Report: Spore planted on Wii
Will Wright reveals that EA's epic-scale life-simulator headed to Nintendo's console, says it's the "only next-gen system."
Between creating a unique species and then evolving it over the course of countless millennia to the point of intergalactic colonization, Will Wright's Spore for the PC is the very definition of epic. More than a few mouths were rendered agape, then, when a handheld version of the game was revealed through a job listing in February 2006, which EA confirmed to be a Nintendo DS iteration a year later.
With a DS version of Spore establishing that the game is scalable, it should come as no shock that EA is also prepping a version of the game for Nintendo's console, the Wii. In town to be inducted into the BAFTA Fellowship, Wright revealed to UK news publication The Guardian that a Wii version was under way.
"We're doing Spore on the Wii," Wright stated seemingly off the cuff. Wright didn't elaborate on further plans for the Wii version, nor whether it would accompany the PC version slated for Q2 2008. EA had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.
Wright's preference for Nintendo's platforms comes as no shock, considering how he sizes up the next-gen console race. Prompting the off-the-script comment, Wright said that Nintendo's "new-gen" console is the only real next-gen console. "The only next gen system I've seen is the Wii--the PS3 and the Xbox 360 feel like better versions of the last, but pretty much the same game with incremental improvement," the openly opinionated designer said.
"The Wii feels like a major jump--not that the graphics are more powerful, but that it hits a completely different demographic," he continued. "In some sense I see the Wii as the most significant thing that's happened, at least on the console side, in quite a while."
Spore is currently slated to hit PCs next year. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
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366 Comments
Isn't the Wii also just an upgraded version of the game cube? It has the same amount of power but it just has fancy controllers
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'Now, lemme ask you: Where's Zelda? Smash Bros.? Donkey Kong? Mario Kart?'
posted by "The_Dude1212" Uhmm... Is that supposed to impress me? Nintendo games are fun but... they get old really fast (I have a wii and I have played all of those games) So... yeah, I prefer halo and Metal Gear Solid 4 over mario kart.
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I like his outlook on the Nintendo consoles
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'Where is GTA IV, MGS4, Halo 3, Call of duty4 and the orange box, on the wii.'
GTA IV: Couldn't give a crap about it. Rather hijack the car myself.
MGS4: Meh, it's alright, but that's all the PS3 has.
Halo: Overrated.
Call of Duty 4: Medal of Honour can sue a Wii Zapper, more relaistic than CoD
Orange Box: I can play it on my friend's PC.
Now, lemme ask you: Where's Zelda? Smash Bros.? Donkey Kong? Mario Kart?
Face it. If Nintendo didn't save the industry with Super Mario, you wouldn't have your precious Halo or GTA.
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f*** yea! you go will
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I'm not normally one to buy a game twice (once for PC and once for console) but I'll probably do so for Spore. If it weren't just to get both experiences, it would at least be to say I have found three decent Wii games among the piles and piles of crap that get released on the console. Twilight Princess, SSB: Melee, and hopefully Spore.
I do agree with Will Wright that the Wii is the only truly "new-gen" console, but at the same time, the games you can play on it are typically NOT.
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Woo Hoo! Buying a Wii paid off!
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"In some sense I see the Wii as the most significant thing that's happened, at least on the console side, in quite a while." That is probably the most rubbish thing i've ever heard of. The wii is really just a gimmick, you cant play games without getting annoyed after 5 minutes. Also where are the incredibly high rated games for the wii. Where is GTA IV, MGS4, Halo 3, Call of duty4 and the orange box, on the wii.
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"The Wii feels like a major jump--not that the graphics are more powerful, but that it hits a completely different demographic," how the hell does he figure that? Ninendo is only known for mario/zelda/metroid/pokemon games. The only non-kiddy games that are or have ever came out on any of the Nintendo systems were made by 3rd party companies. It's like the difference between Metroid vs Doom.. both are similar as they are FPSs, however Doom is a more 'mature' game.
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cant wait
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Sweeeet. That's all I can say.
