"The Movies" Film Festival

[fitbabits]

All you budding armchiar directors take note (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001843645) -

Anyone who loves movies and video games will get the opportunity to combine their passions by participating in Chrysler in the Movies: Virtual Film Competition, a contest set to be launched Jan. 20 at the Sundance Film Festival. Entrants will create their own short film using capabilities built into Activision and Lionhead Studios' "The Movies," the video game that lets players design and run their own movie studio at various times in Hollywood's history. As part of the simulation, gamers can create movies and upload them for consideration to be included in a virtual film festival, complete with an online awards ceremony. More than 35,000 movies have been uploaded to Activision's online community since the game's November release.
Thanks to Gamecloud (http://www.gamecloud.com) for the initial head's up (http://www.gamecloud.com/article.php?article_id=3057).

This is a great idea. I may go buy The Movies this afternoon.

[LilAbner]

The Movies is a great game. However, as GameSpot's review noted, it's really 2 games in one. It's one part studio management, and another part movie making.

[Thenetcase]

Unfortunately if it was so cool, you'd actually see some good "movies" coming out from it... Sadly, I haven't seen anything decent from this game yet. Maybe someone else has some advise on what to watch that's actually good?

-TNC-

[dotbomb]

If you do buy it it is on sale at circuit city for $29.99 (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/The-Movies-PC-/sem/rpsm/oid/137969/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do).

[ezzkmo]

As critical as you are about the game or if you love it, you have to give it credit for being pretty unique and fun and original. There really is nothing else like it out there right now, even though it plays like a sims/tycoon game.

[TKO]

I'm really tempted to try to make something of my own. But (minor detail) I've hardly tried the custom moviemaking facilities. The movie-making possibilities are mindblowing tho. Anyone who finds this game remotely interesting should just buy it now (seriously, just put down the keyboard and go buy it.) There are two very good sides to this game: the tycoon, and movie making. Odds are one of them will appeal. The depth of it all and the gorgeously implemented UI (drag&drop and hotkeys everywhere) make it hard not to like. Before you know it the better part of a day has disappeared just learning the early game. ..Oh, and the laugh-out-loud funny radio announcements: it's like a family-friendly version of GTA radio DJ's. Priceless.

Thenetcase: I expect the high degree of crap-ness in the movies online are due (to a big degree) to the ease of creating and uploading, combined with players getting in-game rewards (props and crap) for the movies they upload. ..My intention, when I got the game, was to try making some masterpieces of my own. But so far I've just been having so much fun with the movie-tycoon portion of the game, and seeing the random films my scriptwriters are churning out (entertaining stuff) that, combined with it being so easy to blow a whole *weekend* building studios and churning out movies. I just don't know when I'll find the time to start making any masterpieces.

I would definitely argue your conclusion that it isn't capable of making anything 'good' though. The *only* thing that is limiting for me is the dialogue, which is sim-lish nonsense-talk without much variety. So to make something good I'd have to try to capture some good dialogue from real people, or go all-subtitles. It's so easy to churn stuff out that entertains the hell out of me (and probably only me), and it would take so much effort to try to make something good and polished, besides which the tycoon-game takes all my time ...*those* are the reasons there isn't much good stuff online yet. Give it some time.

[AversionFX]

I gave the custom moviemaking a try, and I was really disappointed. From what I saw, you don't "make your own movies," you use a bunch of pre-created templates of acting and string them together to make a film.

[TKO]

Sounds like the Hollywood method to me, only with less dumb-executive interference. ;)

[Spigot]

I rather enjoy the custom movie-making aspect, but I haven't progressed far enough in the studio-management part of the game to be able to do the cool stuff that I'd like to do.

My endeavours to date are mostly slap-stick. I think that the movie making tools are very powerful for people like me who aren't that good at using real movie-making tools on the computer.

My goal now is to finish off the studio game, thus unlocking the full potential of the studio in the movie-making part. THEN you can see movies of mine that don't have the protaganist switching cars three times during a driving sequence...sigh...

[mister_slim]

I rather enjoy the custom movie-making aspect, but I haven't progressed far enough in the studio-management part of the game to be able to do the cool stuff that I'd like to do.

My endeavours to date are mostly slap-stick. I think that the movie making tools are very powerful for people like me who aren't that good at using real movie-making tools on the computer.

