Now we have a glimpse of why Spore has been delayed for so long. Originally expected for a 2007 release, the simulated evolution game from Electronic Arts studio Maxis was suddenly withheld, much to EA’s chagrin, but now apparently to the delight of fans.

Simply, the company wanted to make the follow-up to its wildly successful Sims franchise more accessible. Spore has been re-tooled into a Web 2.0 phenomenon designed to extend far beyond the actual game.

Maxis’ Spore Creature Creator will be released June 17, and the full game will hit the shelves in September.

Read more about how the fan community’s ability to create and share Spore content is just as important as the game itself here at Gigaom.