Same. Most pirated game or not, I bet this is selling like hotcakes. A success all around.
Face it, the reason we don't like the game is because we are not the target audience. The target audience doesn't know what DRM is, and they aren't looking for a deep, involved game. The TARGET audience has probably never even heard of the pirate bay.
<!--quoteo(post=1688352:date=Sep 18 2008, 01:40 PM:name=Quaunaut)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Quaunaut @ Sep 18 2008, 01:40 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1688352"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I wonder what the modability of this is. If its good...the first realism mod for the Cell/Creature phase could be amazing.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> I read some posts from the guy who made the <a href="http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=926714&topic=45408739" target="_blank">Attack Reducer Mod</a> mod, and I got the impression that the game isn't very easy to mod. <!--QuoteBegin-"Duthos"+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE("Duthos")</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->And this game is VERY stubborn about being modded, there is at least one person having problems with this version.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
But I guess it can be done, to a degree. For example, he hasn't been able to find what determines the amount of attacks from enemy empires, but he has been able to change how often pirates attack or planets get eco disasters.
[edit]
A post <a href="http://www.cheathappens.com/show_board2.asp?headID=72029&titleID=12378&onPage=4" target="_blank">here</a> says that:
<!--QuoteBegin-"Duthos"+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE("Duthos")</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->My mod has been obsoleted by rick/gribbed on gamefaqs. Here is a link to his mod.
spore.vg/mods/spaceisfunhack.package
It uses similar times as my medium package, and he also increased the possible number of artifacts on planets to eight (which seems kinda like cheating to me, meh)
His file format is far superior, needing only to be copied into the spore/data folder and it WILL work with existing saves.
...
I should have mentioned this, Rick's mod works on UFO attacks as well. Whereas mine didn't.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I also heard that an official patch will 'fix' the constant attacks/disasters. But I guess you'll have to wait at least a year for an EA patch <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
<!--quoteo(post=1688348:date=Sep 18 2008, 08:06 AM:name=Scythe)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Scythe @ Sep 18 2008, 08:06 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1688348"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Do they? Really? I'd be super surprised if it's not selling it's goddamned pants off.
--Scythe--<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Been on top of the weekly sales chart twice according to the local newspaper, so it must be doing fairly well.
Personally I'd want the abilities and parts of the creature stage separated, so for example a claw part will enable you to use Hit (or whatever it's called in English), but you have to purchase the higher levels of power separately. And the procedural walking thing added back in, so you have to be a good leg designer to get higher speeds. Also nests with a single individual rather than always having a clump of creatures.
remiremedy [blu.knight]Join Date: 2003-11-18Member: 23112Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester
edited September 2008
<!--quoteo(post=1688362:date=Sep 18 2008, 10:37 AM:name=Align)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Align @ Sep 18 2008, 10:37 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1688362"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Been on top of the weekly sales chart twice according to the local newspaper, so it must be doing fairly well.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> I think part of all of our attitude towards this game is this very fact. It's not what we were "promised" in that trailer, it's only a marginally good (at best) game, yet it's selling like crazy because of all the hype and the gamers that can't tell a good game from a bad one. So many gamers were hoping this would actually live up to what they were telling us all before, that it would be extremely innovative and a completely new game. Instead they dumbed it down to a game which as Yahtzee says, "is a nice art package" with a bunch of bad executions of other games and a schizophrenic feel.
In another podcast Yahtzee and two other guys were talking, and one of them (not yahtzee) said that he was late or something because he had been playing spore and lost track of time "Which is the last good thing you'll hear about this game".
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Personally I'd want the abilities and parts of the creature stage separated, so for example a claw part will enable you to use Hit (or whatever it's called in English), but you have to purchase the higher levels of power separately. And the procedural walking thing added back in, so you have to be a good leg designer to get higher speeds. Also nests with a single individual rather than always having a clump of creatures.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So you mean that you want the parts to just be for visual customization and enabling a power, and then after you have a claw or a mouth you can upgrade the power separately... so..
