Will: You are in a dark cave. There is a passageway to the north. The floor is littered with rocks.

> pickup rock

I don't know how to do that.

You are in a dark cave. There is a passageway to the north. The floor is littered with rocks.

> get rock

I don't see a rock here.

You are in a dark cave. There is a passageway to the north. The floor is littered with rocks.

2. Do you think the gaming industry is underestimating one aspect of interactive entertainment that will take us all by surprise in the early 21st century?

Will: As more games let players customize game content (game-levels, character skins, and so on), the process of development is becoming more and more of a collaboration between the developers and customers. I think the one experience that most gamers are missing right now and would really enjoy is the process of creating games.

It seems to me that gamers are hungry for this sort of ability, to put their creativity and individuality into games, just the same way that people enjoy modifying their cars, houses, and wardrobes. It's amazing how dedicated game fans are and how much effort they're willing to put into this.

Unlike car enthusiasts and others, the gamers that create cool new things for and in their games can freely share them with other players. This not only creates more game content for everyone, but also becomes a centerpiece of the communities that build up around these games. I think as gamers can start to add new dynamics and behaviors into their games (rather than just static data), we'll see a whole new horizon open up.

3. If there's one thing wrong with the gaming industry you'd want to change in the new millennium, what would it be and why?

Will: Compared to most other media, games are far too specialized in the areas of science fiction, military, fantasy, and sports. There are thousands of other interesting subjects and themes out there, which are covered well in other media, but for some reason, games, for the most part, totally avoid them.

There's been a chicken-and-egg thing happening here. Many early people in the industry had strong interests in these subjects (with the possible exception of sports), so they tended to create games with these themes. As these games were consumed by similar techies, over time, they became the established genres we know today. This is possibly one of the main reasons why the game industry appeals to a rather limited segment of the population (compared to books, TV, and movies).

Next: Will Wright (cont.)