Maxis is investigating crashes on the new 10.6.3 OS. Post here if you're affected and your error message and the steps leading to the crash.

Have recently upgraded to OS 10.6.3 as tiger would not run Spore, since installation spore continually crashes resulting in the screen freezing but the sound (music) continues. This happens at random times and positions in the game, but its usually when a new body part is discovered. This freezes the computer not just the game and we have to turn off and restart.

On start up Spore prompts user to update, if yes is selected updates are down loaded and will run until the ipatcher lists the files to be changed then both Spore and the Spore updater stop responding with Force quit as the only option.

No on screen error messages have been displayed.

Any work rounds, suggestions etc. would be welcomed

Computer and Spore freezes when starting a new game. Have loaded all updates to Spore. Computer has all updates installed. The Mac was purchased in June 2009. and has a NVIDIA GeForce 9400 graphic chip. The game was very problematic to install initially - was only able to install by NOT allowing the Spore updates - but then the kids 'accidentally' installed them. I have gone through all options on the Spore support - deleted the preferences much to the horror of the uses as their saved game was deleted. I have checked and used the Mac Disk Utility repair. I am very disappointed in the game, lack of support and problems associated with this game. Not one I will be recommending. Any other options?

I definitely have experienced the same as what is being described above. My game installs and completes. The game is then updated several times and then doesn't run.

I hope maxis/ea can figure this one out.

Game simply quits after a few seconds of splash screen. This is a new install, with all updates, serial number not entered yet.

This is the Console log:

2010-04-22 19.15.24 [0x0-0x63063].com.transgaming.spore[4708] Thu Apr 22 19:15:24 nd-2.local cider[4708] <Error>: unknown error code: invalid context
2010-04-22 19.15.24 [0x0-0x63063].com.transgaming.spore[4708] Thu Apr 22 19:15:24 nd-2.local cider[4708] <Error>: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.
2010-04-22 19.15.25 [0x0-0x63063].com.transgaming.spore[4708] Warning: Language 'en_SE' was not found, retrying without country name...
2010-04-22 19.15.25 [0x0-0x63063].com.transgaming.spore[4708] For language 'en' several language ids were found:
2010-04-22 19.15.25 [0x0-0x63063].com.transgaming.spore[4708] en_US - 0409; en_GB - 0809; en_AU - 0C09; en_CA - 1009; en_NZ - 1409; en_IE - 1809; en_ZA - 1C09; en_JM - 2009; en_ - 2409; en_BZ - 2809; en_TT - 2C09;
2010-04-22 19.15.25 [0x0-0x63063].com.transgaming.spore[4708] Instead of using first in the list, suggest to define
2010-04-22 19.15.25 [0x0-0x63063].com.transgaming.spore[4708] your LANG environment variable like this: LANG=en_US
2010-04-22 19.15.27 com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[116] ([0x0-0x63063].com.transgaming.spore[4708]) Exited with exit code: 1
2010-04-22 19.16.56 Finder[122] NSOpenGLAutoscaleBounds=NO
2010-04-22 19.17.51 [0x0-0x6c06c].com.transgaming.spore[4762] Thu Apr 22 19:17:51 nd-2.local cider[4762] <Error>: unknown error code: invalid context
2010-04-22 19.17.51 [0x0-0x6c06c].com.transgaming.spore[4762] Thu Apr 22 19:17:51 nd-2.local cider[4762] <Error>: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.
2010-04-22 19.17.51 [0x0-0x6c06c].com.transgaming.spore[4762] Warning: Language 'en_SE' was not found, retrying without country name...
2010-04-22 19.17.51 [0x0-0x6c06c].com.transgaming.spore[4762] For language 'en' several language ids were found:
2010-04-22 19.17.51 [0x0-0x6c06c].com.transgaming.spore[4762] en_US - 0409; en_GB - 0809; en_AU - 0C09; en_CA - 1009; en_NZ - 1409; en_IE - 1809; en_ZA - 1C09; en_JM - 2009; en_ - 2409; en_BZ - 2809; en_TT - 2C09;
2010-04-22 19.17.51 [0x0-0x6c06c].com.transgaming.spore[4762] Instead of using first in the list, suggest to define
2010-04-22 19.17.51 [0x0-0x6c06c].com.transgaming.spore[4762] your LANG environment variable like this: LANG=en_US
2010-04-22 19.17.53 com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[116] ([0x0-0x6c06c].com.transgaming.spore[4762]) Exited with exit code: 1
2010-04-22 19.18.47 [0x0-0x6f06f].com.transgaming.spore[4785] Thu Apr 22 19:18:47 nd-2.local cider[4785] <Error>: unknown error code: invalid context
2010-04-22 19.18.47 [0x0-0x6f06f].com.transgaming.spore[4785] Thu Apr 22 19:18:47 nd-2.local cider[4785] <Error>: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.
2010-04-22 19.18.47 [0x0-0x6f06f].com.transgaming.spore[4785] Warning: Language 'en_SE' was not found, retrying without country name...
2010-04-22 19.18.47 [0x0-0x6f06f].com.transgaming.spore[4785] For language 'en' several language ids were found:
2010-04-22 19.18.47 [0x0-0x6f06f].com.transgaming.spore[4785] en_US - 0409; en_GB - 0809; en_AU - 0C09; en_CA - 1009; en_NZ - 1409; en_IE - 1809; en_ZA - 1C09; en_JM - 2009; en_ - 2409; en_BZ - 2809; en_TT - 2C09;
2010-04-22 19.18.47 [0x0-0x6f06f].com.transgaming.spore[4785] Instead of using first in the list, suggest to define
2010-04-22 19.18.47 [0x0-0x6f06f].com.transgaming.spore[4785] your LANG environment variable like this: LANG=en_US
2010-04-22 19.18.50 com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[116] ([0x0-0x6f06f].com.transgaming.spore[4785]) Exited with exit code: 1