My goal now is to finish off the studio game, thus unlocking the full potential of the studio in the movie-making part. THEN you can see movies of mine that don't have the protaganist switching cars three times during a driving sequence...sigh...
EvAv's own Uwe Boll.

[Spigot]

EvAv's own Uwe Boll.
Why thank y-... wait... HEY!

[Kelegacy]

EvAv's own Uwe Boll.
Ahahaha! Sadly, I think Spigot might have a bit more talent.

If this game could produce porn, I'd be an innovator in the field.

[mister_slim]

If this game could produce porn, I'd be an innovator in the field.
Whatever happened to that strip club management game?

[TKO]

If this game could produce porn, I'd be an innovator in the field.
Though I don't think there's any way to indulge in anything hard core, it looks like the soft-porn possibilites possibilites (http://www.nwsphere.com/pics/oddcouple.html) can be as daring as you like. ;)

I was quite shocked to discover that my 1930's studio, without any intervention on my part, was already putting some girl on girl lip-lock on the silver screen. Seems that was probably just coz the studio only had female extras to pair up with my lead actress. ..But for a second there I was afraid to see what the 60's might hold. At least, until the young ones had gone to bed. :D

[mister_slim]

...soft-porn possibilites (http://www.nwsphere.com/pics/oddcouple.html)...
Oww. Don't do that.


It's like Kelagacy, but subtle and extra evil.

[XxSATANxX]

I was really pissed when I discovered you could'nt do porn ;)

[TKO]

It's shocking influences like his in these forums that have warped my fragile mind. :D

[MadHiro]

As critical as you are about the game or if you love it, you have to give it credit for being pretty unique and fun and original. There really is nothing else like it out there right now, even though it plays like a sims/tycoon game.
It plays exactly like a poorly stitched together version of the Sims (No, not even the Sims. The Singles.) and a very cludgy Tycoon. Maybe Mall Tycoon. That doesn't seem particularly innovative to me. It's a wretched game, not fun, and further proof that Molyneux shot his load a decade ago.

[TKO]

It plays exactly like a poorly stitched together version of the Sims (No, not even the Sims. The Singles.) and a very cludgy Tycoon. Maybe Mall Tycoon. That doesn't seem particularly innovative to me. It's a wretched game, not fun, and further proof that Molyneux shot his load a decade ago.
Wow, did he, like, ass-rape you when you were a kid or something? The hate is just *dripping* from that post. Not enough Nintendo threads for you to troll at the moment or something?

Well, I'll bite then. (But only if you ask nicely) ;) ..I've never touched The Sims, nor any of Molyneux's previous titles, so I can't compare it to those. But of all the games I've toyed around with recently, this has by *far* been the most enjoyable. The interface is *slick*: from a UI-design perspective it's hard to fault. People can play it 100% mouse. Drag and drop, etc. Or can use the keyboard nav controls (+hotkeys), very quake-like, to jump 'round the studio quickly. The streams and colour-hilights are beautifully helpful too. A seriously thought out UI. First class.

The main game elements (tycoon and movie-maker) are kept nicely seperate. If one doesn't appeal it's not gonna stop ya enjoying the other part. The tycoon element has so far wowed *everyone* I've shown it to. I know a good number of my PC friends are going to have bought it too before the month is out. It's just so darned polished. Many aspects of the business can be ignored to some degree (relationships, scriptwriting, publicity, finances, awards), and an enjoyable (and profitable) game can still result. Tons of cool humour dotted around too if ya pay attention.

As for the movie-design itself, I'm having a good bit of fun trying some b-grade Sci-Fi flicks. (Nothing more fun than a b-grade Sci-Fi movie, yeah?) :D ..Just subtitled so far, but I might have to play with voices at some point. There are limitations on what you can do, but nothing a bit of fine editing can't be used to get around. :) ..Damn, I've wasted a full couple of weeks on this game so far, and enjoyed every minute. Not many games have done that.

So what precisely didn't you like, MadHiro? Or were you just trolling. ;)

[sencho]

It plays exactly like a poorly stitched together version of the Sims (No, not even the Sims. The Singles.) and a very cludgy Tycoon. Maybe Mall Tycoon. That doesn't seem particularly innovative to me. It's a wretched game, not fun, and further proof that Molyneux shot his load a decade ago.
So, how would you rate it as a percentage of Daikatana? :)