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DS releases for the week of January 26th
There's plenty available to DS gamers this week. Heck, when is that not the case? Gosh, we love the DS. It just gets so many darn good games. Like, all of the time. So, check out which games are going to be begging for your money this week below.This week's North American releases are: The Chase: Felix Meets Felicity Imagine: Cheerleader Jojo's Fashion Show Coraline Head past the break for the rest of this week's releases around the globe.
EA officially announces Spore Hero
Spore's arrival on the Wii has been stretched out over such a protracted period of time it would make evolution itself blush. Will Wright first confirmed the project way, way back in October 2007; optimistically, we placed the game in a list of titles to look out for in 2008.Nevertheless, let's say it again: Spore is coming to Wii. Yay! This time, to make things feel extra official and important, EA made the announcement, revealing that Spore Hero, a game built from the ground up for the Wii, would focus on "creativity and evolution." And that's really all we know for now, aside from the fact that the game will release this fall.Considering it's taken EA the best part of fifteen months to announce the thing, and given the first game's reputation, we wouldn't be amazed to see some slippage. One to watch out for in our "Games for 2010" list, perhaps.[Via Joystiq]
Four new Spore titles on Wii, DS and PC this year
click for more Battlefish-esque screenshots Just as your Spore creature grows from a single cell to a mighty populace, so do the Spore franchise opportunities continue to emerge from the single acorn of Will Wright's PC masterpiece. EA has just revealed that you'll have four new entries in the series to sink your teeth/claws/proboscis into this year, including old news Spore Galactic Adventures. Also coming to PCs is Spore Creature Keeper, a kid-friendly title that lets you raise and play with a creature in captivity.Coming to Nintendo's consoles is Spore Hero on the Wii, an adventure game "focusing on creativity and evolution" and built for the system's motion controls, and the DS's Spore Hero Arena, a continuation of last year's Spore Creatures that pits your creations against others. Look for both to swim, then squirm, then walk to shelves this fall.%Gallery-42902%
Wii Warm Up: Spore (Heroes)
What? Spore on Wii? We thought it had disappeared completely, and after Spore failed to take the world by storm when it was released, we ... well, we kind of forgot all about it. Will Wright didn't forget, though, and Spore for Wii has resurfaced, only now it's going to be Spore Heroes and not a port of Spore itself, like the DS version. And speaking of the DS, another game is apparently slated for the handheld, as a companion: Spore Heroes Arena. Details are slim at the moment, but that doesn't matter; what does matter is how you feel about this development. Interested?
Spore, Shiggy honored with Jim Henson awards
Shigeru Miyamoto and Spore have been recognized by The Jim Henson Company as part of their annual "Jim Henson Honors" awards. The legendary game designer was bestowed the Celebration Honor, which goes to an "individual, organization or product that makes the world a better place by inspiring people to celebrate life." Mario, Donkey, Wii ... yeah, you know the drill.As for Spore, it took home the Technology Honor, probably because it allowed everyone to create their favorite Star Wars characters or giant penis monsters. The other not so game-related awards went to artist Shepard Falrey (Creativity Honor) and the Center for Puppetry Arts Distance Learning Center (Community Honor). Congratulations to everyone. We can't think of a better way to celebrate than with the video after the break. %Gallery-25321%
More Spore: 'Galactic Adventures' expansion coming this spring
The first expansion pack for Will Wright's "everything sim," Spore, is slated for release this spring, according to -- of all things -- an invitation to its debut event. Called Spore Galactic Adventures, the pack is evidently just one part of an entire line-up of Spore tie-ins/spin-offs EA and Maxis are planning for 2009. Judging by its title, the pack will expand on Spore's galactic end-game, widely considered to be the sim's most engaging stage. As for what those other Spore titles could be, we'll take your suggestions (sorry, we've already called Spore: ODST!) in comments.
New Sims 3 trailer shows you how to create a Sim, yet again
Look, there's not a lot we can tell you about this. With something like 100 million copies of the Sims, Sims 2 and their various expansions sold worldwide and you, dear reader, being a person with at least a rudimentary knowledge of gaming, there's a good chance you know both what a Sim is and how they are made. This video isn't going to blow your mind or anything. The graphics look good, it has a pretty groove-tacular soundtrack and your mom will actually contemplate upgrading her PC to play it. Electronic Arts also released three new images, which you can see in the gallery below. %Gallery-18710%Download in HD (10MB)
VGA 2008: Will Wright's got a new project, he's not talking
This won't come as a surprise, but we're betting it'll do your spirits well. Will Wright just told us, "I'm working on a big new project that I'm very excited about, but I don't want to talk about it yet because if it takes three years to come out I don't want people saying 'Wow, he's been talking about that for a loooong time.'"Jeez Will, you sound like a guy who's had a little (read: a decade) of experience with that.