I have this problem too. Fresh system, installed game, 5 patches and now the only thing I get is the Spore splash screen. After that game crashes. I have MacBook Pro 13" (Mid-2010). By the way you could make all in one patches. Some more time and it will be installing 10 patches after a computer format!

My game is locking up a minute or two into the first 3D part of the game (just after you get legs - not sure if it's Creature or Early Creature or whatever, just got this yesterday).

No error codes or warnings that I've seen, the system just hard locks - the background sounds continue but no movement on screen and no control over the computer at all. I have to hold down the Mac's power button to shut down and restart. I've been playing full-screen so there's no way to see if the rest of the Mac is locked, but command-optoin-escape does not help.

I did have to do the whole install / uninstall / install / run / quit / autopatch thing to get the game to run at all. Guess it's a good thing I didn't know about all these issues before I dropped the $40.

The same in here.

29/04/2010 20:31:22 com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[194] (com.apple.CSConfigDotMacCert-deckard-replicante@me.com-SharedServices[227]) Exited with exit code: 1 29/04/2010 20:32:11 [0x0-0x19019].com.transgaming.spore[259] Thu Apr 29 20:32:11 MacBook-Pro.local cider[259] <Error>: unknown error code: invalid context 29/04/2010 20:32:11 [0x0-0x19019].com.transgaming.spore[259] Thu Apr 29 20:32:11 MacBook-Pro.local cider[259] <Error>: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged. 29/04/2010 20:32:16 com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[194] ([0x0-0x19019].com.transgaming.spore[259]) Exited with exit code: 1 29/04/2010 20:32:19 SubmitDiagInfo[283] Submitted panic report: /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Kernel_2010-04-29-203051_MacBook-Pro.panic 29/04/2010 20:32:43 [0x0-0x1e01e].com.transgaming.spore[296] Thu Apr 29 20:32:43 MacBook-Pro.local cider[296] <Error>: unknown error code: invalid context 29/04/2010 20:32:43 [0x0-0x1e01e].com.transgaming.spore[296] Thu Apr 29 20:32:43 MacBook-Pro.local cider[296] <Error>: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged. 29/04/2010 20:32:46 com.apple.launchd.peruser.501[194] ([0x0-0x1e01e].com.transgaming.spore[296]) Exited with exit code: 1

got macosx 10.6.3 as well. I traceroute the addresses I found in other posts, not problem. I even tried the craziness of removing the localhost defnitions (127.0.0.1) from the hosts file. Not difference whatsoever.

