Maxis BIOME

What is Maxis BIOME?

You might be asking yourself, "What is Maxis BIOME?" Well, as we look toward the pending launch of another major game, BIOME is meant to be a prototype or trial version of one aspect of that game. In fact, this upcoming title is said to be one of the greatest computer games of all-time. Maybe you've heard of it. It's called Spore.

That other Maxis video game walks you through the evolution of a species. Referred to a "massive single-player online game", Spore contains elements of several different genres, including simulation, real-time strategy, action, puzzle, and "god" games.

Cellular SimCity

With Maxis BIOME, you get a part of that adventure in the form of what Electronic Arts calls a "programmable cellular automata simulator". This is supposed to provide gamers with some sort of grid-style simulation in the same ilk as a Sim City series title.

Naturally, you won't be erecting buildings and developing land. Instead, Maxis BIOME will get you to look into "chemical stoichiometry" and how the different cells in the biome react to chemical changes in the environment. It's not a fully developed game, but BIOME can act as an excellent prototype for what you can expect when Spore arrives in stores.

The cell simulations will work under both rectangular and spiral cellular automata configurations. Confused? Don't worry. Remember that BIOME is still a computer game and not an advanced course in biology at your local college. It's just for fun, though you could learn a thing or two along the way.

The Purpose of the Prototype

The team at Maxis developed a series of different prototypes, like BIOME, to explore the different design directions that Spore could take when it was ready for mass consumption. These early betas, as you could call them, expose the gamers of the world to some of the micro-level machinery that will be powering the larger Spore video game. They also let them explore some of the early ideas, providing feedback to the Maxis team in case they have anything that they would like to see changed.

Prototypes like these are not typically released to the public, even though they may be created for a wide range of games. Each of the major elements of a game like World of Warcraft has to be carefully planned and crafted, so it's understandable that Maxis would take the same approach to Spore. Electronic Arts says that by issuing some of these prototypes, like BIOME, to the public, they are offering gamers a "golden ticket" into the creative process.

Get Ready for Spore

While you won't be able to create your own unique characters for Spore in Maxis BIOME, you will get plenty of exposure into at least one of the critical elements in the upcoming blockbuster game. In this macro world of ours, it can be terribly interesting to take a peek under the microscope and see how individual cells react to changes.

You can download BIOME for free from the EA website. The link is at http://community.spore.beta.online.ea.com/comm/prototypes.

With the full build of Spore, set for release in early January 2008, players will have the opportunity to build their own unique universe. The game starts with a single cell, much like the environment you will find within BIOME. From there, you can evolve life, build tribes, expand civilizations, and even achieve intergalactic travel.

In the meantime, enjoy the free "prototype" demo of BIOME.