Spore Destined to Be a Complete Flop?
Electronic Arts (EA) is the leading developer and publisher of some of the most popular games. EA has an impressive track record of releasing hit after hit with 27 titles that have sold over 1 million units. They company has a history of great franchises like the Madden NFL series, The Sims, and Need for Speed. Their streak may now be slowing down. It seems the giant has hit a snag with the recent release of its highly anticipated Spore game. Complaints are rolling in from consumers and Spore fans are beyond disappointed.
All Hype
For those that don't know, Spore is a game that tracks a world of creatures and the evolution of these creatures. The amount of hype that Spore has amassed is astounding. With a great story line and a ton of publicity, expectations are riding high. EA expects to sell over 2 million copies of Spore before the end of the year. To give users a taste of where things were headed, EA released SporeCreator. This could be viewed as a prequel for Spore. It allowed those who were impatiently waiting for Spore's debut to tinker with one of the game's main focuses: creating creatures. SporeCreator turned out to be a huge hit. Creator Will Wright only expected to get about 100,000 creations or so, yet over 2 million creatures have been created to-date. With such a successful beginning EA was seemed to have a guaranteed hit on their hands.
Bad Ratings, Worse Issues
Will Wright hoped that Spore would "change the way people look at games forever and change hopefully the perception people have of their own creativity." Yet this doesn't seem to be happening if recent reviews are any indication. Currently on Amazon, Spore has a rating of one and a half stars based on the reviews of over 500 people. Taking a closer look at these reviews explains that the biggest problem with Spore is that it isn't evolutionary in any way.
From a technical standpoint, a lot of fans have issues with EA's DRM system in Spore. The system requires users to activate the game over the internet with a limit of 3 activations. Any more than that and you'll have to call EA for help. The problem with this method is that EA requires proof of purchase of the Spore game in order to give you another activation code. This doesn't seem very evolutionary to us in any way. Microsoft anyone?
As for playing the game, we feel we hit the nail on the head when we stated that Spore is a "hugely ambitious follow up to The Sims game series." It was ambitious and a great try. However, we didn't find anything very appealing about the gameplay. Sure we can watch our creatures grow, but you can also do that with The Sims but with people instead of creatures. The graphics and visual effects may have been the closest EA came to "evolutionary" with Spore. Overall, the game itself suffers from being too simple Sims like. Spore is a serious lackluster.
What Needs to Change
There's a lot about Spore that needs to change. First off, DRM has to go. That's so old school EA. We understand you want your product to sell and not be pirated. However when issues such as the one in Europe pop-up, you need to rethink your strategy. Scrap the DRM.
Lastly, the game-play needs to change. Everything was going great with Spore creature creation tools. However interacting within the game is a drab. There isn't a challenge in Spore and it's far from evolutionary. Don't sand-box us. Give us something to work for. In the end, we feel Spore appeals to those who liked the Sims. It's too easy, too repetitive, and not complex enough for the rest of the world.
ShareRelated Entries
2 TrackBacks
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.readwriteweb.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/4853
Comments
Subscribe to comments for this post OR Subscribe to comments for all ReadWriteWeb posts
I downloaded this from a torrent site and deleted it in about 5 minutes. what a bunch of crap.
I can't help but feel that citing the Amazon rating as a proper indication of popular reception of Spore is a terrible idea, considering how many of those ratings are from people who gave it 1/5 because they don't like Securom rather than because they genuinely dislike the game. There's certainly a mixed reaction to Spore (one that's quite clearly also being influenced by the current tension between fans of casual and "hardcore" games), but calling it a flop is absolutely ridiculous.
I disagree with labeling Spore "a complete flop" based on DRM issues alone. If it is that big a problem, the publisher will notice and will either provide a patch for people to defeat the DRM, or re-release the game with weaker copy protection.
As for the game itself, it looks really quite innovative and cool. At PAX, I sat in on a demonstration of several of the game modes and it really got me excited about the game, where previous information that filtered out to the internets didn't do much for me.
If SPORE only appealed to people who liked the Sims, it'd be a huge hit. The Sims was a top selling game for something like 2 years.
Posted by: Mark Trapp
|
September 8, 2008 12:59 PM
I really don't think a lot of people have a desire to be constantly creative, especially without a significant challenge to the game. I love the SimCity games (hated Sim Societies), but I think I'll pass on Spore.
