Spore Review (FreeTheTaint)
WARNING: If you buy Spore on Steam, you can't use online features.
Steam users are currently unable to create a Spore account when launching the game for the first time or redeem game on Origin (a requirement for online), because when EA decided to no longer provide CD keys with this and other EA games, it broke the activation process for Spore Steam buyers. Some have had success getting free CD codes added to their Origin/EA accounts manually through EA support - but this should not be required.
EA needs to fix this. It's been broken for over two years now for this and several other EA titles on Steam.
Here is the forum post with the full details on the issue.
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Spore/Steam-users-unable-to-create-Spore-account-or-redeem-game-on/m-p/10069057#M11615
Just in case you needed another reminder that EA is a garbage company. I've hit the flag icon on the Steam store page and reported the game as broken, and I encourage you to do the same.
EDIT: After two weeks of being passed around to different advisers at EA support, and after they made me submit screenshots of purchase info - they added the game to my Origin/EA Account and so I'm finally able to connect to the Spore server and use Online features. If someone gifts you the game, you'll need to get proof of purchase screenshots from them to provide to EA, and even then, they may not accept it. I am leaving this negative review up - as this issue is still unresolved, and to warn those who do not wish to go through the ringer with a disjointed support process just for the chance of being able to play the game they just paid for.