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Spore media blowout: impressions, images and more!
Four Spore and just over seven years ago (hah! we're punny), Will Wright set about his extremely ambitious "Sim Everything" project. Now that we have a confirmed release date of September 7, 2008 (and some parts even sooner), it's time to recap all the Spore news from the last 14 hours: Spore finally evolves to retail Sept 7, 2008 Can't wait for September 7? Creature-only Spore to launch sooner Will Wright talks Spore on Wii, delays, procedural music DS, mobile version of Spore titled 'Spore Creatures' A peak into Will Wright's office Today's most retrospective video: Spore's GDC 2005 unveiling Hands-on impressions: Joystiq impressions: Spore (PC/Mac) Joystiq Impressions: Spore Creatures (Mobile) Joystiq impressions: Spore Creatures (DS) Exhaustive galleries found after the break!
Can't wait for September 7? Creature-only Spore to launch sooner
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Spore_creature_editor_to_launch_before_Spore'; EA is releasing a separate SKU for a creature-editor edition of Spore even earlier than its September 7 game launch. The company confirmed with us that the stand-alone product will let players begin creating crazy creatures, although it won't include other components of Spore's Creature Phase. Those creatures will then be able to be used in the full version of Spore.EA didn't give any more specific details about when the creature-editor-only Spore will be released and its cost. Here's hoping it's a free download available, umm, yesterday. There's time travel in Spore, right?%Gallery-15883% Check out all our extensive coverage of Will Wright's Spore, including impressions of the PC, Mac, DS, and Mobile releases; the teaser trailer; some pics of Will Wright's office; and more!
Joystiq impressions: Spore (PC/Mac)
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Hands_on_impressions_with_Spore'; At a recent Spore demo, I spent four hours seeing and playing the game. I can normally sum up an in-development game in a half-hour, but I frantically took notes that whole time. I gorged on Spore, like a starving hiker stumbling into an alpine restaurant. So this was what all the excitement was about. Even after watching and playing Spore to the point of delirium, I still had more questions. There was even more I didn't see. But I was so full that I figured if I never heard anything about Spore again, I'd be satisfied.Somehow, in the following days, I started to miss Spore a little: the teetering walks of an off-balance creature, an alien spaceship scaring my nervous tribe, and the curved horizon lines. I could fill pages here with these little snippets -- and I did in my notebook.But most of all, I came away thinking that Maxis could pull off Spore's overwhelming scope. This game could actually live up to Will Wright's intent, shipping on September 7. Through Spore, he could change gaming again.I never wanted to read another hype-generating Spore preview again. I never thought I'd be writing one.%Gallery-15883%
Joystiq Impressions: Spore (Mobile)
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Hands_on_with_Spore_Creatures_Mobile'; Update: EA let us know that only the DS game will be called "Spore Creatures." The mobile version keeps the simple "Spore" handle.Spore Creatures for mobile phones is launching with the rest of the Spores on September 7. I figured that this Spore had no chance of infecting me. But after recently playing, I was impressed and surprised by its quality. The graphics -- and even its concept -- would be at home on a DS or Game Boy.Like Spore on the DS, the mobile version of the game doesn't even try include everything from the PC version. Spore for phones centers on the Cell Phase of the game. You use the phone's joystick to steer the creature through a slurry of suspended protein and other early life forms, eating objects and avoiding enemies.But like the other versions of Spore, you'll regularly use a creature editor to upgrade the character. While the body part choices are also scaled down, there's enough variety to make the creature your own. Certain parts, like a dangling lure, affect how other organisms behave. That lure attracts food to you, for example. Or you could add a shell for personal defense; hit a button, and hide inside for temporary invulnerability.%Gallery-15904%
A peek into Will Wright's office
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Will_Wright_s_office_It_s_not_a_bug_it_s_a_feature'; While wandering through EA's Maxis office for a recent Spore demo or two (or three), we snapped a few pictures of building art and Will Wright's office. (We've grown unexpectedly fascinated with people's desks.) "It's not a bug, it's a feature" never gets old. And it's a veritable game of spot-the-technology-that-shouldn't-be-here inside Wright's workspace. Well, "shouldn't" for game developers who aren't trying to launch the SimEverything genre. Somehow, we think Wright needs everything in the photo.%Gallery-15885% Check out all our extensive coverage of Will Wright's Spore!