EA reveals new Space expansion for Spore, confirms Creepy and Cute pack
EA confirmed that they're working on two different expansions for Will Wright's universe-in-a-hard-drive Spore this morning, both the previously revealed Spore: Creepy and Cute Parts pack and a new expansion for the game's "Space" phase, which is already exponentially larger than its co-levels.Expect Cute and Creepy to add around 100 new parts -- some cute and cartoonish, some monster-like. "Cute" and "creepy" is fine as a title, but at a price of $19.95 those parts had better be nauseatingly adorable and perversely horrifying. It's due on Nov. 18 and will also work for those who only own the Spore Creature Creator.The untitled Space expansion won't arrive until spring of 2009, but it sounds substantially meatier than the parts pack. According to EA, "players' space faring creatures will be able to beam down from their spaceships to explore new planets and earn rewards for completing challenging missions" and "a new Adventure Creator will allow players to build and share online their own custom missions."So, yeah, EA is flogging Will Wright's new creation. If this comes as a surprise, we'd kindly direct you to the Sims aisles of your local game store.
Spore sells a million copies, 25 million entries in Sporepedia
What do you know, people actually did pay for Spore. EA recently announced that its DRM-riffic title Spore has sold one million copies worldwide across PC, Mac and DS platforms. The publisher also stated that 25 million creatures, vehicles and buildings have evolved in the Sporepedia.Not that there was any doubt that Spore would ever reach the million sold mark, but whether its "mile wide, inch deep" gameplay brings it The Sims level of success remains to be revealed.
Raptr tracks you and your friends' WoW progress, plus more
If you're the type of person who loves to watch (re: stalk) their friends and Twitter just isn't doing it for you, then check out the Raptr beta. This nifty social networking site focuses on gaming and will track your activity over a plethora of platforms and games such as Steam, Xbox Live, Spore and of course World of Warcraft. Now you can gloat about your blue "Pants of Sundering Sauce" even when you're out of the game! If you decide to install the Raptr client it will check on all your PC games and download new updates for them, which is wonderful as we love anything that makes updating our games easier.With the recent addition of Spore updates to the service, we're hoping that Warhammer Online will get some love from the folks at Raptr as well. How cool would it be if Raptr updated your page as you won Scenarios or captured an enemy stronghold?
Spore gets its first patch
If any sort of parallel can be drawn between Spore and the creatures you foster into civilization within its digital confines, then we've reached a very proud moment. After it emerged from the development seas, wobbling on two spindly legs, Spore has now gone through its first evolution, thanks to a recently released patch that should help the fledgling game walk just a bit straighter.There's a bevy of changes, from a difficulty increase in the game's first half and a decrease of random attacks on your home planet during the Space stage. Read all about Spore's evolutionary step right here. The patch is available via BigDownload.
Spore will allow more than one user per account
Even after the initial buzz has faded, Spore's DRM issues live on. One problem was the inability to have multiple accounts for the game, despite the the manual saying otherwise. EA Producer Lucy Bradshaw writes on the game's official forum, called the Sporum, that users will still have one account, but they'll be able to add five Spore screen names to that account.These screen names will have separate entries in the Sporepedia, along with their own buddy lists and achievements. It's good to see Maxis and EA loosening its iron grip a little. Moments like this seem appropriate for quoting Princess Leia: "The more you tighten your grip ... the more star systems will slip through your fingers."[Via Big Download]
Spore census results: Editors, Creatures and Space loved, Tribal loathed
Last week we asked you, dear reader, to tell us what precisely you liked did not like about Will Wright's "SimEverything" Spore (now also known as a beacon of DRM debate). The results are in, and overwhelmingly Space and Creature phases were voted as favorites, while conversely, the Tribal phase was voted least favorite. We also took the average score, from 1 to 5, as voted on each individual phase and the editors, and the editors were by and large ranked highest (4.37 out of 5), with Creature phase and Cell phase following behind it (3.72 and 3.51, respectively). The Civilization phase had 3.08, while the Tribal phase earned low marks at 2.26 out of 5.As for the editors themselves, the Creature / Outfitter mode ranked much higher than the others, with 68.6% of respondents reporting it as their favorite. Conversely, the building editor was voted "least favorite" by almost identical margins (67.75%). Read on for the full semi-statistical breakdown.
