EMERYVILLE, Calif., Sept. 17, 2008
Controlling The Universe - Virtually
CBS Evening News: When Video Games Go For Creation Rather Than Destruction
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Play CBS Video Video Kids Spend Big On Games Video games racked up more than a billion dollars in sales last month. And one estimate expects that the hottest new game, "Spore," will sell 2 million copies this month. Daniel Sieberg reports.
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Video Inside World Of Video Games "Only On The Web:" CBS News science and technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg speaks with Will Wright, a computer video game designer who helped create the widely successful "Sims" games.
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Video Is Gaming Good For Kids? A new study shows that almost all teens play video games, often with someone else and the three most popular games are nonviolent. As Daniel Sieberg reports, that can be a good thing.
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Will Wright's new video game, Spore, is expected to sell about 2 million copies this month alone - and many of them to young women. (CBS)
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Special Report GameCore Video game columns, reviews and views
"You use your imagination to explore all the different things that might happen, unfold in the universe," said video game creator Will Wright. "Really, the subject of 'Spore' really is life."
Spore is the latest creation from Wright, who for 20 years has made games that don't offer the typical shoot-'em-up fare. Rather his games let players - in a sense - play God, from building cities to controlling little people.
"I found it was just kind of more satisfying creating these little worlds than just blowing them up," Wright said.
With Spore, there's no "game over." Instead, the goal is to create your own species, personalizing your creature, from skin color to arm length, then evolve from a tide pool to a functioning civilization - to explorers in space.
Dubbed "a universe in a box," it took about 90 people more than five years and $50 million to create.
It's a game so anticipated, even before it was released, eager gamers have already made more than three million creatures online - and no two alike. And they've posted about 100,000 videos of them on YouTube.
"When the players create stuff in the game they get much more emotionally connected to it," Wright said.
Wright has developed almost a cult following with his number of family-friendly games - including a substantial number of young women.
"I definitely think that women are more interested in creating something than destroying it," said video game player Katy Khalsa.
Ultimately, Spore allows anyone to control their own universe. And who couldn't use a little more of that.
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More From CBS Evening News: Eye On Technology
- "This game should be a big hit with the far right evangelical creationists for Christmas...."
I''m a Christian and I bought the game and found it quite enjoyable. If you watch the intro movie they mention the little creatures you''ve created have you to thank for guiding them along their journey. Kind of like intelligent design or a creator. ;-) - Reply to this comment
- Well, parents should rate this higher than GTA and such. Sounds like it might be fun to grow one''s own universe, then watch evolution take its course.
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- Posted by onemoretim at 11:33 PM : Sep 17, 2008
LOL!!!! - Reply to this comment
- Unfortunately, it''s going down the tube. Thanks to the asinine DRM.
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- I thought this was an article on Lordgod Obama.
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How gold pays for 
