, his first impressions, and how he builds his cities.

"My initial thought was that it felt a little claustrophobic, just the size of the landscape," Wright said. "But then as I started playing more I started realising how much intricacy was in that area. Even if my city had been larger, I'd still be dealing with the same issues. So it allowed me to get into the simulation sooner. It was more about the quality of what I was building, less about the quantity. Which I kind of like, because then I could actually really focus in on something that felt manageable but still had the depth of simulation."

Dear Uncle Will isn't one to focus solely on building efficient cities, oh no, he wants them to look good too. He explains he became attached to specific neighbourhoods, picking out ones he'd like to live in and improving them to the detriment of others he didn't really care about.

Gosh, it's just so pleasant to hear him talk about his experiences. Do watch.

SimCity launches for PC on March 5, then will expand to Mac later.