EA Mobile's Spore becomes first 3rd party iPhone game -- available September

Just in case you didn't catch the blip earlier between Steve's announcement of the iPhone SDK and the App Store, here's some fantastic news for the thumb-happy sect: Spore is coming to the iPhone. In fact, the EA Mobile title will go down as "the first 3rd party game on the iPhone." Sadly, it won't actually be available until September, but at least you've got a month to circle on your calender, right? Additionally, EA affirmed that there were "other games in early stages of development," and that it was "actively using the new iPhone SDK to develop games for the iPhone OS." Jump on past the break for the full release.

As anticipated, today Electronic Arts announced that:

- The first 3rd party game is SPORE for iPhone but we have other games in early stages of development

- The iPhone's touchscreen and tilt sensitivity is perfectly suited for SPORE and it will be available to play on iPhone in September

- We are actively using the new iPhone SDK to develop games for the iPhone OS

- As the leading publisher of mobile games world wide, we are thrilled to extend our relationship as a developer of games for various existing Apple products (Mac, iPod nano, video iPod) and now iPhone & iPod touch

Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello Quote: "The animation technology in the iPhone OS enables us to build awesome games," said John Riccitiello, CEO of Electronic Arts. "I think iPhone consumers are going to be blown away by the games we create for this platform."

[AdamY @ Mar 6th 2008 3:01PM]

No break, no release.

[Justin Nolan @ Mar 6th 2008 7:03PM]

Video of Spore on the iPhone: http://www.modiphone.net/spore-on-the-iphone-video/

[David Vogt @ Mar 6th 2008 3:02PM]

Another post about the SDK? You've got to be kidding me.

[Raheem @ Mar 6th 2008 3:07PM]

Another comment about another post about SDK? You've gotta be... an idiot.

[AdamY @ Mar 6th 2008 3:08PM]

Another whiny post about Engadget's content? You've got to be kidding me...

As far as I'm aware Engadget's iPhone-less feeds are still available. I know, I know, it's like, searching for them and clicking on them and bookmarking them is almost as inconvenient as having to scroll past the stories I don't want to read.

Whew. What inconsiderate pricks. How dare Engadget violate your standards of how to run a Weblog. I recommend immolating yourself in protest. That'll show em!

[mrhammerstein @ Mar 6th 2008 3:11PM]

what? you don't like 10 posts in a row about something that is still months away?

how selfish.

[fred @ Mar 6th 2008 3:12PM]

"As far as I'm aware Engadget's iPhone-less feeds are still available."

Gee how about posting stories from some of the other people that contribute to this site so that people that dont want wall to wall SDK news can just read those stories? Going to some RSS feed just to see stories from this morning isn't an alternative.

[Jakob @ Mar 6th 2008 3:12PM]

No actually not.

[Good_Bytes @ Mar 6th 2008 3:36PM]

No, David Vogt is right.
I would usually agree with AdamY, but this is exaggerated. All these articles could easily be put into 1 article. Each article about this topic is way are to short, and feels that it lacks information, however if you read all the articles of the same topic you have a better understanding.

[Andrew @ Mar 6th 2008 3:37PM]

No, usually I don't complain, but I agree, this is ridiculous. There was one big thread for the SDK meeting for a reason. If someone wanted to know what happened, they, like myself, probably read it. The other ridiculous number of articles really aren't necessary. You guys really do take your iPhone love to a whole new level.

[AdamY @ Mar 6th 2008 3:46PM]

@ Good_bytes:

I appreciate the kudos, but I think the scope of this announcement hasn't been fully transmitted yet.

Apple's announcement today makes the iPhone a competition against not just mobile phones, but also Palms, Tablets, and UMPCs. Allowing the devs to really dig into the meat of the iPhone is going to give the platform a tremendous amount of strength.

Think about the pros! The Epocrates demo was HUGE! Epocrates makes software that allows Drs. to write and digitally transmit to pharmacies, patient prescription. That would be insane on the iPhone. Doctors have a ton of income available to purchase iPhones, have a legitimate business interest in the device, and love cutting edge tech like this.

Attorneys and businessmen get a powerful device that can be tailor-made for their needs, deployed through their IT departments, and has the requisite security needed.

I don't think Engadget has made a post YET that truly captures how freaking sweet today's announcement was. June is going to be off the chain.

