Will Wright's Spore, due for a September 7th release, is one of most anticipated PC titles ever.
But, as CNN reports, some users of the Creature Creator utility, released last month, have built animals which are apparently intent on breeding. Or, at least coupling.
...Buried among the more wholesome attempts [at Spore creature creation] were two-legged dancing testicles, a "giant breast monster" and a four-legged, "phallic fornication machine," for starters...
For EA, the developer of "Spore," it's the downside to tapping into the booming user-generated content arena, which has made sites like YouTube, Flickr, MySpace, Facebook and Second Life so popular... Many of the popular user-generated content sites have faced similar challenges in trying to control obscene material...
The creatures are not just static. Users can create animated scenarios for the characters to engage in, some of which include sexually graphic acts.
When EA got word of the "Sporn" creations, it began working with YouTube to pull them down. Spore executive producer Lucy Bradshaw told CNN:
Whether it's modeling clay, dolls or crayons, a small number of people can be counted on to use it for something vulgar.
CNN also spoke to the "Spornmaster," a 37-year-old man who has created a number of reproductively equipped Sporn creatures:
I admit it is silly and juvenile, but I don't think there's anything perverted, vile or awful about it. If people find it offensive, they can simply not search for it online. No one is forcing anyone to see this content.
One Spore fan told CNN:
I consider this very similar to child pornography, at least to the extent of distributing the material to children.
GP: Buzzfeed has additional NSFW links...



Comments
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
Yep, no genitals, no nipples, not even any hair below the neck. They did have a belly button, but other than that were unformed skintones to fill in gaps in armor in place of the brown unremovable underwear you'd see if the character actually was naked.
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
I don't see how this is juvinile ... doesnt everyone dream of a world inhabited by large testicle monsters and boobies .... oh wait now that I have typed that that does sound childish ... but I would have to say its probably just as childish to be offended by such a thing as it is to create it.
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
There are quite a few juvinile minded people out there. This goes along with a comic that PA made about the Tiger Woods golfer creator where you could upload your own photo. The first attempt by Gabe was to use a picture of his testicles. Then a picture of his cat.
Give enough people room to be "creative" and you will get people who can only "create" juvinile works like this.
E. Zachary Knight
http://www.editorialgames.com
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/okceca
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1325674091
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
You say that like it's a bad thing.
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
...two-legged dancing testicles...
I have to admit, this made me laugh in the stupidest, 2nd grade way.
I can understand EA being concerned, the media tends to focus on the negative in games (see: this story), and from what little the public understands about them, it wouldn't be a stretch for Spore to be mislabeled in their eyes.
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
Cue Jack Thompson lawsuit in 3....2.....1......
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
Isn't he being disbarred?
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
He is not in his MIND...
The cynical side of videogames (spanish only): http://thelostlevel.blogspot.com/ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com/
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha....
Awesome, now what is wrong with the retard comapring this to child porn?
It is pretty much like the ending credits of superbad... you know the notebook with some pictures...
I really don't see how it would hurt sales... if anything this will give them free publicity and MORE sales...
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
Of course, the truly amusing (or disturbing for EA) part is if the game lives up to it's promise of populating it's universe with user generated creatures taken randomly from other people's games. But then I'm not keeping up too close with Spore, so they may have removed that feature already. =)
It is the first thing I thought of when they made thier big press release in magazines earlier this year... "Great, I'm going to be encountering giant penises or something from some loser's game that got spread across the universe." ;)
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
Its optional
Import nothing
Import Friends
Import everything.
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
I think this is a big fat duh. I think the Spornmaster and the Spore executive producer got it right. If you give the masses any molding tools, someone will make silly things, and just because they make some slightly immature things, it isn't meant to offend, and if you are offended, don't look at it.
COMMON SENSE FTW
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
The Giant cock monster had me falling of the chair.
How could someone compare this to child porn? Why so scared of a fake penis? It's not real, you don't have to watch it, make it or even buy it when it comes out. Regardless, I can see why EA's scared. It might hurt sales. Can't have that happen, now can we, EA? Might upset your balance in trying to conquer the world.
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
The game won't sell, anyway. It will pirate like crazy, but it won't sell. EA is using the same (inherently irredeemably flawed) distribution model they used for Mass Effect.
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
Yeah... it might hurt sales. EA is a company, there job is to make sure profits are high. They may also be trying to avoid people demanding that the game be rerated for the children.
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
Why so serious?
Teehee, your post said "Why so.." and I just thought of that. On another note...anyone wanna see a magic trick?
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
One spore fan(18 year old Michael James from Calgary, Alberta according to CNN) is obviously a stupid twat then.
I bet its the overzealous twits like him who have been flaging any creature they don't like as obscene.
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
Thanks for sourcing the "one spore fan" kid.
And agreed. idiot kid is idiot.
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
I think it's someone who a) probably doesn't understand what child porn is (distributing porn to children !+ child porn), and b) doesn't remember being anywhere from 5-12 (or 18 (or 45) for some). Not saying that EA shouldn't try to get this stuff out, but calling it child porn is beyond the pale, and probably more than a little insulting to victims of child porn.
Re: Spore + Porn = Sporn
Sounds a little alike with some Deviantart users who report you if they think you are drawing porn, even if you are tagging you posts with mature tag, and even when there are real pictures more explicit than any dumb draw on Deviantart.
The cynical side of videogames (spanish only): http://thelostlevel.blogspot.com/ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com/