Well, you've got about a year to wait, but Capcom has released a gameplay video for their upcoming title, Dragon's Dogma. The story is that this is going to be a game changer, and while I have very little to go on in the big picture, the clip looks pretty impressive as far as the fighting goes.

Check it out below, along with some images, and keep an eye out as we get closer to... next March.

Dragon’s Dogma® is an exciting new franchise which redefines the action genre from the team that produced some of Capcom’s greatest action games. Set in a huge open world, Dragon’s Dogma offers an exhilarating and fulfilling action combat game with the freedom to explore and interact in a rich, living and breathing world. Alongside your party of three, you set out to track down and destroy a mysterious dragon.

Your teammates fight independently of you, demonstrating prowess and ability they have developed based on traits learned over time from you and your actions. Dragon’s Dogma offers a near endless opportunity to help develop partner characters to fight alongside you. With an epic story and incredible action, Dragon’s Dogma is set to be one of Capcom’s newest hit franchises.

Key features

• Highly Stylized Action Combat – The creators of this game were responsible for the action hits – Resident Evil® 4 and Devil May Cry® 4.
• Fight With Ability – The soul of combat comes down to how the game is played, where you strike the enemy, and how you react to their attacks.
• Accessible Depth – Bringing an unprecedented level of depth to the action genre, every decision has an effect on gameplay in an intuitive way that does not require micromanagement. The weight of your weapon, the material of your armor – even the length of your legs – plays a role in how you fight your battles, but does not interrupt the flow of the action.
• Epic Adventure – Dragon’s Dogma is built from the ground up as an action experience for consoles with a continuous, epic storyline that stands alone in style, scope and substance.
• Open World – Utilizing Capcom’s proprietary MT Framework engine and the groundbreaking graphical styles and lighting effects used in Resident Evil® 5 and Lost Planet® 2, Dragon’s Dogma expands the environment to create a vast, richly detailed world, ripe for exploration.
• A Rich Population – In addition to interacting with hundreds of fully voiced NPCs, you’ll be able to fight a large variety of creatures, from goblins to griffins and dragons. Each enemy requires a different strategy and provides a unique experience.

Gameplay Video

RU?

© 2011, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

When I first played the original Fable, one of the things that hooked me was simply the fact that I was so willing to go along with a game that seemed to be trying to switch things up. Instead working a new story, and tweaking a few things along the way, onto the standard format we've all seen too many times to mention, Fable was clearly aiming at rebuilding the theory and seeing what they could come up with.

Perhaps not a perfect game, but it was a lot of fun, had a great story, and kept pulling you along rather brilliantly.

Fable II... well, not as much. It was still fun, and it built on the original concept, but it felt like a stereotypical sophomore release by a band whose first album you love, but has big suits cracking the whip to turn out the next one in 6 months. Frankly, I didn't even finish it.

Fable III has been getting a lot of press for quite a while, and it hasn't piqued my interest all that much. Hints and rumors about interesting features have fallen thus far on ears more deaf than should be the case. I loved the first game.

Not long ago, something finally made me take notice. It was a couple of quotes in an interview at gameinformer.com (which I can't find now, it might have been in the magazine). Basically, while talking about many of the game's features, creator Peter Molyneux talked about what went wrong with Fable II. I won't even bother to aim at details, but he expressed some unhappiness with how the story worked out and so on.

That fact alone, a rare bit of reflection in today's world, rekindled my interest in the game. Trying to find out what recent info there was on the game, I discovered that Lionhead had just launched a new pre-order incentive - a villager.

As odd as it may sound, that sort of cemented things for me.

I know.

No, I'm not dancing around, because, "Hooray! I get to create a villager that will show up in my game!" I mean, it's pretty cool, but it's something at least marginally deeper than that. There's something about the general thought process behind the idea that (just go with me) reveals to me that we're back to the fun and creativity that originally sold me.

Not that Fable II was a bad game by any stretch, but it didn't quite live up to the expectations. This time, I think we're in for a wild ride. Check it out.

The Fable III pre-order tool invites fans to design their own villager with over 2,000 possibilities; pre-order incentive includes bonus quest and gold fortune

Great heroes of the past and present all know one thing is true: the revolution starts with you. That’s why Microsoft and Lionhead Studios are giving fans the chance to get into the action now before “Fable III” launches in the U.S. on Oct. 26. With the all-new character creator tool, called the “Fable III” Villager Maker, fans who pre-order the game can create and bring their personalized villager to life. Your custom in-game villager will deliver to your hero a thrilling new quest and 1,000 gold fortune, and then continue to interact with you on your journey to become ruler of Albion.

