The Movies Preview

E3 Preview 2005

Making movies is big business. Making videogames is big business. So what about a videogame about making movies?

That is what Lionhead Studios is planning on releasing with The Movies, a title being developed for the PC, Xbox, PlayStation2 and GameCube and published by Activision.

Lionhead and Activision gave videogame journalists a look at the title during a Pre-E3 event held in Santa Monica recently. Boasting full on-line Internet support, this is a title that can be played on several different levels, and the results of one’s efforts can be shared worldwide.

Please allow an explanation …

This is a game about making movies in a sim-like movie studio (more on this in a moment). As part of the program, players can actually use the studio to make a movie, complete with soundtrack, sets, and voiced dialogue. A Web site will be in place for players to upload their movies. There is even a rumor that there may be awards given out, but that is yet to be determined. And the game will have downloadable content as well.  

As for the game itself, it all begins at the turn of the century … no, not the 21^st century, the 20^th century. Players take over a small studio and then pursue the magic of Hollywood through approximately 110 years of time line. Hollywood hopefuls drop by, looking for jobs in the industry and you must decide who stays and who goes.

Of course you can pursue new technologies in this sim title, and costuming, sets and other technologies will unlock over time. Pick up a person (literally, the game’s interface allows you to pick up and place people in the appropriate areas) and drop him or her into the script pool, cranking out that wannabe blockbuster. Have a charming young lady who is a little short on attributes for that cheesecake flick you want to make? Plop her into the medical facilities for breast implants and don’t forget to take care of the publicity for her burgeoning career. Got a male actor who is starting to get a bit of a pot belly – no problem, you can drop him in for liposuction, or perhaps a little nip and tuck to try to stave off aging and maintain that youthful glow. 

The movies you make allow you to use the sets (don’t use the same sets too often or you will start to upset the audience), select costuming, even import the music and do your own voice overs. The movies can be as short or as long as you want, and they will get reviewed in the game. Put together that right combination of talent and script, with sparkling, ingenuous sets and the right sound and you will have a winner.  

The game will track the relationship between your actors, actors and directors, off-lot problems, in short … “everything you imagine is in Hollywood, we’ve tried to put in to the game,” said a Lionhead representative.

The game’s interface looked surprisingly easy and intuitive, and a wealth of information is available quickly. The game’s graphics were solid, working off the same general look as The Sims and other similar games. And how can you fault the sound when the gamer is the one putting it into the game?

The Movies is exactly the type of title that should have broad appeal, and it will meet that head-on with cleverness and depth of gaming experience. Keep an eye out for this one – it will be coming to a gaming platform near you this fall.