| Inside Spore |
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| Games - Computer Games |
| Written by Odette Barnes |
| Tuesday, 16 September 2008 13:13 |
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Spore is the new genre-bending computer game from developer Maxis and designer Will Wright, of The Sims fame. The game takes players on a trip through the evolution of creatures from their single-cell beginnings to their rise as advanced space explorers. Described as a 'massively single-player online game', Spore is an intriguing open-ended game sure to keep many Wright fans happy.
Spore is the new genre-bending computer game from developer Maxis and designer Will Wright, of The Sims fame. The game takes players on a trip through the evolution of creatures from their single-cell beginnings to their rise as advanced space explorers. Described as a 'massively single-player online game', Spore is an intriguing open-ended game sure to keep many Wright fans happy. The game itself follows the growth and evolution of creatures as they progress through five phases: cell, creature, tribal, civilization, and space. The actual gameplay varies from phase to phase, as each has its own set of objectives and stages to complete. Maxis and Wright have obviously put a lot of effort into making the game malleable. Editors litter the game throughout the different phases, allowing players to create and customize various aspects of the game. One editor, for instance, gives players the opportunity to make a creature from scratch; while another lets players fully design their own planet. These editors make it easy for players to personalize their own game; and plans are already underway to add more, such as a flora editor. From this customization comes community. Spore players are encouraged to upload and share their creations with the Spore community. Players can view and download other players' creations to their own game. Once in the space phase, for instance, players can visit friends' planets and interact with their creatures. Maxis has even included an in-game page called 'My Sporepage', which gives up-to-date stats on how any of a player's downloaded creatures are faring in another player's universe. To make uploading your Spore experience even easier, Maxis has made it possible to record videos and upload them to YouTube all while playing the game. There is even a YouTube Spore community that will spotlight new and interesting videos uploaded by players. Maxis even allows players to subscribe to RSS feeds of others' online accounts, making it easy to obtain real-time updates on another players' uploaded content. Another channel of uploadable information is through the in-game Sporepedia. This nifty feature keeps a log of virtually every in-game experience. These entries can be uploaded to the online Sporepedia for others to view. Spore is certainly a revolution in online gaming. Although it lacks true 'multiplayer' gameplay, Spore has created an astonishingly intriguing game model that allows for heavy interaction with other players while maintaining a strictly 'single-player' game. The different phases of the game let players experience vastly different models of gameplay, which helps buoy the game's replayability factor. And because players are encouraged to upload and interact with the Spore community, the game has a better chance of staying fresh for players. The game is a treat for the senses and will only become better as the Spore community inevitably grows and, with it, the amount of downloadable content. The game's success will surely be measured by the participation in the online community, but if these initial first weeks have been any indication, the game will most likely become a popular mainstay. About the Author: Top provider of onsite laptoprepair services in the Denver area, Nerds Next Door is here to help. If you need professional pc repair services in the Denver area |