Create universal wonder in Spore, an exciting new simulation game that lets you develop your own personal universe. Work your way through five evolutionary phases, including Cell, Creature, Tribe, Civilization and Space, that offer unique challenges, thrills and goals. For example, you can start in Cell and nurture one species from a simple aquatic organism all the way until it becomes a sentient life form. Or you can jump right in and begin building tribes and civilizations on multiple planets. What you do with your universe is totally up to you.
The powerful creation tools of Spore are easy to use, allowing you to effortlessly design every aspect of your universe. Creatures, vehicles, building and even starships are all within your grasp. While Spore is a single-player game, your creations and other players' creations are automatically shared between your galaxy and theirs, offering a nearly limitless number of worlds to visit and enjoy. You can also go online to view the incredible things other players have made and can even pull those items into your universe. Spore gives you the chance to make worlds and beings that evolve, grow and delight you every step of the way.
SPORE CREATURE CREATOR
TAKE YOUR SPORE ONLINE
Minimum System Requirements
- PC Minimum - Windows XP/Vista
- 6 GB Hard Drive Space
- 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
- 768 MB RAM
- 128 MB Video Card with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
- Mac Minimum - Mac OS X 10.5.3 Leopard or higher
- 4.7GB Hard Drive Space
- Intel Core Duo Processor
- 1024 MB RAM
- ATI X1600 or NVidia 7300 GT with 128 MB of Video RAM, or Intel Integrated GMA X3100
Customer Review: Multiple Installs and Gameplay Issues
Spore is an innovative game from the creator of the Sims, which lets you take a creature right from the one-celled amoeba type stage all the way through space flight. It has great potential, but also can be very frustrating.
First, a word about the copy protection scheme. There have been literally thousands of anti-Spore reviews posted on a number of websites solely ranting about the copy protection scheme. Many good gaming companies have gone under because of piracy, so I certainly understand that software should never be stolen. Piracy damages a creator's ability to pay their rent. That being said, Spore went overboard. You can literally only install the game 3 times before having to talk to the Spore company to ask for permission to install it again. I get a new PC every year, and usually I install games on my PC and laptop to test on both platforms. This would mean after a year I would be stuck.
It gets better than that, though. When installing Spore on my laptop, my built in anti-virus software saw Spore's attempt to install its copy protection software, thought it was a virus and silently blocked it. This meant Spore finished installing and didn't work. I hunted around but finally just de-installed it and reinstalled it. This meant I already "lost one install" because of that. Even so, the anti-virus software kicked in again and I had to manually go in and fix some links and add some files before it would run properly. I can't imagine most average gamers doing this just to get their game to run.
So finally I had Spore installed. Now to start playing! In cell mode I wanted to be an herbivore. Big mistake. While there are lots of enemies around to eat if you're a carnivore, and an omnivore can eat anything, a poor herbivore can only eat plants. Once those plants are gone, you're pretty much doomed. Everything wants to eat you. I found out quickly through trial and error that an omnivore was your best bet. A few "upgrades" later, and I was moving on to creature mode.
In creature mode you take your same basic cell shape and move up onto land. Again, it became apparent through several replayings that plant eaters had a rough life. You want to be an omnivore so you can eat your enemies when you find them - and also fall back on plants if you're surrounded by things too tough to attack.
On you go through the higher levels, and the game morphs along to let you build tribes, gather food, get space flight. At each level you switch to a new set of skills and have to learn new gameplay.
I really love the idea - but I wish the game carried more over from level to level. When you go from cell to creature level, you are left with a bunch of "useless body parts". You need to in essence completely redesign your creature for the new challenges.
Also I wish the game did not seem to heavily biased towards omnivore. Maybe they are trying to teach us a lesson here :) It is only through an equal balance of aggression and pacifism that you can survive.
I definitely find this game to be a time sink, and can lose myself in it for hours. However, compared with other games I play, the time does not pass in a "stress release" fashion. For example if I play Halo or Age of Empires or StarCraft or other games I get caught up in them, have a lot of fun and feel quite happy when I'm over. Most of the time when I'm playing Spore I'm feeling frustrated with the enemies, stressed about finding more food, and annoyed that my people are off migrating or being attacked by wild animals and needing help. It's a "demanding" game. I love challenges and tough opponents - but it shouldn't be stress inducing.
