The specs required to run the upcoming Creature Creator are now known to all mankind. Rejoice:

• 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent
• XP: 512 MB RAM / Vista: 768 MB RAM
• At least 300 MB of hard drive space for installation, plus additional space for created creatures. (600 MB for digital download)
• A 128 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 2.0*

Expect final requirements for the full game to be fairly close to these. A complete fact sheet can be found here.

Spore is set to use an online authentication system, most likely to prevent and hinder illegal distribution of the game. In an open letter to Spore fans Caryl Shaw, online producer, gives us the following information regarding this “feature”:

• We authenticate your game online when you install and launch it the first time.
• We’ll re-authenticate when a player uses online features, downloads new content or a patch for their game.
• The new system means you don’t have to play with the disc in your computer. And if you are like me, always losing discs, this will be a huge benefit.
• You’ll still be able to install and play on multiple computers.
• You can play offline.

Whether this means they will be using Sony’s SecuROM or another specially adapted anti-piracy tool is still somewhat unclear. We have probably not heard the last of this.

Seems that the actual EA Store had the wrong date on the release of the Creature Creator. It’s June 17, not 15. And voilà, here’s the box art.

(snatched from the Spore newsletter )

The official site has been updated with two new videos - the second part of studio stories and some footage from Yuri’s Night.

They’ve also updated the FAQ with a few answers to Creature Creator questions. Nothing new if you are up-to-date with the latest going-ons.

The standalone Spore Creator Creator is now available for preorder at the EA Store, and will ship June 15. As previously observed the price is set to $9.99. Also note that it will be available as a direct download.

Maxis veteran Thomas Vu sat down with Play to answer a few questions about Spore. We seem to get a definite answer regarding what platform versions are planned; PC, Apple Macintosh, Nintendo DS, and Mobile Cell phones. Furthermore here’s what he has to say about the ending:

This may surprise Maxis fans, but Spore does have an ending, though it is probably not what you’d expect. Players can continue playing past the end if they choose to and continue to explore the hundreds of thousands of planets that populate the Spore galaxy. We are not ready to announce what the end of the game will be, but trust that it will take a dedicated player some time to complete the game.

Don’t forget to stop by our YouTube Channel now and then. There are some more videos there apart from what we delivered earlier this week.

According to EA rep. Patrick Buechner the Creature Creator is coming in June! There will be two versions - a free one which will have 25% of the available creature parts, and a retail version with all available parts. The free editor will be available at spore.com and included in the new SimCity Box coming also in June. The Creature Creator will function exactly as in the full game and you will be able to take snapshots and make movies in it. Furthermore all creatures that you create will function in Spore when it ships!

Since the SimCity Box is planned for release on the 26th we can expect the editor to be released around that date. The price is not known for certain at this time, but Amazon.com did have it listed at $9.99 before taking it down.

Thanks to Robin for the news tip.

Here’s two videos from Yuri’s Night showing the spaceship editor and some action in the space phase.

Yuri’s Night is an “annual worldwide party to celebrate Yuri Gagarin’s first flight into space - as well as to promote space exploration”.

Here’s a short video of the creature editor featuring a funky creature. Enjoy!

CVG is spawning articles like there’s no tomorrow. This time we get a thourough look at all the phases and their look and feel. The previewer Ed Zitron sounds pretty excited on the outlook of Spore.

As Spore stands, it’s unbelievably beautiful and mesmerising. Will Wright and Maxis may very well have created something with the mass-appeal of the original Sims, with elements to draw in tougher-edged gamers in the Civilization and Space Age modes - though their complexity does remain to be seen.

Five more months on Monday!