Spore has now been patched and in addition to the usual bug fixes we have been treated to a number of odd new features. For example there are now “New Cheats” which allow for different display modes for your creatures and various other odd things. It’s hard to imagine in any modern game getting new cheats included with patches but we live in strange times. There are also a lot of graphical improvements and general tweaks included. The patch is 92.16MB (version 1.01) and can be found on all good download websites like Fileshack or Gamershell.

It doesn’t appear to be an essential patch at the moment so it might be best as classed as a “if you have a problem get it” type of download as while there are fixes included to sort out some crash bugs there are not many bonus features that the masses would want to try out. If it’s your thing however, take a look.

Tired of random bloggers and trolls and other nobodies listing their top 5 video games, lists that nobody cares about? Now read it from game designer extraordinaire, Will Wright, creator of Spore, Emperor of Maxis and a Geek Hero. Here’s Will Wright’s 5 favourite games, straight from MSNBC.

The ‘Civilization’ series

“I think the strategic diversity of ‘Civilization’ always interested me. There’s just so many different strategic approaches to playing the game.”

‘Grand Theft Auto’ series

“It’s such an open-ended world … you can actually be very nice in the world and drive an ambulance around saving people, or you can be very mean. The game doesn’t really force you down one path or the other unless you’re playing the missions. For me, it’s not really about the missions, it’s about the open-endedness … going out and living a life in this little simulated city. It’s like a big playground.”

‘Battlefield’ series

“I really liked the first one the best – ‘Battlefield 1942.’ I’m a big World War II history buff. It’s a team-based shooter but it’s about the only team-based shooter that I can remember where half the time I’m playing, I’m laughing. It’s humorous because of the weird things that happen. It very much feels like kids playing in the backyard, cowboys-and-Indians-type thing. It’s not so much gritty reality as it is a bunch people just having fun in a multiplayer environment.”

Advance Wars’ on the DS

“This is a turn-based strategy game on the DS. I used to play these board games as a kid – these elaborate, real board games, so it’s kind nostalgic for me, for that reason.”

‘Flight Simulator’ series

“Even though this isn’t a game, one of my very first introductions to computer games was the original ‘Flight Simulator.’ The original one was black-and-white, with wireframe graphics and before Microsoft bought it, Bruce Artwick designed it. It was this little micro world inside the computer that always fascinated me.”

Spore Billboard

EA’s definitely gone for some innovative marketing when it comes to Spore! This billboard, located in San Francisco’s Union Square is so small, you need a telescope to see it! They probably resisted the urge to make it microscopic, if you ask me.

The billboard is of a miniature size 14″ by 6″, and as you can probably guess, not very visible to the naked eye. EA has, therefore, cut your cost of buying a new telescope by adding one of their own:

Snazzy Telescope

I particularly like that telescope more than anything else. Cool sea blue, smooth and sexy (almost phallic, we might say) and totally awesome-looking. There’s no reason why EA shouldn’t be selling that; people will buy that!

Since a trip to San Francisco might a bit too much for viewing EA’s advertising expertise, check out what the billboard actually looks like below. And don’t be such a snob: donate some, goddamit! There are microorganisms dying for your DNA!

Spare some!

Source: Kotaku

Who would have thunk it? Even though the game’s North American release date is still some 4 days off, Pirates of the High Internets have already gotten their measly hands on Spore and are evolving creatures as we speak! That’s right, Spore has been cracked and uploaded on a variety of BitTorrent trackers.

I quick search shows that every major tracker has taken it up and there seem to be dozens of torrents for this. All, of course, trace their roots to the masterful crack team RELOADED. There are thousands of peers and seeds on, so it looks like a lot of people want a shot at Spore before release date.

The torrents are clocking in at 3.39 GB. According to rumours, the leak itself came from some Australian retail stores selling the game way before release time, and then it hits the Internet for the world to enjoy. I’m guessing there won’t be any multiplayer or Internet connectivity in it, like the cracked version of that Spore Creature Creator.

Of course, without Internet connectivity, the game is pretty much poop. Still, that rarely stops pirates, arr!

After EA’s witchhunt and banning of Spore Porn, you’d think Will Wright would think the same. Looks like he doesn’t. Will is not only unoffended by Spore Porn (as tastefully pictured above), but also appreciated how accurately the creators hit what they were aiming for (pun? Must investigate).

“When you give players creative control, you have to expect they’re going to do the unexpected,” says the Procedural Generation lord. Not surprising. I mean, you give an easy-to-use content creation application to Internet inhabitants: you’d have to be whacked not to expect porn.

“It’s amazingly explicit, especially when those creations are animated. We just have to make sure those people aren’t messing up the experience for others.” he says, confirming some things perverts had in mind. The game will have a system now that will allow you to ban certain species from your universe, apparently. Also expect EA to bring in the BANHAMMER whenever you upload an image or video of your porntastic creature.

Wright also hints at a sequel for Spore there, saying that he’s looking at Spore as a brand. He says, however, that it will only happen after they’ve analysed crowd reaction. And besides, it would be too early to start charting out a sequel to what already is a semi-experimental game.