And Spore just show the initial screen and it crashes which it is only noticed on the logs.

I am having the same problem Mac OS 10.6 fresh install. As soon as i start playing the game it freezes, though i can still hear the music. I have to restart my computer to exit.

Fresh install, brand spanking new macbook pro. After installing spore from dvd, program downloaded a ton of patches, after patching the splash screen loads then exits.

Here is console printout

5/11/10 6:09:00 PM [0x0-0x1b71b7].com.transgaming.spore[8362] Tue May 11 18:09:00 mitchs-mbp.local cider[8362] <Error>: unknown error code: invalid context
5/11/10 6:09:00 PM [0x0-0x1b71b7].com.transgaming.spore[8362] Tue May 11 18:09:00 mitchs-mbp.local cider[8362] <Error>: kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged.

I am also on a Macbook Pro 13", brand new, about 12 days old and am also experiencing something similar, if not the same issue. Launch game, splash screen/intro logo prior to launch and C2D. I've not captured the error it is reporting, but a similar thread I found dictates that it is related to attempting registration:

http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/spore-technical-support/810040-spore-fails-start-mac-os-x-10-6-a.html

Not sure how true it is yet.

How are you capturing log/launch data?

Hey guys, I just wanted to let everyone know that I have found a fix to the problem of Spore on Mac crashing on the splash screen.

This will most likely work on 100% of cases where you do a clean install of Spore for Mac, and after you have it installed, you load it, the splash screen pops up that says “SPORE” and then it quits seconds after that.

The problem is, the last few patches assume that you already had the game installed and registered upon downloading the patch. When the game tries to load after patching, it tries to open, doesn’t find the authentication key, and quits out on you. OS X, as wonderful as it is, neglects to tell us WHY things crash 99% of the time so it just appears to close the splash screen and never load.

It’s this easy, guys, and I really hope this helps the tons of Mac users out there who had the same problem I did.

1.) Do a full uninstall of Spore.

2.) Install Spore.

3.) When it tell you that there are updates available and asks if you would like to update, HIT NO! This is VERY important.

4.) Load spore and it will ask you for your key. This is the part that you most likely never got to before. Enter your key and continue on in to the game.

5.) Register your account for the EA online thing. I don’t know if this part is important to do right now or not, but I did it and I now have a working copy of Spore.

6.) Quit Spore.

7.) Load spore and hit yes to all patches.

8.) Play Spore and think of me while doing so.

I really REALLY hope this helps, guys. I even called EA and they wrote down this method, step by step, and will now be offering this method over the phone and adding it to the EA FAQ for Spore if it continues to work for people.

Thanks, it solved problem for me.

Same problem here as most have. I am able to play the game with no problems. But after a few minutes of gameplay, the system will freeze. The sound keeps playing the music background. But the my computer is completely frozen.

I am on Mac OS 10.6.3, MacBook Pro, I have installed all of my computer updates and all of my SPORE updates. I get past the splash screen just fine, but in the middle of gameplay the whole thing freezes. Sometimes I'll be able to play for five minutes before it locks up, and sometimes it will lock up the first time I try and do anything. One thing that I noticed is that my problems didn't start until my creature reached land. I was fine as long as I was in the first stage swimming around, but as soon as I evolved to walk on land my system started freezing. My music will continue to play, but I can't click on anything or control my character. When I try Command-Option-Esc to force close the program the music stops, and everything else remains frozen. I have to force re-start my computer each time this happens. I hope they fix this soon! It's rather frustrating to pay money for a game you can't play