The Villager Maker is available for everyone to access and experiment with at www.xbox.com/fable3. Fans can utilize the tool to create a male or female villager with more than 2,000 different variations, including an enthralling backstory for the character, unique personality traits, clothing, accent, hairstyles and the region they hail from. Whether you create a valiant ally, an evil villain, or perhaps the perfect spouse, let your imagination run free as you make your mark in the fantastical world of “Fable III.”

The fun doesn’t stop there. With the Villager Maker, you’ll be able to save your character as a desktop wallpaper and share your creation with your friends on Facebook and Twitter to see who has the coolest design. Anyone can start designing, but transporting the villager into “Fable III” is a reward given only to fans who pre-order the game at participating retailers. A redeemable code will be provided that allows players to bring their character creation to life in “Fable III” when the game launches.

“Fable III” sets the stage for an unparalleled action and adventure experience, in which you will be called upon to lead a rebellion and rise up as the new ruler of Albion. The choices and sacrifices you make while fanning the flames of revolution, and then as you rule as King or Queen, will lead to an ever evolving world of consequences that will be felt across your entire land. Witness all the action, drama and humor as you’re propelled into a rich and engaging story, featuring a unique cast of characters around you.

“Fable III” will be available in a Standard Edition ($59.99) and Limited Collector’s Edition ($79.99) for Xbox 360.The Limited Edition offers unique collectibles that true “Fable” fans won’t want to miss, including downloadable content that Windows gamers can also access. Wrapped up in the likeness of a book from “Fable III,” the contents include an exclusive quest, dog breed, outfit, playing cards, a Guild Seal Coin and more.

“Fable III” launches in the U.S. on Oct. 26 and is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

• Be the hero and forge your own destiny. Storytelling comes to life as “Fable III” puts you and your hero in the center of an epic journey that traces your rise from revolutionary to ruler and beyond, along with all the action, drama and humor. Interacting with the world of Albion has never been easier or more rewarding. The Expressions system offers an ingenious new Dynamic Touch feature that allows your hero to reach out and embrace a loved one, or exact retribution against those who have betrayed you. Your hero, your faithful canine companion and even your weapons now also evolve to extremes mirroring your morality and personal style of combat. The emotional connections players will develop in the world of “Fable III” will lead to some of the most memorable moments ever experienced in a game.

• Where blockbuster action meets adventure. Your journey spans from the streets of a thriving and industrialized Albion to the surrounding battlefields. The pioneering one-button combat system allows players to easily combine different styles in their arsenal – hand-to-hand melee attacks, long-range precision shooting and wickedly catastrophic spells – to advance the one-button combat mechanic to a full scale, thrilling level that offers infinite ways to engage, experiment and compete.

• Choice and consequence. A core tenet of the “Fable” franchise, players are presented with infinite choices and consequences that impact the world around them. Good or evil, loved or loathed, career versus family, or just you and your faithful canine companion – live the life you have always dreamed. More so than ever before, your choices lead to far more profound outcomes that impact your every being. Whether it’s deciding the outcome of minor squabbles or changing the direction of the entire kingdom, these key decisions will change the world forever.

RU?

© 2010, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

You know the world of gaming is moving into a new realm of achievement when you start liking games you don't like. Make sense?

Crackdown 2 is basically a shooter, but one with very open gameplay. You jump in as an Agent, trying to reclaim Pacific City from the effects of a virus that has turned much of the population into "Freaks," which is code for weird zombies. Unable to come out in the sunlight, night is a bad time to be around the city, but this gives the Agency an option for a supreme Freak-battling weapon.

The agency has a system in place for harnessing the sun's power, and pinpointing to the Freak lairs, and even the means to detonate a sort of Super Solar pulse, thus eliminating the Freaks once and for all. Unfortunately, there is a kind of rebellion at play in Pacific City. Known as Cell, this group of civilians is out to stop The Agency, and hinders their work at every turn. Your job is to reclaim whatever Cell has taken over, get the city back under Agency control, and wipe out Freaks.

Well, your job is really just to shoot at stuff. Sound fun?

