Spore on Linux

If you're a Linux user wondering if Spore works, the answer is: Sorta.

I bought the download version from the EA Store. Nothing mentioned until after my purchase was complete that I needed a Windows-only downloader. I didn't test this under Wine.

Aside: The EA Store website allows + in email addresses, but the Spore online login does not.

I'm using Ubuntu 8.04 with a custom build of Wine 1.1.4 (includes a patch needed to make Spore run). The installer runs fine in Wine. Skip the DirectX install. While the game works, piracy prevention code doesn't. You'll need to find a cracked SporeApp.exe floating around to work around the issue. I believe a similar workaround is needed if you purchase the boxed game.

I'm still on the creature level, I've found a few graphical glitches:

• Minor: Turn "Shadows" to "Low" to reduce some of the bizarre sploches of blackness.
  
• Minor: The icon by the mouse pointer seems to not be transparent properly
  
• Minor: Text describing your goals overlaps the text describing items you've picked up.
  
• Medium: The water isn't rendered.
  

Check the the WineHQ page about Spore.