New games this week: Spore edition

If it's really coming out this week... I've got two questions:

1) Can I be that jackass that always bids a single dollar higher than the highest bid or a dollar by itself?
2) Can I unlock BOB BARKER & ROD RODDY as the hosts? (I'd prefer it, actually)

Agreed. Its pretty shallow and light with nice icing all over it it. A sponge cake if you will.

What I don't understand is how does a game come out on a Sunday? I didn't see it available for DL, Gamestop & EB release their games on like Wednesdays, and Best Buy on tuesdays. So where'd ya get it out of curiosity?

@Levi

Well btjunkie.org has had it up for a least 5 days for torrent download.

Hey! Another Levi!

There are shitload of people torrenting it too. Like 35000 or something, which is about 2 million dollars worth of sales.

I got it at best buy on sunday. Didnt get too much hands on with it but so far its fun. Kind of simplistic, but on the other hand evolving your creature is a lot of fun. I haven't made it to civilization yet.

The first four stages of the game are sort of like a tutorial for the sandbox part of the game.

My local Best Buy had it too - regular, special and DS versions.

35 hours in and still loving it.

I don't know about you guys, but all of my prediction about spore came true. There is a less involved mini-game version of other games (like Civ 4 for instance). I refuse to get into a flame war over this, since I didn't even buy the game (played it on a friends computer, I don't care if he gets Securom on his computer) but I think one reviewer summed it up best when he said "Spore tries to be all things to all people, a strategy that never seems to work out like it's supposed to"

My complaints:

Terrible graphics
Bad soundtrack
Very limited variety in everything - (one melee attack and one long range attack? Give me a break)
Very generic RTS element - (You can make a boat, a plane, or a vehicle. There is no specializing weapons or specialized vehicles, since everything can hit everything else. So there is no Anti-Air, no Ground to Ground, etc. If it moves, you can hit it with whatever unit you've got)
Once you get interested in a stage, it's over. Only 3 or 4 other civilizations to combat at any time.
No multiplayer - I don't need to explain this one

I could go on forever, but in the end, it's just not the game I was hoping for. It's almost as if halfway through, EA decided that the game was going to be for kids, and dumbed everything down to such a low point that it's no longer interesting (atleast to me). It may have a score of 86 on metacritic, but I think the 67 user score is alot more telling.

Word.

WTF! How often do users get to correct Joystiq headlines?!

+1 for you, and more if I could.

Heh, the URL still needs to be editoined.

If you view the rating like that, then apparently HALO3 is also better than SPORE. :p

Apples and oranges, man.

Yeah, but Hockey comes out every year. Spore, as you know, doesn't.

...it's a difference of 3 points, NHL games come out annually, and Will Wright doing anything is kind of a big deal.

@ Anam

I would be eating your own words by next year when EA will have release 3 separate expansion packs for CLOTHES!!!

...but Halo 3 IS better than Spore.

Plus there are only like 3 people that care about hockey.

Uh oh...

It's been obvious from the start that Joystiq does not like sports games. There's a "real gamers don't play sports games" attitude here.

Vcize, there are way more people than that in Canada.

@Hashbrown Hunter

Next year, if Joystiq chooses to headline a Spore expansion over NHL 10(?), then I will agree that Curtis Brunet has a point.

And sports games have sucked ever since they dropped fun for realism. NBA Jam for the win.

"...but Halo 3 IS better than Spore."

ROFL, good one! Yeah, Halo 3 does prove that reviewers can be bought. Good point.

I want this so badly, but after how much time I spent on VP:TiP over the weekend, I can't allow myself to pick it up. Those games appeal to my obsessive-compulsive nature like Pokemon never could.

I think you will find that a large amount of us don't want to read long write ups on new rosters and minimal tweaks to the same games released year after year. Sorry, but its not interesting.

I gotta go with Duke on this one.. I like sports games, but really there isnt much to talk about there. Its even worse with EA eating up exclusive licenses.

I'd also gladly like to put my resume in the 'bin' for consideration if JOYSTIQ ever decides to have a direct, sports-only writer & contributor. Especially if an ESPN:THE OCHO game is ever released, LoL. ;D

Anyway, to keep articles from being simply about the sarcastically mentioned "roster updates and patches", it would be nice to see articles reviewing rivalry titles like NHL 09 vs 2K9, TNA vs WWE and so forth.

"Anyway, to keep articles from being simply about the sarcastically mentioned "roster updates and patches", it would be nice to see articles reviewing rivalry titles like NHL 09 vs 2K9, TNA vs WWE and so forth."

I'm sorry you don't like my tone. That wasn't sarcasm - it was a simple statement. I stick with my point. There is not a lot of interesting things to talk about with these games.

Duke ---
My apologies for misconstruing the tone as sarcasm, however your point is truly opinionated.

I can easily prove, know of, have met plenty of gamers(including myself)that could sermon for hours about not just sports games in general but gameplay content and rather impressive strategies within. I'd go so far on a limb to say that sports games probably draw close to the majority of sales versus nearly any other genre these days (assuming FPS or MMOs probably are the winners there).

In addition, with the multitude of sports games available not just in this domestic region, but worldwide - that's more than enough content for a weekly contribution at the very least.

i thought it was kind of tedious until i reached the space exploration stage, now its addicting as hell

Yeah, I can see sections of it being tedious. Cell stage was cute and enjoyable for its short duration. Creature seemed the most tedious, especially if you're going the socialization route (no talent whatsoever). At least with attacking there's some active button pressing, making it somewhat active.

Civilization stage can actually be quite difficult if you're not vigilant. It's almost like playing a game of risk.

I've played only a few hours into space stage but you're right, it is highly addictive and there's so much depth and possibilities with it.

that review should go on the box

Well at least the first paragraph should go on the box.

I do like the creature creation. Ask Simon about his "BattleToad" creation someday.