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Maxis Launches Spore API Contest

Posted by Soulskill on from the not-the-three-letters-they're-known-for dept.

Today EA Maxis announced the beginning of a development contest for their new Spore API. They're calling on players to submit useful and interesting apps and widgets, and they've provided samples to show the kinds of ideas they're looking for. The samples include an update list for creations by game buddies, a creature dueling app, a creature tournament app, and a variety of viewers.

10 of 35 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's like the game... but for programmers.

  2. Want the type of people who design mods? by eieken · · Score: 3, Insightful

    First, take off all the DRM, and we'll talk.

    --
    Meet new people, and kill them.
    1. Re:Want the type of people who design mods? by LingNoi · · Score: 4, Informative

      Awesome lets desig.. wa... what is this buried into the terms and conditions..

      This Contest is only open to residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 years of age or older at time of entry and who had Internet access as of February 19, 2009.

      Hey how come they don't mention that on the main page?

      To be eligible to win, your app needs to display the text, "Download your own copy of the Spore Creature Creator now!" along with a link to http://www.spore.com./

      Say what? Well then I'll just do my application for fun and not submit it.. oh wait!

      By providing any Contest Assets for entrant's use Sponsor is granting entrants a limited, non-exclusive, non-commercial license to use the Contest Assets solely in connection with, and as a part of, the Contest. Entrants shall otherwise have no right, title or interest in or to any Contest Assets, and any use of the Contest Assets (including use of the entrant's Entry that contains Contest Assets) other than as permitted by these Official Rules may constitute copyright and/or trademark infringement.

      Well at least they don't take my copyright if I win.. oh wait!

      By entering the Contest and by accepting a prize, the Contest winners irrevocably assign and transfer to Sponsor any and all rights, title, and interest in and to the Entry (with respect to their Original Creations included as part of the Entry), including without limitation, all copyrights and a waiver of all moral rights in the Entry.

  3. Desperate attempt at relevance. by DreamsAreOkToo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Will Wright thinks he's a great game designer. He is, but he's also very arrogant. Arrogant in that "George Lucas I shit gold" way. I think he never stopped to think about why The Sims was fun. I think he never stopped to think about why "Spore" wouldn't be a stellar success. Now, they're desperate to save it, without realizing that the fundamental design was flawed in a oh-so-not-re-playable way. It's a one time through shits and giggles 80% rating game. Go back to the drawing boards and make a new game. Don't forget to self examine to figure out why you failed/succeeded at your goals!

    tl;dr Just because your last game sold a gazillion, cheap production, high return addons, does not mean your next game will as well!

    1. Re:Desperate attempt at relevance. by MWoody · · Score: 4, Interesting

      To be entirely fair, it's possible this - and, indeed, a lot of the shit like DRM and the games' lack of content - is coming from EA and not Wright. Now, he could be faulted for being overly forgiving of their antics, but it's hard to get too angry at a man who manages to get ridiculous amounts of funding and advertising backing for unique (if sometimes flawed) games. My guess is he's off planning his next big thing, leaving Spore to EA and its programmers.

    2. Re:Desperate attempt at relevance. by Goldberg's+Pants · · Score: 4, Informative

      The problem is EA ripped the soul out of the game to pander to the mass market. From things I've read Wright is annoyed with what EA did to dumb the game down.

      Game had huge potential. My seven year old son loves it. THAT is the market EA went for. The kids and the adults who like simple, boring games.

  4. Space by Meneth · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Get us more than one fleet of spaceships, then we'll talk.

  5. Only for people in USA by Racemaniac · · Score: 2, Interesting

    anyone care to explain why only people from the USA are allowed to participate? in this day and age, what could possibly be the motivation for that? the 10$ they'd have to pay extra to send tha prize a bit further away?
    i'm wondering on how many original ideas they'll be missing out by excluding so many people...

    1. Re:Only for people in USA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      because people in EU have better copyright protection where you can't steal their application under the ruse of a "contest".

    2. Re:Only for people in USA by (H)elix1 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Every country has their own special sets of law. Saw this when the shop I worked at branched out from the US to EMEA. Every country we sold into, or even better - opened an office - had a unique set of laws. Learned some hard lessons by not using 'native' lawyers. When we did they were not cheap. This was just a contest, right?

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