Spore

By Oli Welsh Published 13 February, 2008

And on the seventh day, User created content.

"Will really wanted to make a single-player MMO." With this blunt and baffling statement, producer Thomas Vu sums up the last, most remarkable thing of the many remarkable things about Spore. This is an entirely solo, yet massively multiplayer experience. At no point in Spore do you compete or co-operate with other players. But you're in their company - or that of their creations, at any rate - every step of the way, and it's a profoundly social game.

This is exactly the sort of twisted, contradictory, inside-out idea you'd expect from Will Wright, the man who is at once gaming's foremost nerd and, as creator of The Sims, one of its greatest populists. The basis of the idea is "pollination", the process by which Spore - provided you connect it to the Internet - populates the universe of your game with the creations of other players.

In the beginning...

For those who haven't been following it since it was announced three years ago - only seven more months to go! - Spore is a game of evolution in five stages. The first, Cell, is a top-down arcade game of eat-or-be-eaten, starring a single-cell organism of your devising. The second, Creature, is a 3D game of adapt-and-survive, as your beast gains legs and crawls onto land. The third, Tribe, is basic action-RTS as a band of creatures learns to work together, and the fourth, Civilisation, is all about strategic social engineering, town-building, warmongering and species supremacy. The fifth, Space, is a game of exploration and transcendence, as the scope of the game explodes into a universe of planets and species to discover, mould and conquer. You can jump into any of the five stages at any point, and start mucking around.

'Spore' Screenshot 1

Cell phase. Shouldn't have called him four-eyes.

At every stage, the player creates things: cells, creatures, buildings, vehicles, spacecraft, using simple building blocks and powerful, supple, easy-to-use editors. Spore works out how they work and animates them, and their properties - carnivore or social creature, arms factory or church - dictate the shape of your game.

Every other Spore player is doing the same, and through pollination, their creations are spread throughout your world, and vice versa. "We thought of doing pollination from the outset," says Vu. "Because we allow players to make whatever they want, we totally want them to share it." And as it turns out, automatic pollination is just the simplest way to share.

I upload, therefore I am

Maxis is so confident about how much fun people will have creating, showing off, and collecting the creations of others, that it's building a sophisticated content-sharing and social-networking system around Spore that puts it head-to-head with Sony's lovely LittleBigPlanet in a bid to be the MyFaceTube of gaming. The hub of this is the Sporepedia, a Spore browser available both within the game and on Spore.com. It allows you to assemble and publish your creations in themed sets (or Sporecasts) - one example is a group of creatures modelled on letters of the alphabet, another a selection of cars and buildings in an art deco style - comment on and download other players' creations, select specific sets to dump into your game, or set the rules by which it selects them automatically. Among other things. The possibilities are head-spinning.

'Spore' Screenshot 2

Creature phase. Bigmouth strikes again.

"We found that with games that are built around community, say World of Warcraft or The Sims, the website is integral in terms of building gamer support," says Vu, before announcing an open attack on office productivity. "If you're at work you're not really playing the game, but you can log on to the website and comment on other people's creatures, start assembling your content, and then when you get home you can start playing with it."

Maxis is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to allowing players seed Spore into every area of their life, from offering gamertag-style profiles and RSS feeds on your in-game achievements, to a straightforward video-capture option to make that YouTube upload of your freakish beasts in action a matter of a couple of clicks. There will even be a Spore Store - the button's already in the game - where you might be able to buy t-shirts starring your favourite monster, or even a bespoke figurine of it. This is no less than a bid for world domination - which, considering the none-more-epic arc of the game, is kind of appropriate.

The whole world in his hand

As with all good plans for world domination, it has several fronts, and a next phase. Spore proper, on PC and Mac, will release at the same time as DS and mobile phone offshoots. The mobile game is a Snake-like arcade game based on the Cell phase, while the DS game is a story-driven RPG twist on the Creature phase in the Pokémon manner. There's a full creation tool for its sweet, 'Paper Spore'-style 2D beings, and you can swap them with other players too.

