This month marks 30 years since the release of SimCity, which gave rise to one of the most popular and enduring game franchises of all time.

Designed by Will Wright, SimCity is an open-ended city-building video game series.

The first game in the series was released in 1989 and its success sparked the creation of several sequels and other spin-off titles, including 2000's The Sims, which became a best-selling franchise in its own right.

The first Sims game allowed players to create their own suburban neighbourhood, while subsequent installments improved upon the gameplay experience by graduating from 2D to 3D worlds and focusing more on the human characteristics of its inhabitants.

Brian Lloyd joined us for our weekly gaming slot to talk through the story of the franchise.