Buy Claw > Buy Strike ++ > Buy Strike ++ > Buy Strike ++ = Level 4 Strike with any Claw you want.
Yeah, think that's about it. Though there're a few other parts that also enable Strike.
Anyway, patch 1.01 just came out. Nothing major, but they have listened to feedback - notably, space stage interruptions are less frequent on normal and easy, and there should be more hot-high atmosphere planets.
moultanoCreator of ns_shiva.Join Date: 2002-12-14Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
<!--quoteo(post=1688399:date=Sep 18 2008, 03:50 PM:name=Align)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Align @ Sep 18 2008, 03:50 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1688399"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Yeah, think that's about it. Though there're a few other parts that also enable Strike. Anyway, patch 1.01 just came out. Nothing major, but they have listened to feedback - notably, space stage interruptions are less frequent on normal and easy, and there should be more hot-high atmosphere planets.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> I've been trying to get the patch for a little bit now, and I have no idea how to get the ea download manager to download it.
ThansalThe New ScumJoin Date: 2002-08-22Member: 1215Members, Constellation
<!--quoteo(post=1688447:date=Sep 19 2008, 11:46 AM:name=moultano)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(moultano @ Sep 19 2008, 11:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1688447"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I've been trying to get the patch for a little bit now, and I have no idea how to get the ea download manager to download it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> <a href="http://www.fileplanet.com/191294/190000/fileinfo/Spore---Patch-v1.01" target="_blank">http://www.fileplanet.com/191294/190000/fi...e---Patch-v1.01</a>
remiremedy [blu.knight]Join Date: 2003-11-18Member: 23112Members, Super Administrators, Forum Admins, NS2 Developer, NS2 Playtester
<!--quoteo(post=1688447:date=Sep 19 2008, 11:46 AM:name=moultano)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(moultano @ Sep 19 2008, 11:46 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1688447"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I've been trying to get the patch for a little bit now, and I have no idea how to get the ea download manager to download it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> pirates don't have the download manager. Maybe that's your problem.
NeonSpyder"Das est NTLDR?"Join Date: 2003-07-03Member: 17913Members
Let me know when they release a patch that makes it fun. Then I will be able to put down my beloved fallout 2 and give spore a chance to redeem itself.
moultanoCreator of ns_shiva.Join Date: 2002-12-14Member: 10806Members, NS1 Playtester, Contributor, Constellation, NS2 Playtester, Squad Five Blue, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Gold, NS2 Community Developer, Pistachionauts
<!--quoteo(post=1688458:date=Sep 19 2008, 12:51 PM:name=Psyke)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Psyke @ Sep 19 2008, 12:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1688458"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->pirates don't have the download manager. Maybe that's your problem.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> ###### you. I've never pirated a game in my life.
<!--quoteo(post=1688458:date=Sep 19 2008, 07:51 PM:name=Psyke)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Psyke @ Sep 19 2008, 07:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1688458"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->pirates don't have the download manager. Maybe that's your problem.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Noone else does either. I got it from fileplanet too.
NeonSpyder"Das est NTLDR?"Join Date: 2003-07-03Member: 17913Members
Just to toss my two cents into the ring here... The EA download manager is a pile of ass and failure. Of the (admittedly few) EA games I have bought the download manager has only ONCE ever worked properly and downloaded the patch I needed after fiddling with the thing for a few hours. Every other time I had to download the patch(s) manually from fileplanet or a similar source.
They should just burn the download manager program as well as the computer it was compiled on in addition to the damned soul(s) who developed it. They should be burnt too, and maybe the water cooler they used should be roughed up a little.