Joystiq impressions: Spore Creatures (DS)
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Hands_on_with_Spore_on_DS'; Like many other multi-platform games, Spore DS Spore Creatures is being developed outside of EA's Maxis office. Foundation 9 -- formerly the Amaze Entertainment studio -- is handling the game. (Maxis says it's doing the "design" internally, for what that's worth.) Spore's immense scope is being cut to fit the DS screen; instead of five different phases, the DS game is more of an adventure story centering on creature creation, exploration, and evolution.After hearing this scope -- "You know... for kids." -- I almost wrote it off outright. After seeing the game, I think it's going to appeal heavily to that young demographic, but it's also going to snag a lot of The Sims fans.%Gallery-15886%
Today's most retrospective video: Spore's GDC 2005 unveiling
Although you might be feeling a Spore overload as of late, we thought it'd be fun to take a moment and look back at Spore from GDC 2005, three years ago, and see how the game looked then. After the break, footage from the unveiling. We've also embedded The Powers of Ten, a 1977 short film documentary that reportedly inspired Will Wright to make the game.
Spore is coming to the Mac on September 7th
Spore; the very word is enough to make certain gamers giddy with delight. Spore, for those not in the know, is the latest project of Will Wright, creator of the Sims. Much like the Sims, Spore is a sort of life simulation game, only this time you start off as a little micro-organism floating in primordial ooze, and you control you own evolution as you create a civilization that eventually launches itself into space to colonize other planets.Spore has been many years in the making, and today it was announced that you will be able to play Spore on your Mac starting on September 7th, 2008. At this time system requirements are not known.
Don't you Spore-get about Wii
If you've been checking some of your favorite game sites, there's a good chance you've already heard about Spore's September release date. Wii owners were kicked to the curb and left out in the cold after the announcement, though, which made no mention of the game's presence on Nintendo's newest home console.We may not have a date, but thanks to N'Gai Croal, Wii owners have some tiny morsel details to nibble on. The good news is that these details make the Wii version sound like the most immersive of any, and not just because of the Wiimote. Okay, it's totally because of the Wiimote.In a Newsweek interview with Will Wright, the Spore creator talks about the benefits of putting the game on the Wii. Apparently, Nintendo's system has a higher bandwith controller than the other consoles (and computers). Because of that, the creatures have the potential for an infinite number of animations. Wright also said that he has spent a lot of time working on even the most subtle aspects of the Wiimote controls, which makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It's nice when the Wii's controller is used to its full potential, and not just as a gimmick.Hopefully the Wii version will be as good as it sounds -- we'd hate to wait an extra long time, only to be disappointed. No pressure there, Mr. Wright ... no pressure at all.
Spore gets dated for September as DS details emerge
Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit. It seems that Spore has finally been given a release date (or at least, the DS, PC, Mac, and mobile phone versions were). The much anticipated game will be gracing our favorite dual-screened portable on September 7th. Yes, that's quite a long way away, but it's better than the "possibly 2009, but who really knows?" window we had before.We're wondering, though -- how many of you potential Spore buyers plan to get Will Wright's game for the DS? While there's been a lot of hype for the game, it's usually not on the handheld front. The lack of excitement might be slightly justified, however. Obviously, the DS and mobile phone games are going to suffer some cutbacks when compared to their computer counterparts.According to a Newsweek interview with Lucy Bradshaw, the vice president of Maxis and executive producer of Spore, the DS version will be called Spore Creatures and will focus mainly on creature creation. The title will also have a different, Japanese-based art style, and features "unique abilities" for the creatures in the game. The Wi-Fi will be similar to that of the PC and Mac titles, however, and allow players to trade or share their creations with friends.While the game might not be as deep as the computer ones, it still appears to be pretty epic, so having the option to carry it around at all times might be a good thing.Hey, and it beats getting the mobile phone version, amirite?[Via Joystiq]
DS version of Spore titled 'Spore Creatures' [update]
Update: EA has clarified that the DS version will be called Spore Creatures, while the mobile game will retain the original title -- just Spore.Though it may share half a name with the "everything but the kitchen sink, but also, probably, a kitchen sink" sim Spore, you've probably already guessed that the DS and mobile versions of the game are going to be drastically different than its big brother. In an interview with Newsweek released today, Maxis' Lucy Bradshaw, gave some idea of what would be shed to get the game onto handhelds.In short, the game's been designed from the ground up for the smaller platforms, eschewing all but the creature creation portion of the game. It's even adapted a different art style based on Japanese flat rod puppets (one of our top three favorite kinds of Japanese puppets). The mobile phone version pulls the zoom in even tighter, focusing only on the cell phase of Spore. If you want more info about how you'll be getting your Spore fix on the go, check the full interview here. Check out all our extensive coverage of Will Wright's Spore!
