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{{future|day=5|month=9|year=2008}}
{{future|month=11|year=2008}}
{{Header Nav|game=Spore|num=0}}
{{Header Nav|game=Spore|num=0}}
{{Infobox
{{Infobox
|title=Spore
|title=Spore
|developer=[[Maxis]]
|developer=[[Maxis]]
|publisher=[[Electronic Arts]]
|publisher=[[Electronic Arts]],[[Games for Windows]]
|designer=Will Wright
|genre=[[Simulation]]
|genre=[[Simulation]]
|systems=[[Windows NT]]
|systems=[[Windows]], [[Mac OS X]], [[DS]], [[Wii]], [[Mobile]]
|released=[[2008]]
|released={{eu|2008|September 5}}{{us|2008|September 7}}
|players=1 (Massively single-player)
|players=1 (Massively single-player)
|ratings={{ESRB|RP}}
|ratings={{ESRB|RP}}{{sys|ds}}{{ESRB|E}}
}}
}}


'''Spore''' is a simulation computer game designed by Will Wright that is currently in development by Maxis to be published by EA Games. Wright has a history of designing innovative, successful games like The Sims and SimCity, and Spore appears likely to continue that trend. It is remarkable both for the innovative technology of the game design, as well as the expansive range of sci-fi game play.
'''''Spore''''' is a multi-platform god game under development by Maxis and designed by Will Wright that allows a player to control the evolution of a species from its beginnings as a multicellular organism, through development as a sapient and social land-walking creature, to levels of interstellar exploration as a spacefaring culture. The game has drawn wide attention for its massive scope, and its use of [open-ended gameplay and procedural generation.


Spore is, at first glance, an evolution game: the player molds and guides a creature across many generations of evolution, until it becomes intelligent, at which point, the scope of the game expands to encompass a broader range of social evolution. This is achieved by first giving the player control over a lone creature (designed by the player him/herself) until the creature begins a tribe of his own, at which point a tribal real-time strategy aspect is incorporated into the game by war with other tribes. The player then begins molding and guiding his creature's society into a space-faring civilization, where the player and his creatures begin to colonize other planets and eventually control a galactic empire.
The game is due to be released on September 5 2008 in Europe and September 7 2008 in North America.
 
{{Continue Nav}}
== Development ==
 
''Spore'' was originally a working title, suggested by developer Ocean Quigley, for the game which was first referred to by the general public as ''Sim Everything''. Even though ''Sim Everything'' was a first choice name for Wright, the title ''Spore'' stuck. Wright added it also freed him from the preconceptions another ''Sim'' title would have brought, saying "...Not putting 'Sim' in front of it was very refreshing to me. It feels like it wants to be breaking out into a completely different thing than what Sim was."
 
''[[Civilization IV]]'' lead designer Soren Johnson joined EA Maxis on April 2, 2007 to work on ''Spore''.
 
=== Platforms ===
 
Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X versions of the full ''Spore'' game have been confirmed as being in active development. Other platforms have been discussed, but have not been confirmed.
 
== Procedural generation ==
 
''Spore'' extensively uses procedural generation, rather than individual objects. Wright mentioned in an interview given at E3 2006 that the information necessary to generate an entire creature would be only a couple of kilobytes, according to Wright, who presented the following analogy: "think of it as sharing the DNA template of a creature while the game, like a womb, builds the 'phenotypes' of the animal, which represent a few megabytes of texturing, animation, etc."
 
== Music ==
 
The music for the game is being designed by Brian Eno, an artist famous for his work with ambient music.
 
== Awards and acknowledgments ==
 
At E3 2005, the game won the following Game Critics Awards: Best of Show, Best Original Game, Best PC Game, and Best Simulation Game. At E3 2006, ''Spore'' was awarded the following Game Critics Awards: Best PC Game, Best Original Game, and Best Simulation.
 
On October 8, 2006 the game, its development, and its developer were featured in an article by Steven Berlin Johnson in the Sunday ''New York Times'' magazine, titled "The Long Zoom."
 
==Spinoffs==
Two spinoffs of ''Spore'' are also being released for handheld consoles, which are to be released on the same day as the main version, for the [[Nintendo DS]] and mobile phones, which includes the [[iPhone]]. Each spinoff focuses on a single phase of gameplay, and, unlike the full game, features direct online multiplayer.
 
===Spore Creatures===
The Nintendo DS spinoff is titled '''''Spore Creatures''''', focusing on the Creature phase. The game will be a 2D story-based roleplaying game as the gamer plays a creature kidnapped by a UFO and forced to survive in a strange world, with elements of ''[[Nintendogs]]''.
 
===Spore Mobile===
 
The mobile phone/iPhone spinoff of ''Spore'', as with the Nintendo DS version, will focus on a single phase of gameplay; in this case, the tide pool phase. The simplified game will allow players to try to survive as a multicellular organism in a tide pool, similar to ''flOw''. The iPhone version takes advantage of the device's touch capabilities and 3-axis accelerometer.
 