I'll give the game a 3/5. It is certainly fun in a way, and I give it a ton of credit for being innovative. However, the evolutions could have been handled far better, the balance on each particular level could have been much more even, and that copy protection scheme is just awful. I only have Spore installed on my laptop and this is the first time I've ever had to do that - do a single-system install because I am afraid of running out of reinstall options once I switch machines. I shouldn't be in that situation with a game I paid for.
Customer Review: The game plays fine, DRM does not break the gameplay
I'm not one to join in on an internet argument, but I felt that I had to speak up about this. The whole issue of DRM is an important one, but as long as it doesn't interfere with the game itself, I generally don't have a problem with it.
Not that long ago, there was anti-pirating software that actually made the games run slower, but now, EA has opted to go with limiting the amount of installs before you have to call them. I am not one of those that constantly breaks a computer down and reinstalls things every weekend. I plan on installing Spore maybe ONCE. So, I don't personally have an issue with the 3 install limit.
Some have said that the game crashed their system; I think that there's no PC game sold today that carry with it the possibility of crashing a PC, that's just a problem inherent with PC gaming. That being said, the Spore Creature Creator crashed my PC a few times, but with an update of the sound card, it was smooth sailing. I have yet to have a problem with the full Spore game. As long as your hardware drivers are up-to-date, then you should be fine.
The game itself is fun. Not the greatest game ever made, or even the greatest game Will Wright has ever made, but it's certainly not bad and worthy of a least a PC Game of the Year nomination. All of those nerds that give this game a 1 star based SOLELY ON DRM are stupid. I can understand knocking a point or so because of the DRM issue, but the GAME ITSELF IS FINE.
5.1 Game Console Adapter Convert Rca Plugs To A Single 1/8
The Logitech 5.1 Game Console Adapter allows you to connect your PlayStation 2 or Xbox video game console to a set of Logitech 5.1 multimedia speakers for awesome, multi-channel sound and intense realism.
Customer Review: Works well
Does just what it is supposed to do. Puts out stereo instead of 5.1 sound though.
Customer Review: A simple adapter that does its job
This is a very simple adapter that takes a pair of male left / right RCA cables and splits them into 3 center / sub, left/right, and rear left/rear right 1/8 outputs. The adapter does not require an external power supply.
The adapter does its job and seems well constructed. I haven't had any problems.
Please note that this includes an adapter only; no RCA or 1/8 cables are included.
Some Logitech speakers systems include this product so if you're ordering this with a speaker system, you should check to see if this purchase is necessary.
The purpose of this is to take something that's designed to talk to a stereo system via RCA and convert it into an input source for low end 5.1 PC speakers. For example, I have my Xbox 360 taking its RCA output, putting it through this device and outputting to a Creative Inspire T6100 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System.
The 5.1 is simulated with this system but it's better than not using your rear speakers at all. If this is a problem, you should probably be thinking about optical connections and a THX certified speaker system.
5.1 Game Console Adapter Convert Rca Plugs To A Single 1/8
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Elevate your skills with the revolutionary Microsoft SideWinder Mouse designed to provide you with unprecedented performance, handling, and adaptability. Customize your mouse with every game you play using advanced software and adjustable accessories. Use the first ever LCD display on a gaming mouse for macro recording and DPI settings to reduce on-screen interference during gameplay.
Customer Review: Great Mouse 4.5 out 5
Ive done a lot research and trial and error with other mice, and this is the one that fit my hand and budget. I was a little skeptical at first thinking that Microsoft made a peace of crap and slapped their name on it but the mouse really performs. Prior to this I was using the Razer Diamond Back, and the right click had died on that one so I purchased the Razer (Lechnis?) and found that it was just to small and the left side buttons were to awkward to push consistently, and the right side buttons were next to impossible to use.
