This month will be the launch of the Creature Creator for Will Wright's Spore, and the evolution simulator is set to touch two thirds of the PC population: Windows and Mac. What we have here are for gamers on both segments, though several Linux players might be interested as well. Are your Windows (emulation or non-emulation) and Mac rigs ready? The system requirements to run EA Maxis' masterpiece follows at the full story.

Okay, so this is definitely not new. Since it was introduced years ago, Spore (PC, Nintendo Wii, DS, Mac, and Mobile) has often been thought to be one of the games to bring new blood to the saturated PC gaming market by way of being the segment's best seller once it's released. But Electronic Arts just wants its investors to know that the company's feeling optimistic about the sim-strategy title, and Michael Pachter predicts more or less of the same.

Gamers, here's good news: Will Wright's Spore (PC, Mac, Wii, Nintendo DS, Mobile) now has a definite release date, and we can now finally stop guessing when the game will come out. Sure, the date may be several months away but at least we now have a something real to look forward to. Find out Spore's actual release date in the full article!

Spore (PC, Nintendo DS, Mobile) creator Will Wright has revealed that gamers can get their hands on Maxis' ambitious life sim title in roughly six months' time. This according to video game news website CVG.

In an interview with Radio 5 Live, Wright said: "We have the game fully playable at this point and it's in final testing." This coincides with Electronic Arts' tentative Spring 2008 release date for Spore. Last month, Amazon.com had the game listed for a March 3, 2008 release.

Wright is also looking towards getting not only the hardcore gaming audience to play the game but the more casual gamers as well.

"We've had to do a lot of testing to make sure that the game is accessible by a wide group of people", said Wright. "I want the people who have played The Sims to be able to play Spore - I don't want it to be some thing just hardcore gamers play."

The non-profit association One Laptop Per Child has a mission of developing a low-cost US$ 100 laptop, and has a vision of revolutionizing -  with the laptop's help - how the world's children are educated. The goal is to distribute an OLPC Children's Machine XO laptop to every child in underdeveloped nations around the world.

Nice and sweet for sure, but the kids won't just be using the cheap lappy for educational purposes. They get to play god with it too.

OLPC News reports that their call for games on their first laptop – the OLPC Children's Machine XO is starting to be heard, and they're now going to get an Open Source version of SimCity for the OLPC, thanks to Electronic Arts and Will Wright.

While allowing kids to rain down disasters and send alien invaders to destroy their Sim-filled custom metropolis, It is reported that the goal is to eventually have the open source community renovate SimCity and take it in new educational directions. Seymour Papert's ideas about constructionist education will definitely apply here.

OLPC is at the Game Developers Conference 2007 by the way, and they've got an early build of SimCity on display at their booth.

The highly successful action shooter grabbed the most awards at the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards held in Hard Rock Cafe, Las Vegas last February 8. The ceremony is hosted by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS).

It is a peer-driven and peer-based awards honoring outstanding products, talented individuals and development teams that have made a contribution to the advancement of the game industry.

Trailing just behind the Epic Game's Gears of War is Nintendo's Wii Sports, which managed to grab three awards. Minoru Arakawa, former president of Nintendo of America, was also honored for the first time with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Honored with him were Howard Lincoln, chairman emeritus of Nintendo of America, and Danielle Bunten Berry, game pioneer. The former received a Lifetime Achievement Award and the latter was inducted to the AIAS Hall of Fame.

Joseph Olin, president of AIAS, said, "Last night, we recognized the brightest and most innovative in video games in what can be considered as one of the best years the video game industry has seen."

Click on Full Article to view the list of winners and their respective categories.

SimCity, that venerable old classic that launched the simulation phenomenon, has just made its way into mobile phones. Thanks to Electronic Arts Inc., mobile phone users can now create and manage the growth of a living city in the palm of their hands.

"SimCity is one of the most significant game franchises of the past 20 years and we’re thrilled to bring it to the mobile phone market," said Travis Boatman, vice president worldwide studios, EA Mobile. "For the first time, players will have the ability to pick up and build a city while on the go – any time, any place."

In SimCity, players take on the dual role of City Planner and Mayor - designing, building and managing the ultimate city of their dreams. Players can choose from a unique toolset that can be used to plan residential, commercial and industrial areas, lay down roads and build police and fire stations, parks, stadiums and more.

As the city begins to take shape, be prepared to deal with unavoidable challenges such as crime, pollution, fires, tornados, and even a monster attack. On top of that, players must maintain a balanced budget. The ultimate goal is to attract as many Sims as possible to one’s thriving new metropolis.

SimCity was originally created by Will Wright and is now available on major U.S. carriers.