Lux Capital

How did Cold War nuclear game theory developed at MIT in the 1950s and 1960s ultimately transform video games in the 1980s and 1990s? It’s the story of SimCity, inspired by 📖 “Building SimCity: How to Put the World in a Machine” 🧵 2/ SimCity begins with Will Wright, who was working on another game called “Raid on Bungeling Bay.” While working on this game, Wright discovered that he enjoyed building the game’s level editor as much as playing the game itself. 3/  Development of the original SimCity began in 1985 for the Commodore 64 under the working title “Micropolis.” Wright faced significant challenges in pitching the game to publishers because the concept of an open-ended game with no win or loss conditions was unprecedented. 3/ Major publishers declined to publish Micropolis, considering it too unconventional. Eventually, Wright partnered with Jeff Braun, and together they founded the storied gaming studio Maxis. 4/ SimCity was finally released in 1989 for the Amiga and Mac, followed by the IBM PC and Commodore 64. The real breakthrough happened in 1993 with the release of SimCity 2000, which was a hit and sold millions of copies worldwide. 5/ What made SimCity unique was its open-ended gameplay: Unlike traditional games with victory conditions and endings, players built their cities in SimCity without any directed goals. Nor did the game end at some pre-determined time. 6/ The key design challenge for Will Wright and the Maxis team was how to model an abstraction of a city capable of running on consumer hardware and that remained fun to boot. 7/ Wright drew inspiration for SimCity from diverse domains, including urban planning theories, Conway’s Game of Life and cellular automata, as well as stories like Stanisław Lem’s “The Seventh Sally.” 8/ SimCity incorporated principles of system dynamics, a methodology developed by Jay Forrester at MIT, which modeled cities and economies as dynamic systems. This approach added a layer of realism and complexity to the game, making the city’s development and management feel authentic 9/  The development of SimCity coincided with advancements in graphical user interfaces (GUI), particularly on the Macintosh platform. Wright’s use of GUI conventions and tools like MacPaint allowed for a more intuitive and engaging user experience . 10/ Thread inspired by The Orthogonal Bet Podcast episode with Chaim Gingold, author of “Building SimCity: How to Put the World in a Machine” 🔊 https://bit.ly/3VRfRUD

Regardless of scenario, Riskgaming is designed to enhance decision-making under uncertainty, competitive strategy and creative problem-solving. It’s a unique competitive edge we’re constantly striving to deliver to all of Lux’s startups.

Thrilled to test my upcoming Lux Capital riskgame on the Electric Vehicle market in China with Michelle Lee and colleagues at their robotics startup, Medra. This game simulates coopetition, ethical conundrums, geopolitics, and political pressures in the industry. Expect a publish date in a few months, with more games in DC this July! Test the Future by Gaming it out. #strategy #games #strategicthinking #electricvehicles #scenarioplanning #scenarios #futuresthinking #EV #China

Our Bilal Zuberi will be at VSC Ventures' Dirty Jobs Summit tomorrow to do a deep dive with a group of 100 founders, investors and strategics on how to bring automation and innovation to the dirty, dusty and dangerous industries 🤖 ⚙ 🔧 🖥

🚨 Funding announcement 🚨 Earlier this week we welcomed Maven AGI to the Lux fam co! Maven AGI came out of stealth to fix customer support using AI Agents. They announced a case study with OpenAI, customers + results and $28M in funding to grow the business. The OpenAI case study highlight some of the fantastic results that co's like Tripadvisor, HubSpot, ClickUp, Rho & more have gotten using Maven AGI's AI Agents to deliver a better customer experience on over 1 million customer interactions in over 50 languages. The impressive metrics highlighted show that they’re a clear leader in the space: ✅ 93% of inquiries resolved autonomously 🔵 81% reduction in support costs 🌟 2x increase in team productivity ⚡ 60% faster resolution time Maven AGI is just getting started and they are hiring for all roles. Sign up here for the product: https://lnkd.in/ebZ9GGHb Apply here if you’re interested in joining the team: https://lnkd.in/eYmXdb5N READ MORE: Maven AGI OpenAI Case Study: https://lnkd.in/eS4GHwPu Maven AGI Launch Post: https://lnkd.in/eC3BVe67 Lux Capital Blog Post: https://lnkd.in/eemuku_Q

Hey MENA startups, take flight to the US ✈️ #StepSF24 bridges the gap, connecting you with the heart of Silicon Valley. Showcase your business at the Startup Showcase, network with top VCs like 500 Global, Lux Capital, and Blitzscaling Ventures, and gain exposure to global markets. Apply now 👉 bit.ly/4bUfI8a #startups #VC #networking

Just finished an exhilarating session on VC views in the care economy! Our stellar panel of leading investors shared their insights on investing in the care economy, fundraising strategies, and the exciting technological advancements shaping the future of care. Huge thanks to our incredible speakers: - Jesse Draper of Halogen Ventures - Jeff Jordan of Andreessen Horowitz - Deena Shakir of Lux Capital And a special shoutout to our moderator, Natasha Mascarenhas from The Information, for steering such an engaging and informative discussion. To learn more, visit; https://lnkd.in/gm4eEnaJ

Incredible few days with Lux portfolio founders and CEOs. Weather, scenery etc were beautiful. But most beautiful was seeing relationships built and cultivated over decades come to life. Founders sharing secrets, advising each other, promising intros to customers/investors, more. Lots of new friendships and bonds.

Read Michael’s latest column in the Riskgaming by Lux Capital newsletter below:

Want to know what we've been up to recently? More about our $5B+ AI companies, mega-rounds, exits in our latest spring update below ⚙ 🤖🧪 🖥 🚀 https://lnkd.in/e8qeFwqW