The wait is almost over, since Electronic Arts and Maxis have announced that the most anticipated game of the year, Spore, has gone gold and will hit the retail shelves on the 5th of September in Europe and the 7th of September in North America and Asia. Also, at the same time with the North American release, the DS and mobile versions (Spore Creatures and Spore Origins) will be released worldwide. And honestly, I am completely hyped by the fact that this day is finally coming! However, it seems that I'm not the only one.

"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."

Players who pre-order Spore or Spore Galactic Edition from participating retailers will receive a $10 off coupon they can use for their next purchase of custom merchandise at the Spore Store. Also, for the ultimate Spore fan, the limited Galactic Edition will contain the 'Making of Spore' DVD, 'How to Build a Better Being' DVD (a 50 minute National Geographic Channel documentary DVD hosted by the mastermind behind Spore, Will Wright), 'The Art of Spore' hardback book, an exclusive Spore poster, and a premium 100-page Galactic Handbook.

One of the most important and lengthy stages in Spore will be the tribal one. This Tribal Stage is the third you'll encounter in Spore and you will begin it as a small group of creatures that have just discovered tools and founded a tribe. Depending on how you play both the Cell and Creature Stages, you will begin Tribal Stage with two out of six super powers at your disposal and keep evolving, since you have entire galaxies to discover!