Report: Spore planted on Wii

Will Wright reveals that EA's epic-scale life-simulator headed to Nintendo's console, says it's the "only next-gen system."

Between creating a unique species and then evolving it over the course of countless millennia to the point of intergalactic colonization, Will Wright's Spore for the PC is the very definition of epic. More than a few mouths were rendered agape, then, when a handheld version of the game was revealed through a job listing in February 2006, which EA confirmed to be a Nintendo DS iteration a year later.

With a DS version of Spore establishing that the game is scalable, it should come as no shock that EA is also prepping a version of the game for Nintendo's console, the Wii. In town to be inducted into the BAFTA Fellowship, Wright revealed to UK news publication The Guardian that a Wii version was under way.

"We're doing Spore on the Wii," Wright stated seemingly off the cuff. Wright didn't elaborate on further plans for the Wii version, nor whether it would accompany the PC version slated for Q2 2008. EA had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.

Wright's preference for Nintendo's platforms comes as no shock, considering how he sizes up the next-gen console race. Prompting the off-the-script comment, Wright said that Nintendo's "new-gen" console is the only real next-gen console. "The only next gen system I've seen is the Wii--the PS3 and the Xbox 360 feel like better versions of the last, but pretty much the same game with incremental improvement," the openly opinionated designer said.

"The Wii feels like a major jump--not that the graphics are more powerful, but that it hits a completely different demographic," he continued. "In some sense I see the Wii as the most significant thing that's happened, at least on the console side, in quite a while."

Spore is currently slated to hit PCs next year. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

374 Comments

  • thunderhorse55

    Posted Jan 12, 2009 5:55 pm PT

    Awesome. spore looked pretty sweet, but I don't do PC games. now if the wii version is any good, maybe I should look into it. soes spore have online interactions?

  • clintbrew

    Posted Sep 15, 2008 7:32 pm PT

    now all the Wii need now is the Sims 3

  • SuicidialTurtle

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 9:48 pm PT

    If only we knew when it was coming out. *sigh* Guess we'll have to wait

  • landzvids

    Posted Aug 14, 2008 11:06 am PT

    thank god its on the wii

  • edgardino

    Posted Jul 29, 2008 5:16 pm PT

    If nintendo would make violent or mature type for this generation and many different sorts for all and would improve the functions online I believe that would be the king of the market attracting more people but I ask myself why games like project hammer and disaster day of crisis never get released.
    However, l like nintendo like is now

  • nintendokid4

    Posted Jul 23, 2008 12:05 pm PT

    Go Will Wright! I couldn't have said it better!

  • sandman004

    Posted Jul 22, 2008 9:05 pm PT

    I hope the version of spore for the Wii is as detailed or more detailed than the spore for the PC!

  • doughboy93

    Posted Jul 15, 2008 7:27 pm PT

    He hit it right on the money. This will be a great game for the Wii, however i'm surprised they highlighted the DS version of spore rather than this version for the Wii which I expect to be much better

  • blazethehedghog

    Posted Jul 2, 2008 11:48 am PT

    Isn't the Wii also just an upgraded version of the game cube? It has the same amount of power but it just has fancy controllers

  • bmg5230

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 8:19 pm PT

    'Now, lemme ask you: Where's Zelda? Smash Bros.? Donkey Kong? Mario Kart?'
    posted by "The_Dude1212" Uhmm... Is that supposed to impress me? Nintendo games are fun but... they get old really fast (I have a wii and I have played all of those games) So... yeah, I prefer halo and Metal Gear Solid 4 over mario kart.

  • Nintendoguy325

    Posted Jun 23, 2008 6:45 pm PT

    I like his outlook on the Nintendo consoles

  • The_Dude1212

    Posted Jun 19, 2008 3:13 pm PT

    'Where is GTA IV, MGS4, Halo 3, Call of duty4 and the orange box, on the wii.'

    GTA IV: Couldn't give a crap about it. Rather hijack the car myself.
    MGS4: Meh, it's alright, but that's all the PS3 has.
    Halo: Overrated.
    Call of Duty 4: Medal of Honour can sue a Wii Zapper, more relaistic than CoD
    Orange Box: I can play it on my friend's PC.

    Now, lemme ask you: Where's Zelda? Smash Bros.? Donkey Kong? Mario Kart?

    Face it. If Nintendo didn't save the industry with Super Mario, you wouldn't have your precious Halo or GTA.

  • zedjay

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 9:11 pm PT

    f*** yea! you go will

  • wings-and-gills

    Posted Jun 18, 2008 10:25 am PT

    I'm not normally one to buy a game twice (once for PC and once for console) but I'll probably do so for Spore. If it weren't just to get both experiences, it would at least be to say I have found three decent Wii games among the piles and piles of crap that get released on the console. Twilight Princess, SSB: Melee, and hopefully Spore.