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Yes! im so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i cant wait untill it comes out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Will Wright is brilliant. Nintendo and the Wii and DS are brilliant. Enough said.
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I hope they dont chanfe it much from the pc version. They may have to cut back on the downloaded content stuff, or include an sd card.
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(Nag, nag..nag!) so Spore is coming out for the Wii, don't like it? Too bad! If you weren't getting the PC version, might as well not even bother getting Spore at all! I'm upgrading my PC for all the 2008/2009 PC games and I am planning on getting a Wii for quite some time now, its just fun and different, seriously you Console War Fanatics need to lighten up...you look like the nerds back in the 16-bit console war (Sega haz Sonic and it will crush Nintendo's Mario!) Who gives a crap? I say good for Mr.Wright, he makes some very good points, I can't wait for Spore on my PC and possibly a Wii version.
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woohoo
yay for wii
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@ xX_Ricochet_Xx
Ever hear of Wii Connect 24? Where your Wii is online 24/7 if you have wifi and will automatically update itself and have content from games downloaded onto you Wii? Try doing some research next time before crying over a game. Wii Connect 24 is exactly the sort of thing Spore was designed to make complete use of and those two will go hand in hand together. I honestly don't think Will Wright would select a console that his game would fail on and come out looking like trash.
Its not about graphics either, take a look at the first videos of Spore and you can blantly tell Spore is not a game designed to push the capabilities in the graphics department, but in the gameplay department. Everyone who is more worried about graphics than gameplay is a fool, sure a game can look beautiful in HD with 1080p but if the gameplay isn't fun then its not worth it at all. I'll take amazing gameplay over graphics any day, I'm playing games to enjoy myself and not to look at something pretty. If I wanted to see something that looks good and if I were more into that, I'd just watch movies.
I love how everyone is bashing on the Wii's wifi yet it truly hasn't been used yet, I've been online plenty with my DS and it does amazing with it. Playing games like Bomberman, Mario Kart, Star Fox, Animal Crossing, Custom Robo, Diddy Kong Racing, and so much more is a total blast and rarely do I experience any problems with it at all. I haven't had any issues getting system updates or downloading games to my virtual console as well as grabbing new channels as they come out. Even the net browser works great on the Wii. So before you start complaining about lag and such for online games, wait till they come out and see what happens, though I don't see how people could be worried about lag on this game considering you aren't actually playing against anyone.
Microsoft has a pretty good game line up coming out early 2008 and Nintendo's is just as strong if not better (considering that is when the heavy hitters for Nintendo are hitting store shelves) and with games like this starting to show up on the Wii, I think more and more people may come to realize this is more than a fad, this is more than a gimmick, and this is certainly more than a console designed to play kids games. Nintendo hasn't had any trouble this generation and there are no signs of trouble ahead. Microsoft has had a few bumps in the road but overall enjoying some rousing success. Sony on the other hand has been struggling since the PS3 hit store shelves and there seems to be no sign of this letting up anytime soon. Sure the price drops are nice, but when the good games keep getting pushed back, a cheap console means nothing with no games.
Mark my words, by summer of 2008 we'll know how this generations console war will play out, right now first place is up in the air between Microsoft and Nintendo, Sony is taking third. I believe Spore may be one of those games that gets even more people to get a Wii, especially when your choice is spend $300 (or $50 for alot of people) to play this game, or spend $1,000+ to play this game (if you are in need of a new PC). What seems to be the better deal here? Its the same thing that has kept the 360 so far ahead of the PS3. Offer nearly the same thing for a cheaper price, and you'll get the sales.
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this is good news for gamers, don't confuse it as anything else. its interesting to hear a developer (especially one with these credentials) speak his mind while everyone else is scared to state what they think like this is some sort of delicate political conflict. the one thing the wii has done is make you feel closer to the game. regardless of how realistic things look, you feel like you are part of the world much easier with those controls.
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All these people whining over Spore going to the Wii and DS along with the PC. they say that the Wii and DS isn't a great place for major games. They say that Spore would sell more copies and do better on the 360 or whatever the latest PS3 sku that is out. They say that the Wii so for "toddlers" and is going to do nothing than drag it down.
