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Platform: PC Genre: Simulation Publisher: Activision Developer: Lionhead Studios ETA: November 2005 Related Links: Classic Review: Stunt Island (PC)
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The Movies
Things
aren't looking so good for the film industry. Once again, we've had a
rotten summer, filled with disappointments and plummeting profits. Movie
studios are quick to blame things like piracy, but the consumers know
the real deal – the movies being produced just plain suck, and plenty
of armchair directors on cinema message boards insist they can do
better. "The Movies" from Lionhead Software takes players up
on that bet, to take a movie from start to completion, and make it a
success. The
name "Lionhead" should ring a bell with longtime gamers – it
was founded by legendary game director Peter Molyneuax. Peter loves to
brag and boast, but he's got the resume to back it up, with a long
history of incredibly original games like Syndicate, Dungeon Keeper and
Magic Carpet. Like Will Wright, he likes to give gamers an experience
beyond what's normally found in games, although he tends to branch out
more into the realm of fantasy than Sim-like reality. So
this may be a stretch for Lionhead, as The Movies focuses on emulating
the dark and crypic movie factory known as types
of genres to choose from, running the gamut from action, comedy,
romance/drama, sci-fi and horror. You can also mix and match if you
please. The Movies will focus on three different aspects – managing the business end, hiring actors |
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for your films, and actually directing them. It's up to you to pick the studios, create the sets, hire the staff, and adjust the marketing budget. In addition to competing with neighboring studios for both awards and money, it's up to you to find the right actors for the right roles, and make sure their egos or drunken antics don't ruin your show. The most interesting part is directly taking the helm of the movie, writing your own script or adding your own voiceovers. If that sounds a bit overwhelming, you can choose which parts are automated and which parts you'll dirty your hands with, which will hopefully keep the game from micromanagement hell. In addition to the competitive Story Mode, Lionhead will be including a Sandbox Mode, allowing free reign of your creations without worrying about any of the back-end stuff. |
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The Movies is predominately being developed for the PC, but Lionhead is already setting up a community to allow people to record movies and share them online. While the Windows version is due out in the Fall, console gamers won't be left out of the movie-making game, as it'll be coming to all three platforms at some undetermined point in the future. The only concern is that The Movies sounds a little too over ambitious - and Lionhead's previous games, Black & White and Fable, were both titles that promised a lot and didn't quite reach those goals. Still, if The Movies delivers half of its promises, then it'll be an excellent playground for wannabe directors everywhere. - Kurt Kalata (September 14, 2005) |
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