    I do agree with Will Wright that the Wii is the only truly "new-gen" console, but at the same time, the games you can play on it are typically NOT.

  • kevinabc1

    Posted Jun 17, 2008 9:08 pm PT

    Woo Hoo! Buying a Wii paid off!

  • Trooperdx3117

    Posted May 27, 2008 12:19 pm PT

    "In some sense I see the Wii as the most significant thing that's happened, at least on the console side, in quite a while." That is probably the most rubbish thing i've ever heard of. The wii is really just a gimmick, you cant play games without getting annoyed after 5 minutes. Also where are the incredibly high rated games for the wii. Where is GTA IV, MGS4, Halo 3, Call of duty4 and the orange box, on the wii.

  • Kenji_Masamune posted Apr 7, 2008 3:04 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Kenji_Masamune

    Posted Apr 7, 2008 3:04 pm PT (hide)

    "The Wii feels like a major jump--not that the graphics are more powerful, but that it hits a completely different demographic," how the hell does he figure that? Ninendo is only known for mario/zelda/metroid/pokemon games. The only non-kiddy games that are or have ever came out on any of the Nintendo systems were made by 3rd party companies. It's like the difference between Metroid vs Doom.. both are similar as they are FPSs, however Doom is a more 'mature' game.

  • polkastripe-

    Posted Feb 18, 2008 8:10 am PT

    cant wait

  • Shaynas_Kitten

    Posted Jan 30, 2008 5:44 pm PT

    Sweeeet. That's all I can say.

  • palooka123

    Posted Jan 25, 2008 7:38 am PT

    Yes! im so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i cant wait untill it comes out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • thehip81

    Posted Jan 8, 2008 9:34 pm PT

    Will Wright is brilliant. Nintendo and the Wii and DS are brilliant. Enough said.

  • blingchu55

    Posted Dec 17, 2007 1:37 pm PT

    I hope they dont chanfe it much from the pc version. They may have to cut back on the downloaded content stuff, or include an sd card.

  • Mortis_Noctem

    Posted Dec 7, 2007 4:04 pm PT

    (Nag, nag..nag!) so Spore is coming out for the Wii, don't like it? Too bad! If you weren't getting the PC version, might as well not even bother getting Spore at all! I'm upgrading my PC for all the 2008/2009 PC games and I am planning on getting a Wii for quite some time now, its just fun and different, seriously you Console War Fanatics need to lighten up...you look like the nerds back in the 16-bit console war (Sega haz Sonic and it will crush Nintendo's Mario!) Who gives a crap? I say good for Mr.Wright, he makes some very good points, I can't wait for Spore on my PC and possibly a Wii version.

  • alpha_company

    Posted Nov 5, 2007 5:32 pm PT

    woohoo yay for wii

  • kejigoto

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 8:39 am PT

    @ xX_Ricochet_Xx

    Ever hear of Wii Connect 24? Where your Wii is online 24/7 if you have wifi and will automatically update itself and have content from games downloaded onto you Wii? Try doing some research next time before crying over a game. Wii Connect 24 is exactly the sort of thing Spore was designed to make complete use of and those two will go hand in hand together. I honestly don't think Will Wright would select a console that his game would fail on and come out looking like trash.

    Its not about graphics either, take a look at the first videos of Spore and you can blantly tell Spore is not a game designed to push the capabilities in the graphics department, but in the gameplay department. Everyone who is more worried about graphics than gameplay is a fool, sure a game can look beautiful in HD with 1080p but if the gameplay isn't fun then its not worth it at all. I'll take amazing gameplay over graphics any day, I'm playing games to enjoy myself and not to look at something pretty. If I wanted to see something that looks good and if I were more into that, I'd just watch movies.

    I love how everyone is bashing on the Wii's wifi yet it truly hasn't been used yet, I've been online plenty with my DS and it does amazing with it. Playing games like Bomberman, Mario Kart, Star Fox, Animal Crossing, Custom Robo, Diddy Kong Racing, and so much more is a total blast and rarely do I experience any problems with it at all. I haven't had any issues getting system updates or downloading games to my virtual console as well as grabbing new channels as they come out. Even the net browser works great on the Wii. So before you start complaining about lag and such for online games, wait till they come out and see what happens, though I don't see how people could be worried about lag on this game considering you aren't actually playing against anyone.

    Microsoft has a pretty good game line up coming out early 2008 and Nintendo's is just as strong if not better (considering that is when the heavy hitters for Nintendo are hitting store shelves) and with games like this starting to show up on the Wii, I think more and more people may come to realize this is more than a fad, this is more than a gimmick, and this is certainly more than a console designed to play kids games. Nintendo hasn't had any trouble this generation and there are no signs of trouble ahead. Microsoft has had a few bumps in the road but overall enjoying some rousing success. Sony on the other hand has been struggling since the PS3 hit store shelves and there seems to be no sign of this letting up anytime soon. Sure the price drops are nice, but when the good games keep getting pushed back, a cheap console means nothing with no games.

