Spore 

Spore™ is a video game which has taken America by storm. It contains various developmental levels of engagement. As with many other Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) video games, Spore™ was designed by William Wright creator of the ever popular simulation builder SimCity™ purely for entertainment purposes but has elements of science which can support learning in genetics and biology. I managed to download the free version of Spore™ which allows me to create creatures with unique shapes that can adapt to new environments. Spore™ is great for developing an interest in basic biology and science practices and provides a creative and imaginative world of wonder for people of all ages. Although the Cell level provides creative ways to design and engage with science at the cellular level, defense mechanisms can be designed into a  creature at the cellular level to handle challenges which show up at the Civilization level.  

While Spore™ is intended only to mimic some realistic attribute of nature and science, it does provoke some curiosity in life science, which is an opportunity to practice scientific vocabulary and social engagement. According to William Wright (2007), the creator of the game, “there is nothing more interactive than making a universe come to life. The games acts as a “player’s imagination amplifier” through the use of creative tools. Furthermore, the discussion that Spore™ does not teach real science has brought a seious debate in the field of gaming and science.