Will Wright talks Spore on Wii, delays, procedural music
We know that after years of delays, whatever part of your heart cares about Spore has calcified and hardened. But now that it's actually, really, no kidding coming out on Sept. 7, it's probably OK to start getting pumped again, and Newsweek's N'Gai Croal is there for you to help turn your heartlight back on.In the first part of a massive interview, Will Wright lays it all on the table and reminds you how great the game is going to be (spoiler alert: very) and why it took so long to get here. Then Wright delves into the Wii version of the game, which he says will take advantage of the Wiimote to give more control over creatures. Also in that second part, an incredibly rad explanation about how you'll be able to procedurally generate a theme song for the city in your game. ... What's the feeling stirring in our hearts? Could it be ... anticipation? Do we dare to love again? Yes. We dare.%Gallery-15870% Check out all our extensive coverage of Will Wright's Spore!
Spore finally evolves to retail Sept 7, 2008
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Spore_release_date_announced_3'; Spore, the sim-everything simulator, finally got its amino acids together today and plopped out a release date of September 7, 2008. Looks like EA's boss was right that the long-in-production sim would reach retail "before the holidays" on the PC, Mac, Nintendo DS, and mobile phone platforms. Maxis' main man Will Wright said, "We're in our final stages of testing and polish with Spore, and the team at Maxis can't wait to see the cosmos of content created by the community later this year." That makes, well ... just about all of us.Spore countdown is: 207 days, 12 hours, 47 minutes and 35 seconds.%Gallery-15870%Read – Spore movie announcementRead – Spore text announcement[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Games that could be MMOs: Spore
Ever since I saw Spore being shown at Macworld this year, I've been thinking about how our characters progress, and likening it to evolution. The more you fight, the more you grow -- in levels, anyway. Here, however, death doesn't cut off your genetic line, but neither do you get to pass yours on. And while it's cool to watch your character gain abilities, hit points, new gear, etc., what if there were an MMO that let you actually evolve?Take Spore as our example: start life as a single-celled organism. Eat and avoid being eaten long enough, and you level up to the next step: evolving into something better adapted to the environment, so you can survive better, longer. Keep on growing until you've begun making tools. Organize a community. Explore the world, and eventually, space itself, and new worlds. This is what Spore promises, but currently it's a single-player game, with the only interaction with other players arising when spaceflight is achieved. But what if Spore started out as an MMO?
EA boss confident Spore to debut 'before the holidays'
Speaking during an EA conference call, EA CEO John Riccitiello (who's a poet, though he may not know it) told an audience of hungrily-eying analysts that their long-time-coming sim-everything, Spore, wouldn't be making a fiscal 08 release (which we already knew, of course). So the question is, will it make a calendar year 2008 release, or be pushed back to 2009 (but still within EA's 2009 fiscal year)? Riccitiello wasn't about to give us a specific date (a blogger can hope, no?) but Gamasutra pegged him as "confident" and quoted him saying it would be released "before the holidays." We're hoping he means the "holidays" that happen in, say ... December and not, say ... April Fool's Day.