NeonSpyder"Das est NTLDR?"Join Date: 2003-07-03Member: 17913Members
While on the subject, I should note that they have already released their first money-gra-, I mean, expansion pack for Spore. It's called uh... "Creepy and Cute" and for I think $19.95 you can add a handful of 'cutesy' or 'scary' monster bits to your game.
locallyunsceneFeeder of TrollsJoin Date: 2002-12-25Member: 11528Members, Constellation
<!--quoteo(post=1691659:date=Oct 28 2008, 06:09 PM:name=Align)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Align @ Oct 28 2008, 06:09 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1691659"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><a href="http://forum.spore.com/jforum/posts/list/8555.page" target="_blank">Chris Hecker led team to make Spore "cute"</a> I want to punch someone.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> That explains a LOT. My tl;dr version
Guy decided the game needed to be dumbed down, so the reason for the delay was they needed a year to rip out pieces of the game. This is why big companies like EA fail, they let the cooperate speak get in the way of the actual game.
DID they fail, though? Did the game? I'm asking, I don't know. I thought it was boring and below expectations (though frankly there was a lot of hype to live up to), but who says my opinion matters? We're not the target audience. Maybe we were part of it, years ago. But not now. I doubt there are many The Sims players here, and that's one of the most successful gaming franchises ever. For all I know, Spore could be a huge success outside the communities I frequent.
I got rather bored when I got to the last stage and very angry to find out you couldn't finish off the game and wipe out the evil groth (or what ever they are called) so I've not played it in a long time just got repetitive in the end really.
This is EA. I'm sure we'll see all the removed content being released periodically at $40 a pop.
"Spore: Underwater!" $40.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> I was thinking that too, but I realized that Spore doesn't really lend itself to expansion packs, as strange as that may seem being that its an EA game. I mean, the space part of the game is sadly the only part that is actually complete. Its not particularly amazing, but there isn't much to add to it. From there, expansions can only really add to the other stages, and I just find it hard to imagine anyone would consider the possibility that a $40 expansion allowing you to play the creature stage underwater is actually a good idea. $40 for a slightly different version of a stage that is intended to be completed in 30-60 minutes really wouldn't sell. I mean, a good number of people would spend more time going to the store and buying the damn thing than they'd actually get out of it. The only way an expansion would work was if it were all encompassing and made the game into everything we were told it would be in the first place, and this is EA we're talking about, that wouldn't be an expansion, that would be the third game in the series. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hah!
Bow down to my cynical knowledge of <a href="http://www.play.com/Games/PC/4-/7797004/Spore-Cute-Creepy-Parts-Pack/Product.html" target="_blank">EA business practices!</a>
<!--quoteo(post=1692327:date=Nov 4 2008, 04:54 AM:name=Abra)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Abra @ Nov 4 2008, 04:54 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1692327"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->###### ###### balls. I'm so disappointed with you EA.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Honestly. I hate being right.
<!--quoteo(post=1692290:date=Nov 4 2008, 02:20 AM:name=eediot)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eediot @ Nov 4 2008, 02:20 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1692290"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Spore was so terrible I think they have to recoup the losses from poor sales by tricking people with gimmick expansion packs. People are already used to it from the sims so why not?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Not that I disagree with your opinion, but I think it's quite possible that we are mistaken about Spore's success. I still haven't seen any sales figures.
<!--quoteo(post=1692327:date=Nov 4 2008, 12:54 PM:name=Abra)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Abra @ Nov 4 2008, 12:54 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1692327"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->###### ###### balls. I'm so disappointed with you EA.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> You should know better by now.
I think it was only a rumor that EA was going to use a system that ties all your EA games to you (EA) forum account. That way if you get banned from the EA forums, you won't be able to play any of the games. So even though it's just a made-up story, I wouldn't have been at all surprised if they actually did that.
locallyunsceneFeeder of TrollsJoin Date: 2002-12-25Member: 11528Members, Constellation
<!--quoteo(post=1692345:date=Nov 4 2008, 08:32 AM:name=lolfighter)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lolfighter @ Nov 4 2008, 08:32 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1692345"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Not that I disagree with your opinion, but I think it's quite possible that we are mistaken about Spore's success. I still haven't seen any sales figures.
If anybody has any, DO TELL.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> They probably made enough money on it. Enough people were going to buy it on hype alone that there was never much doubt about that. It's a failure from the business perspective because they lose credibility with the consumers. Before Spore I would have said EA is a megalomaniacal company that can make good games(as well as lots of crappy ones). Now that the rot of ideas and customer disdain has spread outward from the core(NFL MADDEN 2010 EXTREME) to the fruit(Spore) I'm going to have hesitation about picking up ANY EA title.