I hear jealousy.
Take a look at the numbers and they speak for themselves. Will Wright said it himself, he's a fan of the keyboard and mouse, and you can't get the same level of control that you get with a mouse using a controller. However you can can get close to that level with a touchscreen (basically the same thing) or the motion sensing controller of the Wii. Seems to me Will Wright would find it very easy to structure a game such as Spore around a console that is extremely easy to develop for unlike the PS3, which recently we've seen many titles that are going to be appearing on there be pushed back time and time again (MGS4 anyone?). Sure the 360 would be the wise choice between the PS3 and 360, having a larger fan base and developers finding it easier to work with than the PS3, but the numbers don't come close to the Wii's sales figures over the past year. I won't even mention the amount of people struggling with their 360s and the 3 rings of death (thankfully mine is working just fine and I frequent Halo 3 online all the time).
Hopefully this will join Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii in the first half of 2008 along with an ever growing slew of other great games coming out next year. If you are wondering what games I might be talking about just browse through the coming soon section of the Wii, you'll notice a few great titles to include Tales of Symphonia 2, a new Shin Megami Tensei game, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and No More Heroes just to name a few (amazing, none of these are Nintendo made either). What's even crazier, is that 2008 isn't even hear yet and we already know all of the big titles to see for the PS3 and 360, seems like those 2 are playing all their heavy hitters here soon while Nintendo is still holding back and apparently has a few great games in the works. Oh did I mention the Final Fantasy series making an appearance on the Wii?
So who doesn't have any "real" games now? Seems like Nintendo is doing rather well for itself and Microsoft is doing a fine job as well, just lost out on this game. I won't lie, I'm surprised it isn't on the 360, but I certainly won't complain that its on the Wii. What's Sony doing? Apparently not selling consoles or bringing out any good games, its a wonder why Will Wright didn't leap at the opportunity to wait another year and a half while developers struggled to get a game like Spore running on the PS3. I'm sure the guys at Konami, Rockstar, Midway, Epic Games, and a few other companies trying to push games out for the PS3 gave Will Wright a call and let him know what he was in for if he decided to bring this amazing game to the PS3.
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Dont you lot whinge. My console does this better than yours, mine has better games than yours, if they put it on that console it won't be as good if they put it on this console. blah blah blah. Who cares!!! Let them put the game on the WII, personally I will get whatever version is better on whatever platform. DEAL WITH IT
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EA trying to cash in on the large install base. no surprises here
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Well, since my PC probably won't be able to run Spore, it's good to see I'll have something that can.
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Don't get me wrong im a huge wii fan, but i think that the developers for spore made a big mistake of putting spore on the Wii. I just don't see how that it will be a big hit on the wii as it would be on the 360. I like the wii and i think it is really fun, it just doesn't seem like the right console for spore.
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hmmm and i still dont feel like paying 250 bucks for a DVD drive game console.
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IKKF is a great abbreviation for the words "complete and total moron".
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An Xbox and a PS3 are just high-end computers with controllers. The only "different" feature among them is the Wiimote's motion sensing. I'm not sure it's next gen, but it's definitely different.
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i believe he means next gen because it does differently comepared to the other 2 systems. The PS3 and XBOX360 are awesome... but there lack of anything innovative compared to Nintendo's Wii console explains the comment "next gen".
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I thought one of the developers of spore made a negative comment about the wii. How strange.
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@robbie-basic - You can have McDonald's, quite frankly. I'll take Burger King, Wendy's, Sonic, Checkers, Denny's, IHOP, and the litany of better food choices that you can find in local neighborhoods and stripmalls.
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Yes, because the 360 and the PS3 could NEVER EVER EVER do Spore.
What a damned tool.
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Space-Q
"Really? I guess you must not have good taste because I can mention 3 great games off the top of my head that were in the first year of the 360: Oblivion, Call of Duty 2, and GRAW. *rolls eyes*"
Don't forget PGR3, and condemned. I know there are others but just off the top of my head those were great games.