Perhaps this will be more about a technical achievement than a consumer satisfaction achievement.
In that same respect it's a complete flop. Why start all over when you can just carry on with the Sims. If I have Guitar Hero, I won't be buying Rock Band too. They're basically the same game. I'll be paying the extra money for nothing.
Posted by: Corvida
|
September 8, 2008 1:05 PM
Then how do you explain the success of the Sims 2?
Posted by: Mark Trapp
|
September 8, 2008 1:06 PM
It's an expansion pack of the original game and essentially came out with better graphics and more interactions for the game. Spore isn't bringing anything jaw dropping to the table like EA did with The Sims 2 compared to The Sims.
Posted by: Corvida
|
September 8, 2008 1:10 PM
Commented on RWW
Posted by: Phil Glockner
|
September 8, 2008 1:12 PM
I don't think sims2 was jaw dropping compared to sims1. I do think spore has a lot more STUFF.
Posted by: Michael J Cohen
|
September 8, 2008 1:12 PM
I know tons of people who own both Guitar Hero and Rock Band... I'm one of them
Posted by: Stefan Hayden
|
September 8, 2008 1:14 PM
It won't be a complete flop but it'll be nowhere near the success of the Sims/Sims2. I'm looking forward to the potential storytelling of this game. There are some very impressive creatures/buildings/vehicles created so far.
Posted by: Rodfather
|
September 8, 2008 1:14 PM
Hardcore gamers are just pissed off when they are not catered too. they are so whiny. I used to be a hardcore gamer and then I got old and ran out of free time.
Posted by: Stefan Hayden
|
September 8, 2008 1:15 PM
@Corvida GH = Rock Band. Spore is not Sims.
Posted by: timepilot
|
September 8, 2008 1:16 PM
The Sims 2 was a complete makeover of The Sims! Better graphics and a higher level of interaction with your Sims against other things. Spore does this too, but as I stated it's nothing new. The only difference is what you're interacting with.
Posted by: Corvida
|
September 8, 2008 1:16 PM
Wow, I don't agree with your reasoning here Corvida.. Rock Band is absolutely not the same as Guitar Hero. For one thing, it has drums. Drums rule! If I had to choose, though, I would choose Rock Band over GH. Also, Spore is nothing like the Sims in terms of gameplay. Spore is more like SimEarth (which actually was a flop..)
Posted by: Phil Glockner
|
September 8, 2008 1:16 PM
@Phil agreed
Posted by: timepilot
|
September 8, 2008 1:18 PM
Spoke with a friend at EA and he feels it is going to be strong in certain markets. I'm not interested in it, but I know other will be!
Posted by: Michael Fidler
|
September 8, 2008 1:19 PM
Phil,
We're not labeling it as a possible flop based on DRM issues alone. We're labeling it as a possible flop because the gameplay is stifling and not as innovative as we thought it would be. To some of us, it's a repeat of the Sims 2 just with creatures. Yet, the interactive level with the game is low and it gets pretty boring very easily.
The reviews on Amazon explain it all.
To clarify my comparison of Guitar Hero to Rock Band, the concept is essentially the same. You use different tools (RB - more instruments, Spore - creatures), but the basic concept is ultimately the same. Based on user interaction, Spore is the closest you'll get to The Sims.
Posted by: Corvida
|
September 8, 2008 1:27 PM
I think it's quite inspired... a very rewarding game too, one that makes it fun and compelling to play, rather than just suffer through successive defeats
Posted by: Nathan Chase
|
September 8, 2008 1:31 PM
Nathan what makes it compelling to play for you?
Posted by: Corvida
|
September 8, 2008 1:33 PM
Agree with Nathan.. The different stages all feel very different and keeps the user pretty busy and interested. It gets progressively more complicated as it goes, but compared to the Sims way of "Here, do fifteen million things at once" it's quite nice.
Posted by: Haggis (Sean)
|
September 8, 2008 1:34 PM
Corvida - I'll give you the similarity between Rock Band and Guitar Hero, if simply because Harmonix came up with the original interface to both. But I refuse to accept that Spore's gameplay is essentially the same as the Sims, but on a different sociological scale. In Spore, there at least 4 distinct stages of evolution that require a different mix of tactics and strategy to master. From my (limited) experience of Sims, it was all about micro-managing your person.