Your focus is primarily on activating the beacons that make up this solar weaponry, but there are several other tasks to accomplish as well, though few of them are ultimately necessary.

Armed with a suit of armor, increasing ability to jump and run, and armed with a wide variety of weaponry and vehicles, the city is yours to explore. Climb to the top of buildings, and leap from rooftops to get around, or take a buggy with mounted machine gun for a ride, either way, you have a lot of city to cover.

What story there is comes to you by way of narration. Theoretically your handler, someone in the Agency is guiding you along the way, teaching how to use your abilities, and keeping you on track to one degree or another. Thus, while a somewhat interesting story, there isn't much story. You get the background, you have your objectives, you blow stuff up.

This isn't a game in quite the same group as things like Mass Effect 2, or Red Dead Redemption, and it isn't really trying to be. If you want a lot of story built in, try those games out, but if you want to throw shrapnel grenades, launch missiles, carry around gun turrets, and wreak untold amounts of general carnage, this is your game.

The question is only whether or not that's what you're looking for. If so, the controls, collectible power-ups, and complicated tasks are worth your time. The multi-player possibilities are very cool as well. You might find it a little tedious to search out those last few agility bonuses, because you can't reach a certain goal until you can jump higher, but overall things progress pretty smoothly.

The final verdict is that this probably won't really excite anyone, except as a multi-player offering. There are some games that make me wonder why they offer a non-multi-player experience, and this is one. The first few hours of play might be entertaining, but the game lacks the complexity to keep you interested on your own. As something to team up and deal out death, however, this one has some strong points.

If you're an action fanatic, you won't go wrong here. Otherwise, you won't last long before you wish there was more going on behind the explosions.

Complete freedom: A spectacular sandbox experience, Crackdown 2 is an explosive tour de force that invites you to explore, experiment, and navigate through objectives with complete freedom to do what you want, when you want. With unprecedented levels of open-ended gameplay in combat and story progression, Crackdown 2 redefines the sandbox style of play with a gripping narrative and more ways to engage in the explosive action than ever.

In a league of its own: With unparalleled cooperative action and multiplayer, the sandbox experience gets more exciting! Evolving the way open-world games are played, Crackdown 2 introduces never-before-seen multiplayer features that will take the genre to new heights. With the ultimate four-player co-op mode, 16-player multiplayer experiences, and an all-new party system, Crackdown 2 ushers in the most exciting open-world experience ever, offering unlimited ways to play and share Pacific City with friends around the world. Engage in dynamic competitive and cooperative multiplayer for double the carnage, action and intensity, only made possible on Xbox LIVE.

Sky's the limit: Serving justice, by any means necessary, Crackdown 2 continues the over-the-top action with ever-expanding skills, more dangerous enemies, and no safe zones. Strategies and tactics will be even more inventive with new weapons and agent skills that grant the abilities to scale buildings, orchestrate massive explosions, and engage in bone-crushing combat with obliterating force. Hit the road, take to the sky or explore underground -- the experience is limited only by your imagination. Whether chasing down enemies on rooftops or dropping from sky-high to ground zero in a matter of seconds, Crackdown 2 is the perfect adrenaline rush for action fanatics.

Sprawling environment: The sprawling metropolis that was once Pacific City is now divided between the Agency, the Cell and the Freaks in a contentious battle between order and anarchy. Divided and expanded with new environments in every direction, the city has never been more perilous. From the rooftops to the sewers, utilize their surroundings to the fullest to take back Pacific City.

RU?

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© 2010, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

If you're familiar with online, multi-user games such as World of Warcraft, Wizard 101 is a lot easier to explain.  It's like that, only aimed at a younger crowd... and everyone is a wizard.  The main page of Wizard 101 is here, and you can watch several videos at their site here.

The game is specifically designed for the gap between games for the very young and those that are too mature in theme.  It's ESRB rated at 10+.

Upon entering the world, players create their characters, and are given a school of magic (fire, earth, etc.) based on answers to a series of questions.  Players then begin their quest as new students at Ravenwood school of magic.  Along the way you learn new spells, solve puzzles, collect artifacts, adopt pets, and much more.

Features include:

Extensive magical 3D world where players team up with friends and carry out quests to save Wizard City from the forces of Evil.

Collectible card-style duels that come to cinematic life as players cast spells alongside fellow and rival students.

More than 101 collectible spells that summon zany creatures such as Humongofrog, Evil Snowman and Stormzilla.

