Thought I'd start an expansion watch thread, since some online stores leaked that an expansion may be released mid-November, sooner than the one that EA said would be about mid-April. One of the stores was Amazon, which is known for putting up blarney stone release dates, but the other one was Gamestop.

The story from a reliable source.
http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/10/rumor-retailers.html

http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:dz7ZIlB2AL4J:www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx%3Fproduct_id%3D72792

I'd bet $50 that the average CFCer here will be unimpressed with the scope of the expansion if it's what people are thinking right now.

EDIT: UPDATE: http://eastore.ea.com/ "Spore Creepy & Cute parts"
Officially listed for November 18th. http://eastore.ea.com/store/ea/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/ThemeID.718200/productID.108090800

If it's really "Cute and Creepy Parts", I'm going to be once again really annoyed at the sad predictability of society.

I saw that coming the minute I got to the creature and building editors.
There must be literally hundreds of parts taken out of the main game (for later expansions)
Looks like they a trying to make Spore into Sims 2 creatures.

Doesn't sound like an expansion but a Sims 2 Stuff Pack. It'd be too fast for a real expansion, mid-April is still a probability for an actual expansion.

clearly doesn't meet the industry standard to be called "an expansion"

The EA store is finally confirming this item will ship on Nov 18:
http://eastore.ea.com/DRHM/servlet/ControllerServlet?Action=DisplayProductDetailsPage&SiteID=ea&Locale=en_US&productID=108090800

Sorry, that link doesn't show the "expansion"?

I updated the link in the OP. It may be that the link expires, but the ad is also on the frontpage of the eastore.

clearly doesn't meet the industry standard to be called "an expansion"

I love that I'm quoted in signature.

clearly doesn't meet the industry standard to be called "an expansion"

I guess you never saw the 23 Sims expansions then.

I guess you never saw the 23 Sims expansions then.

Guess you never saw the 104 sequels to the Land Before Time. :D

But on the subject, yes the next 'expansion' will be Creepy & Cute Part pack but there'll be more than additional parts.

http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/10/13/spore-expansion-confirmed-detailed

Guess you never saw the 104 sequels to the Land Before Time. :D

But on the subject, yes the next 'expansion' will be Creepy & Cute Part pack but there'll be more than additional parts.

http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/10/13/spore-expansion-confirmed-detailed

From reading this, it seems I always estimate the worth of something as about half or one-third of EA's estimate.

See, if the Space Age expansion and the Cute and Creepy Parts expansion were sold together, I'd deem it worth about 20-25$ maybe?

I bet they'll sell each for 25-30$. I don't even think it should be legal to sell so little content in one package and call it an expansion.

With new parts and a relatively interesting gameplay expansion as described, we almost have a worthy expansion... Almost.

I'll probably see the exact contents of the parts expansion but I'd be more likely to buy that space expansion.

Screw them, unless it makes Spore not a children's game I'm not biting.

Well I would have preferred an expansion that expanded the early stages of the game, I like the idea of an adventure creator and being able to beam down your creature to do missions on planets.

This is clearly a stuff pack.
It will be an expansion pack when you can have marine creatures.

This is clearly a stuff pack.
It will be an expansion pack when you can have marine creatures.no

its a bleed the public pack

three dollars worth of content for $20.00

three dollars worth of content for $20.00

3 dollars is definitely how much I'd value a "parts" pack. For me it's the equivalent of downloading a couple of extra songs for Rock Band on the XBOX.

Good God. Cute and creepy parts? I wouldn't even CONSIDER buying this until parts already in the game are given more significance. I'm not going to spend £10-£15 on a pack to give me a cute mouth, or vicious feet.

Fail.

I agree Salty mud.

The space expansions looks much more interesting.

I agree, forget parts. Add more interesting and involving gameplay first!

After reading a little more, I found a quote that I like:

Sorry, I am not going to pay $400 in expansion packs for the game that I was promised to begin with.

I really feel for those who waited years for this game. I didn't read the early hype and wasn't really fussed until the last weeks before release.

What we have at the moment is a tech demo rather than a game. Its creative and groundbreaking and a great technical achievement, but its not good long-term entertainment. Adding new 'parts' wont change that.

So... I hope you're all going to boycott this 'cute and creepy parts' expansion :)

triple posts FTW

No clue if I will avoid it or not.

I'm going to wait for reviews on it. Something like 40% of it is just new texturing. The space expansion may be worth picking up, but again, I'll probably wait for the reviews.

Maybe if it was five dollars I'd consider it.

So... I hope you're all going to boycott this 'cute and creepy parts' expansion :)

triple posts FTWI won't support EA's business policy towards expansions, and I won't get it unless I am given some massively powerful incentive to do so.

EA released a promo video for the Cute and Creepy parts expansion: http://www.spore.com/what/screensmovies#pc/v15

EA released a promo video for the Cute and Creepy parts expansion: http://www.spore.com/what/screensmovies#pc/v15

Oh... My... God... 20$ USD for 60 new parts? SIXTY? Some new animations, um... TWENTY FOUR NEW COLOUR PATTERNS FOR MY CREATURES!?

THAT IS SO AWESOME. Please kill me now!

LOL. Just spend that $20 on ramen and eat it in one day. The effect will probably be the same.

I may pick it up only for the joy of creating, not because the gameplay is improving any.

Part of me died when I saw that video a few days back. That, my friends, is the direction in which EA is dragging Spore.

I won't be buying out of principle. I will not support the practice of selling 'parts packs' for 1/3 the cost of the full game, 2 months after the original release. It's utterly wrong and disgusting.

I've been defending Spore as a game, but EA's actions are as indefensible as ever.

Part of me died when I saw that video a few days back. That, my friends, is the direction in which EA is dragging Spore.

I won't be buying out of principle. I will not support the practice of selling 'parts packs' for 1/3 the cost of the full game, 2 months after the original release. It's utterly wrong and disgusting.

I've been defending Spore as a game, but EA's actions are as indefensible as ever.

Sadly, like for 95% of boycotts, I'm pretty sure all the people refusing to buy this crap for 20$ (like you and me) will have no effect whatsoever. A LOT of people will buy this, including grandmas and aunties buying stuff for their kids and who are unaware they are ruining the gaming industry for people who are really into it. Thanks grandma.

Yeah, it's really just symbolic. I can do better by supporting businesses with better policies (Stardock comes to mind) than by buying nothing at all.

In case anyone is manic to know the what the parts are, here's some images:

http://forum.spore.com/jforum/posts/list/12517.page

^Thanks for the link. I like the look of some of those parts. It just makes me more angry though :mad:

So... is it true they had all these 'parts' ready for use in july, but took them out and kept them specifically for sale as a seperate 'expansion'?

Anyway, until we can do interesting things with our creations in-game, I wish to express that I have absolutely no incentive to buy this.

Yeah, it's highly irritating... I'm holding out until I have free time, and they release a culmination expansion pack- if I get anything more from them at all.

This is just wrong; I won't but it firstly becuase it s plain disgusting. Secondly, if I compare it with my current creatures I know I'll just die... way too different for me.

Agh! That video made my eyes and brain bleed, while further breaking my heart for the hope I had for this game when that preview came out about 9-12 months before release...

Does anyone know when EA steam-rollered Maxis because I'm sure their games haven't been the same since.

Less cutesy graphics, more decent gameplay!

Yeah, it's highly irritating... I'm holding out until I have free time, and they release a culmination expansion pack- if I get anything more from them at all.

This is a pretty good plan. I'm going to wait for culmination expansion packs too.

That video was rather irritating too.. isn't there already an element of horror & humour in Spore? I've seen creatures of both variants walk about many times.