===Unnamed Wii Spinoff===
A Wii spinoff of the game has been mentioned by Will Wright several times, such as in his October 26 2007 interview with the Guardian. Buechner confirmed it, revealing that plans for a Wii spinoff were underway, and that the game would be built from the ground up and would take advantage of the Wii remote, stating, "We're not porting it over. You know, we're still so early in design and prototyping that I don't know where we're going to end up, so I don't want to lead you down one path. But suffice to say that it's being developed with the Wii controls and technology in mind."
 
== Expanded universe ==
EA has plans to expand ''Spore's'' features even further. There are plans for the creation of a type of ''Spore'' collectible card game based on the creatures, buildings, vehicles, and planets that have been created by the players. There are also indications of plans for the creation of customized creature figurines; some of those who designed their own creatures at E3 2006 later received 3D printed models of the creatures they created.


Maxis currently has approximately 70 developers working on Spore, most earning six-figure salaries. It will take an estimated US$30 million to develop the game.


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{{ToC}}
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==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.sporewiki.com SporeWiki]
*[http://www.sporewiki.com SporeWiki]
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Revision as of 01:30, 8 March 2008

Template:Future

Template:Infobox

Spore is a multi-platform god game under development by Maxis and designed by Will Wright that allows a player to control the evolution of a species from its beginnings as a multicellular organism, through development as a sapient and social land-walking creature, to levels of interstellar exploration as a spacefaring culture. The game has drawn wide attention for its massive scope, and its use of [open-ended gameplay and procedural generation.

The game is due to be released on September 5 2008 in Europe and September 7 2008 in North America.

Template:Continue Nav

Development

Spore was originally a working title, suggested by developer Ocean Quigley, for the game which was first referred to by the general public as Sim Everything. Even though Sim Everything was a first choice name for Wright, the title Spore stuck. Wright added it also freed him from the preconceptions another Sim title would have brought, saying "...Not putting 'Sim' in front of it was very refreshing to me. It feels like it wants to be breaking out into a completely different thing than what Sim was."

Civilization IV lead designer Soren Johnson joined EA Maxis on April 2, 2007 to work on Spore.

Platforms

Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X versions of the full Spore game have been confirmed as being in active development. Other platforms have been discussed, but have not been confirmed.

Procedural generation

Spore extensively uses procedural generation, rather than individual objects. Wright mentioned in an interview given at E3 2006 that the information necessary to generate an entire creature would be only a couple of kilobytes, according to Wright, who presented the following analogy: "think of it as sharing the DNA template of a creature while the game, like a womb, builds the 'phenotypes' of the animal, which represent a few megabytes of texturing, animation, etc."

Music

The music for the game is being designed by Brian Eno, an artist famous for his work with ambient music.

Awards and acknowledgments

At E3 2005, the game won the following Game Critics Awards: Best of Show, Best Original Game, Best PC Game, and Best Simulation Game. At E3 2006, Spore was awarded the following Game Critics Awards: Best PC Game, Best Original Game, and Best Simulation.

On October 8, 2006 the game, its development, and its developer were featured in an article by Steven Berlin Johnson in the Sunday New York Times magazine, titled "The Long Zoom."

Spinoffs

Two spinoffs of Spore are also being released for handheld consoles, which are to be released on the same day as the main version, for the Nintendo DS and mobile phones, which includes the iPhone. Each spinoff focuses on a single phase of gameplay, and, unlike the full game, features direct online multiplayer.

Spore Creatures

The Nintendo DS spinoff is titled Spore Creatures, focusing on the Creature phase. The game will be a 2D story-based roleplaying game as the gamer plays a creature kidnapped by a UFO and forced to survive in a strange world, with elements of Nintendogs.

Spore Mobile

The mobile phone/iPhone spinoff of Spore, as with the Nintendo DS version, will focus on a single phase of gameplay; in this case, the tide pool phase. The simplified game will allow players to try to survive as a multicellular organism in a tide pool, similar to flOw. The iPhone version takes advantage of the device's touch capabilities and 3-axis accelerometer.

Unnamed Wii Spinoff

A Wii spinoff of the game has been mentioned by Will Wright several times, such as in his October 26 2007 interview with the Guardian. Buechner confirmed it, revealing that plans for a Wii spinoff were underway, and that the game would be built from the ground up and would take advantage of the Wii remote, stating, "We're not porting it over. You know, we're still so early in design and prototyping that I don't know where we're going to end up, so I don't want to lead you down one path. But suffice to say that it's being developed with the Wii controls and technology in mind."

Expanded universe

EA has plans to expand Spore's features even further. There are plans for the creation of a type of Spore collectible card game based on the creatures, buildings, vehicles, and planets that have been created by the players. There are also indications of plans for the creation of customized creature figurines; some of those who designed their own creatures at E3 2006 later received 3D printed models of the creatures they created.


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External links