Although Spore is, theoretically, a game without end - there's a conclusion to its arc, but no limit to what you can see and do in the Space phase, and an endless well of user-created content for it - Maxis certainly imagines expanding it in future, with new tools, parts and playing styles. "There's going to be a segment that wants to play more Spore," says Vu. "There's also going to be another segment, the creators, they just want to create things, so they're going to want more editors and more parts in the editors. There's going to be another set of players that want to grab things that have been made and use it in other different ways that aren't a part of the game or the creation process. We have way too many ideas."

He doesn't even rule out an eventual multiplayer mode: "I wouldn't put it past the studio to put something online, because it's very relevant. The RTS portions can definitely be played as an online game. But there's nothing in the plans."

Touching creation

So that's the big picture. But what's the little one? The one of you, sat at your monitor, playing Spore? Are you actually having fun?

'Spore' Screenshot 3

Civilisation phase. Arms races aren't just about how many limbs you can fit on.

As Ellie already mentioned, the game is practically impossible to get a satisfactory feel for in a brief preview session. What we can tell you is that we spent more of our hands-on time in the editors than the game itself, and that's no kind of insult. It's hard to express how compelling and entertaining it is to tease and sculpt some adorably freakish life-form into shape and cycle through its animations; how miraculous it is to see it set down in the game and act. On a more mundane (but no less important) note, the user interface is exemplary, clear and flexible and consistent at all times.

There are limits to your imagination - a budget that restricts how many limbs you can stick onto your poor little Frankenstein - but as Vu says, limitations are the mother of invention. "We realise that giving players whatever they want is nice and fun, but it won't hold their attention in the long run. What we've seen is, when we gave them an unlimited budget, they just made porcupines. Creatures with everything on them. But we put on a budget, we started to see much more interesting and creative ideas come out of people."

Whether created by Maxis, its testers, or a games journalist in ten minutes, not one creature in Spore fails to delight, amuse and amaze. Although necessarily less magical, the buildings and vehicles have a potent character, too. No matter how customised, the whole game has an inescapably Sporish look to it - and its bulbous, cartoony lines won't be to all tastes - but that's better than the hideous mishmash that would be born of total aesthetic freedom.

'Spore' Screenshot 4

The DS version looks like a cross between Paper Mario and Wind Waker, i.e. Good enough to eat.

It's the depth of the game phases themselves that you have to question. There's a steady accumulation of complexity and stuff to do, from a single control - click to eat! - to an array of terraforming tools. But most phases seem a little aimless, without clearly defined goals or structure: you feel that progress happens by default rather than your own doing.

Grand design

Perhaps, though, it's a mistake to judge Spore by the standards of other games. It was never intended to be a deep tactical challenge; it is, above all else, a playpen. And it's becoming apparent that it's a playpen of mind-boggling size, containing every single player, and everything they've made. Sophisticated play mechanics might almost be a distraction from its true selling point: a toy universe of infinite variety, and infinite scope.

"It's the story of evolution, of powers of ten," says Vu. "It's the story of starting off really small and ending up really large. And the content creation makes it continuously surprising, you're continuously exploring, wondering if evolution is something that's replicated on other worlds, what would it be?" Spore isn't just one answer to that question, it's - potentially - millions. Now that really is massive.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (53) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • 3william56 #1 4 years ago

    "Mould and conquer"

    Ah, so spreading culture, eh?

    I like the concept, but it sounds more and more like something you'd have to dedicate your life to playing, whereas LBP looks much simpler and bite sized. We'll see.
    Edited by 1 at 13/02/08 @ 08:12

  • Metalfish #2 4 years ago

    I was hoping the massive scope would dissuade the tirade of expansion packs that so tarnished the name of the Sims, but there's a hint here that EA aren't going to give up so easily.

  • TheDifficult3rdAlbum #3 4 years ago

    Its funny how EA get slated for yearly updates of Madden etc all the time but never get credit for backing something adventurous, new and risky like this.

    /smokes pipe
    /strokes beard

  • speedofthepuma #4 4 years ago

    But EA likely backed this because they recongised the cash-cow that is sims with a twist, probably missing the innovation whilst they burnt orhpanages or something.

    /cynically adjusts monocle

  • bdc #5 4 years ago

    Oi, victorian era was over a century ago

  • cnlfailure #6 4 years ago

    Ever considered that Sims expansion packs, while being profitable, are released because Sims gamers actually want them?

