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Spore, or: The Battleworm 4000 (and kids…)

September 18, 2008

So, there has been a lot of talk about Spore since it’s initial release almost a fortnight ago and since I’m in the middle of a series of lectures for our new gaming based unit in Communication Studies, I figured I should definitely try it out.  I’m still thinking all of the logistics through, but one thing is clear from the outset: while Spore does have a win-condition (unlike The Sims which is basically endless), it’s not a game, it’s a toy.  Or, rather, it’s not overly satisfying as a game (the gameplay is, to be frank, not all that exciting), but as a toy to build cellular organisms, new species and even space-faring civilisations, it’s absolutely brilliant. Also, even with the weirdest creatures, Spore makes everything cute.  To justify that point, I’d like to introduce one of my species, the Battleworm 4000:

And make sure you watch the video all the way through to meet the kids!  More on Spore, I’m sure, in the coming weeks …

Links for April 17th 2008

April 17, 2008

Interesting links for April 17th 2008:

  • TV takes the online challenge [The Age] – ‘”The reason people are illegally using P2P [peer-to-peer] networks is simply because content isn’t available elsewhere,” says Ten’s general manager, Digital Media, Damian Smith.’ (So give me a legal way to download Battlestar Galactica today and I will!)
  • Exploring Fantasy Life and Finding a $4 Billion Franchise [New York Times] – “… Electronic Arts, the Sims?s publisher, plans to announce that the series has sold more than 100 million copies (including expansion packs) in 22 languages and 60 countries since its introduction in 2000. All told, the franchise has generated about
  • Australia’s YouTube stars to get paid [Australian IT] – The YouTube Partner Program provides money to YouTube content creators in exchange for displaying banner ads on their videos, has been launched in Australia today.
  • Parents angry at violent school bully game [The Age] – From Rockstar Games, the people behind Grand Theft Auto, comes the hugely provocative Bully: Scholarship Edition in which you play a rebellious school kid, and runs the risk of (purposefully?) provoking cyberbulllying to normalising school-yard shootings.
  • ABC’s digital push for channels, radio [The Age] – “The ABC wants to triple its number of television channels and radio services over the next 12 years as it seeks to increase Australian content levels and cement its place in the digital media age, its managing director, Mark Scott, has flagged”

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