Spore missed its window. It is a sad and common event in the entertainment industry, and should not be considered with any especial amount of curiosity or sympathy.
The window itself is worthy of consideration, of course. It is a very tricky and fickle thing to approach, and sometimes the effect of missing it is not immediately obvious. A notable previous example is Super Smash Bros Brawl, which missed its window and went on to be extremely popular at its release - but with the aftereffect that its popularity died almost immediately, as the level of impatience generated by overshooting the window simply couldn't be overcome by any product. And although it is common sense, it must be noted that undershooting the window has just as disastrous, if not more disastrous results - Hellgate: London being the example par exellence in this instance.
Why am I so wordy tonight?