Spore

[Mediocre]

Title: Spore
Box Art: Unavailable
Genre: Real-Time Strategy/God Game
ERSB Rating: Unknown (Unlikely to be above T)
Platform: PC
Developer: Maxis
Publisher: Unknown (Probably EA)
MSRP: Unknown (Probably $50)

This game was rather big at E3, but you may not have heard of it. It's the brainchild of Will Wright, the man behind The Sims, the SimCity series, and all the other Sim games you can thing of, from SimAnt to SimEarth.

Thank the lord, this game is nothing like the Sims.

Basically, you create a creature and its world from the ground up. It starts out as a small aquatic animal, and you gradually evolve it. You can give it a tail, six legs, hands, and claws. Or you can have it stay aquatic and give it flippers, fins and gills. Eventually, you evolve it into a creature capable of intelligent thought. You help it build tools and houses. Then, it will build villages, towns and cities. Congratulations, you've created a civilization. You can't relax yet, though. Your creatures have created other civilizations too, and you'll have to conquer them. Whether you do this militarily, diplomatically or economically is up to you. Eventually, you're the boss of the whole planet.

The planet, meanwhile, isn't standing still. Actually, it's got its own ecosystem, complete with creatures to fill every evolutionary niche, whether it be predators, prey or whatever your creatures eat for dinner. These creatures aren't standardized, either. They're taken from a huge database made by other players. See, when you create a creature it's automatically uploaded onto the internet. Same for everybody else who's playing the game. So, that little mouse-like creature who carries a plague into your city? That's somebody's creation.

That doesn't mean you'll be playing with other people though. This isn't pure MMO, but it's not single-player either. You won't be able to ruin other people's games, even if you want to.

Back to your creatures. So, you're in control of the planet, eh? What about that other lovely planet next to your sun? Build a spaceship and take it over, of course! There might be intelligent life on the planet; then you might have some trouble moving in. If there's life but no civilization, start one of your own. If there's no life, however, you're going to have to terraform the planet if you want to use it. Keep doing this until you've taken over enough of your solar system to satisfy you, and then keep moving out. If you want to conquer a galaxy, this game's for you.

Windows XP
2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
512 MB RAM
A 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
At least 6 GB of hard drive space

Windows Vista
2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
768 MB RAM
A 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
At least 6 GB of hard drive space

Mac OS X
Mac OS X 10.5.3 Leopard or higher
Intel Core Duo Processor
1024 MB RAM
ATI X1600 or NVidia 7300 GT with 128 MB of Video RAM, or Intel Integrated GMA X3100
At least 4.7GB of hard drive space for installation, plus additional space for creations.

The official site warns that the Mac disk space requirements for Spore are subject to change. It also has a fairly exhaustive list of supported video cards for both camps.

Screenshots (don't expect much graphics-wise):

I hope you're not afraid of spiders:
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/616/616788/spore-20050518092212928.jpg

Plenty of space, right?
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/616/616788/spore-20050518092202882.jpg

What a quaint little village!
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/616/616788/spore-20050518092204398.jpg

Not so quaint.
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/616/616788/spore-20050518092205663.jpg

You've still got some evolving to do.
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/616/616788/spore-20050518092207054.jpg

I'm excited.

 

[Crimson King]

I could choke you, ****it.

When is this game coming out, I WANT IT NOW!!

 

[Bahful]

Sounds interesting. Kind of a Black & White meets Civilization meets EVO.

 

[Metroid Killer]

Crazy... just crazy...

It looks very promising and original, but I hope that it'll be a solid game and not just like Black & White that claimed its fame because it was unique(and not very fun imo).

 

[Mediocre]

Wow, a grand total of three people are interested.

I could choke you, ****it.

That wouldn't make either of us very happy.

And I don't know why you want to choke me, either.

When is this game coming out, I WANT IT NOW!!

I don't remember, but I remember thinking it was a long ways away. You can check IGN for the release date if you're any less lazy than I am.

Sounds interesting. Kind of a Black & White meets Civilization meets EVO.

Never played any of those other than Civ. CivII, that is. I didn't really like III, for whatever reason.