When I first used the Sidewinder I was instantly at home with its Ergos, it fit very well in my hand (big mitts) and the side buttons were very accesable. Being built with stainless steel components I have doubts in its ability to take a punishment. The weight system is very nice as well allowing for lots of customization in weight distribution.
I didn't give it a perfect 5 because of the mouse feet. They have 3 different types of mouse feet that claim to have different menueverability along the mouse pad surface but they all seemed very much the same with a very plastic like feel. They also seemed to collect depris easily. However if you can keep them clean the feet aren't really a problem.
Customer Review: Sturdy, solid software, for big hands, a winner!
I have pretty big hands, and the Logitech mice have always been great for me in most respects, except that I *never* used the DPI switching on the fly. I would like to remap those keys to a 'cruise up' and 'cruise down', which worked really well.
The problem is, that occasionally the mouse would 'reset' itself to a lower DPI, and I'd be mid-game trying to get it back. I'd have to go map the key to "increase sensitivity", then go back into the game and play again. It was truly annoying, and it is the single reason I won't buy another Logitech mouse.
I saw Microsoft's Sidewinder mouse and I took a chance on it -- it looked reasonable, and being the owner of several Microsoft Keyboards over the years, I don't have any problem with their hardware quality. This mouse is no exception.
The plastic may seem flimsy, but feeling the scroll wheel tells you the internals of it are reasonably well made. It has solid mouse buttons and they are comfortable for a larger hand like mine (it's not a HUGE hand, but big). The macro keys are something I rarely use because if you play competitively, you have to take out the 'cheats' in games. But all in all, it's a really great mouse.
The SOFTWARE. It's great. The scroll wheel (if you use it in applications rather than games) can increase scrolling speed the faster you scroll with the software. It's quite brilliant. The detents in the scroll make it exceptionally good for gaming, as you know if you switch weapons easily -- you feel it in the wheel. My hand has never accidentally hit the DPI switch -- not once. And if your hand does, it's a quick switch back and you can view the LCD to tell you exactly what you're sitting at as well.
All in all, if you're tired of Logitech's poor software and key remapping, you have large hands, and you want a good gaming mouse -- this is the one for you. Again, I never switch DPI on ANY mouse I've ever owned (and I've owned a lot) so if you play like that... you'll find the Sidewinder a welcome choice.
By the way, the Sidewinder X5 is not worth it -- this mouse has more features and seems better to me, so save your $30 or whatever and buy this mouse. Amazon shipping and support never fails me.
Microsoft SideWinder Gaming Mouse
Comes with Mario Kart with Wii Wheel and Wii Dance Dance Revolution Video game with Dance Pad. Wii system is not included. Wii system is sold seperately. Wiimote is not included. Wiimote is sold seperately. For the Wii System.
* Brand new DDR game designed exclusively for the Nintendo Wii, bundle includes a dance pad!
* 4 players simultaneous play turns any house into the hottest party
* All-new soundtrack includes licensed smash-hits from the last 4 decades
* Use the Nintendo Wii Remote and Nunchuck while dancing for greater total body interaction
* Swing the Nintendo Wii controller to send obstructions to your opponents
The global dancing phenomenon gets even more physical with an entirely new game designed for the Nintendo Wii. Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party enhances the series' trademark interactive gameplay by combining the physically engaging, innovative and easy-to-pick-up-and-play mechanics of the Nintendo Wii platform. 4 player multiplayer, Nintendo Wii Remote and Nunchuck support, smash hits taken from the last 4 decades of music, entirely new modes and more.
Wii Wheel
Wii Wheel Included!
Wario on Race Track
New Intense Tracks and Tricks
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Cool Car Designs
Cool new car designs
View larger.
Mario and his friends are back and ready to race once again in Mario Kart Wii! Experience new tracks, enhanced Wii graphics, extraordinary gameplay and much more! Place first in Grand Prix circuits or clear skill-based missions to open up increasingly difficult and thrilling circuits. Players can have multiplayer races on any open courses or battle in arenas. Also included with Mario Kart Wii is the Wii Wheel! Now you can feel like your Mario and steering to avoid obstacles and doing incredible stunts - in the safety of your home of course.
Mario Kart with Wheel/Dance