Spore creatures join anti-DRM protest
Not content with authoring scathing reviews on Amazon, several gamers outraged by EA's approach to DRM in Will Wright's everything sim, Spore, have decided to evolve their line of protest. GameCulture has dug up several amusing, user-created creatures from the game's galaxy, all of them brandishing rather unsubtle traits -- despite lacking traditional faces, it's clear that they frown upon the game's three-install limit.Regardless of your thoughts on the whole matter, we're pleased to see the promise of user-generated content fulfilled in such an interesting, self-referential way.[Via GamePolitics]
DS Fanboy Interview: Griptonite's J.C. Connors on Spore Creatures and more
Spore has been much more than a game over the years - years! -- that we've been talking about it, and it's tough to produce a companion piece in the shadow of such an epic project. From the reception of Spore and the DS crony, it's sadly clear the two were destined to sink or swim together. But Spore Creatures deserves its own time in the sun, despite what you may have heard; for a handheld title, it's certainly ambitious, and the amazing development team at Griptonite Games has done more with less. Griptonite Games has worn several nametags in the past few years. When last we spoke with them, they were Amaze Entertainment, and their own identity as Griptonite was shelved. Now, Amaze is a part of Foundation 9 and the Griptonite name has been dusted off. In all the chaos of nomenclature, one thing has remained a constant: this little corner of the development world has been responsible for some real gems. We recently sat down with studio head J.C. Connors to discuss Spore Creatures, our Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night (GBA) withdrawals, and the unexpected excellence of Disney Friends (yeah, man, Disney Friends).DS Fanboy: Spore Creatures is an interesting companion to the main title. What can you tell us about the best aspects of the DS game?J.C. Connors: Hands down, the creature creator. It's one of the coolest features ever seen on the DS. Gallery: Spore Creatures #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } NEXT >>
Amazon's Spore reviews vanish in 'glitch', return soon after
We're not sure if Amazon is secretly displeased with its recent transformation from major online retailer to caustic protester staging ground. Gamers dissatisfied with Spore's "draconian" digital rights management attacked the game's reputation en masse earlier this week, dragging its user rating down and posting scathing reviews targeted at the three-installation limit imposed by the included SecuROM software. The slate was suspiciously wiped clean today, only to be restored moments before the publishing of this article.Glitch, or conspiracy? As much as we'd like to point to the latter, Amazon tells us it was nothing more than a "site glitch." Says Amazon: "Amazon did not knowingly or consciously choose to remove the reviews. The team is working on resolving this issue now and restoring all the reviews on the site. "Per our policy, Amazon doesn't censor or edit customer reviews and we'd only remove a review if it fell outside our guidelines." Regardless, we hope Spore publisher EA has heard the angry cries of legitimate game owners entangled in an anti-piracy net. [Thanks to everyone who panicked and sent this in!]
Joystiq Polls: A Spore Census
It's been almost one week since Spore came out. For those that have contributed to the exponential rise in Sporepedia entries (over 14 million at the time of this writing), we want to know your thoughts on the game. If you would be so kind, please answer a few questions regarding the game, the phases and the editors. %Poll-19576%%Poll-19582%
We hope Christian anti-Spore website is a joke
But, we have a sneaking suspicion that the blog, which aims to let "Electronic Arts know that their biggest attack on Christian values to date will not be tolerated," is horrifyingly real. What's the attack? Well, as near as we can figure it's because Spore's structure would seem to insinuate that evolution is real. There's another thing that does that, what's it called? Oh, yeah ... science.The bad news is that Will Wright is lambasted as an "evil man," in part because of his membership in "the only church in america [sic] that ordains homosexuals on a regular basis." The bonus is that it's a really great resource for pictures of Spore creatures with giant penises, which we simply can't get enough of.
What are Will Wright's Top Five Games?
Maybe it's the High Fidelity fan in us, but we love top five lists. They're easy to read, don't tax our brains with too much complexity and most importantly, don't require too much of our precious, precious time. And if you are going to take those moments out of your day, shouldn't it be on a worthwhile list? Say ... on the Top Five Favorite Games of World's Smartest Game Designer Will Wright? Behold!5. The Civilization series4. Grand Theft Auto series3. Battlefield series2. Advance Wars on the DS1. The Flight Simulator seriesSo, are you surprised? Will Wright is, apparently, a total nerd. You know what just got left off at number six? Tri-Dimensional Chess. True story.[Thanks, Pugnate]