Posted by: Phil Glockner
|
September 8, 2008 1:36 PM
Haggis: that's my impression, too. It's entertaining and comparatively epic feeling without the micromanagement and tediousness of SimCity. I can play an hour or so of it and feel like I made progress. Definitely an enjoyable experience for me.
Posted by: Mark Trapp
|
September 8, 2008 1:36 PM
Uh, no. Yes, I will own Spore. And I own both Rock Band and GH. Although GH sucks monkey balls for lefties, as I discovered far too late. Will probably play regularly until my RB disk is replaced and then hand it over to the kids.
Posted by: Cyndy
|
September 8, 2008 1:49 PM
@Cyndy Lefties FTW. We will rule the world...someday..
Posted by: Shey
|
September 8, 2008 2:01 PM
Your own personal problems with the game aside, the rating on Amazon is a direct result of hundreds of users conspiring to rate it with one star without playing the game. Even if it is a bad game, it is impossible to tell from such reviews. The game currently has more reviews than Mario Kart Wii on Amazon, but it's obviously not sold nearly as many copies, a direct result of the review massaging. I understand that they are trying to make a point about the DRM, but it is annoying for those who know about the DRM and would like a review of the actual game (any such reviews are instantly voted down by the mob, so it's difficult to find them).
There's clearly some sort of mass-organized campaign to complain about the DRM on Amazon. Citing this as an example of why the game will fail seems absurd.
The game is full crap . From graphics to gameplay and shitty music . I can't believe , its good i just downloaded it , i feel bad for the guys who bought it . Its short , easy , no challenges , simple , for small kids .... Gamespot.com gave it 8 , what a crappy review :X
We need real games , something to suck you in , to feel like you are inside the world , otherwise there is no point . Every year great promises and always total let down . I am still waiting for Sci-fi adventure action for PC is that hard to make something NICE?!
As of Spore its not even close to Sims , the game is just ... plain ?
I love, love love Sims 2 - I can fire it up and design a pretty house from all the custom downloads I've gotten and it's relaxing. I don't really 'play' the characters. Although downloading House or Angelena Jolie skins is kinda goofy fun. Spore isn't as compelling to me building wise as you're building the outside only - sure, you can morph pieces somewhat and skin different color/texture but there's no 'gotcha' It gets progressively harder level to level - I hit space and if you're not careful, you piss off a neighbor and get blasted. You only get one ship at first and they have bunches, argh. IMHO
Posted by: Cheryl Allin
|
September 8, 2008 4:43 PM
My first impression was Spore was a tribute to PC gaming. Besides the microbial stage which resembled 'Flow' for the PS3, all the others resemble genre's that keep PC gaming alive. Creature stage ~= WoW/mmorpg's, Tribal ~= RTS, Civilization ~= Civ, Space/Galactic ~= EVE/Elite/Sins of a Solar Empire. I'm a bit disappointed that transitioning between stages isn't seemless. They all seem like separate games.
Posted by: Rodfather
|
September 8, 2008 5:42 PM
It reminds me a bit of an Apple II game that I played a long time ago...Can't remember what it was called...might have been Evolution...used "Jeremiah was a bullfrog" for the music at one point, without words of course since it was all computer generated with the little built in speaker.
Posted by: AlexScoble(Robert'sBro)
|
September 8, 2008 5:47 PM
Spore is a great game, and now is already available for the iPhone too. If you want know more follow this link:http://applediario.com/2008/09/08/spore-origins-disponible-para-el-iphone-ya/
The crux of the game lies in the space stage.
Play more noob.
Spore is clearly something that is dieing for a good interaction designer to take on.
The amazon reviews are clearly mostly a reaction to DRM and I don't think reflects the real review of the game.
I'm pretty sure that lackluster (in the third to last paragraph) is not a noun.
I refused to buy this due to the DRM and it being made by EA who fuck up everything. But i did want to play it so i simply torrented it and im so thankful i did not pay for this garbage!! Its so boring and simple, no fun at all... im very dissapointed that will wright couldnt have done better.
I feel sorry for the people who spent cash on this trash, i know better though EA ruined C&C then simcity and theyve ruined other franchises that i didnt follow but i heard about, screw EA.