    Mark my words, by summer of 2008 we'll know how this generations console war will play out, right now first place is up in the air between Microsoft and Nintendo, Sony is taking third. I believe Spore may be one of those games that gets even more people to get a Wii, especially when your choice is spend $300 (or $50 for alot of people) to play this game, or spend $1,000+ to play this game (if you are in need of a new PC). What seems to be the better deal here? Its the same thing that has kept the 360 so far ahead of the PS3. Offer nearly the same thing for a cheaper price, and you'll get the sales.

  • xX_Ricochet_Xx posted Nov 1, 2007 11:46 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    xX_Ricochet_Xx

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 11:46 am PT (hide)

    As somone that has followed spore from day one i am utterly dissapointed about this wii only news. Now i'd like to say i own a wii and my pc is a joke but i also have a 360 and i cant see it working on the wii. spore is all about making content and sharing it. How is storing and sharing going to work on the wii?! a main component in the pc version is it downloads peoples other creations based on what you made to even up the playing feild in your planet so you cant make your creature god, so im am truly an unhappy 360 owner as he said "we will going to all next gen consoles" less thana year ago :'( why oh why and how oh how is this going to work?! not to mention the capablitys of the wii when put next to a high end pc and/or ps3/360 im going to cry myself to sleep tonightas im not paying 3000$ for a new pc

  • mov

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 11:04 pm PT

    this is good news for gamers, don't confuse it as anything else. its interesting to hear a developer (especially one with these credentials) speak his mind while everyone else is scared to state what they think like this is some sort of delicate political conflict. the one thing the wii has done is make you feel closer to the game. regardless of how realistic things look, you feel like you are part of the world much easier with those controls.

  • kejigoto

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 8:48 pm PT

    All these people whining over Spore going to the Wii and DS along with the PC. they say that the Wii and DS isn't a great place for major games. They say that Spore would sell more copies and do better on the 360 or whatever the latest PS3 sku that is out. They say that the Wii so for "toddlers" and is going to do nothing than drag it down.

    I hear jealousy.

    Take a look at the numbers and they speak for themselves. Will Wright said it himself, he's a fan of the keyboard and mouse, and you can't get the same level of control that you get with a mouse using a controller. However you can can get close to that level with a touchscreen (basically the same thing) or the motion sensing controller of the Wii. Seems to me Will Wright would find it very easy to structure a game such as Spore around a console that is extremely easy to develop for unlike the PS3, which recently we've seen many titles that are going to be appearing on there be pushed back time and time again (MGS4 anyone?). Sure the 360 would be the wise choice between the PS3 and 360, having a larger fan base and developers finding it easier to work with than the PS3, but the numbers don't come close to the Wii's sales figures over the past year. I won't even mention the amount of people struggling with their 360s and the 3 rings of death (thankfully mine is working just fine and I frequent Halo 3 online all the time).

    Hopefully this will join Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii in the first half of 2008 along with an ever growing slew of other great games coming out next year. If you are wondering what games I might be talking about just browse through the coming soon section of the Wii, you'll notice a few great titles to include Tales of Symphonia 2, a new Shin Megami Tensei game, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and No More Heroes just to name a few (amazing, none of these are Nintendo made either). What's even crazier, is that 2008 isn't even hear yet and we already know all of the big titles to see for the PS3 and 360, seems like those 2 are playing all their heavy hitters here soon while Nintendo is still holding back and apparently has a few great games in the works. Oh did I mention the Final Fantasy series making an appearance on the Wii?

    So who doesn't have any "real" games now? Seems like Nintendo is doing rather well for itself and Microsoft is doing a fine job as well, just lost out on this game. I won't lie, I'm surprised it isn't on the 360, but I certainly won't complain that its on the Wii. What's Sony doing? Apparently not selling consoles or bringing out any good games, its a wonder why Will Wright didn't leap at the opportunity to wait another year and a half while developers struggled to get a game like Spore running on the PS3. I'm sure the guys at Konami, Rockstar, Midway, Epic Games, and a few other companies trying to push games out for the PS3 gave Will Wright a call and let him know what he was in for if he decided to bring this amazing game to the PS3.