    /sips brandy

  • QPRHOOPS81 #7 4 years ago

    i concur

    /sips meths

  • Tejstar #8 4 years ago

    I thought this was going to be poor, but in fact it's probably one of my most anticipated titles of 2008 now. The online content sharing sounds superb.

  • hulahoops #9 4 years ago

    It's almost as if they want to make a reliable profit and stay afloat in a notoriously volatile industry.

    /sips orange juice
    Edited by 1 at 13/02/08 @ 09:06

  • Wolfman #10 4 years ago

    I think in terms of a social content creation game LBP is much more to my taste and looks much more fun in terms of actual gameplay as well.

    -wolfman

  • kafka7 #11 4 years ago

    I'm telling you, single player MMOs are the future. There's a gaping hole in the MMO market for people who want to play alongside other real people without competing or co-operating. Every MMO up to now has tacitly forced you to do those things (e.g. WOW, Eve), as though there was some moral prerogative involved, like some compulsory corporate bonding exercise. Go SPMMO!

  • FaceOmeter #12 4 years ago

    Also the Sims has music by Mark Mothersbaugh I just discovered, which makes me very happy

    /sips creme de menthe
    /twirls pocket-watch

  • CordableTuna #13 4 years ago

    I predict the Time to Cock will be measured in seconds.

  • convercide #14 4 years ago

    I personally think dear chaps that the big company known as EA are trying to shed their 'annual rehash' image.

    /smokes opium

  • UncleLou #15 4 years ago

    Having lost interest in the last couple of years (I think they announced this game way too soon), the article has done a lot to rekindle it. Whether it's a game that'll keep me busy for weeks or months I don't know, but there's no way I am not going to try it.

  • pauleyc #16 4 years ago

    This game has the potential to become an all-time classic just like the Civilization series. Providing it won't get crushed by the weight of its own hype.
    Edited by 1 at 13/02/08 @ 10:15

  • FWB #17 4 years ago

    Sounds great. I just hope there is a game behind all this user driven content.

  • Moz #18 4 years ago

    *Reads artcle*

    ...

    *Watches 2008, 2009, 2010 trickle by in a Spore/LBP/Warhammer online induced stuper*

    I really want to play these games Plus many other shorter traditional games but am I going to have the time for them all??

    And are we all going to start developing a compulstion to re-arrange every day objects, or managers going to walk into the office in the morning to find staff jumping and climbing desks that's they've arrange into a real life user created platform level?

  • DrR0b3rts #19 4 years ago

    I was put off this when that despicable music hall star Mr Robin Williams got involved in the promotion.

    /Colonises India

  • Saladin #20 4 years ago

    I smell the stench of endless Sims-like expansion packs.

  • kenbrilliant #21 4 years ago

    CordableTuna makes a good point - presumably this is going to be a game aimed at all ages (judging by the demographic for The Sims). How are parents going to feel if their child's game is set world is populated by giant phalluses and creatures that spell out "flange cannon"

    /eats sausage roll

  • Plaz #22 4 years ago

    An interesting article but I wonder about games like this and possibly even more so LBP, demanding a certain level of creativity from the user in order for them to get the most out of the game. I wouldn't say all gamers are, or even want to be creative.

    /adjusts waistcoat

  • monkie_king #23 4 years ago

    FaceOmeter: he gets about, doesn't he? Love his stuff on the Royal Tenenbaums soundtrack.

  • Moz #24 4 years ago

    "An interesting article but I wonder about games like this and possibly even more so LBP, demanding a certain level of creativity from the user in order for them to get the most out of the game. I wouldn't say all gamers are, or even want to be creative. "

    As far as spore goes there's bound to be random generater or pre-built creatures, or as mentioned there is the option to use other peoples creation.

    As for little big planet the game will have a selection of levels to play and once you complete them you can download the levels other people have made and just use the creation tools to customise your character.

    Whilst different people will get different experiences out of both games I don't see that anyone will be missing out as such.

  • penhalion #25 4 years ago

    An interesting concept that requires far too much time and effort to reap it's rewards.

    / Straightens chopy of "The illustrated Times"
    / Taps ash from cigar

    @cnlfailure

    Pass the Brandy. There's a good chap!