I consider myself a hardcore gamer and I view spore as a game with 5 parts. 1 main and extensive part and 4 mini games. The fact that the reviewer and others are making sims references seems to me to indicate that they only reached the creature phase of the game and gave up.
The first two phases of the game are sim like, yet as a person to hates the sims I found them different enough not to be put off. Once you reach the tribe phase things change and the game is no longer a sim like game.
The reviwer seem more like a person with an axe to grind then someone interested in actually reviewing the game.
Cell phase - This reminds me of the first generation acarde games like pac man. Its short and sweet allowing players play around them move on. It sets up the foundation of your game in the further levels via consequence abilities.
Creature phase - The game here is the most sim like and appears to be the 2nd longest part of the game. But second by a rather large margin. Here your choices in teh cell game come into play and effects your evolutionary choices (granted in a very limited way. It currently only limits your mouth choices.) How you interact in the creatuer phase as in all phases provides you with another conequense ability in the next phase and they are aquimulated with each phase so that by the time you reach the space phase you have 5 abilities if you started from the cell phase.
Tribe phase - This is a very limited portion of teh game and my least favourite phase. Its simplistic and not very interesting but once you understand the basics its easy to finish this portion in under an hour. As a tribe you need to gather food and either destroy or ally with rival villages. Food is your "coin of the realm" and used to buy people & upgrades. Very simplistic. Yet this phase is really a simple staging point to determine what type of nation you will run in the civilization phase. Its not designed to be a full game.
Civilization phase - It is likely at this point that most hardcore gamers find the most disapointment. The reason is simple, there are dozens of games that deal with this sort of thing and they concentrate ALL their efforts and this one area. Spore does not. It is unfair to compare spore with all these other games but its imposible not to. I too was disapointed here but I did enjoy seeing how all my play style in all the previous phases effected what active skills I had in this phase.
The main game (Space phase) - It is here where the main body of the game is. Its scope is huge and there are so many things to do. The first thing to realise is this phase is hard core and will likely put off casual gamers. You can open trading route with other space faring empires. You can teraform planets, wage war explore discover rare items do missions all the things you expect in a 4x (eXplore, eXspand, eXploit, eXterminate)game.
In most games you as you advance in technology and if you achieve a terraforming tech you either get an automatic upgrade to colonies or each colony must "build" the upgrade. In Spore you buy the equipment to either increase/decrease the atmosphere and other equipment to increase or decrease the planets heat. You need to travel to the location drop the needed equipment and it starts to work. Once you get enough change to the planet you are required to seed the planet with plants and then animals. If you don't seed the planet with the plants and animals its biosphere becomes unstable. And to seed the planet you have to go and get three differrent plants and three different animals. for each of the 3 terraforming stages. I'd hardly call that a casual approach to terraforming.
The space game is the real nuts and bolts of spore and any review that DOESN'T have an extensive portion of its review dealing with the space phase is a review that isn't reviwing 75%(or higher)of the game. The space map is perhaps the largest map I have ever seen. With loads of missions. In fact when the reviwer says,"Don't sand-box us. Give us something to work for." Its further indication that the reviewer didn't play the space game. There is so many missions and objectives to achieve in teh space game that if you feel you don't have "something to work for" then you are manufactoring that problem.
In my opinion readers if someone plays a game and they don't like it they and then the write a review then its all well and good. Reviews are just peoples opinions and impressions of a game but we do have the expectation as readers that the reviewer actually played the game so they are actually reviewing the game and not just giving their uninormed opinions.
Reader beware.
Great review Gothfather, and we have made it to space in our house, but I think you still didn't address the point of most people's disappointment with the game. Where is all the social interaction that was promised and continues to be advertised in all the media hype? For $10 we all got to see each other's creations with Creature Creator and for $50 more we didn't get any more social interaction than that. Lack of innovation, too easy a game, no real online interaction and I'm feeling cheated.
@SumFun58: No real online interaction? You mean multiplayer? Obviously you didn't watch the development of Spore starting with when they first announced it. Will Wright called it a "massively SINGLE player game." Obviously the game was never meant to have online interaction beyond downloading stuff others made and uploading your own stuff.
I do agree that it was overhyped, but then a lot of games are overhyped and fail to deliver.
OK. Firstly I would like to say that my frinend hated this game BUT as soon as he played it he loved it most of the people who rate it judge the book by its cover.