Will Wright talks Spore on Wii, delays, procedural music

by Justin McElroy { Feb 12th 2008 at 2:05PM }

We know that after years of delays, whatever part of your heart cares about Spore has calcified and hardened. But now that it's actually, really, no kidding coming out on Sept. 7, it's probably OK to start getting pumped again, and Newsweek's N'Gai Croal is there for you to help turn your heartlight back on.

In the first part of a massive interview, Will Wright lays it all on the table and reminds you how great the game is going to be (spoiler alert: very) and why it took so long to get here. Then Wright delves into the Wii version of the game, which he says will take advantage of the Wiimote to give more control over creatures. Also in that second part, an incredibly rad explanation about how you'll be able to procedurally generate a theme song for the city in your game. ... What's the feeling stirring in our hearts? Could it be ... anticipation? Do we dare to love again? Yes. We dare.

Gallery: Spore

Check out all our extensive coverage of Will Wright's Spore!

Tags: ea, maxis, spore, will-wright

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Shmil @ Feb 12th 2008 2:12PM

now just somehow make it so you can send some planets/species you've created to your DS and you'll be a hero and a champion

Jevanzz @ Feb 12th 2008 2:15PM

Nay... a GOD.

ThornedVenom @ Feb 12th 2008 11:54PM

No gods no kings, only man.

McWeen @ Feb 12th 2008 2:18PM

I'm sorry but this game sounds boring to me. This is coming from someone who played Animal Crossing everyday for over a year.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Feb 12th 2008 2:26PM

That's because you have no soul and you're destined to die alone.

kinshadow @ Feb 12th 2008 2:27PM

"someone who played Animal Crossing everyday for over a year"

You mean a loser?

Geist @ Feb 12th 2008 3:07PM

Vegeta has won SO HARD with that comment.

bobartig @ Feb 12th 2008 7:33PM

Animal Crossing is good, but I'm sorry... because you are completely F-ed when Spore comes out. I'm dead serious. It will own you completely, and you will cry for mercy after it keeps you captive for days at a time, attempting to put extra arms on your mutant bunny-shark, visiting all the various planets in the user-generated galaxy, getting eaten by giant scorpion-monkey-squirrels. You are completely F-ed.

fco. @ Feb 12th 2008 2:27PM

very great?

Geist @ Feb 12th 2008 3:00PM

Or 'the greatest'?

Organic_Shadow @ Feb 12th 2008 2:31PM

I'd rather him go into detail on a PS3/360 downloadable version of the game than the Wii version. He could easily summarize the Wii part by just saying "i like making money. i dunno if you KNEW that..."

Ben @ Feb 12th 2008 2:45PM

Boring... PS3/360 = PC, what's been said about the PC version will likely be exactly the same as those two console versions. There's no reason to make a feature exclusive to the PS3 or 360 when there's nothing really unique enough about them to merit a change... besides the odd Xbox Live achievement and such.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 12th 2008 2:59PM

Additionally, Will Wright considers Wii to be the ONLY next gen console, so he's more excited to develop for that than for the PS360.

rockintom @ Feb 12th 2008 4:09PM

Well, they need to justify how damn long they've worked on this game, no?

LaughingTarget @ Feb 12th 2008 5:28PM

It'll sell well enough on the PC, no need to dumb it down for the console, unless they make it mouse required on the PS3.

Trinian @ Feb 12th 2008 2:45PM

"What would you say if I told you that in this game was a magic toy box - and whatever game you wished for, you could just open the toy box, and there it would be."

Blazur @ Feb 12th 2008 2:49PM

I'd say, "I'll take 7, please!"

kinshadow @ Feb 12th 2008 2:54PM

I'd wish for my con-man father that stole my kidney. That ... or a submarine.

Drew @ Feb 12th 2008 6:22PM

I would wish for a question mark for your post.

And a pony. Everyone wants a pony.

Naota @ Feb 12th 2008 3:11PM

I'll probably pick this up for both pc and wii, analoge sticks and rts's (although this isnt one) don't mix well to me.

Mr Khan @ Feb 12th 2008 3:18PM

Wii version shouldn't be all that different, sans graphics. Procedural events rely strictly on the complexity of code, and to a certain point, any computer can run them

Glad it actually has a date

Ben @ Feb 12th 2008 3:28PM

No, it's going to come down to the controls on the Wii version. The procedural generation may be the same and everything, but the reason people would buy it over the PC version is they like the feel of the Wii Remote better or think they'd have more fun controlling with Wii Controls. In that sense, it will be totally different (judging from Will Wright's enthusiasm, he probably has some big plans for the controls).

Mat Schwartz @ Feb 12th 2008 3:23PM

The hype machine has become scary. If they had announced this thing a few months ago or even this time last year I would investigate the shit out of screenshots, videos and write-ups but by now it feels like old-hat. Also, making me anticipate things years in advance makes the consumer in me feel like my current life is hollow and incomplete :sadpanda:

RoboChamp @ Feb 12th 2008 3:57PM

MOAR LEIK DELAYSTATION! lol!

Wait, the Wii, WTF!?

Korova @ Feb 12th 2008 4:15PM

It is possible in Spore to build a universe where the creatures think that Spore sucks? Or is that completely impossible.

OMG, imagine if this game actually sucks?! After being manhandled for so long, it may just be too molested.

Alcevious @ Feb 12th 2008 6:10PM

I love how he wants to turn it into some new type of genre game. I imagine the online community for Spore will be awesome.

B1gC72 - PSN: KillaKornbread @ Feb 12th 2008 8:26PM

im very curious as to how much they are going to cut out of the Wii version other than graphics cause i think i would rather have it on console than my aging PC. a PS3 version with mouse and keyboard support would be the ideal solution for me though.

Psaakyrn @ Feb 13th 2008 8:04AM

I won't be suprized if the Wii is actually more capable at handling procedural content than the 360 or PS3. Even if the pure specs are lower, optimization for certain types of data input and logic structures can drastically improve actual performance.

Aku @ Feb 18th 2008 3:24AM

I'd actually dare guess that the PS3-version with ample optimization would pull this off better.
Problem is that it takes shitloads of optimization of the code for it to be effective on the PS3.
Still, if they were to do it, the PS3-version would work even better than the others, due to the unique nature of its processor.

Though I'd get it on the 360 over PS3 (and I will in the end get it for PC instead of any other format anyway xD)

Any preformance or structure differences between the formats won't matter because one of the reasons this is taking so damn much time is that they're working on producing an engine that generates all this as effectively as humanly possible. That's why Spore is even possible :D

And on a side-note, anyone who complains about how this promotes either evolution, intelligent design, anti-religion or religion - pretty much ANYTHING similar: If you REALLY have to complain about everything you possibly can complain about, then waste your time on targeting a situation where your complaints actually apply. Spore may use the word evolution at times(not certain if it actually does) and it it is mentioned together with the word evolution by people, but all it is is a friggin' GAME. A GAME that wants YOU to be CREATIVE and MAKE UP creatures. The creatures won't run around your house after you have created them and you won't be playing GOD. You will be entertaining yourself while utilizing your CREATIVITY (something you should be THANKING them for.)

Alright?
So take your religion back to the nearest church and stop putting words in other people's mouth (because yes, that's what you're doing when you claim a game is anti-something that it isn't. No developer would benefit from alienating people from wating to play their game. Learn to be realistic -.-)

Also, I really hope the creatures-only version will come SOOON