Will Wright talks toys, looks like a homeless Leonard Nimoy

No one would claim that Will Wright is anything short of a genius, but his current look is a cross between prosthetic-fetishism and turn-of-the-century hobo chic. He seems to be waiting for the invention of hover trains so he can gather his belongings in a lycra bag, attach it to a retractable carbon-fiber baton, and travel the country in search of nano-vittles and robo-hooch.

My Mr. Blackwell impersonation aside — oh, he WISHES he could come up with something like “robo-hooch” — Mr. Wright’s speech at the recent TED conference is quite compelling. He spoke at length about the importance of “toys” and how it is that he does what he does so well. If you’ve ever wondered just what makes Will Wright one of the most respected figures in game design, the video above makes an excellent primer.

Oh, and he also shows off Spore, whatever the hell that is …