E3: Spore Coverage at GameSpy

Like all major gaming sites GameSpy too has covered Spore extensively. Not only with a three page preview and a bunch of screenshots, but also by a breakfast chat with Will Wright, the designer of Spore. Just like IGN and GameSpot they also have a video of the presentation online.

In the preview GameSpy looks back at the past year, and then the creature editor takes its turn. They quote Will saying "We [Maxis] want people to be able to create in a couple of minutes what Pixar takes weeks to create." The hands-on session with the creature editor gives GameSpy the impression that it's indeed very easy and fun to create a creature, no matter how strange.

They also cover the gameplay itself, about the DNA points you have to earn using eating and mating, and after that protecting the eggs. As soon as the eggs were ready to hatch, clicking on them takes you to the creature editor again where you can determine the next phase of your creature's evolution, using the DNA points you've earned so far. After playing with a flock of baby creatures, it's time to make them more civilised.

Next is the UFO stage, where you're off to explore new worlds. The UFO allows you to pick up creatures or to throw them around - into orbit if you throw just hard enough. When visiting other planets, you can communicate with aliens either using diplomacy, or just shooting them off the planet. There will be millions of planets to explore in the game, too many to play in a lifetime, and GameSpy calls these claims tall making it hard to determine how much fun the game will actually be. But so far the creature editor made a good impression. Read the complete preview for more details about the game.

In the breakfast interview, Wright talks about the game a little more. He says they're aiming for a 2007 release date, and that this E3 has been the last E3 the game will be showed on. It'll probably be released April or May in the next year, although EA is telling the team to make the game as good as possible, or "not to screw up." Spore is also coming out on all platforms, including mobile phones, although it'll be out on just PC at first. Currently there's a team of 70 people working on the game, compared to other games these days a fairly small number. Most of the artwork and modelling will be done by players in the end. It'll be virtually impossible to create two exactly identical creatures - a close imitation is the best that can be done. Furthermore Will answers questions regarding other game designers, the PS3, and his face on the cover of Wired magazine. All the details are in the full interview.

Written at 21:16 2006n Saturday, 13 May 2006 by ChEeTaH

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