The genius of Will Wright has struck again. This past weekend saw the release of the instant classic computer game "Spore". There's only one thing to be said about this game...
Best. Game. Ever.
Spore is jaw-dropping in scope, simple yet deep, infinitely random, beautiful and amazingly modifiable... frankly you can play this game as was said for 60 *real life* years, and you'd never have seen it or done it all. There's always a new species to make, a new species to find, new wars to be fought, new allies to be had... there is simply so much here, it's like three full games packed into one, where the third game is ten times as complex as the first two (because once you get to space mode, and see all the stars- then realize ALL of them have planets and creatures and artifacts to play with...well, your jaw WILL be on the floor.)
The professional reviewers are giving it perfect or near-perfect scores. So everyone's loving it, right? Nooooooo. Of course not- this is, after all, the Jaded Generation. If you wander about online, you'll need to put on your moron hat and try to translate the vitriol currently spewing forth about Spore. The primary complaint is that Spore uses SecuROM, which is a tough DRM. In this case, the complaints are coming from "users" claiming to be legitimate owners who have burned through their three installs you're allowed by license. In truth, there is no such limit- if you own the product, you own unlimited installs... you simply need to be an adult and contact the company with your proof of purchase and request additional installs added to the account. That is, only if you've messed up and not used the "unauthorize" feature that allows you to "re-add" an install prior to taking it off your machine. In other words, you have unlimited, infinite installs unless you are computer illiterate and brain dead.
Oddly enough, I've had the game and have only installed it once. Odd that others can install a game three times in two days. It's clear to anyone that these are the "pirates", people who have downloaded the cracked version, and are whining because they can't keep the game burned to disc to drag out when desired. Of course, their opinion on the game is moot, since they are missing all of the constantly user-generated content (that happens in the background as you play) that makes this a truly amazing experience that transcends other gaming experiences.
So, keep in mind, if you wander the net, you need to ignore the reviews - as always- because the level of facts and valid advice in them is somewhat next to nil (I'd reckon -1. That's next to nil.) The whiners have mobbed and are giving it 1 star ratings, which is like giving The Dark Knight a 1, or any Prince album a 1, or the Lord of the Rings movies a 1, or Lost a 1.... well, you catch my drift- it's laughable.
Lastly... GO get this game. If you are a true PC gamer, this will be a staple in your library for years to come. If you're one of the younger jaded generation gamers, well... you're the one missing out, but I don't really feel sorry for you at all.
For fun- here's one of the highly useful and easy to use tools provided by EA for sharing your creations... take a glance at some of my first efforts (keeping in mind I've spent amazingly little time in creature, building and vehicle creation as I've wanted to experience as much gameplay as possible before slowing up for detailed design.)