Lucy Bradshaw, Spore producer posted the following at the official Spore Forums on the subject of online accounts with Spore:

Spore Players,

I want to apologize for the confusion surrounding access to the online features of Spore. Most of the confusion is stemming from our own mistake in the game manual that states that you can have multiple Spore accounts for each installation of the game. This is incorrect. The information that appears on the box is correct; only one unique Spore account and Screen Name/Persona can be created with each copy of the product. We will correct this information in future iterations of the manual.

I have noted that there are a few other misunderstandings that I hope to clarify here:

  • To access Spore’s online features, you will need to register online and create a Spore Screen Name/Persona.
  • If you already have an EA.com account, you will only need to Login using that account information and create a Spore Screen Name/Persona.
  • Only one Spore Screen Name/Person can be created with a single copy of the game.
  • You can play Spore offline, for this reason we have included the ability to play while not logged in.
  • If you have installed your copy of Spore on multiple computers, your single account can be actively logged in up to 3 times simultaneously.
  • Once you have a Spore account, you can log in with that account on any computer that has an install of any legitimate copy of Spore. On a single install it is possible for multiple users to switch back and forth between unique online Spore accounts. For this reason we have included a Log Out button in the Online Settings options labeled, Disconnect from Spore or change users. The different accounts will be playing in the same Galaxy, and will, therefore, share the same data folders.

Again, I apologize for the confusion and the mistaken information.

Lucy

Lucy, you can do all the apologizing in the world, but the hell isn’t going to stop until the problem is actually fixed.  In the Creature Creator, you were allowed to create multiple accounts for family members to share their own creatures seperate from yours.  But with Spore, this isn’t the case.  1 person can play and that is it.

The fact that you designed this game to be family friendly, you completely took the whole concept and screwed it up.  The way you have the game (one account and 3 limited activations) basically tells us that you and your team are giving the players the middle finger!  Enough playing the devils advocate and FIX THE PROBLEM!