That's not QUITE what I meant. The thing is, I don't think we're the target demographic, and the target demographic (which is probably more like the Sims crowd) might be lapping this up for all we know.
locallyunsceneFeeder of TrollsJoin Date: 2002-12-25Member: 11528Members, Constellation
<!--quoteo(post=1692378:date=Nov 4 2008, 01:48 PM:name=lolfighter)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lolfighter @ Nov 4 2008, 01:48 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1692378"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->That's not QUITE what I meant. The thing is, I don't think we're the target demographic, and the target demographic (which is probably more like the Sims crowd) might be lapping this up for all we know.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Okay, well AFAIK that hasn't happened yet. The Sims was well received critically even if it was targeted casually. There was a lot of positive buzz about it in a lot of different places. I'm not getting that with spore. Maybe it's doing well with the "casual group that keeps to themselves" but I feel like that group has been successfully co opted by Nintendo.
Comments
Face it, the reason we don't like the game is because we are not the target audience. The target audience doesn't know what DRM is, and they aren't looking for a deep, involved game. The TARGET audience has probably never even heard of the pirate bay.
I read some posts from the guy who made the <a href="http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=926714&topic=45408739" target="_blank">Attack Reducer Mod</a> mod, and I got the impression that the game isn't very easy to mod.
<!--QuoteBegin-"Duthos"+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE("Duthos")</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->And this game is VERY stubborn about being modded, there is at least one person having problems with this version.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
But I guess it can be done, to a degree. For example, he hasn't been able to find what determines the amount of attacks from enemy empires, but he has been able to change how often pirates attack or planets get eco disasters.
[edit]
A post <a href="http://www.cheathappens.com/show_board2.asp?headID=72029&titleID=12378&onPage=4" target="_blank">here</a> says that:
<!--QuoteBegin-"Duthos"+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE("Duthos")</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin-->My mod has been obsoleted by rick/gribbed on gamefaqs. Here is a link to his mod.
spore.vg/mods/spaceisfunhack.package
It uses similar times as my medium package, and he also increased the possible number of artifacts on planets to eight (which seems kinda like cheating to me, meh)
His file format is far superior, needing only to be copied into the spore/data folder and it WILL work with existing saves.
...
I should have mentioned this, Rick's mod works on UFO attacks as well. Whereas mine didn't.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I also heard that an official patch will 'fix' the constant attacks/disasters. But I guess you'll have to wait at least a year for an EA patch <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
--Scythe--<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Been on top of the weekly sales chart twice according to the local newspaper, so it must be doing fairly well.
Personally I'd want the abilities and parts of the creature stage separated, so for example a claw part will enable you to use Hit (or whatever it's called in English), but you have to purchase the higher levels of power separately.
And the procedural walking thing added back in, so you have to be a good leg designer to get higher speeds.
Also nests with a single individual rather than always having a clump of creatures.
I think part of all of our attitude towards this game is this very fact. It's not what we were "promised" in that trailer, it's only a marginally good (at best) game, yet it's selling like crazy because of all the hype and the gamers that can't tell a good game from a bad one.
So many gamers were hoping this would actually live up to what they were telling us all before, that it would be extremely innovative and a completely new game. Instead they dumbed it down to a game which as Yahtzee says, "is a nice art package" with a bunch of bad executions of other games and a schizophrenic feel.
In another podcast Yahtzee and two other guys were talking, and one of them (not yahtzee) said that he was late or something because he had been playing spore and lost track of time "Which is the last good thing you'll hear about this game".
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Personally I'd want the abilities and parts of the creature stage separated, so for example a claw part will enable you to use Hit (or whatever it's called in English), but you have to purchase the higher levels of power separately.
And the procedural walking thing added back in, so you have to be a good leg designer to get higher speeds.
