Spore Creature Creator

{{Infobox video game

|title = Spore Creature Creator

|image = Spore Creature Creator Coverart.png

|developer = Maxis

|publisher = Electronic Arts

|designer = Will Wright

|series =

|released = {{Video game release|NA|June 17, 2008|EU|June 27, 2008}}

|genre = Character editor

|modes = Single-player

|platforms = Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X

}}

The Spore Creature Creator is a software that allows players to create their own creatures with a standalone version of the Creature Editor from Spore; the software was one of the first aspects of the game to receive focused development, and underwent ten rewrites since the start of development.{{cite web | author = Spore | date = June 27, 2008 | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3tq5PSq6EQ | title = Spore 1UP Will Wright Interview | publisher = YouTube | accessdate = October 16, 2016 | archive-date = May 22, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230522024632/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3tq5PSq6EQ | url-status = live }} It was rated E by the ESRB in early March 2008, indicating that the editor would be released separately well before the game's release as a utility program. Electronic Arts told MTV Asia that "EA Screen will provide visitors a chance to interact with EA's game producers hailing from the studios, and unveil the hugely anticipated SPORE Creature Creator demo version to gamers for the first time in Asia."{{cite web | author = News Desk | date = March 6, 2008 | url = http://www.mtvasia.com/News/200803/06015511.html | title = EA Play Launches In Singapore | publisher = MTV Southeast Asia | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080310170723/http://www.mtvasia.com/News/200803/06015511.html | archivedate = March 10, 2008 | url-status = dead | accessdate = October 16, 2016}} Electronic Arts VP Patrick Buechner stated on the Spore Facebook page that the editor would be released in June or July 2008, saying, "We are looking at releasing it two to three months before the launch of the full game."{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

The SimCity Box artwork showed a blurb stating that the creature editor would be included with it.{{cite web | last = Siegel | first = Scott Jon | date = April 15, 2008 | url = https://www.engadget.com/2008/04/15/rumor-spore-creature-creator-included-in-simcity-box/ | title = Rumor: Spore Creature Creator included in SimCity box | publisher = Engadget (Joystiq) | accessdate = October 16, 2016 | archive-date = October 18, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161018210723/https://www.engadget.com/2008/04/15/rumor-spore-creature-creator-included-in-simcity-box/ | url-status = live }} IGN revealed that the Spore Creature Creator utility would be available in two different versions on June 17, 2008.{{cite web | url = http://eastore.ea.com/DRHM/servlet/ControllerServlet?Action=DisplayProductDetailsPage&SiteID=ea&Locale=en_US&productID=96890600 | title = SPORE™ Creature Creator Complete | publisher = EA Games Store | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080514055818/http://eastore.ea.com/DRHM/servlet/ControllerServlet?Action=DisplayProductDetailsPage&SiteID=ea&Locale=en_US&productID=96890600 | archivedate = May 14, 2008 | url-status = dead | accessdate = October 16, 2016}} There was a paid version (for $9.95) and a free demo that was downloadable from Spore.com and included for free, bundled with The SimCity Box. The free version of the editor only contained 25% of the available creature parts that were found within the full version. In Australia, on August 30, 2008, three state newspapers owned by News Limited offered the full version either free or for $2.{{cite web | last = Kozanecki | first = James | date = July 28, 2008 | url = http://www.gamespot.com/articles/aussies-to-get-spore-creature-creator-in-newspaper-promos/1100-6234572/ | title = Aussies to get Spore Creature Creator in newspaper promos | website = GameSpot | accessdate = October 16, 2016 | archive-date = October 20, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201020184415/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/aussies-to-get-spore-creature-creator-in-newspaper-promos/1100-6234572/ | url-status = live }}

The utility includes a test environment for players to see their creatures go through animations and allowed the player to import other user-created creatures through the Sporepedia at Spore.com. The utility included screen capture and video tools as well, including YouTube functionality.{{cite web | last = Ocamop | first = Jason | date = May 22, 2008 | url = http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/05/22/spore-creature-creator-hands-on | title = Spore Creature Creator Hands-On | website = IGN | accessdate = October 16, 2016 | archive-date = October 18, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161018231812/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/05/22/spore-creature-creator-hands-on | url-status = live }} The editor also gave the user the ability to create animated avatars,{{cite web | author = The Official Spore Channel | date = June 9, 2008 | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL-0vWc2Iss | title = Spore Creature Creator Tutorial 3 | publisher = YouTube | access-date = October 16, 2016 | archive-date = March 31, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160331171719/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL-0vWc2Iss | url-status = live }} and output in RSS and embeddable HTML code to facilitate easy incorporation into such sites as MySpace and Facebook.{{cite web | last = Remo | first = Chris | date = June 12, 2008 | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18992 | title = In-Depth: The Evolution Of Maxis' Spore | website = Gamasutra | accessdate = June 12, 2008 | archive-date = June 12, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080612064135/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18992 | url-status = live }} The software is automatically superseded by Spore when it is installed, since the Creature editor is already present on the game.

Shortly after its introduction, the Creature Creator was used to create creatures with oversized genitalia, either stand-alone or engaged in coitus (a phenomenon quickly dubbed "sporn").{{cite magazine | last = Wortham | first = Jenna | date = June 18, 2008 | url = https://www.wired.com/2008/06/nsfw-horny-game | title = NSFW: Horny Gamers Upload 'Sporn' to YouTube | magazine = Wired | accessdate = October 16, 2016}} EA responded with e-mails sent to those who made pornographic machinima from its demo, and has flagged certain on-line accounts for "TOS violations".{{cite web | last = Shaw | first = Anne | date = June 20, 2008 | url = http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Spore_Creature_Creator_Spawns_Sporn_and_Upsets_EA_19267.html | title = Spore Creature Creator Spawns 'Sporn' and Upsets EA | publisher = eFluxMedia | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080622233730/http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Spore_Creature_Creator_Spawns_Sporn_and_Upsets_EA_19267.html | archivedate = June 22, 2008 | url-status = dead | accessdate = October 16, 2016}} Furthermore, YouTube pulled several such videos for violations of its own TOS.{{cite web | last = Kalning | first = Kristin | date = June 20, 2008 | url = http://www.nbcnews.com/id/25272162/#.WAQDCYMrLcs | title = Free EA software release spawns 'sporn' | publisher = NBC News | access-date = October 16, 2016 | archive-date = October 19, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161019005254/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/25272162/#.WAQDCYMrLcs | url-status = dead }}

By June 24, 2008, users had already uploaded over one million creatures to the site.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}} During Electronic Arts' E3 2008 presentation on July 14, 2008, Wright humorously noted that fans had done God's work at 38% efficiency by creating the same number of currently known species on Earth, 1,589,000, in about 18 days, compared to God's 6 days.{{cite web | last = McElroy | first = Justin | date = July 14, 2008 | url = https://www.engadget.com/2008/07/14/wright-spore-fans-38-god/ | title = Wright: 'Spore fans 38% god' [sic] | publisher = Engadget (Joystiq) | accessdate = October 16, 2016 | archive-date = October 18, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161018214315/https://www.engadget.com/2008/07/14/wright-spore-fans-38-god/ | url-status = live }} When Spore debuted on September 1, 2008, over 3 million creatures had been added to the Sporepedia via the Spore Creature Creator.

When installing Spore, Spore Creature Creator would be uninstalled.