Free, retail versions of Spore creature editor coming in June

by Ross Miller { Apr 21st 2008 at 10:15AM }

While reaffirming Spore's September 7 release date, VP of Marketing at Maxis Patrick Buechner has told IGN that both trial (free) and retail (premium) versions of the creature editor are coming in June. The trial version will be available for download and in The SimCity Box, while the retail version should be available in stores around the same time Box launches.

"The free Creature Creator has about 25-percent of the creature making parts from Spore. The retail version will have 100-percent," said Buechner. Any creations you conjure can be shared online via the upcoming Sporepedia, and they will be compatible with Spore once it's released. No price was given for the retail version, and it wasn't mentioned whether any discount would be given to those who pay a premium to be teased about Will Wright's evolutionary time sink.

Gallery: Spore

Tags: maxis, spore, will-wright

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Robotochan @ Apr 21st 2008 10:20AM

Paying for a bit of a game? Think I'll pass

PojoMofo @ Apr 21st 2008 10:22AM

Luck for you there is a free version as well.

Although I do wonder the price point of the retail version, I am glad to see there is a different way to get the free verision than jsut the SimCity box

Robotochan @ Apr 21st 2008 10:24AM

Think I'll wait till the game actually comes out

Sidebuster @ Apr 21st 2008 11:04AM

Indubitably preposterous and also... Salmon cottage.

LaughingTarget @ Apr 21st 2008 11:22AM

Tell that to GT5: Prologue.

Hashbrown Hunter @ Apr 21st 2008 12:03PM

Seriously, people were bitching about how GT5 is a glorified demo, and now EA does something even worse.

Matt @ Apr 21st 2008 10:42AM

So if you can make a creature to look like Watto, maybe I can make a whole race of Gungans, and then a whole race of something (anything) else to slaughter the Gungans!

Buy!

SGT Grumbles @ Apr 21st 2008 10:45AM

I knew EA couldn't be trusted.

Drago Dracini @ Apr 21st 2008 11:02AM

>.> I'm a complete and total tool.. so chances are I'll end up buying this...

rTwelve @ Apr 21st 2008 11:09AM

Spore: Prologue

lolololol

Cole @ Apr 21st 2008 11:20AM

I was going to say something regarding "blah blah blah, boycott EA and blah blah blah, evil company etc" but screw it all, I know I'm buying this.

And to play devil's advocate further, this is a great way to make sure there's already an awesome "population" of user-made Spore creatures throughout the "universe" when the game ships.

Jonah Falcon @ Apr 21st 2008 12:02PM

Ross? This is slightly moldy news, from last week. :p

Jonah Falcon @ Apr 21st 2008 12:03PM

The Creature Editor is fairly meaty. I'll happily spend the $10 for it.

RogueJedi86 @ Apr 21st 2008 3:17PM

That screenshot looks like Watto from Star Wars Episode 1, the blue dude who owned Anakin and his mom.

SamuraiD @ Apr 21st 2008 5:19PM

I'm a Spore fan, so I'm buying this. All I need from EA/Maxis, though, is some confirmation of a UK June release of this.

I really don't see the issue with this, though, that others here are making out. You buy the Creature Creator, start creating your race and contribute to a database of other species (Sporepedia) and then when Spore launches 3 months later, you'll have a whole heap of species to inhabit your planet and you're basically aiding the community as a whole by getting in their early. Who knows what bonuses there might be for early adopters?

Schmobu @ Apr 21st 2008 6:30PM

Fucking EA fuck you and your bullshit, why can't you just let us make creatures for free and when your game comes out we won't hate the shit out of you.

SamuraiD @ Apr 21st 2008 6:51PM

EA are releasing a free version of the Creature Creator in case you misread the blog post. >_>

Schmobu @ Apr 22nd 2008 1:04AM

Yes but you only get 25% of the customization options, you need to pay to unlock the other 75%, which is bullshit, it's the same crap that you get on MMOs, and EA just loves to micro micro micro charge use

Pay to access my acount access acount.

woodcubed @ Apr 22nd 2008 4:04AM

So stupid.

The whole point, as Will Wright put it, is to create a system where the consumer adds value to the product, or in this case creates the product, for free- no cost to the original game creator. Then you take his idealism and genius and mix in a little EA bloodsucking leech mentality and you get this bull. We are paying them for the game and giving them millions of dollars of what amounts to free development for them but no- they want to hit us all up for change twice at the gate. No thank you.

I was all set to download the creature creator but now I'll wait until the game comes out or EA gets at least one of its hands out of the damn cookie jar. Fat chance.

Some guy @ May 31st 2008 7:43PM

Umm shut up? You don't need to buy it and it's perfectly reasonable to wait for a couple more months if you don't want to pay twice. I, personally will be buying it since I'm not anal about this kind of shit. (I have 85 dollars saved up just for spore...and I'm 15) Yes 85 dollars so i'm GUARANTEED to be able to afford it and play it. This includes costs of the stand alone creature editor.