Electronic Arts Inc. is set to release one of the most highly anticipated video games ever: Spore. Spore is the brainchild of videogame designer extraordinaire Will Wright, and has been in production since 2005. Electronic Arts is betting big on the game, which is described as a completely original concept in video gaming that includes robust social networking features, and the ability to create virtual universes from the amoeba level up.
The company is most famous for their series of sports games, such As John Madden Football, but has recently encountered strong criticism for their strategy of developing sequels to pre-existing games, rather than innovating new titles. EA is hoping that the release of Spore will shush the critics once and for all, and turn around the company’s lackluster profit outlook.
Although Electronic Arts will not reveal any exact numbers, analysts suggest that the company has spent upwards of $50 million developing the new game. With marketing and distribution costs included, the total price tag to bring Spore to the marketplace will be around $75 million. Obviously, that is a pretty hefty break-even point for EA, and accordingly, they have launched a massive marketing and PR campaign to introduce the new game to the public.
But one of the biggest problems in promoting Spore is explaining exactly what it is, and what it does. The videogame industry thrives on originality, but too much originality can be a marketing nightmare. If the game is too far “outside the box,” it can be difficult to simply explain to gamers what it is, or to find reference points to compare it to. This could be a serious issue with Spore, a game purportedly so original (and some say groundbreaking) that it almost defies description.
In a very very basic sense, Spore enables players to create and oversee entire galaxies, from the most basic single celled organisms, to massive planets and solar systems. In effect, the user becomes “God” over a virtual world, with the ability to create and shape the destiny of all life forms and structures within it.
But it gets even more advanced than that; Spore is also a highly social game, and utilizes social networking technology in several unique ways. For one, players can create new and unique lifeforms to populate their virtual universe. Those original lifeforms then become features of other users environments as well, creating a type of shared collective consciousness amongst players.
If this sounds confusing so far, just imagine how difficult it is for EA’s marketing team to effectively promote Spore! While the game itself sounds unique and strangely wonderful, the real question is, can EA succeed in making Spore accessible to the general public? With so many video games simply rehashing the same old tired formulas, let’s hope that Spore catches on big and shakes up the stagnant videogame world.