  • Cassius2k

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 8:51 am PT

    Dont you lot whinge. My console does this better than yours, mine has better games than yours, if they put it on that console it won't be as good if they put it on this console. blah blah blah. Who cares!!! Let them put the game on the WII, personally I will get whatever version is better on whatever platform. DEAL WITH IT

  • jknight5422 posted Oct 31, 2007 6:15 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    jknight5422

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 6:15 am PT (hide)

    Well if he wants to make his little spore game for toddlers that his business. I'm not going to bust out & buy a Wii because one game designer said so. Frankly, I don't understand why game designers are being choosy about which platform their game runs on. They make more money going multi-platform. It's a win-win, but evidently not for Will Wright, "the gaming purist".

  • GMR_mousse21

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 11:19 pm PT

    EA trying to cash in on the large install base. no surprises here

  • Lumenadducere

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 8:01 pm PT

    Well, since my PC probably won't be able to run Spore, it's good to see I'll have something that can.

  • sean2007

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 6:33 pm PT

    Don't get me wrong im a huge wii fan, but i think that the developers for spore made a big mistake of putting spore on the Wii. I just don't see how that it will be a big hit on the wii as it would be on the 360. I like the wii and i think it is really fun, it just doesn't seem like the right console for spore.

  • bboycookie2

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 5:56 pm PT

    hmmm and i still dont feel like paying 250 bucks for a DVD drive game console.

  • Mush_Mouth

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 5:12 pm PT

    IKKF is a great abbreviation for the words "complete and total moron".

  • IKKF posted Oct 30, 2007 4:48 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    IKKF

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 4:48 pm PT (hide)

    "The only next gen system I've seen is the Wii--the PS3 and the Xbox 360 feel like better versions of the last, but pretty much the same game with incremental improvement," the openly opinionated designer said. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Wait, what? But doesn't the Wii just get crappy PS2 ports with a few motion controls on it? I'm confused....

  • IKKF posted Oct 30, 2007 4:44 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    IKKF

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 4:44 pm PT (hide)

    Microsoft's now like: WHAT THE!!?? Put Spore on teh 360... or itza gettin cut off Windowz!!

  • IKKF posted Oct 30, 2007 4:41 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    IKKF

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 4:41 pm PT (hide)

    Correction: Wii is the only "old-gen-now-gen-next gen system"

  • Ra-Devil

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 3:57 pm PT

    An Xbox and a PS3 are just high-end computers with controllers. The only "different" feature among them is the Wiimote's motion sensing. I'm not sure it's next gen, but it's definitely different.

  • Gra_ham_man5

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 3:48 pm PT

    i believe he means next gen because it does differently comepared to the other 2 systems. The PS3 and XBOX360 are awesome... but there lack of anything innovative compared to Nintendo's Wii console explains the comment "next gen".

  • xtremeg4m3r

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:43 pm PT

    I thought one of the developers of spore made a negative comment about the wii. How strange.

  • YukoAsho

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:31 pm PT

    @robbie-basic - You can have McDonald's, quite frankly. I'll take Burger King, Wendy's, Sonic, Checkers, Denny's, IHOP, and the litany of better food choices that you can find in local neighborhoods and stripmalls.

  • YukoAsho

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:26 pm PT

    Yes, because the 360 and the PS3 could NEVER EVER EVER do Spore.

    What a damned tool.

  • Gaticus

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 2:15 pm PT

    Space-Q
    "Really? I guess you must not have good taste because I can mention 3 great games off the top of my head that were in the first year of the 360: Oblivion, Call of Duty 2, and GRAW. *rolls eyes*"

    Don't forget PGR3, and condemned. I know there are others but just off the top of my head those were great games.

    My guess is that you weren't paying attention. He didn't state that they didn't have good games on the other consoles, just that the nintendo wii is the only one that is truly "new-gen" (controller system on the wii) and that the 360 and PS3 are just flashier versions of their predecessors, while good systems in their own right they aren't really offering anything new as far as gameplay goes.

  • snipergod87

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 1:56 pm PT

    The Wii does have a completely different but also overlapping demographic with the other consoles, and the advantage is that its cheaper, the Wii is more geared towards family entertainment and not high end graphics (thats for the PC).

  • shaakti123

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 1:39 pm PT

    OMG I'm so excited DEFINATELY getting this for wii.

  • Space-Q

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 11:03 am PT

    "Really? I guess you must not have good taste because I can mention 3 great games off the top of my head that were in the first year of the 360: Oblivion, Call of Duty 2, and GRAW. *rolls eyes*"

    Don't forget PGR3, and condemned. I know there are others but just off the top of my head those were great games.

  • Chapel18

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 8:03 am PT

    All i hafta say is if spore works on wii i better be able to play it on my old ass computer too

  • majin_vegeta300

    Posted Oct 30, 2007 5:32 am PT

    The wii is the first major thing to change gaming period, Mr. Wright. PC gaming hasn't changed much in the past 15-20 years either, just more hardware upgrades, you still use a mouse and keyboard like always.

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