Spore's big selling point is the creature creation; if anything, just messing around with a 7-legged stripped blue alligator should be well worth the price, I think.
 

The DS version focuses on creature creation. The phone version focuses on the cell stage. Both are vastly simplified stages from the full game.
 

I do like the underlying concept of Spore. Its sandbox-style, evolution-like, simulation gameplay has got SO much potential...

But alas, it's a massively single-player online game.

Imagine this title with simultaneous multiplayer gaming. With a shared persistent world. A true MMOG. With PvP, guilds and the whole shebang.

General PvP would be on a species vs. species level. But players could band together in 'ecosystems' (guilds), where the 'fitness' of the ecosystems would be determined by how well-rounded the different biological niches was filled out. Then you'd have guild vs. guild 'warfare', fighting over resources.

It'd be a balancing nightmare - but it would be a blast! :)
 

Spore reminds me so much of Black & White, which really wasn't a bad game but was overhyped so much. That made me expect too much from it and then become a bit disappointed when it wasn't all that.

Since then I've really tried not to care as much with upcoming games. Yes I still follow some games progress but take much of it with huge buckets of salt.

I think Spore will be a cool game but it will probably not be as good as the hype suggests.
 

I also just caught the news of the release date. I think the most exciting thing about Spore is that it could show how a game attached to a sandbox style creation engine could be a very popular thing. Maybe we'll see similar things in future MMOS.

Spore may pollinate player made content
 

I'm very eager to try this one... I too worry that its scope is too grand, but after creating so many of my favorite games, I give Will Wright the benefit of the doubt.
 

It does seem like the type of game that tries to do too many things and does them o.k., but I will also wait a bit to see how it sounds, try out any demos, etc., before getting it. It does seem that it would be interesting enough to get it even if it doesn't work perfectly.
 

Definitely going to try this one out though like you'se guys said, waaay too much hype even if it is stellar and it probably will be an A title at the least, considering how much time its been in development. The concept reminds me of EVE(the old one) that old enix evolution game for the super NES :)
 

I've never heard of any "collection of mini-games" that uses procedural generation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_generation)

That said, I've been praying for years that Spore will live up to the hype and be the awsome game I've been waiting for all this time. Almost can't believe it finally has a release date.
 

i have a feeling this is going to be a flop. its too hyped right now.