Maxis is an American video game developer and a division of Electronic Arts (EA). The studio was founded in 1987 by Will Wright and Jeff Braun and was acquired by Electronic Arts in 1997. Maxis is best known for its simulation games, including The Sims, Spore and SimCity. Maxis started off as an independent company before they agreed to be acquired by Electronic Arts for $125 million dollars. Though there's been rumors that Maxis is usually rushed by Electronic Arts when releasing game updates.