New Will Wright game based on Sterling short-story

Sims and Spore creator Wil Wright has confirmed that he is working on a new game for portable devices and social networks that is based on a short story by author Bruce Sterling.

The game, based on the Sterling short known as Maneki Neko, will likely release on tablets, smartphones and social networking sites such as Facebook. Wright says he hopes to have the game running within a year.

"He describes a karmic computer that's keeping a balance of payments between different people, and causing them to interact with each other in interesting ways to improve their lives even though they're strangers," he told EG in Los Angeles after speaking at a special BAFTA-organised event.

"They earn karmic points that are redeemed by having somebody else help them."

Wright is also working on other titles, "one or two" more of which are aimed for a console release.

Following the release of Spore in 2008, Wright left EA the following year to form think tank StupidFunClub.