My guess is that you weren't paying attention. He didn't state that they didn't have good games on the other consoles, just that the nintendo wii is the only one that is truly "new-gen" (controller system on the wii) and that the 360 and PS3 are just flashier versions of their predecessors, while good systems in their own right they aren't really offering anything new as far as gameplay goes.
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The Wii does have a completely different but also overlapping demographic with the other consoles, and the advantage is that its cheaper, the Wii is more geared towards family entertainment and not high end graphics (thats for the PC).
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OMG I'm so excited DEFINATELY getting this for wii.
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"Really? I guess you must not have good taste because I can mention 3 great games off the top of my head that were in the first year of the 360: Oblivion, Call of Duty 2, and GRAW. *rolls eyes*"
Don't forget PGR3, and condemned. I know there are others but just off the top of my head those were great games.
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All i hafta say is if spore works on wii i better be able to play it on my old ass computer too
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The wii is the first major thing to change gaming period, Mr. Wright. PC gaming hasn't changed much in the past 15-20 years either, just more hardware upgrades, you still use a mouse and keyboard like always.
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I don't know what McDonalds has to do with anything robbie, but I hate McDonalds. The food tastes like **** and it's always full of smelly little kids. I also hate their moronic ad campaigns. When I eat, I like having a real meal, not the crap that McDonalds tries to pass as food.
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I find it alarming that Spore is being released for the DS and Wii. Both systems are fun, but they are by no means a good place to put a huge game into. Considering the top game for Wii is still 'Wii Sports' ( a fun game, but an extremely shallow one), its hard to imagine a game like Spore being adapted for the Wii from PC and still do everything its intended to. Hopefully Wright can prove me wrong.
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I love McDonalds. It does exactly what I want it to do. It makes me feed in a satisfactory manner cheaply and efficiently anywhere in the world I am. I feel lucky that I enjoy their food. Anyone who says they don't like it are just trying to be cool.
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By the way, will there be people who don't like the Wii? Yes there will be, but just because it isn't right for you, doesn't make any of the unfounded opinions true. I love it when people state opinion as fact. Having said that, there are people out there who absoulutley despise McDonalds. No matter how much they hate it though, that billions and billions served sign won't be coming down anytime soon.
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The fan boys who keep bashing the wii had better hope that the wii doesn't fail. The wii can and does support some hardcore games, but it is also good introductions for people who have never played before. The Ps3 and x360 have done nothing to reach outside their target demographic. More people of all ages are playing games then ever before thanks to the wii. IF 3rd party developers drop the ball on the wii, then they will have possibly killed an entirely new market segment. Remember, the people who have never played games before and are playing the wii are possible PS4 buyers and new future xbox buyers next generation.
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pencilpusher69 "What's funny is people using the software arguement against the Wii.
Awesome because there wasn't anything worth a rat's behind on the 360 for over a year, until Gears of War hit.
No system ever has a stellar first year, anybody who doesn't understand that either has selective memory, or must be 12."
Really? I guess you must not have good taste because I can mention 3 great games off the top of my head that were in the first year of the 360: Oblivion, Call of Duty 2, and GRAW. *rolls eyes*
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What's funny is people using the software arguement against the Wii.
Awesome because there wasn't anything worth a rat's behind on the 360 for over a year, until Gears of War hit.
No system ever has a stellar first year, anybody who doesn't understand that either has selective memory, or must be 12.
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My sister really enjoyed The Sims a few years ago. She really liked the idea of controlling the lives of individuals. I'm very happy to hear what Will Wright's Spore coming to the Wii along with the PC and DS. I will most definately buy the game and hopefully show my sister this highly-anticipated game. There's one question on my mind: Will it support online? I didn't find anything regarding it, or am I just not looking hard enough?? o_O Anyway, Spore, along with My Sims, are on my loooong list of Wii titles to own.
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Dude, in response to Wii graphics, Ive jus finished Metriod prime 2 eccos' and thats impressive, so 3 times MP2 is fine with me. their are and will be more beautiful 480 progressive 16/ 9 games without a shadow of a doubt...
take a look at monster hunter, galaxy. and MP3 for god sake lol
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