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Smile UK Store - Spore (Mac/PC DVD)
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List Price: £39.99
Our Price: £29.98
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Manufacturer: Electronic Arts
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Manufacturer Maximum Age: 18
Binding: Video Game
Brand: Electronic Arts
EAN: 5030930057060
Label: Electronic Arts
Manufacturer: Electronic Arts
Manufacturer Minimum Age: 132
Platform: Windows XP
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: 2008-09-05
Studio: Electronic Arts
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Editorial Reviews:
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From the creator of The Sims comes the most ambitious video game ever made: here you don’t just control a single family or city but control an entire species from a single cell organism to a galactic conqueror. As impossibly complex as that might sound, the most impressive thing about Spore is just how accessible and fun it all is. The game is split into six evolutionary phases, starting with almost action-style gameplay at the microscopic level. From there you move to the creature phase on dry land, before going on to the tribal phase and the beginnings of society and technology. From there it’s onto the city phase, which plays a bit like SimCity, and from there to the Civilisation phase which plays something like, you guessed it, Civilization. The final phase takes part in outer space where by hook or by crock your species must reign triumphant. Each phase has its own editing tools associated with it for things like vehicles and buildings. By far the most fun though is the creature tool, which allows you to create your own fully animated lifeform from scratch using a huge range of limbs, facial features and colourings. What’s also interesting is that the other planets in the galaxy aren’t all pre-populated by the game. Instead, by connecting online you can upload your races, and download those from other people, to fill the galaxy with civilizations from other players around the world. Any one of the six phases would normally be enough for any one game on its own, but this looks like it’s going to turn out to be the world’s first everything simulator.
HARRISON DENT
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Good (Amazon), Bad (EA), Ugly (Maxis)
Comment: I must say that I was taken aback by the comments on the forum and thought that perhaps the issues with the protection were exaggerated and it was just a 'flame war' but having bought the game I have to say I am also hugely disappointed. Kudos to Amazon though for not trying to close all discussion - better that Amazon protect its' reputation rather than attempt to save EA/Maxis. But to be honest even thought I was furious when I found out (only after buying the game) that it had such an invasive protection I can't see myself playing the game more than once or twice anyway. The games themselves are so simplistic that there are some superb freeware games that I would recommend way before suggesting that anyone buy this. The cell stage in particular is like an 80s speccy concept game with 32 bit graphics and the space stage has no depth at all - heck Imperium on the Atari ST had more space depth and exploration to it. I just feel that this is perhaps the pinnacle of hype over reality and of corporate politics over customer care. I can't imagine this game or EA's pitching of it is going to do their company any favours - I for one will be really, really careful in selecting EA games in future and will simply have to assume that EA's invasive protection will be installed on all games from now on. But on a more personal level - of to play Mass Effect instead. Kudos for Amazon though - they should come out of this smelling of roses for allowing free discussion.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointed
Comment: So hyped and so promising sounding. The game isn't actually all that bad but doesn't live up to the hype.
The DRM/SecuRom issue is awful though. Google for Spore and SecuRom for more info. I hope the Class Action lawsuit served on EA (the game's publisher) succeeds.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I will never buy this game
Comment: I followed the development of spore for years and was truly intrigued and excited by its promise. Sadly I will never experience the game play as I WILL NOT buy a game that installs additional software onto your Pc and is potentially a security risk and resource leech.
It also has a limited number of installs which is ridiculous. Imagine buying a CD that you could only listen to a certain number of times.
As a matter of principle I refuse to buy this game.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I will not buy this while it vandalises my computer
Comment: Sorry, EA. I was really looking forward to this game. I don't normally play games, but I wanted Spore. No, really. And then it launches, and it comes with DRM that vandalises my computer, and I find that I have to buy more copies just so the rest of my family can play?
No. I will think about it when you realise that it's my computer, and my money, and they both do what I say, not what you think.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Bucket of Sand
Comment: As an avid fan of open-ended sandbox type games, I had high hopes for Spore.
Of course, these days games are hyped like premium hollywood movies, but through interviews, gameplay videos, and in-depth presentations, we'd been led to expect a deep immersive experience, big on the science, whilst remaining quirky and fun - something which I'd still be playing a year from now.
What we got was a series of shallow, largely unconnected minigames, pre-school in both visual style and complexity. Not so much a sandbox, as a child's bucket and spade. As you can run through the entire evolution in an evening of play, longer term the game is essentially a very basic space conquest sim, with fancy character creation. The draw to replay earlier stages is low, as each stage caps your creature advancement very quickly, and there is little-to-nothing to do once capped (no diplomacy/trade in tribal/civ stages for example).
Disappointing game, and as others have commented, wrapped in some pretty draconion DRM software. Which would be fine, if the pirates didn't always scrape it off within a week, leaving us, the paying customers, being the only ones who have to put up with it. I bought the game (more fool me), I have a receipt - can I have my PC back now please?
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