Dream Machines

Will Wright seems to know exactly what he's talking about in his article, Dream Machines. When I realized it was Wright who wrote the article this became very clear to me. It is easy to relate what he discusses about personalization and customization to the products he produces. His "Sim" games have always embraced these concepts. His games allow customization and this leads to learning.

One passage I could relate to was:

"Just watch a kid with a new videogame. The last thing they do is read the manual. Instead, they pick up the controller and start mashing buttons to see what happens."

This is very true. I don't think I ever read an instruction manual as a child. Wright's point that this leads to experimentation and learning is valid in my opinion. Some adults don't even bother with instruction manuals. My mom always jokes that my dad's first step in constructing something (furniture, toys, equipment) is to throw out the directions.