Electronic Arts and Maxis announced today that their latest creation, Spore , has gone gold and will be ready for its September 5 ^th European, and September 7 ^th North

Big Creature, Little Creature

American and Asia Pacific ship dates for Mac and PC. Spore Creatures for Nintendo DS and Spore Origins for the mobile platform will also be available worldwide on September 7 ^th .

Spore lets players create their own creatures, civilizations, worlds and even whole universes. The game includes a number of creative tools which players can use to customize almost every aspect of their Spore experience, from their creatures and buildings to their vehicles, and even spaceships. Players will begin with a world in its infancy, create its creatures, and take them from small cultures to complete civilizations, even ones with highly advanced technology.

"We are so excited to finally get Spore into the hands of fans and players," said Lucy Bradshaw, executive producer of Spore at Maxis. "The Maxis studio has had an absolute blast creating Spore , but the fun is just beginning. The most engaging stories are truly the ones people create themselves, and we can't wait to see how players not only craft and explore the Spore universe, but hear what stories they have to tell as a result."

Ready to head into space

Spore will be available as a regular or Galactic Edition. Players who pre-order either version from participating retailers will receive a coupon for $10 off a purchase of custom merchandise at the Spore Store. The Galactic Edition will include a Making of Spore DVD, a 50 minute National Geographic Channel documentary DVD hosted by Spore 's creator, Will Wright, called How to Build a Better Being , “The Art of Spore” hardback book, an exclusive Spore poster and a premium 100-page Galactic Handbook.

For more information on Spore, check out www.spore.com.