 

[soberfox]

Wow this reminds me alot of the old game EVO...

but it still looks awesome. I am interested to see how it turns out.

Oh yeah one more thing...I also really like the concept of how this game isn't purely an MMO game, but uses some of the elements of one pretty creatively. Nice stuff.

 

[Kryian]

I'm interested in the game concept, but I doubt it will be pulled off in the way Wright intends.

Assuming it's even close to how it's described, I'd buy it for $20.

 

[Crimson King]

Black and White was supposed to be SO much more. You were supposed to be able to pick an animal(or human) in the land and make it your creature, but that was scrapped.

I was joking Mediocre, I was saying that because you showed me a game that isn't going to be released soon that looks really good. Lighten up.

 

[Steel Kangaroo]

Wow, this game looks really cool and fun, almost relaxing too. I really really need to know when this is coming out...great find Mediocre

 

[McFox]

Pretty cool-looking. Sounds awesome on paper (screen), so I guess we'll have to wait and see how it turns out in practice.

 

[Mediocre]

I was joking Mediocre, I was saying that because you showed me a game that isn't going to be released soon that looks really good. Lighten up.

Actually, I was joking too.

I guess dry humor is a little too hard to detect on the internet.

I really really need to know when this is coming out...great find Mediocre

It's Q4 2006.

I knew it was a long time.

 

[McFox]

Something I've been wondering, do you have control over things like color as well? I didn't see that addressed anywhere in the 35-minute preview I saw.

Here's hoping for a release date at E3.

I've been thinking of so many species I could make, from the Animorphs series especially. I'll have to make them. The Andalites, the Pemalites, and the Leerans come to mind as species that could be awesome creations. ESPECIALLY the Hork-Bajir, and less-so the Taxxons.

The crazy thing is, from what I've seen, it will be entirely plausible to make ALL of these completely different lifeforms in the game.

Also, can you create more than one species per game? After you advance to your UFO stage, can you start over at the Pac-Man stage in that game, or do you have to start a new game?

So many questions left unanswered! E3 can't get here soon enough!!!

 

[Osco316]

So I watched the 35 minute video and this game looks amazing. Two things interest me the most:

1. Being able to go from the cellular level to intergalactic travel (the main point of the game)
2. Being able to import (or having the game import) creatures/buildings/vehicles from other people. I believe Will Wright's term was "Massive Single Player (Soloplayer?) Online Gaming" which sums it up nicely.

This is pretty much a must-buy for me now.

 

[Mic_128]

I've been thinking of so many species I could make, from the Animorphs series especially. I'll have to make them. The Andalites, the Pemalites, and the Leerans come to mind as species that could be awesome creations. ESPECIALLY the Hork-Bajir, and less-so the Taxxons.

Well I know I was going to make Andalites too, didn't occur to me to do the others too.

 

[Cyphus]

i've heard about this for some months now. I've been eagerly expecting it. I bought a nice computer, and yet to get into a online game. May this be my first. The trailer i saw long ago was prolly 45 minutes or so, and really showed alot. I'm deffinatley going to be addicted.

 

[Crimson King]

Watch the 60 minute uncut video. You find alot more out. Like he plays with the terraforming more and discusses it better.

I want to try to make a human race to have fun with.

I think we will get some big info on this if not a release date.

 

[Zero Beat]

Watch the 60 minute uncut video. You find alot more out. Like he plays with the terraforming more and discusses it better.

I want to try to make a human race to have fun with.

I think we will get some big info on this if not a release date.

I saw it a couple of months ago, it's completely insane in detail. The part where you use the flying Saucer is freaking awesome. Invading planets, making them your own unique place, this game is simply made of Holy Win.

 

[Blazey]

In the Wikipedia article for this game, it says that Will Wright has "express interest" in the Wii, and it could possibly be ported over to that. Seeing as I'm not in a financial position to pimp my computer out so much that it's capable to play this game, that's very good news for me. Probably for most people.

 

[MeleeMan]

Well IGN is showing Spore for PC, DS, and PSP. Apparently it was hinted that this game might be coming to a handheld system. Nothing has been confirmed yet though.

Just like soberfox said, I immediately thought of EVO when I saw the video for this game. E3 can't come fast enough.

