Exploring Life's No-Win Deals: Will Wright's "Spore" Demonstration

In summary, Will Wright, creator of the Sims world, has demonstrated a new game called Spore where players start off as simple organisms and can evolve in any way they want. The game progresses to building tribes, cities, and even spaceships to explore other planets. However, the game has no ultimate goal, leading to the question of whether or not life itself has a goal or if it is just a combination of winning and losing. Death is seen as a reward for living, but it is often avoided at all costs. The concept of winning is derived from competition, but in life, what are we competing with? Overall, life is seen as a reward in itself, but its ultimate purpose remains a mystery.
  • #1
dduardo
Staff Emeritus
1,906
3
I just saw the following game demonstration given by Will Wright, the creator of the Sims world.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8372603330420559198&q=spore [Broken]

The game starts you off as a very simple organism in a pool of liquid with other organisms (controlled by another player). As you play you can evolve in any way you want. Eventually you grow into a complex creature that emerges from the water and onto land. When you get enough intelligence you can start building tribes which later on because cities. Age of Empire type play allows where you can conqueror other cities, trade and become allies with other people. After playing for some more time you can eventually build a spaceship and go to other planets and either contact with neighboring civilizations or teraform empty planets. When you get enough technology you can leave your solar system and go to other universes. It is at this point you can basically do whatever you want. If you want to destroy planets you can. If you want to build jedi knights to conqueror the universe you can. Everything is programmable.

But it is at this point that I realized: now what? I've got all this flexibility to do whatever I want but at the same time the game has become pointless. It is like playing tic-tac-toe and always ending up in a draw.

The only winning move is to stop playing!What do you people think about this? Is life a no win deal? Do you think there is a way to "win?" Is ignorance truly bliss? Is not playing our ultimate purpose in life?
 
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  • #2
"Life is what you make (of) it" (Brian Ferry).

If death is the reward for living, no one seems to understand that. So, its not like winning or a goal. In fact most people avoid death at all costs. Even at the cost of another person's life. Who's winning?

Where does the concept of "winning" derive from? Competition. What does a living person compete with... Death?

A predator wins when it bags a meal of a wombat that will last the day or a week. What it doesn't conceptualize is that the winnings diminish as it eats.. soon to become a loser. In this case there is winning and losing wrapped up in one action... eating (mind you, I don't know about eating a wombat!). Is that how the competition of "life" is set up? Is the act of living a combination of winning and losing... and therefore static in nature.. or non-competitive?

Generally, living is a reward in itself. And, since you can calculate death as occupying a part of life, death is one of the rewards of life... and there are many others.

In who's context is life a game.. other than in a computer game?
 
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  • #3
quantumcarl said:
"Life is what you make (of) it" (Brian Ferry).

If death is the reward for living, no one seems to understand that. So, its not like winning or a goal. In fact most people avoid death at all costs. Even at the cost of another person's life. Who's winning?

Where does the concept of "winning" derive from? Competition. What does a living person compete with... Death?

A predator wins when it bags a meal of a wombat that will last the day or a week. What it doesn't conceptualize is that the winnings diminish as it eats.. soon to become a loser. In this case there is winning and losing wrapped up in one action... eating (mind you, I don't know about eating a wombat!). Is that how the competition of "life" is set up? Is the act of living a combination of winning and losing... and therefore static in nature.. or non-competitive?

Generally, living is a reward in itself. And, since you can calculate death as occupying a part of life, death is one of the rewards of life... and there are many others.

In who's context is life a game.. other than in a computer game?

the winning and losing in life is derived from a fator which is perhaps some how dependent on our doings but how come it decides next event of life is a riddle .life is not more then an interval between birth and death.so just a sub class of time...but still un explainable...
 

1. What is "Spore"?

"Spore" is a life simulation video game designed by Will Wright, the creator of "SimCity" and "The Sims". It allows players to create and evolve their own species, from a single-celled organism to a space-faring civilization.

2. What makes "Spore" unique compared to other video games?

"Spore" stands out for its emphasis on evolution and player creativity. The game utilizes procedural generation, allowing for endless possibilities and unique gameplay experiences.

3. How does "Spore" demonstrate life's no-win deals?

In "Spore", players must make difficult choices throughout their species' evolution, such as sacrificing speed for armor or increasing aggression at the expense of social skills. These choices reflect real-life trade-offs and the concept of "survival of the fittest".

4. Is "Spore" educational?

While "Spore" is primarily a game, it does have educational elements. The game incorporates real scientific concepts such as natural selection and adaptation, making it a fun and interactive way to learn about evolution.

5. Can "Spore" be played by all ages?

While "Spore" is suitable for players of all ages, some features, such as the ability to create and share user-generated content, may require parental guidance for younger players. The game's content is also designed to be accessible to a wide range of players, from casual gamers to more experienced players.

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