I think this will keep some of those waiting for Spore going for a while, to be released in November this year, SimCity Societies.  Not being developed by Maxis, instead Tilted Mill, the people behind Children of the Nile are handling development of this title.

It breaks from SimCity traditionally by being fully 3D, and places much more emphasis on social and cultural behaviour.

Gamespy have recently posted up a preview of Spore from their experiences at E3.

It's possible to craft some truly ... unique ... beings. Wright whipped up a critter that walked on two legs, with a giant beak sticking out of the front of its body. Its eyes were located way back at the end of its tail, along with a pair of grasping arms. The features are more than cosmetic: As you add and subtract different animal parts, you change the creature's stats (strength, stealth, speed, etc). Your choice of mouth type (beak, bill, toothy jaws, and so on) will determine what your creature eats and what it sounds like when it "talks" to its fellow creatures.