Seven different schools of magic, each with its own unique style and spells.

Many witty scenarios and characters based on history, mythology and pop culture.

The ability to adopt magical pets, like a tiny dragon or a flying pig.

Puzzles and mini-games that challenge players.

New outfits and accessories to earn or purchase for endlessly customizable Wizard avatars.

The gameplay is really fun, and the quests carrying advenurers along through interesting storylines (and I have eight year-old confirmation on that).  The people behind the game have put together a great combination of options to work with the families entering their world.  Part of the fun of such a game is the interaction with other players, but at this age-range, that's potentially a lot of the problem as well.  Parents have easy access to controlling the experience through filters that can limit what will be seen in the game.  From free chat to conversations via only selected responses, parents are in charge of what their kids will see in the game.

Another great way Wizard 101 has families in mind is with the payment options.  The game has a perpetual free trial to start things off.  You can play forever without ever handing over even payment information, and you can get more out of that than you expect.  Instead of payment for time, the game works on a payment for "area" theory.  The full game payment option is $9.95 per month, which opens everything in the game.  There are options there too though, with discounts if you buy a full year, or if you are buying a second account so two people in the family can play together (which is really cool, by the way).

But, Wizard 101 takes things up a notch with another option that I find brilliant.  You also have the option to pay-as-you-go and unlock areas one at a time.  For as little as $1 (and up to not that much more) you can unlock an area, and that area will stay open to you forever.  Take your time exploring that area as much as you want without having to pay more until you're ready.  This theory opens a lot of possibility for a family-friendly awareness of a game.  Do a certain number of chores, earn a new area.

It's a very fun treatment, and the battle system is filled with cinematic treats.  It's also tuned in wonderfully to a mix that is fun for the age-range, but avoids actual violence to the greatest degree possible.  The option to play together is great, and the in-game system for joining other in fights is built to work well while maintaining an easy of play that will keep younger players from getting frustrated.

I recommend the game, and it costs you nothing to check it out... ever.

Are You Screening?

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© 2009, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

One of the titles I got to check out at the EA Sports Season Opener, EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis is one of the best games I've ever played on the Wii.  I know a lot of people who really like the tennis game that comes with the Wii, and this game takes that ease of play, and turns things up about ten notches.

To start, it really is an amazingly simple game to jump into and get going.  If you can swing your arm in the general motion of swinging a racket, you can have fun with this.  But, it's also so much more.  It's one of the first games to take advantage of the new Wii Motion Plus, which delivers a new level of accuracy in your motions.  You don't have to use the Motion Plus, and the game is perfectly playable without it, but it adds even greater control.  Because the game is using the Wii remote, and really taking advantage of it, you have a variety of shots, and the ball really is going to travel just where you put it.

There are a lot of firsts in this game too.  You can create a player, or play as one of several pros, including John McEnroe, and it's the first time he's been in a game.  When you create a player, you can go through a career mode, and earn your way through the ranks to the Grand Slam events, including Wimbledon, and that's a first as well.  As you're going through the career, you can complete certain challenges which will build up the stats of your player, as you get ready to take on the very best.

Also showing up on this one is a party play mode where you can get several people involved in twelve different games.  Whether you're going it alone through the career, playing head-to-head against a friend, or turning things up with party games, there's an option for every mood.

This one is completely addicting from the moment you pick it up, and with the career mode, building up your player, and variety of other games, it has a lot to keep you hooked.  At the Season Opener, you were not getting people away from this one.

It is, however, the kind of game that doesn't benefit all that much from simply throwing more explanation at it.  You've got to take a look.  So, here are a couple videos showcasing the game.  Also, be sure to visit EA's homepage for the game here.

I really encourage you to watch this next one.  This is Thomas Singleton, producer, walking you through several aspects of the game.  He was at the Season Opener, and if he had five minutes with you, he could sell it to anyone.  He is, however, uncharacteristically calm in this video.

Are You Screening?

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• First Peek At EA's Grand Slam Tennis For Wii [EA Sports] (kotaku.com)

© 2009, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

Update! - Also check out my new post on EA Sports Active, and win your very own copy, contest ends June 1st, so don't miss out!

On May 19th, EA Sports Active will be hitting the shelves, and the home fitness theory that launched with the Wii Fit may finally have a real champion.

