Years of hype + proven experience doesn't always have to lead to crushing defeats, as the preliminary numbers for Will Wright's long-awaited follow-up project to The Sims (best-selling PC game franchise ever, btw) is now officially a hit. In less than 17 days of release, Spore has already sold a cool million copies across various formats, including PC, MAC, and Nintendo DS. Although tepid (if not earnest) reviews and a massive backlash over the game's implementation of DRM (digital rights management) have cooled what should have been a white-hot celebration, things look good for the future of the intelligent-design inspired simulator.
So says EA Games president Frank Gibeau:
"Will Wright's latest delivers an incredibly diverse game that appeals to casual gamers and the core alike. We're off to a great start moving into the holiday season and believe Spore will deliver a platform of creativity for gamers of all stripes for years to come.
Although the figures released by EA don't mention which format sold what, conventional wisdom has the PC leading the charge. In all fairness, having dabbled in the very creative waters of the Spore universe, it wouldn't be exactly fair to include any sub-versions of the game (specifically the DS and future iPod versions) into the total sales of the core version; they're substantially different and have completely different objectives. I can respect a company's desire for boasting and PR success - especially with such an anticipated release - but not to the point of exaggeration.
Still, this is outstanding news for EA and Wright, and time will tell if Spore evolves (no pun intended) into something as grand and time-consuming as its omnipresent predecessor.
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