 

[McFox]

There is some kind of advertisement that they're looking for programmers who can port the game to a portable system. That version won't be released anytime around the PC version, because the ad went up only recently.

 

[Crimson King]

Wright actually wants it to be on ALL consoles, because he wants it to be accessible to all.

As McWii (grrr) said, I wouldn't count on those ports any time soon.

 

[MeleeMan]

Yeah, but there's no way my computer could run it, so that's good news to me. Even if it won't be coming soon, I'm glad that I'll be able to play it at all.

 

[beckhamisaqueer]

Sounds amazing.

However, it doesn't seem to really be breaking all graphical barriers. I'm saying this as a positive in hope that I won't need a decked-out computer to play it.

Anyone have any idea on system requirements?

 

[Zink]

Um, can someone post a link to the 60 minute video? I only saw the 35 min one.
EDIT: nvm I think I found it. It wasn't on Google Vid before. Sorry.

 

[kirbyultimate]

I've been thinking of so many species I could make, from the Animorphs series especially. I'll have to make them. The Andalites, the Pemalites, and the Leerans come to mind as species that could be awesome creations. ESPECIALLY the Hork-Bajir, and less-so the Taxxons.

Glad I wasn't the only one that read Animorphs. Heh.

I was thinking a mixture of the Andalites and Hork-Bajir, personally. Maybe incorporate the Howlers too, somehow (with the full 360-degree waist). I might scrap the centaur model, but leave the Andalite tail (best part about an Andalite) and the stalk eyes (second best part of an Andalite). Get the Hork-Bajir blades on every orifice and a Howler waist with the Howler claws. Bam, my creature is done.

 

[Zero Beat]

Sounds amazing.

However, it doesn't seem to really be breaking all graphical barriers. I'm saying this as a positive in hope that I won't need a decked-out computer to play it.

Anyone have any idea on system requirements?

You better have a lot of RAM if you're gonna run the game via PC.

 

[Zink]

Y'know you could try making something completely orginal >_>

 

[McFox]

This image confirms that you can edit the colors as well.

I assumed you could, but I hadn't seen anything about color yet. And color is an important part of species production.

 

[Crimson King]

Zink, the song referenced in your sig is not "Major Tom to Ground Control" but "Space Oddity" by David Bowie. Change that soon!

Anyway, I think the fact that people can create EVERYTHING with their characters, that people will have more than enough fun with that.

 

[kaid]

I wouldn't say ANYTHING.... I'd really like it if it could handle fur effects, but there was nothing like that shown anywhere.

 

[Crimson King]

Fur is cosmetic. I meant structurally.

I saw that bird think with all the beaks. There is a VERY small limit to what you can't create.

New Unposted Spore Vid

 

[Zink]

As for the fur he said they were working on a procedural texture maker for surfaces.

 

[kaid]

That would be sweet... (sorry about the one line post)

 

[FunkMaster]

i just checked out the video of it.
wow. it looks huge.
it didn't really interest me before, but then i saw the video thingee.

 

[rounder_nk]

it seems like a multi-faceted game changing from straight melee to RTS.

 

[ender]

I saw the info on this on the G4 special thing with will wright and it looks awesome. Tomorow I will watch some of those videos, but the things they actually did with it real time looks so cool

 

[Crimson King]

The newer E3 Vid

Graphically this game looks alot like the level of Black and White 2. So you made need a new PC after all.

 

[Nite]

I'd have to say that this was one of the best looking games that I saw at E3 so far. It looks great and there are so many possibilities of how your creations could be that it just looks so **** fun. I want to get this when it comes out, but I have a sorry PC. I want to get a new one and a wifi connection, but I need a job.

 

[McFox]

Wow.

This video is f***ing hilarious. Just watch it, regardless of whether you're interested in this game or not.

 

[Nite]

The video is pretty cool. I already love this game, I haven't even played it yet, but this looks awesome. I love how you can be so creative and how the other creatures can come into your little planet and you can either adopt them or just start blowing s**t up. That is too cool. It looks like you can make a lot of cool stuff, just a lot of people like to make nasty, farfetched monsters that look crazy.