EA Sports Active's biggest plus may be the variety built into it.  It comes with a special resistance band with handles so that it is easier to hold with your Wii remote and nunchuk.  It also comes with a leg strap which has a kind of "nunchuk holster" so that your lower body movement can be tracked.  It also works with the Wii Fit Balance Board for many of the activities.

That opens the door to a lot possibilities already, and a lot of cross-training, and that's without mentioning the personal trainer.  Set out on the 30 Day Challenge, and your trainer will create new workouts for you which are tailored to your progress and goals.  You move through your exercises with your trainer offering up instruction and motivation, and each exercise has a video introduction which shows you how to perform the movements properly.

When not going through the 30 day mode, you can select the individual exercises, pre-designed workouts which are put together by duration and focus (upper, lower, cardio, combo), or create your own workout by putting together the exercises you choose.  

The main draw, I think, is that the variety of exercises and activities make the experience fun.  The squats and lunge jumps might not exactly be a joy, but when you move on in your routine to inline skating, dance, tennis, batting, and several others, things never get boring.

I got a chance to try the game out last week at EA Sports HQ in Redwood City, CA (and at their Season Opener), and what was immediately most impressive to me were the ease of use, and the advancement in activities.  Now that you have the nunchuk in the leg strap, you get realtime feedback on how your whole body is positioned.  The little "you" on the screen moves along with you, and if your arms aren't in the right position, or you aren't squatting enough, you see it on the screen.  This allows for a pretty serious upgrade from some of the "games" on Wii Fit.  The idea now becomes a question of what physical movements can you do with a "game" excuse to them.  Thus, we get activities like inline skating, which is basically a squat and jump exercise.  Physically you feel like your exercising, but psychologically you don't.

What makes EA Sports Active a real winner for me is the combination of variety, fun, and Balance Board functionality. While the Balance Board isn't necessary at all (and I didn't get to try it out), the additional possibility is a big plus.  A big test of this combination, especially the fun, was seen at the EA Season Opener when Lauren Bernat (yes - Wii Fit girl) demonstrated EA Sports Active over and over.

That's her.

As the day wore on, I watched her box, inline skate, and do all manner of exercises.  Then I watched the hardcore gaming press take a shot at it.  It was clearly fun, definitely exercise, and most importantly it was fun all day long.

EA Sports Active gives you control over your workout that you might not expect, while also giving you the 30 Day Challenge option which optimizes your efforts for your goals.  It's fun and challenging, and you really never have to have the same workout twice.

Here are a slew of pics and a video-

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© 2009, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

I have to confess to actually being a pretty big fan of those super simple games that come with the Wii.  The boxing is not bad, and I've looked for a "bigger" version.  For me, the full boxing games thus far are just a bit too serious.  I don't actually have a lot of interest in having to really get good at a boxing game.

Ready 2 Rumble Revolution looks like a pretty good solution.  I've only taken a look at the sneak peek so far, but it looks a lot more along the lines of simple fun, and it's being billed as a party game.  On the other hand, it apparently has 8 modes of play, so it should have something for everyone.

It has 18 characters, all apparently based on celebrities from sports, movies, and music, and includes all manner of supermoves and five ring environments.  I'm not sure at this point if those who are looking for a serious boxing game are going to find what they want here, but it definitely looks like a good time.

For now, you definitely want to check out the preview below.

Are You Screening?

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© 2009, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

I'm not your guy for taking sides on politics (here), but now there's a screen, and I've seen everything.

ISeeTech.com first got me onto this story, and you can check out more images in their article.

One minute ago this MSNBC report on it was put up on YouTube.com

Is Obama the new Coke?  Is there nowhere I won't have to look at him?

I'm not even taking a stand for or against him, but come on.  Whoever I want to vote for, I don't want little bobbleheads of my presidential candidates showing up in my Happy Meal.  Fine, my kids' Happy Meals.

So, here it is.  Campaign ads are going to be slapped into, repotedly, 18 video games, including several sports releases, and Guitar Hero World Tour.  Is this like the new math, or something?  Are presidential candidates brands for God's sake?  Do I vote, or buy the T-shirt?  Is there going to be a new Palin Helicopter Hunt ride at Disney?  Are they all voicing characters in the next feature-length cartoon movie, or are they the movie?

Is there no line in this thing?  Is there no point at which you've pimped yourself out too much to be taken seriously?  It's one thing to become associated with Jelly Belly or McDonald's, but are we going to have the official candy bar of a candidate, or the official candidate of a candy bar?

