Sounds like some folks have it already. I have the Creature Creator, but I'm not sure if I should spend money on the full game - I have so many other games I haven't played yet.

Seanchai

Eurogamer gave it a 9/10.  Said really the only quibble is that the pre-Space stages are at times a little bit shallow to linger on too much.  They're one of the only reviewers I respect anymore besides Yahtzee, though they can be a bit verbose.

Really, I was gonna buy it anyway, but their review some how made me even more excited by it.

yeh it looks pretty fun to play and the creature creator is pretty addictive, hey if enough of us get into it we could set up some kinda rpgsite spore group or something

I'll back up J Arcane here. Pushing the difficulty up to hard did help out the pre-space stages. Otherwise it is a little bit of window dressing before the main event of the space game.

It's great. Get it.

I think I'll wait for the EDGE Magazine review, they tend to review games in the right context, i.e. a mature computer gamer who has seen most things before.

That said, I dont want a game that is going to take over my life. I found very little to enjoy about any of The Sims games or its derivatives, but I am big fan of the Sim City series.

One star on Amazon, huh? I have to say, the whole rootkit thing has me reconsidering whether or not to buy it...

Seanchai

Rootkit? No, it's not. People didn't complain about Mass Effects stupid DRM. At least the Spore one works. You get three installs, after that, phone EA. It's not exactly taxing now, is it? What about when Steam came out for HL2, people spat out their own lungs complaining about that. A few years down the line, they don't care.

People just like to feel they are crusading against something, that's why they've gone all out. It's a great game, get it.

Umm, actually, Rootkit, yes it is.  SecuROM uses a ring 0 driver, much like Sony's last big DRM fiasco, appropriate, since it's Sony developed software.  And plenty of people did indeed complain about Mass Effect, and Bioshock, both of which used the same scheme and even the 3 activation limit.

I do however think that much of the outrage is not only overblown, but the product of deliberate trolling on the part of groups like 4chan's /v/.

I also think the reviews are being dramatically overstated, and there's a severe lack of any one putting 2 and 2 together and realizing that the actual core of the "complaints" about the actual game is just that it's a lot of different styles and playmodes in one game, not all of which are going to be everyone's favorite.  Will Wright made a comment about how the responses they've been getting never seem to agree on which phase is "best" or "worst", and as such that pretty much was exactly what he expected.  The only exception to this is the Space phase somewhat, which does seem to be the standout, but I think that's honestly just a side effect of scale, it being simply bigger in terms of sheer area to explore than previous stages.  

Any "backlash" over the game is being ridiculously overstated on the whims of a lot of bitter, cynical, uncreative douchebags who can't deal with the game.

Quote from: Rob Lang;246269Rootkit? No, it's not.

To my understanding, Spore uses Sony's SecuROM. Sony got their ass handed to them in a few class action lawsuits for their rootkits.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SecuROM

Whether it's a rootkit per se or not is, really, a moot point for me.

Quote from: Rob Lang;246269People didn't complain about Mass Effects stupid DRM.

"In May 2008 EA announced that Mass Effect for the PC would be using SecuROM 7.x requiring a reactivation of the software every 10 days.[5] Due to a massive outpouring of complaints EA removed the 10-day activation while keeping SecuROM tied to the installation."

Quote from: Rob Lang;246269At least the Spore one works. You get three installs, after that, phone EA. It's not exactly taxing now, is it?

You're talking to a guy who used Yahoo Music. Before they shut their doors this month, they were kind enough to let me know that my licenses with them were going to stop working...

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080724-drm-still-sucks-yahoo-music-going-dark-taking-keys-with-it.html

As a guy who at least occasionally sells the fruits of his imagination, I understand the desire to protect one's IP. But DRM doesn't work. As I understand it, SecuROM-free copies of Spore are available right now via BitTorrent.

Seanchai

Quote from: J Arcane;246277I do however think that much of the outrage is not only overblown, but the product of deliberate trolling on the part of groups like 4chan's /v/.

Good. Overblown it may be, but if it gets a company to even hestitate a bit before using this sort of DRM, it'll have been worth it.

One thousand, seven hundred and ninety-five reviews for Spore on Amazon and it's still got just one star.

Seanchai

Quote from: J Arcane;246277Umm, actually, Rootkit, yes it is.  SecuROM uses a ring 0 driver...

Isn't all the modern SecurROM running as a service, in Ring 3?

Quote from: Seanchai;246284But DRM doesn't work. As I understand it, SecuROM-free copies of Spore are available right now via BitTorrent.

That is most certainly correct. It's a little complicated on the install procedure, but Reloaded already has one out.

QuoteIsn't all the modern SecurROM running as a service, in Ring 3?

Nope.  It PRETENDS to, by sticking a smokescreen process in Ring 3, but there's still a rootkit driver hiding behind all that that actually does the work.

Quote from: Seanchai;246289One thousand, seven hundred and ninety-five reviews for Spore on Amazon and it's still got just one star.

And how many from actual game owners and after the game was actually released?

I didn't buy Mass Effect, and I wont by Spore strictly because of the DRM. If EA somehow goes belly up, I don't want to be stuck with a $50 hole on my gameshelf.

I bought it, I should be able to play it without a hassle. I'm not a pirate though, so I'll just never play them.