Expansions/DLC, a demo (lack thereof), copy protection and heaps more
Spore's executive producer Lucy Bradshaw (pictured above) had a live chat on Eurogamer yesterday with gamers about Will Wright's shortly coming (September 7) project, and it didn't dissapoint.
Firstly, though the game is quite large at present, there will be additional content:
"When we started Spore, we were thinking about how we'd make an engine that had the possibility of expansion, so yes, we'll add to the experience. I think, however, we have a very cool opportunity to take Spore in a few different directions too. The editors are so cool and fun, that we want to advance those as well as the gameplay that we put into the core game."
The "flora editor" looks to be one of these additons in the future, so there's that to look forward to!
On a demo, in short: no. They're not planning one; the Creature Creator (and some videos) is all you get, though really, that's plenty, ain't it?
Copy protection - this will be implemented, and is something they feel is required:
"We do have copy protection, it is a necessary part of our biz, but we've worked to make it something that does not punish the legit owners. You need to authenticate once at the first install. This happens online. You can install on three separate computers and you do need to register for the online features."
I'm going to have to disagree with Bradshaw on this one (with it being necessary and with this not punishing owners), but with a face like that, it's hard to stay mad. In either case, I like that they're being open and speaking directly to the gamers about it.
Tons more details, mainly focusing on the features of the game are available for your perusal via the source: easter eggs, cheats, aesthetics, Spore the Musical, day/night cycles, etc. For anyone pumped for Spore, it's essential Saturday reading.
I don't know about you but I know for a fact my diablo 2 has been installed on more than 3 computers (some people may not go through computers too quickly) and maybe more in the future if i ever get bored? I guess spore wont have much playability concerning old games when it gets old. Although this may not bother some people as they may only want to play through it once and then be done with it.
In my opinion, the DS one looks to be awful, since it's only going to have a downgraded version of the creature stage with poor graphics, but it'll still cost the same ammount of money because pc games are a fair price, unlike console games unfortunately. (I like zero puncuation too, oni hero!)
Spore looks to be a great game, especially since you wont get annoyed by the same song over and over again like you did in the sims! haha!