EA Announces Free "Biome" Prototype For Spore

For those antsy for Spore, the September 7th launch date can't come soon enough — but while you're waiting, you can now check out a new spore prototype called Biome for free.

It's a "programmable cellular automata simulator" which EA says lets players make grid simulations à la SimCity. Fancy words in the announcement like "chemical stoichiometry" means Biome simulates changes that take place in cells when they're exposed to new variables, similar to the way some chemicals change their state when exposed to other chemicals.

EA says Maxis built prototypes like these initially to explore design directions for the game, and is now letting gamers mess with the machinery to check out some of these early ideas. More are set to be released in the coming weeks.

Full announcement after the jump.

NECA Pimps Gaming Toy Line Up At Comic-Con

Prototyping Challenge: Shade

Radical Entertainment Talks "Evolving" Open Worlds in Prototype

Radical Entertainment senior producer Tim Bennison recently talked to Gamasutra all about Prototype, elaborating a bit on its New York City-based "open world thriller" and promising ongoing evolution throughout the game that goes beyond what's been done in open-world titles like GTA in the past:

"I don't know if I'm right about this, but I think it's the first open-world game where not only the player evolves over time - which is pretty standard - but so does the world. The world is not the same at the beginning as at the end of our game. Even in a game like Scarface or GTA, the world is really the same. You've changed, and you've built your empire and whatnot, but that's it."

Prototype Gives Up On 2008 Release

One of this summer's blockbuster attempts from Sierra and Radical Entertainment won't show its face until next year, as GameSpot reports Prototype has been delayed until some time in 2009. Why? According to Sierra reps, "we need more time to deliver the game the team initially set out to create."

Let's hope that the version of Prototype they initially set out to create actually includes the co-op multiplayer portion that was recently axed. We won't hold our breath on that one, as Radical is probably taking the extra six months to perfect hoodie physics or make the explosions more explosion-y.

Prototype pushed to 2009 [GameSpot]

I had been curious about Prototype since I heard the title. For some reason on my various jaunts to game events I had never gotten a chance to see it demoed. So I seized the opportunity to check it out at Sierra's Spring Event.

Prototype takes place in an open world recreation of New York City and you take o the role of Alex Mercer who has awakened with super powers and little memory. New York has been infested by zombie like creatures called the Infected and even the surrounding buildings have been sucked into to their evil. Hives of infected dot the city and more an more appear all the time. Using your super human abilities, you must disover the conspiracy involved that made this happen and attempt to save the city. But just because you are attempting to help out doesn't make you a hero. Alex Mercer is a decided anti-hero, out for himself and whatever he can get. And you don't have just the Infected to worry about either, there is the Army as well who is not only out to stop the infected, but for some unknown reason, out to get you too. Also be on the lookout for the mysterious Black Watch who have a hand in this somewhere as well.

Prototype Gets Comic Treatment

"PROTOTYPE's back-story, visuals and gameplay are stunning, and we have every intention of bringing those core pillars to our book because this is a great opportunity to expand on the world they've created, and build something new and interesting for comic book fans."

Prototype's Multiplayer Gets Cut

Sierra's Prototype, once planned to featured online co-op multiplayer, will simply be a single-player affair, according to Radical's Tim Bennison. He tells Team Xbox that the Prototype team decided it wouldn't "be able to pull it off with the same level of quality and polish that we're aiming for with the original single player story." You're going to be going it solo, sadly, but perhaps your friends will get some enjoyment out of pointing at the screen, commanding you to punch that guy or punch that other guy.

Bennison leaves the window open for multiplayer opportunities post-release as DLC, but hints that Prototype would have to do well at retail for them to pursue it. That should comfort those who are interested in paying, say, $70 or so for your games.

Inside The Mind of Prototype's Alex Mercer [Team Xbox]

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that might actually be a Mercenaries 2 screen, based on the explosions and helicopters and palette and such. Sorry, but it's Prototype. There's no lack of things exploding in this updated look at Sierra's superhuman action game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. They even throw in some bluish skies to mix it up! Blue skies, punching, blood, 'splosions and helicopters?! Fabulous!

Bitingly funny parody of overblown, overhyped game development videos, or an overblown, overhyped game development video? You decide.

The 3DO M2 was a console that never happened, but that doesn't mean you can't take a little piece of it home. This M2 prototype controller is listed on eBay for the current asking price of 1,250 euros. While we don't expect you to bid, take time to appreciate the 3DO's potential evolution through 3 extra buttons and a joystick D-pad attachment (hit the jump for a pic of the original controller to compare).

Verdict? It's 1960s Playboy magazine centerfold sexy: a bit dated for real use, but alright to look at for its historical significance.

Hunting Prototype With The Blackwatch

Heroes' Producer to Talk at GDC

Jamil Moledina, the executive director of the annual Game Developers Conference, kicked off his GDC blog last night by announcing that Jesse Alexander, the executive producer of TV show Heroes, will be giving a talk on creating each season of the show.

How Heroes Are Made: A Collaborative Approach to Serialized Content in a Transmedia World will look at how Alexander uses game development processes to manage the writing on Heroes. Sounds pretty interesting.

Moledina also unveiled in his blog that Tim Bennison and Eric Holmes will be talking about their upcoming game Prototype and how they are trying to produce gameplay that mimics true behavior.

Sounds like this GDC will be as much a must see as ever year's is.

Director's Cut: Save the Cheerleader! [GDC Director's Cut]

Sierra today announced that they are working on a new title for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 which they describe as a "new kind of open-world game, featuring a rich story line of conspiracy, deception and deadly shape shifting action."

The game is being developed by Radical Entertainment, the folks behind Crash of the Titans and Scarface, and tells the story Alex Mercer, a man haunted by his past, fighting a secret war in New York City. There's action, there's conspiracy, and there's that deadly shape-shifting action, which is auto-hot. Apparently this shape-shifting power will allow the lead character to morph into people he meets in the game and steal their skills or powers. Let's hope you get to play as that guy.

Hit the jump for the press release.

Wii Weights: Fake and Fashionable

The Wiimote: Before and After

Rare Xbox 360 Prototype Faceplate