Difference between revisions of "480: Spore"
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | '{{w|Spore (2008 video game)|Spore}}' is a game that was released in 2008. It was $50 when it first came out so many people could not afford it at the time. Spore starts you off as a small little water bug and when you become smart enough you leave the water for land and start growing. To begin with the scale of your interest is thus very small as you are only concerned with your spot of water. | + | '{{w|Spore (2008 video game)|Spore}}' is a game that was released in 2008. It was $50 when it first came out so many people could not afford it at the time. Spore starts you off as a small little water bug and when you become smart enough you leave the water for land and start growing. To begin with the scale of your interest is thus very small as you are only concerned with your spot of water. During the next two stages the scale grows to being the entire continent. Once you start building cities you get to view the entire planet. The last stage (and scale) is space, where you get to first travel your own solar system, then the entire galaxy. |
− | Since Cueball can't yet afford Spore (which is now only about $15) he instead is recreating the experience by playing older games, starting off with small scale games. In the comic Cueball had just beaten the game '{{w|Populous}}' which is on a planet scale | + | Since Cueball can't yet afford Spore (which is now only about $15) he instead is recreating the experience by playing older games, starting off with small scale games. In the comic Cueball had just beaten the game '{{w|Populous}}' which is on a planet scale, so now he can go on to the galactic scale with the game '{{w|Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri|Alpha Centauri}}'. |
− | The following three games could for instance have been played before the ones mentioned: | + | The following three games could for instance have been played before the ones mentioned: starting with '{{w|SimAnt}}' (ant scale) then moving up to '{{w|The Sims}}' (human scale) and then proceeding with '{{w|SimCity}}' (city scale). |
− | The {{w|Civilization (series)|Civilization}} games could also fit in to this process, however, as they are planet scale to begin with and ending up with you going to the star {{w|Alpha Centauri}} they do not fit in well between the two games mentioned in the comic. | + | The {{w|Civilization (series)|Civilization}} games could also fit in to this process, however, as they are planet-scale to begin with and ending up with you going to the star {{w|Alpha Centauri}} they do not fit in well between the two games mentioned in the comic. |
− | The title text refers to the game not being able to run on the Mac using a {{w|GMA 950}} which is a type of Intel integrated graphics processor. It was first supported in OSX 10.4. It lacked hardware support for | + | The title text refers to the game not being able to run on the Mac using a {{w|GMA 950}} which is a type of Intel integrated graphics processor. It was first supported in OSX 10.4. It lacked hardware support for vertex shader 2.0, which some games required. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== |
Revision as of 15:01, 5 February 2015
Spore |
Title text: Way to not support the GMA 950 under OS X, Spore. :( |
Explanation
'Spore' is a game that was released in 2008. It was $50 when it first came out so many people could not afford it at the time. Spore starts you off as a small little water bug and when you become smart enough you leave the water for land and start growing. To begin with the scale of your interest is thus very small as you are only concerned with your spot of water. During the next two stages the scale grows to being the entire continent. Once you start building cities you get to view the entire planet. The last stage (and scale) is space, where you get to first travel your own solar system, then the entire galaxy.
Since Cueball can't yet afford Spore (which is now only about $15) he instead is recreating the experience by playing older games, starting off with small scale games. In the comic Cueball had just beaten the game 'Populous' which is on a planet scale, so now he can go on to the galactic scale with the game 'Alpha Centauri'.
The following three games could for instance have been played before the ones mentioned: starting with 'SimAnt' (ant scale) then moving up to 'The Sims' (human scale) and then proceeding with 'SimCity' (city scale).
The Civilization games could also fit in to this process, however, as they are planet-scale to begin with and ending up with you going to the star Alpha Centauri they do not fit in well between the two games mentioned in the comic.
The title text refers to the game not being able to run on the Mac using a GMA 950 which is a type of Intel integrated graphics processor. It was first supported in OSX 10.4. It lacked hardware support for vertex shader 2.0, which some games required.
Transcript
- [Cueball sitting at computer desk, surrounded by game boxes.]
- Cueball: Sweet, beat Populous. Now, on to Alpha Centauri.
- Until I can afford Spore, I'm just playing through all my old games in order of scale.
Discussion
Explanation mentions 'Civilization' for planetary scale, but comic explicitly suggests 'Populous' (which... though memory might fail me, was at least most of a planet in scope, controlled in one of the first popular God Game formats...). And SimSpace might well be Galaxy-level, but 'Alpha Centauri' is itself a game (semi-direct sequel by Sid Meier to Civilization itself), in case anyone thought that this was just a reference to the star(s) in such a galaxy-level simulation. 178.107.63.150 01:15, 7 June 2013 (UTC)
You can now get Minecraft (which should sate your need for evolutionary sandbox games) for free. 108.162.249.240 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)
Based on title, I suspect "Cueball's" issue is not the price of game itself, but price of new hardware he would need to play it. -- Hkmaly (talk) 16:31, 15 May 2017 (UTC)