[Nate the Prophet @ Mar 6th 2008 5:18PM]

28% marketshare in less than a year...what EXACTLY about the iPhone is not newsworthy on a techie blog site? I'm sick of all the eeePC coverage, but I don't deny it's a big deal and deserves the news.

This conference claims that the iPhone will be as big of a market-changer as the iPod was. If they're right, then prepared to buy some anti-depressants if you don't like the Apple coverage, because this only the beginning.

[Phonixfire @ Mar 6th 2008 5:54PM]

I generally don't mind the numerous Apple-related articles, a lot of them are actually newsworthy, but when there are elven posts about the iPhone out of about 14 in a row, it's a little... nay, extremely excessive. They could easily have been incorporated into one, bigger article, as opposed to wasting space with eleven tiny ones.

Also, I've seen two (maybe three) 'articles' on how the MBA has been gilded. That isn't news, I honestly wonder if even the most die-hard Apple fanboy cares if some company covered another MBA in glitter.


On a side note, anybody know what the release date for the PC version of Spore is? =P

[Kalen @ Mar 6th 2008 3:02PM]

Sweet Jesus.

[Carl Vitullo @ Mar 6th 2008 3:02PM]

i think this is a little excessive.
could we just have a wrap up of this when it ends, instead of a post every time something interesting is announced?

[phanbouy @ Mar 6th 2008 6:34PM]

so where are all you whiners and haters when they post x many consecutive stories when there's a sony demo, or a trade event, or something else that's going on that day? ZERO. take your double standards elsewhere. at least man up to saying "i hate apple and every time i see an apple post i lose my self control even more that's how full of hate i am". at least be honest instead of sanctimonious crybabies.

[Carl Vitullo @ Mar 6th 2008 7:16PM]

when was the last time they had 10 in a row for anything, including a "live from..."

There were a total of 13 posts directly related to the iphone TODAY.

[EricR @ Mar 6th 2008 3:03PM]

ah- so homebrew apps by June and "real" apps by September

[ijyt @ Mar 6th 2008 3:03PM]

Spore for mobile?

Where the hell is it for the PC.

[Alex Padilla @ Mar 6th 2008 3:07PM]

Spore is coming out for the PC and Mac in September, which is the same month as it's coming out for iPhone.

I hear everyone complaining about it being released so "far" into the future, but no one realizes that it's more profitable to have the full versions of the game released first...

[Ellianth @ Mar 6th 2008 3:08PM]

exactly..

watch it only include the packman phase. A lot of fun that game is gonna be with only 1 button.

[FrankTheCrank @ Mar 6th 2008 3:04PM]

How powerful is the iPhone?

Is it technically better than a DS or a PSP?

How was the 3D rendering engine?

[bob @ Mar 7th 2008 9:27AM]

its about twice the processor of psp (600mhz compared to about 200mhz) and a lot more ram (128mb)and basically the same gfx chip as the dreamcast, as for the ds, a lot more powerful they have 2 30mhz chips, iphone also has a lot more storage remember as well as accelerometer, mic, camera, location aware etc, such potential.

[Blah @ Mar 6th 2008 3:04PM]

Oh stop whining people..


Back on topic... SEPTEMBER?? Ugh.

[aard @ Mar 6th 2008 3:06PM]

Why do Apple's press releases require ten separate posts? I don't see why all this couldn't have been one post... (ok, two if you really need the live coverage thing...)

[fanman @ Mar 6th 2008 3:08PM]

Bored with news on iPhone updates now...

Bored with news on iPhone updates now...

Bored with news on iPhone updates now...

Bored with news on iPhone updates now...

Bored with news on iPhone updates now...

Bored with news on iPhone updates now...

Bored with news on iPhone updates now...

Bored with news on iPhone updates now...

Bored with news on iPhone updates now...

Bored with news on iPhone updates now...

[Raheem @ Mar 6th 2008 3:10PM]

Wait. What are you trying to say?

[AdamY @ Mar 6th 2008 3:11PM]

You are EPIC FAIL.

Thanks for playing.

[Carl Vitullo @ Mar 6th 2008 3:12PM]

i think he wants more updates about the iphone!

[Ellianth @ Mar 6th 2008 3:13PM]

I think he's saying his lego men like listening to music? Dunno though. (see his avatar)

[skulldriveshaft @ Mar 6th 2008 6:52PM]

those are Ipod earbuds

[fanman @ Mar 7th 2008 8:18AM]

Well observed.