Are You Screening?

© 2008, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.

Spore has finally hit the marketplace, and it looks like it is on the way to becoming just the sort of massive explosion predicted.  Looking for a way to branch out from the Sims franchise, which has sucked people in for years, and never seems to stop releasing add-ons, EA has moved away from mere people and created something like a life-in-general sim.

You start Spore as a mere cell thrust forth onto a welcoming planet by a passing comet, and the adventure begins as you try to wrestle your way up the food chain.  You swim about, eat, and try to grow your way into the Creature stage of the game.  From there you either try to get along with your neighbors who also step forth from the primordial ooze, or try to wipe their species out.  In either case, you earn DNA points which allow you to further move up the food chain by reinventing your creature with new parts you acquire.

You may choose stronger jaws, claws, or poison spitters if you’re looking to eat your way to the top; or you may choose a better singing voice, dancing feet, or twinkling light spots if you choose to be friendly and weak.

Everything about your creature can be customized to meet your whim, and there is no look too outlandish for your particular climb through sentience.

Once you grow a bit more, you are ready to advance to the Tribe stage, where you must design buildings, and get your creatures the tools needed for survival.  Then you’re on to Civilization, where cities are grown, resources are collected, and you get to put your creativity toward the car, boat, and plane of your dreams.  Ally with other cities, or convert or destroy them. 

When you master civilization, and rule your home world, it’s time to jump into outer space and visit other planets.  Start trade routes, seek out unique resources from other worlds, or just blow everyone up.

Along the way, the choices you make lead to classifications of your species (Predator, Hostile, etc.), which lead to bonuses specific to those classifications.  The hostile have attack bonuses, the peaceful can make anyone their friend.

So far, the game is brilliant.  I do have to admit that I have only tipped the iceberg of the Space stage, which is when the game really takes off and offers up untold possibilities, and apparently fairly endless playability.  Each stage is really taking a step into an entirely new game, which is perhaps good and bad.  For instance, once you step out into tribe mode, it doesn’t really seem to matter how much investment you’ve put into the greatest ever claws and tail spikes.  Once you get into Civilization stage it really doesn’t matter what you look like at all.

As I say, that can go either way, but it can be a bit of letdown when you have four mouths and spikes all over you, but it doesn’t matter because that other guy has bigger guns on his plane.

Nevertheless, it’s a very fun, quick-moving game.  Depending on who you ask, The Sims can really drag, and you can sit there for a quite a while without much in the realm of tangible improvement.  That is not at all the case with Spore.  You can zip through the first three stages in less than an hour if you’re trying, but it is equally fun to take your time with them and explore it up for a while.

My 7-year-old has played it a bit, and though I wouldn’t say he can really master it, he can play it without getting too frustrated (he has a frustration hair-trigger), but he loves to sit and design creatures, buildings, and vehicles.  It’s really managed playability for a wide range of ages.

A popular question here, and for this kind of game, is whether or not it will actually hold the popularity that will make it playable long-term (thus maximizing the investment).  Is it going to be the next Sims, and have updates and add-ons for months, if not years?

That’s obviously a tricky question.  I had the game up at about 1:00 pm on the day of release, and there were already thousands of uploads from players to the website.  Another feature of the game is that if you play while connected to the internet (and you log in, and choose to activate this), your world/s may be populated by creatures other Spore players have designed.  So, it has DayOne popularity, but will it last?  I think it is going to depend on just how much can happen in Space mode, and how much people become interested in starting new games.

There is obviously unlimited replay potential.  You can start designing an entirely new creature, and take a new approach to life.  Are people actually going to do that... after the first couple of trips through life?  Can you play in Space stage, and continually meet new creatures on new planets?

I have no idea.  But, I didn't think the Sims would really last either.

Here's a video from the creators that shows and explains the Space stage-

It’s massive and addicting, and I definitely recommend it.  I'm hesitant to say that it's going to take over the world, but it's very fun and worth playing.

And, for the benefit of those who are interested in such things, there are apparently a wide range of cheats available.

The one problem I will note is that (for adults) the Easy mode of play is really like a whole game tutorial.  It’s incredibly easy.

Are You Screening?

© 2008, Are You Screening?. All rights reserved. Reprinting without express permission of the author is prohibited.