  • Stoatboy #26 4 years ago

    There's a big old interview with Will Wright here: [link url=http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/level up/archive/2008/02/12/exclusive-will-wright-on-why-spore-is- taking-so-long-and-much-more-part-i.aspx
    ]http://bl og.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/a...[/link]

    Well worth a read, lots of interesting stuff in there.

    /swigs laudanum
    /thrashes small Phillipino serving boy

  • jachap #27 4 years ago

    I can't help but think it'll end up being slightly dull.

    /invents the concentration camp

  • MightyMouse #28 4 years ago

    It still looks really good to my mind, though I think the success of it will depend on how well the individual stages play, and it worries me slightly that how they play always gets mentioned as an afterthought.

    /stokes fire
    /pats dachshund

  • FWB #29 4 years ago

    it worries me slightly that how they play always gets mentioned as an afterthought.

    Exactly. It seems this game is all about designing stuff. That's cool but I really want the meat to be a strategy game. I have a slight worry that that's not going to happen
    Edited by 1 at 13/02/08 @ 12:41

  • Krelle #30 4 years ago

    Fast forward..


    /sips gin n' juice - with my eight arms

    There is no chance at all ill be able to fit this into my "so called life". Pity..

  • T4RG4 #31 4 years ago

    I suspect this game is already a no purchase for me... it seems to have elements of many other games watered down to fit into the premise of building a race from the ground up. That alone is surely going to mean you are pushing to reach the 'next stage' because the current one isn't holding your attention? I'd hate to make the bloody thing, let alone test it :D

    Edited by 1 at 13/02/08 @ 12:49

  • w00t #32 4 years ago

    HURRY UP!

    I remember telling myself not to get too excited about this back in 2006 - I was right to wait until now :)

    /opens gentleman's magazine

    /admires ankles

  • Azazel #33 4 years ago

    I feel the sudden urge to read Star Maker.

  • absolutezero #34 4 years ago

    I remember the first few videos and images of Spore creatures had buzz-saws for hands, compound eyes and scythe legs.

    Look at them now. Fucking googly-eyed, Rare rejects.

    Sooooooooooooooooo CUTE. ^_^

  • paul_haine #35 4 years ago

    I would like to congratulate everyone so far on all the Victorian Gentlemen lines in this comment thread.

    /takes a pinch of snuff

  • Ludwig #36 4 years ago

    And I feel a sudden urge to stroll down to the Crystal Palace and see what all the fuss is about. wtf?

  • Stoatboy #37 4 years ago

    @Azazel

    Awesome book, that! I found it bloody heavy going at times, but was so glad I stuck with it. Immense stuff.

    /waxes moustache
    /stalks London back alleys knife in hand, looking for prostitutes to murder

  • WillTheSecond #38 4 years ago

    Looks like a great game, should be getting a new high-spec laptop by the time this comes out, so this and the Orange Box and Mass Effect will be the essentials for then. I'm particularly impressed by the way the game moves seamlessly between stages and between single/multiplayer. Very much looking forward to this, but I'll keep my eyes peeled for the Wii one.

    /runs naked through Brighton
    Edited by 1 at 13/02/08 @ 15:57

  • bushwod #39 4 years ago

    "MyFaceTube"

    :-) That did make me chuckle.

    But what would the logo look like?
    [link url=http ://www.flickr.com/photos/bushwod/2262469133/
    ]http://ww w.flickr.com/photos/bushwod/226...[/link]

  • Wyrm #40 4 years ago

    EA's worst aspect is the 'don't patch it, release an expansion' attitude.

  • CouldntResist #41 4 years ago

    Why is there so much hype over this game when noone actually knows what the gameplay is like?

  • Stoatboy #42 4 years ago

    re: "Why is there so much hype over this game when noone actually knows what the gameplay is like?"

    Um, let's see - how about potential?

    I guess some people look at the stars and see the untapped potential of countless galaxies potentially bristling with lifeforms of their own, all strange and unique and wonderful. Other people see some dots. Go figure.

    /gets off high horse
    /puts on wife's underwear
    Edited by 1 at 13/02/08 @ 22:49

  • CouldntResist #43 4 years ago

    @Stoatboy

    Wow. From one sentence you managed to work out my entire outlook on life. Well done.

  • Stoatboy #44 4 years ago

    @Couldntresist

    Nope. You asked why the hype? I offered a potential answer.

