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 21st century, the 20th
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.
