10. EVOLUTION - Probably scare away the religious right.
9. GROWTH - It's not a tumor.
8. MITOSIS - Doesn't work very well beyond the microscopic scale.
7. OSMOSIS - Seemed like a likely progression past MITOSIS, but really makes no sense.
6. CREATION - Technically correct. It puts the user in a God-like position, but it could scare off the scientists. Yet, how great to name a game after the religious belief, yet base it completely on scientific fact and evolutionary theory.
5. HELLO WORLD - An homage to programming 101. In a way, this game could be like a rebirth of the gaming industry. This may move up the list (it is only here because this is when I thought of it).
4. LIFE - Already taken by the board game, but appropriate nonetheless.
3. GENESIS - Again with the bible refrence, but again with the scientific irony. Also, STAR TREK already claimed this forthe Sci-Fi crowd.
2. GENERATIONS - Actually not inspired by the Star Trek reference before it. This title is a little more desciptive than LIFE, yet too similar to GENESIS to be #2.
1. JOURNEY - Really a long shot here. I may need to rethink this order.
0. ORACLE - Taken by the database gurus and again by the Matrix, this puts he focus back on the all knowing creator / user.
-1. GUIDE - That's what you're doing. Guiding the evolution of your creatures.
-2. WORLDCRAFT - Already taken by the software to make other games. Has the right scope though.
-3. MACROCOSM - Look it up.
The legendary game designer presents an alternate way to develop games, and the awesome product of this way of thinking.
Will Wright, the lead designer on SPORE!, the game that will change everything, talks about how gaming has the potential to change all entertainment. I agree:
More games now include features that let players invent some aspect of their virtual world, from characters to cars. And more games entice players to become creative partners in world building, letting them mod its overall look and feel. The online communities that form around these imaginative activities are some of the most vibrant on the Web. For these players, games are not just entertainment but a vehicle for self-expression.
Games have the potential to subsume almost all other forms of entertainment media. They can tell us stories, offer us music, give us challenges, allow us to communicate and interact with others, encourage us to make things, connect us to new communities, and let us play. Unlike most other forms of media, games are inherently malleable. Player mods are just the first step down this path.
Soon games will start to build simple models of us, the players. They will learn what we like to do, what we're good at, what interests and challenges us. They will observe us. They will record the decisions we make, consider how we solve problems, and evaluate how skilled we are in various circumstances. Over time, these games will become able to modify themselves to better "fit" each individual. They will adjust their difficulty on the fly, bring in new content, and create story lines. Much of this original material will be created by other players, and the system will move it to those it determines will enjoy it most.
Procedural generation
Main article: Procedural generation
Because the Spore gameworld is procedurally generated, it can be as large, varied, and detailed as it needs to be without an expensive team designing each element individually. This emphasis of function and algorithm rather than manual data creation also helps users' creatures, societies, cities, and planets to react realistically to a wide range of customizations.
In Wright's first public demonstration of Spore, he created a tripedal creature in the creature evolution editor. The game then figured out how a lizard with three legs and a prehensile tail should walk. Wright then showed several pre-made creatures which moved realistically, despite their exotic design. Other examples showed insectile creatures with multiple heads and six legs, a walking bird whose massive head caused it to tilt while turning, and a dog-like creature with a set of unusual branching limbs. He also demonstrated a creature that looked exactly like a Care Bear, indicating that players could create animals similar to those found in nature or popular culture.
Wright noted that he hired a handful of demoscene programmers and artists because of their familiarity with procedural generation.
This sort of reminds me of the FAO SCHWARTZ theme song that infects your brain in their stores.
"Welcome to the world, Welcome to the world, welcome the world of toys!"
"Welcome to the world, Welcome to the world, welcome the world of toys!"
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Interestingly, #157 at Keeper of Lists
>>Go to GameCriticsAwards.com
MTV - 10 Original E3 Video Games To Watch"If that's not ambitious enough, the creatures and worlds created within one copy of "Spore" will be transmitted to an online database that will disseminate them to the universes of players around the world."
>>Go to MTV.com
CNN - E3 2005 Roundup"The behind-closed-doors demo left journalists' jaws on the floor."
>>Go to CNN.com
MSNBC - E3 2005 Roundup"Those traits you set early in the creatures' evolution manifest themselves in strange ways throughout the game."
>>Go to MSNBC.com
Wired.com - E3 2005 Roundup"I don't want players to feel like Luke Skywalker. I want them to feel like George Lucas."
>>Go to Wired.com
Directions Magazine - E3 2005 Roundup"One of my goals for this whole thing has been to give somebody an awe-inspiring global view of reality, almost like a drug-induced epiphany with a computer."
>>Go to DirectionsMag.com
Post-Gazette.com - E3 2005 Roundup"It's hard to know what to call this PC-only game other than extremely original."
>>Go to Post-Gazette.com
VooDooExtreme3D.com - E3 2005 Roundup"Coolest looking sim - Spore -- Didn't really see that much of it, but what we did was pretty fat. Will Wright for president!"
>>Go to VE3D.IGN.com
GamesDomain.com - E3 2005 Roundup"It's incredibly detailed and the ultimate sandbox."
>>Go to GamesDomain.com
IGN.com - E3 2005 Roundup"Lastly, easily the most innovative and impressive piece of software at the show was Will Wright's PC game, Spore. In my opinion, that's the game of the show, hands down."
>>Go to IGN.com
GameSpy.com - E3 2005 Roundup"Imagine a game that starts with single-celled microorganisms and allows you to control the evolution of a species all the way to galactic conquest."
>>Go to GameSpy.com
IGN.comWill Wright evolves gaming into a six headed creature with a hankering to conquer the galaxy.
>>Go to IGN.com
NewsweekWill Wright's Spore lets players simulate the creation itself, starting from a single cell. What kind of deity would you be?
>>Go to NewsWeek.com
GameSpy.comWill Wright's next masterpiece puts the universe in your hands.
>>Go to GameSpy.com
GameSpot.comSpore E3 2005 Impressions
>>Go To GameSpot.com1up.com
Will Wright's latest project is a game about...everything.
>>Go To 1UP.com
GameSpot.comWill Wright wows GDC with the new Sim.
>>Go To GameSpot.com
GameSpy.comWill Wright Presents Spore... and a New Way to Think About Games.
>>Go To GameSpy.com
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