It's like even before Will Wright's Spore releases, Electronic Arts keeps shoveling more and more moolah into the vault. Someone definitely did something right by getting IKEA involved in the latest expansion to The Sims 2, because the brand-approved luxuries tucked away inside every twenty buck box managed to overtake every PC retail game offered in the US. The full top ten list follows at the full story.

Next up from Electronic Arts is their flagship project of the year: the next big thing, some people say, to the best-selling Sims franchise. Spore looks to be shaping up perfectly for the September release, as constant media updates from E3 speak of polished, high definition graphics and striking visuals. But we won't just let hearsay keep the anticipation up - Will Wright himself and the folks at EA's booth have tendered several media presentations all for our viewing pleasure. Let 'em rip at the full story.

With the 10-year plan EA's got tucked in their minds for their latest simulation-strategy game, Spore (Wii, DS, Apple, Windows), it comes as no surprise that they are likening it to their original simulation-success story, The Sims. Find out where's this confidence coming from at the full article.

As the week closes, we proudly announce the first issue of the Weekend Warrior of PC Gaming - an article dedicated to games and gaming on the birth platform of the most popular franchises to date. We'll be tackling the still-hots and what-nots of the week from the most-talked about mainstream games, as well as ushering in a little of the independent scene as well. But we'll also juggle around with the platform's latest technological advancements, plus the new drive to revitalize PC gaming. A hailstorm follows at the full story.

If you live near or in San Francisco and have some free time on your hands tonight, you may want to head over to San Francisco's Apple Store to watch an hour-long demo of the full game of Spore (PC, Nintendo Wii, DS, Mac, and Mobile), as hosted by Will Wright. The full details after the jump!

This month will be the launch of the Creature Creator for Will Wright's Spore, and the evolution simulator is set to touch two thirds of the PC population: Windows and Mac. What we have here are for gamers on both segments, though several Linux players might be interested as well. Are your Windows (emulation or non-emulation) and Mac rigs ready? The system requirements to run EA Maxis' masterpiece follows at the full story.

We recently learned that BioWare won't use SecuROM's 10-day online re-authentication process. Now, we have word from EA that they'll take a similar step with Will Wright's upcoming biggie Spore. The SecuROM drill has been modified somewhat to give gamers more convenience while resisting piracy. More details come after the jump.

The game industry may be getting swamped with sequels, remakes, annualization, and all manner of money-raking tactics. That's bad news, an analyst says, because creativity among developers is often compromised. He says, however, publishers are better off in the long run by breeding talent among the minds behind the medium. Get his full take in the article after the jump.

We all know what pushed EA's The Sims 2 to its stellar success: clever gameplay. Apparently, the cleverness in that brand has spilled over in real life as one of its top bosses almost pulled a fast one on the game media. Who would have thought that The Sims 3 was actually already out for some time now? But of course, there's a bit of a catch. How much of a catch? Check out the full article and be enlightened.

Excited to hear next-gen Simlish talk? That may not be a farfetched dream, since Electronic Arts will soon reveal more information pertaining to the wildly anticipated The Sims 3. A teaser site is now up and the countdown begins. Find out what the fuzz is all about by checking out the full article!