Also nests with a single individual rather than always having a clump of creatures.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
So you mean that you want the parts to just be for visual customization and enabling a power, and then after you have a claw or a mouth you can upgrade the power separately... so..
Buy Claw > Buy Strike ++ > Buy Strike ++ > Buy Strike ++
= Level 4 Strike with any Claw you want.
Is that what you mean?
Anyway, patch 1.01 just came out. Nothing major, but they have listened to feedback - notably, space stage interruptions are less frequent on normal and easy, and there should be more hot-high atmosphere planets.
Anyway, patch 1.01 just came out. Nothing major, but they have listened to feedback - notably, space stage interruptions are less frequent on normal and easy, and there should be more hot-high atmosphere planets.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I've been trying to get the patch for a little bit now, and I have no idea how to get the ea download manager to download it.
<a href="http://www.fileplanet.com/191294/190000/fileinfo/Spore---Patch-v1.01" target="_blank">http://www.fileplanet.com/191294/190000/fi...e---Patch-v1.01</a>
pirates don't have the download manager. Maybe that's your problem.
arr, avast!
###### you. I've never pirated a game in my life.
I got it from fileplanet too.
They should just burn the download manager program as well as the computer it was compiled on in addition to the damned soul(s) who developed it. They should be burnt too, and maybe the water cooler they used should be roughed up a little.
I want to punch someone.
Boy, that sure didn't take them long.
I want to punch someone.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That explains a LOT. My tl;dr version
Guy decided the game needed to be dumbed down, so the reason for the delay was they needed a year to rip out pieces of the game. This is why big companies like EA fail, they let the cooperate speak get in the way of the actual game.
People, people....
This is EA. I'm sure we'll see all the removed content being released periodically at $40 a pop.
"Spore: Underwater!" $40.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I was thinking that too, but I realized that Spore doesn't really lend itself to expansion packs, as strange as that may seem being that its an EA game.
I mean, the space part of the game is sadly the only part that is actually complete. Its not particularly amazing, but there isn't much to add to it. From there, expansions can only really add to the other stages, and I just find it hard to imagine anyone would consider the possibility that a $40 expansion allowing you to play the creature stage underwater is actually a good idea. $40 for a slightly different version of a stage that is intended to be completed in 30-60 minutes really wouldn't sell. I mean, a good number of people would spend more time going to the store and buying the damn thing than they'd actually get out of it.
The only way an expansion would work was if it were all encompassing and made the game into everything we were told it would be in the first place, and this is EA we're talking about, that wouldn't be an expansion, that would be the third game in the series.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hah!
Bow down to my cynical knowledge of <a href="http://www.play.com/Games/PC/4-/7797004/Spore-Cute-Creepy-Parts-Pack/Product.html" target="_blank">EA business practices!</a>
Also, god damn it, EA. Just.... just god damn it.
<img src="http://images.play.com/covers/7797004x.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Honestly. I hate being right.
Not that I disagree with your opinion, but I think it's quite possible that we are mistaken about Spore's success. I still haven't seen any sales figures.
If anybody has any, DO TELL.
You should know better by now.
I think it was only a rumor that EA was going to use a system that ties all your EA games to you (EA) forum account. That way if you get banned from the EA forums, you won't be able to play any of the games. So even though it's just a made-up story, I wouldn't have been at all surprised if they actually did that.
If anybody has any, DO TELL.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
They probably made enough money on it. Enough people were going to buy it on hype alone that there was never much doubt about that. It's a failure from the business perspective because they lose credibility with the consumers. Before Spore I would have said EA is a megalomaniacal company that can make good games(as well as lots of crappy ones). Now that the rot of ideas and customer disdain has spread outward from the core(NFL MADDEN 2010 EXTREME) to the fruit(Spore) I'm going to have hesitation about picking up ANY EA title.
Okay, well AFAIK that hasn't happened yet. The Sims was well received critically even if it was targeted casually. There was a lot of positive buzz about it in a lot of different places. I'm not getting that with spore. Maybe it's doing well with the "casual group that keeps to themselves" but I feel like that group has been successfully co opted by Nintendo.