The Movies Opening November 8th

[Evil Avatar]

Is it The Sims or is it a Movie maker? Activision sends along word that Lionhead Studio's new sim title, The Movies, will be available on November 8th.

It’s a wrap! Activision, Inc. announced today that The Movies has gone gold and will premiere at retail outlets nationwide on Tuesday, November 8. Created by renowned life simulation pioneer Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios, The Movies allows gamers to become Hollywood players by creating unique movies and releasing them from the studios they build, starring the actors they discover and develop.

The Movies PC game will be available for a suggested retail price of $49.99. In addition, a Premiere Edition featuring exclusive star costumes, a 20-song game soundtrack, an advanced movie-making hints guide, exclusive trailers and original concept art, will be available for the suggested retail price of $59.99. Both versions are rated “T” (Teen with blood and gore, crude humor, mild language, sexual themes, use of alcohol and tobacco, and violence) by the ESRB.

For more information on The Movies, please visit www.themoviesgame.com. (http://www.themoviesgame.com./)

[goc_sin]

I'm looking forward to this one, as it might be a breath of fresh air to try a game design that is not been done a 1000 times. On another note I started playing "Lost in Blue" for the DS and it too is a great game design off the beaten path. Glad to see there are some developers thinking outside the box. Keep it up!

[DreamSlider]

Man, let's hope Molyneaux hits the nail on the head with one. In my opinion, I think he's been close a couple of times and always has awesome vision for his games. Too bad most of them have been a bit ambitious (and his mouth's been a little big) for the time he's being given. Fable: The Lost Chapters seems like it's closer to what he originally intended... it's too bad he was locked in console world where it hurts a lot more to try and say you need more time to your publisher. Man, B & W 2, F:TLC & The Movies. It's going to be a Molyneaux fall for me.

Damn the video game industry and the games (and system) that come out from now until the end of the year! Just when I need money for gifts for the family, I want to spend a ton on myself. This happens every year... :(

[Heretic Machine]

I'm just not that interested in this... It just seems like something that would get boreing -fast-...

[Kelegacy]

Yay! That's my birthday, too. Good day, there.

Just wanted to plug myself here. Send gifts my way, thanks.

[The Iron Weasel]

I have to say i really like the sounds of this game, sounds like it will be redonkulously addictive.

[thecrazyd]

Good concept, but I have a feeling it will be butchered in execution.

[NoName]

Yay! That's my birthday, too. Good day, there.

Just wanted to plug myself here. Send gifts my way, thanks.
Ha, today is my birthday, no gifts from all my avid fans at EA. *insert sounds of crickets*

I got an e-mail from EA this morning though wishing me happy birthday, that was sort of... sweet.

[Kelegacy]

Ha, today is my birthday, no gifts from all my avid fans at EA. *insert sounds of crickets*

I got an e-mail from EA this morning though wishing me happy birthday, that was sort of... sweet.

Your Kleenex full of spooge is in the mail, bud. Happy Birthday!

[Montgomery_Python]

Your Kleenex full of spooge is in the mail, bud. Happy Birthday!

Mine wasn't even full... :(

[Evil Avatar]

Good concept, but I have a feeling it will be butchered in execution.

That is what I'm hearing from developers. The word I've been hearing is that even the development team isn't sure what kind of a game they were supposted to be making, so they did everything, but nothing very well.

[thecrazyd]

That is what I'm hearing from developers. The word I've been hearing is that even the development team isn't sure what kind of a game they were supposted to be making, so they did everything, but nothing very well.
see: Every Molyneux game since Populous.

[bean19]

Have you guys looked at the site?

It is like Sim Movie Studio with "The Sims Superstar" expansion and an incredibly involved movie-making system all in one package. No matter what, it will be the best movie-making simulation ever. ;)

Have to love the originality, but I'm also hoping the game delivers the gameplay.

[thecrazyd]

It is like Sim Movie Studio with "The Sims Superstar" expansion and an incredibly involved movie-making system all in one package. No matter what, it will be the best movie-making simulation ever. ;)
From what I heard (don't quote me on this), the movie making is little more then putting characters on a set, setting the theme, and letting them do their thing. And they do not even make expressions.

[drakkarim]

unless you can direct a sim porno i don't care about this game.

[Hijinx]

Lights, Camera, Take my Money!

November is shaping up to be fantastico. Looks like EvAv has alot of Scorpios.

Veterans Day baby here. :D

[bean19]

From what I heard (don't quote me on this), the movie making is little more then putting characters on a set, setting the theme, and letting them do their thing. And they do not even make expressions.

Well, they DO make expressions in all of the movies I've seen, and they even have lip-syncing.

Also, the movie making can be disgustingly involved, where you choose each scene, which actors are in each role in the scene, what the mood they should play to is, whether they make use of props (and what those props are), what costumes they are wearing, whether or not you use special effects, etc.

Go download one of the many previews. You can watch them select all that stuff. Where it does get dumbed down a bit is that each scene is filmed with a choice of a few pre-set angles which the player can switch between on the fly, rather than a completely free camera controled by the player. This is the same interface where you can give direction on how to act the scene. . . like the intensity of fighting (disgusting bone-breaking violence or comedic slapstick or something in between) or the level of romance in a scene (innocent first flirtations with shy hand-holding or raunchy romp - or something in between).

Oh, you can also edit the movies in post production. Cut down scenes, splice them together in a different order, add special effects, or add voice that the actors will lip-sync.

From what I've read, it looks pretty impressive, but then I haven't seen an independent preview yet.

The part of the game that looks a bit weak to me is the Star simulation. Basically you can make stars have relationships by having them talk to other stars and moving them into progressively more intimate settings. Also, you can change your star's appearance by giving them various forms of cosmetic surgery or making them work out. Also, you can put them on a set to have them practice for more skill in that movie genre. . . and you can up their notoriety by giving them bad press too. . . get a journalist to photograph them on a drinking binge or after they come out of a trailer. . . Okay, those all seem kind of simple to me. . . it is as much or more than what you get in the Sims, but it all seems kind of contrived I guess. Do X and get Y result. . . But I guess I'd complain about inconsistency otherwise.

The thing I know the least about even though I've been following this game closely, is the depth of the studio building game. I hope this doesn't follow trite rules like some of the simulation games out there. Silly, illogical things that make very little sense or simply can't be acheived. . . like it being necessary to put your actors close to a set but away from loud noise for optimum performance. My least favorite thing in simulations is when they present a problem that does not have a solution. For instance, have you played any version of Sim City where traffic was not always a big problem? I never did, but then I stopped playing the series after Sim City 3, and despite spending crap tons on a subway system and hours on building highways with proper on and off ramps, I still always had sections of the city that were overwhelmed with high traffic.

[Knightsaber]

Yay! That's my birthday, too. Good day, there.

Just wanted to plug myself here. Send gifts my way, thanks.

Mine too, I'm getting this as a gift, even. Yay us?

[Magnanimous Gnome]

For instance, have you played any version of Sim City where traffic was not always a big problem? I never did, but then I stopped playing the series after Sim City 3, and despite spending crap tons on a subway system and hours on building highways with proper on and off ramps, I still always had sections of the city that were overwhelmed with high traffic.



To be honest though, have you ever been to a major American city that DIDN'T have huge traffic problems? SimCity is actually pretty realistic in that regard, but I do agree that hearing about it over and over from advisors and the like does get old.

"Traffic problems you say? How about I just eliminate the roads you little bastards! See how you like walking 10 miles to work! MUHAHAHA!!"