Spore producer on reviews, depth, and LittleBigPlanet
by Randy Nelson 
{ Sep 9th 2008 at 11:30AM }
Shaw's of the opinion that the varied scores come as a result of several factors, not the least of which is its mish-mash of genres. "It's not really like a traditional game," she said. "Spore is just this magical creativity experiment." (She also hopes that it helps pave the way for more
"If you try and play it like Grand Theft Auto and you use something like that as your template, Spore's not going to fit it," Shaw told us, adding, "I hope people will review it for what it is, which is this collection of interesting things to play with."
Shaw admits that she "didn't really start enjoying the game until other people's stuff started showing up in it," and acknowledges reviewers' complaints that "there isn't enough depth."
"I think the depth [of Spore] is different," she offered, saying that, "There may not be the depth of a Civilization IV level game in our Civilization Stage, but the idea that you can see all these different creations come in, and you can interact with them, plus everything else that's going on – it's just a good fantasy world." (It's worth noting that Soren Johnson, the lead designer of Civilization IV, left Firaxis to work on Spore.)
Now that Spore is done – and reviewers continue to make of it what they will – we asked Shaw what she's most looking forward to. The answer didn't surprise us in the least. "I'm really interested in LittleBigPlanet, and I think the rest of the team is, too," she said with genuine excitement in her voice. "I really want to see their tool set and how easy it is to share [content] with other people. There's huge potential there if they do it right."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
phr3qu3ncy441 @ Sep 9th 2008 11:33AM
for some reason, that pic reminds me of viva pinata.
Mr.ESC @ Sep 9th 2008 12:04PM
More like Kameo if you ask me.
Jakka(Naked Peach Brigade) @ Sep 9th 2008 11:41AM
I'm hoping LBP won't turn out like Spore...
tmacairjordan87 @ Sep 9th 2008 11:46AM
Me too. I'm near the end of the 2nd stage of the game, and it's boring the hell out of me so far. Sure, each aspect was fun for the first 5 minutes but now it's tedious.
343 Guilty Fart @ Sep 9th 2008 12:47PM
Me too, I'm a bit nervous that LBP will have awesome visuals and design, that it won't have the deepest gameplay.
I hope I'm wrong.
BananaBoat @ Sep 9th 2008 5:48PM
Hell, even decent visuals would give it a leg up on spore. The entire art direction team at Maxis was asleep during the production of spore apparently. It looks like one of those terrible games that come from one of those fake colleges where you get game design degrees.
Spore is already my "Biggest letdown of the year" award winner, I don't think there is anything LBP can do to usurp the title.
j.howlett @ Sep 9th 2008 11:45AM
scores don't equate fun
Mike @ Sep 9th 2008 12:04PM
Spore don't equate fun.
Tom18230 @ Sep 9th 2008 12:12PM
I see what you did there..
vannyx @ Sep 9th 2008 3:14PM
speak for yourself i had alot of fun at scores last week. next time your there tell Lola V said Hi.
felixlighter @ Sep 9th 2008 12:01PM
Does she really think the reviewers where expecting a Grand Theft Auto type experience? I think reviewers were expecting a game with a bit more depth and, based on many of the reviews I've read, it seems like what they got was a loosely connected collection of mini-games.
I was really looking forward to Spore but the more I read the less I want to play. At this point, I need a demo with a bit more gameplay to convince me to buy. It will sell insanely well regardless, so I doubt I'll see a demo beyond the creature creator.
RanWitScissorz @ Sep 9th 2008 12:04PM
The game, based on time, I would say is 60-70% character creator and the rest is bland gameplay.
Shagittarius @ Sep 9th 2008 2:45PM
"The game, based on time, I would say is 60-70% character creator and the rest is bland gameplay."
That recipe worked for nintendo.
DarkNessBear @ Sep 9th 2008 11:02PM
Yea... she says, "I want them to review it like a bunch of fun little games" but they didn't advertise it like that... They hyped the CRAPPP out of it. And then we got a creative minigame. Not good.
shivr @ Sep 9th 2008 12:17PM
Well I dunno about you guys, but I'm thuroughly enjoying myself with the game so far. Then again I have only gotten to the creature stage
Kyrra @ Sep 9th 2008 12:17PM
What, no posts about DRM yet?
Mark C @ Sep 9th 2008 12:20PM
"What, no posts about DRM yet?"
...sorry, I'm too saddened by the news that RA3 will feature a similar DRM. 'Now with five installs!!'
Should have seen that coming, I guess.
Jakka(Naked Peach Brigade) @ Sep 9th 2008 12:50PM
What DRM? My torrented copy runs perfectly fine!
Kiteless @ Sep 9th 2008 12:18PM
I loves me some Spore! Caryl Shaw,I don't know if you are reading this, bit as a long time (Playing PC games since 1993) hard core (30 year old) PC gamer, my compliments rto you and everyone that put their hard work into this game. Is it perfect? No, no game is. But it is perfect for me. Please keep up the great work. Please continue to grow, support and nuture Spore. It is a unique and special experience that I think most people can enjoy. My hat off to you.
- K
Blazur @ Sep 9th 2008 12:23PM
Well said. And on that note I will click the + icon next to your.
Sonofield @ Sep 9th 2008 12:53PM
Agreed. Well put!
Zoesch @ Sep 9th 2008 12:19PM
Imagine a Spore/LBP crossover, Sackboy would be joined by Cockboy and the universe will be complete again!
Blazur @ Sep 9th 2008 12:22PM
I'm enjoying the hell out of this game. It's easy to lose track of time as you immerse yourself in the sheer volume of the space stage. Definitely a keeper.