    Potential! Crikey. Where have I seen that word before?

    /swigs more laudanum
    /orders a fresh batch to be on the safe side

  • CouldntResist #45 4 years ago

    Yes, you offered a potential answer .

    You then proceeded to infer that the reason i did not see your point of view was because i lack imagination.

    "I guess some people look at the stars and see the untapped potential of countless galaxies potentially bristling with lifeforms of their own, all strange and unique and wonderful. Other people see some dots. Go figure."

    Perhaps you should try refraining from making dismissive attacks on people's characters simply because they disagree with you.

  • UncleLou #46 4 years ago

    Because it sounds quite original. Because it's a Will Wright game. Because even if we don't know what exactly the gameplay will be like, it's obvious that the concept is pretty neat.

    Now that was pretty easy.

  • CouldntResist #47 4 years ago

    "Because it sounds quite original. Because it's a Will Wright game. Because even if we don't know what exactly the gameplay will be like, it's obvious that the concept is pretty neat."

    Not good enough for me unfortunately. There's always so much potential flying around in the gaming industry but very little of it is actually realised. My main doubts about this game:

    a) The design features - do your design choices actually make meaningful impacts on how you play the game? We've had no tangible gaming evidence of this so far.
    b) The different "stages" - how will they tie together? Best case scenario is that everything simply flows. Decisions made at cellular stage will have major impact on the course of the following stages. Again, no gameplay evidence so far.
    c) The actual gameplay - will it actually be fun to play?
    d) AI. How is the AI going to cope with the huge scope in how creatures can be designed. Will it employ different strategies based on how a creature is built?

    Until i someone actually sits down with the game and experiments for a couple of hours i won't be convinced.
    Edited by 1 at 14/02/08 @ 00:14

  • Stoatboy #48 4 years ago

    "Yes, you offered a potential answer .

    You then proceeded to infer that the reason i did not see your point of view was because i lack imagination."

    Give me a reason to believe otherwise, other than unfounded fucking cynicism. One of the things I loved about this thread was the fact that it was hopeful and optimistic and devoid of fanboy fucking retards, and then you turn up with a fucking pessimism bomb and seemingly try to kill the thread.

    "Perhaps you should try refraining from making dismissive attacks on people's characters simply because they disagree with you."

    I never attacked anyone. I suggested a way of thinking that might explain certain behaviours. If you think they applied to you I'd suggest you fell into the group I was trying to describe.

  • CouldntResist #49 4 years ago

    "fucking cynicism", "fanboy fucking retards", "fucking pessimism bomb", "seemingly try to kill the thread".

    Why are you getting so worked up? As far as i can see i made some pretty valid points. If the above aren't personal attacks i don't know what is.

  • UncleLou #50 4 years ago

    Until i someone actually sits down with the game and experiments for a couple of hours i won't be convinced.

    I don't think anyone is "convinced".I for one am glad that a game that has a few new ideas can generate some hype, as opposed to just sequel 7 of a well-established series. It's just a game, I don't need "evidence" of any kind to look forward to it.

  • CouldntResist #51 4 years ago

    "I don't think anyone is "convinced".I for one am glad that a game that has a few new ideas can generate some hype, as opposed to just sequel 7 of a well-established series. It's just a game, I don't need "evidence" of any kind to look forward to it."

    Fair enough. Thing is i've become pretty immune to hype over the years. Ever since Peter Molyneaux in fact.

  • UncleLou #52 4 years ago

    Well, it sounds like you take it a bit more serious than me maybe - personally I love looking forward to a game and feeling some hype. But then I think I am comparatively good at having realistic expectations at the same time, so it's very, very rare that a game disappoints me because it was overhyped. Do I think Spore will be the best thing ever? Hardly - I am even quite sceptical, but that's not mutually exclusive to really looking forward to it at the same time, and find out if it's good or not.
    Edited by 2 at 14/02/08 @ 15:31

  • TSYNDMonkfish #53 4 years ago

    Spore sounds very good, but I worry that some of the stages might be more fun than others, and that you have to grind through some parts to get to more fun bits.

    Still, looks very different to the norm and well worth a look.

    /Uses a machine gun on Natives armed with spears.
    /Toadies up to Sir Harry Flashman