Given that the evolution simulator game Spore is on its way to store shelves this weekend, Electronic Arts has taken the launch of the game in a financial perspective.
EA Games president Frank Gibeau believes Spore will serve as “a platform on which we can build a very large and enduring business,” similar to the success of Maxis’ previous hit, The Sims 2.
Opposed to selling content add-ons and downloadable content that currently drives the revenue of The Sims games, Gibeau believes Spore will take a new route. “The idea is so gigantic — creating and controlling a universe — [that] we can take it in lots of different ways,”
For example, the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and the Nintendo Wii versions of Spore will each be approached uniquely to their own platform. “They’re not going to be [simply] ports to the Wii [and other systems],” “We’re going to look at how to bring that idea to life on those platforms in a unique way.”
Gibeau echoes a statement made previously by Will Wright, “Spore on almost any platform is going to be different and tied to the unique aspects of that platform,” “Sitting in front of a console is very different from sitting in front of a PC. Whether you’re using a mouse or a PS3 controller or a Wii wand, that right off the bat is arguing for a somewhat different design.”
