EA: Spore can be the new Sims

Thursday 10th July 2008 - 17:00

Videogames giant bets heavy on new Will Wright game, Sega announces new title and Lego Batman screens

The videogames publishing powerhouse that is EA reckons the new Spore game for PC and Nintendo DS could be as big as legendary franchise The Sims. As both titles are the work of the creative genius that is Will Wright, EA may have a point.

Activision today unveiled a new consumer initiative to expand the company's Wii portfolio this autumn. Dubbed "Wee 1ST", the brand highlights the company's games that were developed specifically with the Wii in mind.

"We anticipate Spore to have the same 'long tail' success as The Sims. Just like The Sims, Spore is going to be fuelled by user created content," declared Claire Ridley, EA?marketing manager for The Sims and Spore. "With the release of the Creature Creator and over one million creatures already created by players within the first week, it is clear to see how players are going to be constantly pushing the boundaries and populating the Spore universe with fresh content themselves," Ridley told MCV. She added:?"Plus, as a business, we at Electronic Arts are going to be able to deliver new content which further enriches players' gameplay and essentially fuels their appetite to play more."

Spore is available in September on PC and DS.

Meanwhile, Sega has just announced a brand new game from Creative Assembly, the team behind the Rome Total War games. Stormrise is a console-exclusive Real Time Strategy title designed specifically for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Experience the heat of the battlefield by leading your troops from the front line, instead of the traditional way of controlling the units from a detached view point. Stormrise also allows units to be commanded in the air, across rooftops, on the earth's surface and even underground, this unique idea of "verticality" introduces multiple layers of gameplay that must be mastered for strategic advantage. The experience is heightened by a simple yet effective control system tailored specifically for consoles, which allows easy unit selection, rapid navigation and precise deployment. Expect a mid 2009 release for this sci-fi strategy title.