Tonight, Spore is being recognized for its achievement in design, creativity and engineering with a "Breakthrough Award" from POPULAR MECHANICS. Spore is being honored for its revolutionary procedural animation system, joining the ranks of such ground-breaking innovations such as affordable cancer detection tests, renewable diesel fuel and a transparent-wall camera.

POPULAR MECHANICS will announce the winners of its fourth annual Breakthrough Awards at a ceremony at Hearst Tower in New York City. Sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb, the Breakthrough Awards celebrate innovations poised to change the world, and the personalities behind them.

"The Maxis team is honored to be recognized for Spore's procedural animation system by POPULAR MECHANICS," said Lucy Bradshaw, general manager, Maxis Studio. "We're in great company with the other recipients of the Breakthrough Award. Procedural animation helps to bring Spore players' creations to life through intuitive, realistic movement and we look forward to continuing to push the limits of this system in future Spore projects."