One of the most outrageous, ambitious and downright exciting games to emerge from the GDC was Will Wright's Spore, his latest creation at Maxis. The veteran designer behind the Sim brand looks to be taking 'sandbox' game dynamics to a new level with his latest project, which blends so many genres as to actually represent something of a gaming microcosm. The game will allow the player to create and shape 'life' - from the simplest cells of a primitive organism, to the conquering of other galaxies and worlds. Once the player has created a functioning creature, the game will take on more elements, as the player begins to look beyond the creature, to the world around - and as civilization and society emerge, so technology improves - and eventually space travel and colonisation becomes possible. The scope of the game appears immense.

The game places a great deal of emphasis on player creativity, and interaction - allowing for races and worlds created by one player to interact with another. Sounds... grand. It appears then that is something of a dream project for Wright, the developer admitting that the he has cultivated his vision of the title over the years waiting for the right time, team and technology to be in place. Even with today's impressive hardware, and publisher EA's funds, the ambition of Spore will certainly take some managing. However, if anyone knows how to create well-rounded games, it's Wright. We can't wait for more news on this.

By Luke Guttridge