Lionhead's The Movies - Interview

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a new Computer and Video Games-hosted interview about Lionhead's movie-making sim, The Movies. In this rare non-Molyneux discussion, project director Adrian Moore talks about this 2004-due multiplatform project, and its simple but enticing premise - "The concept of the game is really simple - you get to run your own movie studio. The game starts off in 1900 and goes through to 2010, and through that you have access to the technology of the particular time period."

Mark your calendars for 2010.

[node 3]

The game starts off in 1900 and goes through to 2010

The game only goes through to 2010? Are there no more movies after that year?

I think that means they know when the last Star Wars is going to be released (Episode IX), which will suck so bad that it destroys the whole movie industry.

That, or it's when movie pirates get so good that movies show up online before they're even filmed.

Re:Mark your calendars for 2010.

[Draigon]

2010 is when California sinks to the bottom of the sea. Learn to swim.

Obligatory Spaceballs Quote

[Danse]

COL SANDURZ: Pardon me, sir. I have an idea. Corporal, get me the video cassette of Spaceballs-the Movie.

CORPORAL: Yes, sir.

(CORPORAL walks to a wall labeled, "Mr. Rental." The wall opens. He looks through the selections.)

DARK HELMET: Colonel Sandurz, may I speak with you, please?

COL SANDURZ: Yes, sir.

DARK HELMET: (lifts up mask) How could there be a cassette of Spaceballs-the Movie. We're still in the middle of making it.

COL SANDURZ: That's true, sir, but there's been a new breakthrough in hom

Re:Obligatory Spaceballs Quote

[happyDave]

"When does this happen in the movie?"

"Now."

...

"When does then become now?"

"Soon."

Doesn't look promising

[ObviousGuy]

If this is your thing, you might as well just go grab a free copy of Maya and get to work making your own *real* movie.

Woo!

[Poofat]

In a couple years, Super-Ultra-Edition DVD research will be done and I'll RAKE in the cash!

Realistic features?

[Anonymous Coward]

Will it include the ability to buy off Congress?

Do ya wanna be in pictures?

[Draigon]

I guess that's what they were talking about when they said videogames and movies were merging.

This idea isn't as good as a videogame where you get to develop your own video game, though.

Re:Do ya wanna be in pictures?

[kurosawdust]

This idea isn't as good as a videogame where you get to develop your own video game, though.

You're telling me, man - it took me eight years to beat emacs!

This game will be too easy

[entrager]

Most people will quickly discover that upon hitting the 80's and 90's a simple copy-and-paste is all that will be needed to create the next blockbuster.

Good luck to this game.

[Blackwulf]

I really hope it lives up to what they say it does. I enjoy these type of games personally. One of my favorite games in the early 90's was Disney's Stunt Island, where you were a stunt pilot that starred in movies. Of course, that was the campaign portion of the game. There was also a "free mode" where you were able to create your OWN stunts, set scripts on objects, set the cameras, etc. And then, you could go into the editing room and piece together the movie with music, sound effects, and subtitles.

There were some communities online that had 20+ minute movies made, and others even had full voice audio to go with the story. You could either view these in the game or via a standalone player.

Re:Good luck to this game.

[Dachannien]

Agreed - I wouldn't be too interested in playing the structured portion of this game, but if it has a freeform "movie"-making capability, I'd consider buying it just to fiddle around with that.

Limits on movies?

[rgonsalves]

There should be a movie game/GTA crossover where you can gather hookers, strippers and any other girls and get them to make pr0n. You could get them hooked on smack (or spank), and make movies... from the years 1900 to 2010. What a bad idea, what was I thinking. I think that was basically in Vice City. Oops. -RPG

Interesting Premise

[Optical Voodoo Man]

I think that the concept of a business simulator for the movie industry is a good one. I would be curious to know how they will handle the popularity of a movie in their model. Will they have some mechanism for players to vote on each other's titles and movie concepts? Or will the amount of money you spend on actors and writing affect the outcome? I also liked the idea of sliders showing how good a script was to allow the player to adjust the amount the spent on it.

Hopefully 3D and cup holders in seat

The Movies?

[Ochobee]

Why don't they just name the game "Movie Tycoon"? Should guarantee it sells a few copies, and it sounds like it sould be quite appropriate for the game.Bleh.

eh

[rhuntley12]

This is going to be another completely stupid idea, that people will flock to and buy, or will it just flock? I always thought the sims sucked and would flop, but it appears people liked it...Curious about this, I hope this game goes straight to hell, and it can take reality tv with it.

Already been done..

[Thunderhead]

Superstart game designer copying a shareware title [hollywood-mogul.com]?

(word is, this game is pretty good.... I've only played the demo myself, though (poor))

Director's Chair

[Anonymous Coward]

I remember one of the first "multi-meeeeeja" titles I bought for the brand-spanking-new Windows 95 was "Stephen Spielberg's Director's Chair". It was a pretty good piece of software, for the time, though it (naturally) had FMV coming out it's ass. The whole idea was that Stephen Spielberg was guiding you to creating your own film.. you had to ration your time between preproduction/shooting/postproduction. Every so often Senor Spielbergo would pop up explaining how a good director manages all of this, giv