Speaking to Eurogamer in a behind-closed-doors demo, Patrick Buechener, a Maxis executive, stated that Spore would be coming to other platforms. When asked when, he responded, "Not right now, but we see this as a franchise. It just won't be at launch."
Initial reactions to the playable demo have been very positive. Featuring five stages running through cellular development, land survival, tribal play, civilization, and finally space, the game takes players through the entire spectrum of developed life. The game features quite a high level of complexity, offering players the initial ability to customise their species through the use of DNA modifiers such as being an omnivore or a predator. If players are really creative (or cruel), they can even give their species such abilities as singing and dancing. Hey - it worked for the penguins, didn't it?
Once certain objectives have been met, players will advance to the next stage. Tribal play involves high-level real-time-strategy play, giving players the opportunity to extend their tribe's influence and control across the planet. Trade and skills development becomes core to success in this stage, as players lose the ability to modify DNA. Once sufficient technology and population size has been achieved, players then advance to the civilization stage, apparently modelled on being "Civilization-lite". While the first stage is designed to be completed in approximately half an hour, each subsequent stage should take approximately an hour and a half each. Assuming players want to advance, that is - if players simply wish to keep customising their race, they can.
While the space stage was not playable at Leipzig, it apparently extends the civilization stage to space, giving players the opportunity to colonise and conquer the universe. The game is apparently playable beginning to end, but requires significant polish. Given the various delays that have been announced, the announcement at least brings hope that we will eventually see Spore on shelves. Some day.
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