Dirty @ Sep 9th 2008 2:08PM
Oh man, I can decide which game to loose all my time to. I played Spore for like 5 hours on Sunday and then yesterday I lost at least that playing Viva P.
Kinda wish these 2 games didn't drop at the same time because its the same "feel" to them, and they both take a lot of time.
Kevin @ Sep 9th 2008 12:27PM
Spore is as exciting as you want it to be. If you want to win, if you want to blow up planets, if you want anything specific you won't find it in Spore. You'll be bored because you won't have a specific goal to do.
What you need to do in Spore, is do what you want to do whenever you want to do it. I have committed genocide on several different occasions merely because I wanted one of the planets nearby.
I restarted a cell creature yesterday for the hell of it (on medium this time, as easy is easy).
If you're finding the game bland or boring or repetitive, I put forward that maybe it is in fact you who lack creativity.
(Hopefully this will be one of the 0.5/3 comments that people actually read)...
Mr.ESC @ Sep 9th 2008 12:54PM
I don't if it’s even going to be released here but I'm a fan of those games like the Sims.
Now well this is an opinion based just on your own point of view it sounds is like the Sims, no goal except have fun.
If a game can be criticized for not having a way to actually complete the game then we should criticize all those online game since they don’t have an ending or a story and require less effort to program but people seem to like them since they don’t require a great amount of thought or any thought at all.
WhoMe @ Sep 9th 2008 1:12PM
BULLSHIT. Don't even try to spin this game into something it is not.
You are basically saying "if you don't like this game, it is your fault, not the game's".
Furthermore, you are just flat out lying. The game basically holds your hand every damn minute. You claim "do what you want to do whenever you want to do it". That's a huge crock of shit. There are two, count 'em, TWO things you can do in this game: make war and make peace and there's two ways to accomplish that: shoot 'em or win them over.
You also say "You'll be bored because you won't have a specific goal to do.". I don't know about you, but a mission description like "Kill 5 Coohiecoo creatures to earn 40 DNA" sound PRETTY DAMN SPECIFIC to me. And this line is basically a template for all the missions/goals in this game.
Really man, you sound like a marketing plant.
Quiggy @ Sep 9th 2008 2:55PM
@WhoMe:
Y'know, one could argue that it is the fault of the player and not the game that a player does not enjoy any game. For instance, I do not like to play Smash Bros. Melee. I'll acknowledge that it is my fault I don't like the game, because clearly some people find it very fun, while others do not. Some people bought Big Rigs and found it very fun, if possibly for the wrong reasons.
The point is that while you personally may not find a given game enjoyable, other people will. A game is good to the people who enjoy it, and bad to the people who don't. Yes, some games are more easily enjoyable, but no game can be objectively good or bad.
Don't hate on people who like something you don't.
(It's worth noting that I don't have Spore, nor have played it.)
Lurker28 @ Sep 9th 2008 4:20PM
@whome
Clearly he can speak for everyone, Whome you are not the arbitrator of games. I give the game a 9.5/10 and I have many many hours (about 40) in Spore. I enjoy it very much on all angels and I play the game I want to play. I finished the cell stage with no eyes, because I wanted to...half the time I do not listen to what ever the hell the goal are tell me to do, I just dick around, make stuff, and do weird and crazy things (like get thrown 300 ft as an epic launches me from his hands).
I had the sims and in my mind it is worthless game that deserves a 4/10 rating, however people have spent months upon months creating and doing things in that game. So once again, it is not the games fault...but the player playing it. It does not fit your standards nor your desires therefore it is rubbish only to you and those who agree with you...much like my position.
Kevin @ Sep 9th 2008 6:03PM
@whome
"The game basically holds your hand every damn minute."
What happens if you don't listen to the game? In GTA if you don't follow the mission structure, what happens? The missions form a tiny bit of structure in what is otherwise endless chaos.
edgore @ Sep 9th 2008 12:31PM
Any sufficiently advanced Marketing is indistinguishable from Magic.
Ayrkain @ Sep 9th 2008 12:43PM
Win.
Mr.ESC @ Sep 9th 2008 12:46PM
The reviews so far are positive,what did I miss?
Blazur @ Sep 9th 2008 12:57PM
The reviews that were less than positive, apparently.
oldmike @ Sep 9th 2008 2:25PM
you missed the memo a 8 is a bad score now
you need to get a 9 for a game to be OK
and a 10 for a good game
PS think that they will start 10.5 now???
after all there been how many 10s this year
frags @ Sep 10th 2008 12:37AM
Having a blast with it...Great fun..
Sonofield @ Sep 9th 2008 12:56PM
Haha! Excellent, a little Sagan reference, eh? Nice.
Lurker28 @ Sep 9th 2008 4:13PM
Almost 40 hours into the game and I am still having a lot of fun. I make up my own fun and share those crazy weird experiences with my friends.
I have played Spore longer then a lot of games I payed just as much for (god of war, gears of war, shadows of the colossus, mass effect, assassins creed, etc.) and I am having just as much fun.
I think I will probably get close to a 100 hours before I probably give it a rest and come back to it ever once and a while.
LuckyEMS @ Sep 9th 2008 5:20PM
its sufficiently random and kinda crap until SPACE!
Space is awesome and the biggest bulk of the game and unless you actually get to space then there's no point to me listening to your shit review.
Kevin @ Sep 9th 2008 6:05PM
I loved creature and cell, and the first bit of space (until you can get rid of overly aggressive species) can be a bit tedious.