[Curtis the Claw Game Master V2 @ Mar 6th 2008 3:08PM]

EA Mobile's Spore becomes first 3rd party iPhone game hacked for jailbroken iPhones -- available September

[ReggieXuk @ Mar 6th 2008 3:11PM]

now this is getting silly, apple must be paying you guys to do this

[Ellianth @ Mar 6th 2008 3:15PM]

Apple bought Engadget a couple years back. Where've you been?

[fred @ Mar 6th 2008 3:17PM]

Platform partisanship aside, I would have to think that most Apple fans here have got to think this is getting into overkill territory. Most of the topics dont even have very many posts, there just isnt enough to say about this to warrant a post for EVERY thing talked about.

[eljefe62 @ Mar 6th 2008 3:16PM]

Thanks, Gizmodo, OOPS I MEAN ENGADGET. You just lost me because of the WAY TOO EXCESSIVE Apple/MacBook/iPod/iPhone news coverage.

[Kate @ Mar 6th 2008 3:24PM]

Seriously. I think at this rate, I'll just check back on this page sometime next week...


...and probably catch 80 posts on the Apple Store being down.

[NHAnimator @ Mar 6th 2008 3:25PM]

(Yeah, but you'll be back to read the responses to your post.)

[Frank Furter @ Mar 6th 2008 4:01PM]

Like this one:

BYE!

[Zak @ Mar 6th 2008 4:05PM]

I just think it's funny that you don't realize that by commenting on this article, you bumped its popularity up. Engadget wouldn't run all these Apple related articles if they weren't so dang popular. You know what makes them popular? You do. By commenting in them.

How about them apples? If you don't like what's on TV, turn it off. Same concept applies here. Get over it.

[Huggs @ Mar 6th 2008 3:22PM]

10 consecutive iPhone stories. Give me a break.
At least Digg let's me filter out crap like this.
It's sad seeing Engadget go down this Fanboy route.
I guess you were only trying to keep up with Gizmodo.

I'm sure if you work at it a bit you'll be able to completely drive away all of you loyal non-fanboy readers.

[Gary Combs @ Mar 6th 2008 3:23PM]

Okay, honestly, not to pile on with a stupid comment on how there is too much iPhone news, but I have to. I feel compelled to, simply because this is ridiculous. It isn't that I don't care about the iPhone, I do think it is a cool device. I am just amazed at how many posts engadget has made. While I do like to have up to the minute information on certain things, I wouldn't be shocked if Steve Jobs sneezed and a post was made on here.

[Rainier @ Mar 6th 2008 3:38PM]

As anticipated, today Electronic Arts announced that:
- The first 3rd party game is SPORE for iPhone but we have other games in early stages of development

Let me guess: iMadden NFL 09, iSims 2.5, iCommand & Conquer Mobile, iCrysis (oops, you'll need the next generation/faster iPhone to play that last one).

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Mar 6th 2008 3:40PM]

If the mobile Spore is anything like the PC/Console version then it will be pushed back. Then eventually it will turn into vaporware.

[alias_ @ Mar 6th 2008 3:44PM]

this is just too bloody much, i think this site must be renamed to

"macgadget".


these people make a post, when the apple store goes down geez talk about publicity for apple. so to be fair u should also make posts when the sony/micorosoft store is down.

(c) alias

[iankelleigh @ Mar 6th 2008 3:56PM]

I'm all for gaming on the iPhone/Touch, but if it's tilt sensitive, does that mean I have to play this horizontally while hunched over the screen? Will it be unplayable, say, if I was laying down holding it vertically?

[Frank Furter @ Mar 6th 2008 4:04PM]

I for one LOVE the coverage. Thanks Engadget, for covering things relevant. I know it's not as exciting as the 734th version of the Blackberry to come out, but nonetheless, keep it coming.

[Mike Street @ Mar 6th 2008 4:39PM]

Listen to your community Engadget. People do not want all of these Mac post. Stick the MAc post to 1 or 2 at the most.

[Nate the Prophet @ Mar 6th 2008 5:14PM]

Maybe we could talk about the topic instead of arguing about why it's here...

Do you think it's possible for the iPhone to be a true gaming device on the order of a Sony PSP or a Nintendo DS? With EA and Sega both working to develop games...the possibility seems to be there.