Not content to simply bring you the news of Spore's release date (September 7th, 2008) or the reasons why the game has taken so long to develop (like numerous Facebook relationships, it's complicated), the staff of Level Up has brought you one more exclusive. When we found out yesterday that the PC edition of Spore would be accompanied by versions for the Nintendo DS, Macintosh computers and mobile phones, we again reached out to Electronic Arts to get the scoop. Maxis vice president and Spore executive producer Lucy Bradshaw was kind enough to promptly answer the questions we sent over via email--thanks!--and the answers demonstrate the amount of care that Maxis has put into trying to make sure that each instance of the game is worthy. Below, Brashaw tells us whether Mac and PC users will be able to share content with one another; which Japanese artistic tradition inspired the look of Spore for DS; and which single stage of the original game has been blown out for mobile phones. Intrigued? Keep reading.

What challenges have there been in developing a Mac version of Spore?

We're working with a company called Transgaming on our Mac version of Spore, and the effort is going very smoothly. When we set out to do this, it was to make sure that we have a simultaneous release on both the PC and Mac; too often our Mac versions ship months behind the PC. Just recently we were able to show the Creature Creator at MacWorld. We really feel that the creative nature of Spore will appeal to the Mac audience so we are excited to bring the game to both platforms.

Will Mac and PC users be able to share content with one another?

And, yes, the content that players create on the Mac version can be shared with PC players as well as other Mac players. All of the building blocks that are available in Spore's Creature, Building, Vehicle and Spaceship Creators are the same for both the PC and Mac versions, so we can now populate the galaxies of both Mac and PC players with the content that other players create, which makes exploring your own personal galaxy always unique and surprising.

How do the features and gameplay in the Nintendo DS version of Spore differ from those of the PC and Mac versions? Will the DS version have any unique content?

Spore for the Nintendo DS is an entirely unique design. We focused on delivering the core features of Spore: creativity, exploration, sharing and collecting, while taking full advantage the unique aspects of the DS platform such as the stylus and connectivity. The result is a completely specialized version of the creature phase of the game complete with a Nintendo DS unique creature creator that we are calling Spore Creatures. Players will create their own creature in the Creature Creator and then evolve this creature by making friends, defeating enemies and exploring the galaxy on a quest to find new evolutionary paths and save their home world. Along the way, they can record all the species they've encountered using the Spore Species Guide, trade and collect custom created creatures and earn badges for accomplishing a variety of tasks.

We even decided to go with a custom look for Spore Creatures so the content is entirely unique to the DS. Our artistic inspiration came from Japanese flat rod puppets and shadow box art. The look feels great and lends to a more intuitive editing experience allowing for a huge amount of flexibility in the creatures a player can create. The greater simplicity enables the player to focus on the gameplay and their unique creations. We've also made unique abilities for the creatures of Spore Creatures. As you evolve your creation, you'll find special biopowers that can help you fight or socialize in order to succeed on your quest.

Will DS users be able to exchange content with each other via local or online Wi-Fi?

As players are creating creatures in their game, they can save their favorites. They can share, trade or simply show off these favorites with friends either locally or over Wi-Fi. If you share a creature with a friend, that creature can show up in your game as well, and they can battle or befriend them much like the PC and Mac game. Once traded, creatures will continue to spread to other players as they connect and trade.

What features and gameplay can we expect to see in the mobile phone version of Spore?

Just as Spore Creatures for the Nintendo DS is an offshoot of the creature phase, Spore Mobile revolves around the first phase featured in the PC game: the cell phase. You'll start out in the primordial ooze and work your way up through the food chain as you head for land avoiding predators and adapting to your environment. The mobile game features its own editor where you can customize your creature by adding parts like tails, eyes and mandibles, each with unique abilities that will help you overcome the challenges you'll face. The mobile editor also allows you to alter the size, shape and color of your creation in millions of different ways.

Will mobile phone users be able to exchange content with one another?

Yes, users will be able to trade their creations with each other--once you've finished the core game and you've created a creature, you can then take that creature online via a network connection or by trading alphanumeric codes manually. You'll even be able to battle other people's creations via an online Arena accessible from your handset or on the web.