The innovative Spore video game has seen its first component launched: the game's creature maker. Released for both PCs and Macs, the tool allows fans of the game to design funny-looking animals which will eventually populate the game when it is launched.

The game will consist of five evolutionary steps: cell, creature, tribal, civilization and space. Each step will need a new design as the character progresses from a single cell to a being which is able to go into space. The game is dubbed a "massively single-player online game" because characters will be shared on the game's Sporepedia website.

The Spore Creature Creator released today also allows for the character to be exported as video, for uploading on sites such as YouTube. Also, there is the possibility of exporting avatars to social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. The tool costs $10 but there are several places which sell it with a $5 discount. There is also a limited downloadable demo available for free.

The actual game will be released this fall. It is a continuation of Electronic Arts' long-running Sim series and is designed by the same Will Wright. The videogame is designed to be accessible even for those who are not gamers. In fact, The Sims franchise usually appealed to an entirely different crowd than, let's say, Mass Effect or GTA.

The gameplay uses so-called procedural animation technology, which allows for extended customization of most features. The player will start by controlling a cell and ends up designing a galaxy. Despite being a single player game, it will actually have many online features which resemble those of a social network. The first release will come in PC, Mac, DS and Mobile versions.