A generation of newly qualified architects and town planners may unknowingly have Jon Ross to thank for their career choice.

Long before becoming a highly respected engineer of trading technology, Ross plied his trade at the US video game developer Maxis, famous for titles like SimCity2000 and SimTower, which allowed players to simulate the creation of whole cities and buildings within them. Before Maxis, Ross worked on programming missile guidance systems at the California-based defence company Systron Donner.