Analyst: Spore 'likely' delayed until later in '08; EA guidance incorrect
Before Electronic Arts lays down its third quarter earnings in a couple days, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey believes it "likely" that Spore will move from the guidance EA gave of a March/April release to the second half of '08. This also is corroborated by reports earlier this month when Spore was announced for simultaneous release on Mac and PC.But what's another Spore delay at this point? We were a bit surprised (and skeptical) when Will Wright said Spore was six months from release last October. Maybe Hickey is totally wrong and Wright will pull a six-legged exoskeletoned gelatinopod from his hat?
EA promises Spore for Mac later this year
The eagerly awaited game Spore from Will Wright (of Simcity and Sims fame) is coming to the Mac later this year. CNET broke the news earlier in the day, and EA confirmed it in a press release later. Like the releases promised (but not delivered) last year, the Mac version of Spore will rely on TransGaming's Cider technology and is set to be released simultaneously with the PC version. Nonetheless, they're hoping to do better this time and even Wright himself expressed confidence, saying: "We couldn't be happier to bring Spore to the Mac at the same time as the PC version. Spore is a highly creative game and I look forward to seeing what the players come up with to fill the universe they design."Here's hoping that Wright's right, because Spore has been looking like the hotness itself for quite some time now. Thanks David!
Spore coming to Mac, simultaneous release with PC this year
Spore will launch simultaneously on Mac and PC later this year, reports Cnet. An official announcement from EA is expected today out of MacWorld where EA will apparently preview the everything-sim on – you guessed it – Macs. As with EA's previous PC-to-Mac titles, TransGaming technology will handle the conversion process. Spore is expected to be one of several EA games targeted for simultaneous release this year."[We] think the Macintosh user is somebody who is, typically, a creative individual," said EA Maxis VP of marketing Patrick Buechner, "Part of the appeal of the Mac is that it allows you to do creative things very easily. And we think that lines up very closely with what you can do with Spore ... So it just feels like a natural place for Spore to be, and we're thinking about it up front rather than as an afterthought."
TheStreet.com rattles off the big games of '08
Though we're still shaking off the gaming haze of 2007, aught-eight is under way and waiting for no man. Just when it seems like nothing could top last year's surfeit of incredible games, along comes a feature by TheStreet.com, covering 2008's biggest known releases and reminding us that we're not out of the water yet. Considering their Wall Street pedigree, it shouldn't be surprising that they concentrate mostly on the major public companies and their biggest '08 releases. First up is Take-Two and Grand Theft Auto IV, the obvious frontrunner in terms of sales for '08. Next is EA's Spore, which presents a slightly more muddled outlooks; without a franchise name to build off of, and a nebulous release date, analysts aren't sure where to put it. THQ's been hurting a bit lately, so analysts are hopeful that Saint's Row 2 (expected in '08) along with licensed games (y'know, for kids) will help pull them out of their funk. Oh, and there's some Wii Fit thing which is supposed to make "Nintendo" a bunch of cash. Or something. The last two titles on their list are PS3 exclusives: Metal Gear Solid 4 they say "will be a bigger deal for Sony than for Konami" while LittleBigPlanet could "revive Sony's fortunes in the video games industry." What other big titles should we be looking out for in '08? [Via GamePolitics]
Creator of Harvest Moon interested in making a game like Spore
Is anyone else interested in some sort of Spore meets Harvest Moon hybrid? If you are, the future might very well be a rosy place, indeed, because Harvest Moon creator Yasuhiro Wada dreams of making a game similar to Will Wright's creation sim. He recently told Gamasutra, "Eventually, I'd like to make something like Spore, where you create something, and from there, new stuff is going to be created again and again and again ... But you want to be one of the people living in the city, and to be a part of this growing too."Wada also said that King's Story (which was his concept) was originally supposed to be more like Spore than what it turned into. We like how King's Story is shaping up, so we're not really bothered that it deviated from its original idea, but it still would be nice to see Wada's true vision ultimately realized. Hopefully we'll one day see this Spore-like game that he wishes to make.
